After the bugs are fixed in V6

[Gary Campbell]

This is one good feature, albeit imaginary. Even tho I like Joe's version best, that action would bring most any computer I have known to its knees, if recalc time for one is an indicator.

How about the ability to save "templates" of CS settings, then bring a cabinet into CE as Kenneth says. Double click to select, right click to apply template settings, select proper settings from list.... voila! Settings applied.

My only problem with this is that we do 80% wholesale cutting and all we do is change boxes to meet someone elses specs. I would have nothing to do in the office, I would be out in the shop sweeping!

I would add one small item: that there be a way to differentiate between a fixed shelf (full depth) and a shelf placed as a draw stretcher. Having to take out the calc to figure a back offset to get a consistant stretcher (shelf) width with constantly changing cabinet depths is crazy