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Cabinet building software topic

10/29/18       
ArtisL Member

Hi all,

I'm just starting off in the industry (having stone fabrication, 3D modelling and programming background) as a draftsman for a shop that builds cabinets and custom pieces like store furniture and display stands. They don't have a system in place and are counting on me to make the preparation of quotations and job documentation more efficient. I see that there are many options to choose from and every other post in the CAD forum is about which software to use. Posts in the knowledge base are quite outdated and I would like to collect your opinions and experience regarding the choice of software. I would also appreciate if you could point to resources that describe the workflow of a price request, from preparing a quote, bill of materials to shop drawings.

The main parameters to consider:
- Ability to work in metric units;
- Ability to specify base material, edging, veneers and extract the information to the Bill of Materials;
- Ability to have dynamic and parametric components that can be reused;
- Ability to easily create sections, elevations, etc.
- Ability to generate cutlists;
- Ability to export to CNC

I see Topsolid Wood that is recommended but it has a steep price. Then there is Inventor + Woodwork for Inventor plugin. Then there is CabinetVision that supposedly works great but costs an arm and a leg. Then there are solutions built on SketchUp. I love SketchUp but I'm unsure of what works for custom pieces.

I will update the post with your recommendations to make it easily readable.

Thanks in advance!

10/29/18       #2: Cabinet building software topic ...
Dustin orth

Website: http://customwoodmontrose.com

I have been using Cabinet vision for over 20 years, still not using it to its full potential but what it can do with your list is pretty easy. Dollar wise, yes it's a big step, productivity it's a game changer. I have dabbled with some of the freeware programs to see if I could get away from the annual maintenance charges but always have found them lacking in features comparing to CV. I don't have the top end program either. See if any shops close to where you are at would allow you to have them demo it for you. Sales people can do it to but actual users will usually give you a no BS answer to your questions.

11/1/18       #4: Cabinet building software topic ...
Steve Member

I assume you are well aware but just in case, most of the products, and particularly Skup have user groups, forums, and so forth. Skup has a wealth of add ons in selected topics, including animations, perspectives and lots more. Just start with Skup,. and Google a little. Good luck in your new job.

11/1/18       #5: Cabinet building software topic ...
yaakov katz

send me mail ill show you polyboard
+ knest
more powerfull then CV cost almost half
can conect any cnc and if need divied the nc files to second cnc(like ptp or horizontal )

11/2/18       #6: Cabinet building software topic ...
Mark B Member

We run SUPro with Cabinetsense software plugin (paid subscription based). We are a small shop that does a lot of very odd/varied work, CNC, etc. and working in a single CAD environment is imperative as I do all the drawing. We use SU for anything from organic 3D generation and output to the CNC straight through to bread and butter cab production using Cabinetsense. I dont care for subscription base but to be completely honest the cost of the go-to titles out there is simply unreasonable for a small shop.

We out put complete BOM's but as the other reply stated I am sure we are not touching 20% (if that) of the two titles capacity.

My only advice would be to investigate heavily, try out versions of each title your considering aggressively. It seems so much of a given piece of software is simply whether the interface makes sense to you natively. Autocad people hate xyz, xyz people hate Autocad. It seems a lot depends on what you have learned on as well as how your brain works.

Being a woodworker SU just makes sense to me. Its no different than being in the shop. And our customers love 3D. So its a win. For others its useless. Only you can know what fits with your work and your brain.


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