Creating a Custom Cabinet and Adding it to the Library

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I want to create a custom cabinet and add it to the library for future use. How can I accomplish this task?

ANSWER

Cabinets can be edited and combined to create a wide variety of custom cabinetry or furniture including vanities, china hutches, buffets, sideboards, entertainment centers, desks, wine cabinets, bookcases, book shelves, dressers, nightstands, end tables, workbenches, wardrobes, and much more.

These custom configurations can then can then be saved in the library for use in other plans.

There are several ways to achieve this goal - the approach that you choose will depend on the complexity of the cabinet that you want to create. In this article, you will learn how to:

• Customize a single cabinet, and add it to the library.
• Block a group of cabinets together, and add the Architectural Block to the library.

To edit a single cabinet and add it to the Library Browser

1. From the menu, select Build> Cabinet> Base Cabinet   and click in a floor plan view to place it.
   
   
   
2. Use the Select Objects  tool to select the newly placed cabinet, then click on the Open Object  edit tool.
   
   
   
3. Start by making any modifications necessary on the General panel of the Base Cabinet Specification dialog, such as the Size, Countertop, Backsplash, and Toe Kick.
   
    
   
   
   
4. Move on to the Box Construction panel to determine if the cabinet is Framed or Frameless as well as if there is a Door/Drawer Overlay.
   
   
   
   
   
5. On the Front/Sides/Back panel, adjust the face items, as well as the sides and back to your liking.
   
   For more information on this panel, please see the "Designing Cabinet Fronts" and "Adding Cabinet Back and Side Panels" resources in the Related Articles section below.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Change the door and drawer information of the cabinet on the Door/Drawer panel to meet your needs.
   
   
   
   
   
7. If you want to have Pilasters, Feet, or Panels on the cabinet, they can be changed on the Accessories panel.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Continue going through the rest of the panels to ensure that all the cabinet information is set up correctly for your plan, then click OK.
   
   
   
9. When the cabinet is complete, select it using the Select Objects  tool, then click the Add to Library  edit tool to add the cabinet to your User Catalog for future use.
   
   

Now that you know how to modify a single cabinet and add it to the library, you're ready to see how to block a group of cabinets together, and add them to the library as a single unit.

To create an architectural block and add it to the Library Browser 

1. In the plan, place and edit your cabinets to create the type of configuration that you want, whether it is for an entire kitchen, a cabinet island, an entertainment center, hutch, etc.
   
   
   
2. Once you have your cabinet configuration set up the way you want, in your 2D floor plan view, use the Select Objects  tool to drag a marquee around the cabinets.  
   
   
   
   

   If a tool other than Select Objects is active, you can only select objects of that type using the marquee select.  
   
   For example, if the Base Cabinet tool is active, you can only group select base cabinets; any other objects in the area will not be selected when you drag a marquee around them.
   
   For additional information on selecting multiple objects, please see the "Group Selecting Objects" resource in the Related Articles section below.
   

   
   
3. Once you have all of your cabinets selected, click on the Make Architectural Block   edit tool.
   
   Now all of the cabinets will be grouped together and can be selected and moved as an entire group, rather than individually.  
   
   
   
4. Once you have created an architectural block out of cabinets, click on the Add to Library   edit tool.  
   
   
   Note:  If you group selected the cabinets, then clicked the Add to Library edit tool without first making an architectural block, each cabinet would be added to the library individually, rather than as a grouped set of objects.
   
   
5. The architectural block can now be found in the User Catalog section of the Library Browser . Right-click on the architectural block located in the library and choose Rename to give the block a new name.
   
   
   
6. If you need to modify the block after it has been added to the library, you can right-click on the block at any time and choose Open Object .
   
   You can also place a block into a plan and use the Explode Architectural Block edit tool to break the block into individual components.