Thermwood / eCabinet Systems

Congrats to Thermwood on this exciting new forum...

Congrats to Thermwood and to all of you who post designs on this program...It makes us all look much bigger...which leads me to my next post....

What I'm looking for in my next level is to go from normal cabinets, to cabinetry with STYLE. I'm not sure what to do to dress up a normal cabinet orshould I create an entire differnt cabinet. I have seen some with turnings, flutes and such that have a much richer look to them. KR

Ken,

This can be done fairly easily in ecabs right now. The features in the part editor allow you to take a piece of the face frame and modify it to get these effects. I am sure there are many others here who have done this also. To see these types of features that may interest the newer members who aren't yet as skilled with the part editor for example, how do they know what they are getting in the library they are purchasing? I haven't tried to view either Bill's or Kerry's yet but in a quick look I did not see a way to review. I can assume that they both have many designs of this nature in there because I have seen a lot of there skills by reading forum info for months. The newest people will benefit from this the most until there skill level allows them to do these types of designs themselves. They should be able to take a peek, lets face it if they are good enough to draw it themselves by looking at our design they won't be buying others designs anyway. I would be willing to post my own and have them viewable. I myself would not want to spend the time to copy the designs, its easier and cheaper to purchase them here. Do you all agree with me?

Joe,
The two libraries that I have available now are just basic cabinets to get someone started using eCabinets that does not want to take the time to learn the software to build their own libraries. Using these libraries they can create a room and drop cabinets into it for a presentation or simply place cabinets in batch to get an estimate or cut list. It is a quick start for someone using eCabinets.
Kerry

Kerry,

I am curious if you and Bill (no one else matters as much right now until they post some of their designs ) would be opposed to having the designs a little more viewable than they seem to be now. If not, I am sure that you both have good reason and those of us considering posting our own libraries would like to know why?? I think keeping them under lock and key may prevent those new guys from buying them as they are not farmiliar with your nd Bills great work. I am adequate with the software and I will be buying designs from others, but I would like to see a bit about what it is I am buying first. I also don't think I would mind having others view my library prior to purchase as say jpeg only so they can't steal anything for example. I don't know that there is a rgeat threat of theft of design at such low prices at what you both have posted. One dollar per design is a BARGAIN compared to creating your own, even if you are trying to copy someone elses work ( without the chance to explode it would be hard to do so anyway ). I could be way off base here, and if I am please tell me and we all can understand the reasoning for the parameters set up in this new section.

Joe,
I do not have a problem with others being able to view JPEGs of my entire library, and I am betting Kerry wouldn't either. My guess is that it would be more difficult for Thermwood to prepare the libraries if they had to make every JPEG viewable on the web. Actually the basic design of the cabinet, is not nearly as important as the thought and experience put into the construction settings and such.

Anyone wanting more info on my designs can feel free to contact me at bill@northwoodsmanufacturing.com or 877-788-5532

I think what Joe is getting at is there may be reluctance on the part of many users to purchase a library without knowing what is in it.

With that in mind one thing that might help is an inventory list of cabinets contained in the library, whether it is with or without images.

I agree with both Dan and Joe, but my issue (one of them anyway, I hear I have several ) is that when a customer rolls through the door with the thomasville or Kraftmaid catalog, they are seeing mocked up stuff from their best designers in those brochures - yeah, the cabinets are not made as well as I can do it, but the overall designs look great!

I have a need to be able to say, \"with this cabinet series from Kerry Fullington, I can do something like this...\" - problem is I can only show them an ecabs rendering which is nice, but compared to a \"kitchen catalog\" doesn't hold up. How do you guys that have NOT been doing kitchens all that long deal with that? I don't have a huge portfolio of kitchen jobs that I can point to, but through these designs and the machining services available to me, I can put them together...how do you compete with these huge designer catalogs and showrooms?

Dan,
I agree the customer should have as much info available as possible. I would rather a customer be able to be certain the offering they are buying (mine, Kerrys or others) is what they actually need. I think Thermwood needs to find a way to provide the potential customer with more info.

Also out of curiousity, what happens if I buy a design, receive the disk and I am not happy with it. Either it does not meet my needs or I don't feel as though the designs are what they should be?

That is a very good point Mitch.

In a resale type business, the reseller is given co-op advertising money and as you mentioned, lots of brochures and signage.

In the custom cabinetry and furniture world we are on our own to produce brochures and signage.

Perhaps though, we (members) could come up with some \"stock co-op designs\" and brochures that could be imprinted with each member's logo, address, etc. Customers could say \"I want cabinet number B3024WHT\" from the catalog and everyone could produce that stock cabinet. Brochures could have a \"Don't see what you want? Ask about our custom designs.\" section describing the benefits of custom cabinetry and the price comparison with stock units.

I would say the number of stock designs should be limited and custom designs emphasized.

This is not an \"issue\" or obstacle, rather an opportunity if approached from the right direction!

I have all the software necessary to design brochures that are ready for 4 color process printing. All we as co-op members need to do is decide on the catalog and layout if this is really desired.

As far as that goes, I also have all of the software necessary to produce video brochures that are suitable for television advertising. Your logo, address, etc can be overlayed seamlessly.

If anyone is interested, I mean REALLY interested in this approach, let's get started.

Bill Rutherford wrote:Also out of curiousity, what happens if I buy a design, receive the disk and I am not happy with it. Either it does not meet my needs or I don't feel as though the designs are what they should be?

Let me put the ball back in your court. What if I bought your library and didn't think it met my needs?

Bill,

I (and I would think some others too) was hoping you would say that. If the dxf's aren't the answer then I am sure we can find one. I agre the work is in the joinery and set ups etc.. that is why I ddon't see a real threat to being \"viewed\" somehow. Have you had any discussions about how or why it is the way it is? I only ask because Therm is always so good about setting up the program around our collective needs and they always discuss items such as this. Do you agree with the general notion of having the libraries better able to be seen in some way?? I doubt that you will have the time to personally review the stuff with each and every possible buyer. If it can be more automated for all it will be better for those posting in the long run I think?
If you don't mind sharing Bill ( I know it just started ), but how has the response been? I think this should be HUGE for all those involved on both sides, I just don't want to see a FANTASTIC idea stall out because of the percieved limitations in marketing. I am a little disappointed in the participation in this area thus far, I am making an uneducated assumption that this may be the reason. Just so no one misinterprates my interest here it is much more as a buyer currently than a poster. I do not have enough designs yet to have an effective library, but I would like to GLADLY pay for others time and efforts. I want everyone to understand my concerns are based in selfish motives a little, but not personal greed which tends give us all different motives.

Now we're talking, Dan...

In my humble opinion, to really take advantage of this program, I would be able to download or purchase a catalog \"template\" if you will, of all the designs that are currently offered in the design store - augment that template with my own designs or samples of my own work, and then take it to a printer with my logo and have it made...or have this be a service offered by someone in the cooperative - not for free, but with the thought in mind that its helping the cooperative members and is yet another reason to sign up with eCabinets vs. some other solution....

Just to expand on that a little bit...

As a cooperative member, its in ALL of our best interests for EACH of us to be successful at marketing our collective products. The overriding assumption here is that we are all comparatively small shops - many of us as the sole member. We are competing against factories, and well organized marketing efforts. Having a program like this is a very real weapon for us little guys, but having these great designs just sit there because we can't sway some lost soul with a KraftMaid catalog in her hand is not helping anybody. Like Joe posted above, this sounds terribly self-serving and to some degree, it is, but its also a reality that in order to get a customer to sit down and work through a design idea, we have to be able to show that we have at least SOME design concepts and products so that they don't walk away thinking \"this guys just makes boxes\".

I hope I didn't lose the idea in my meager translation...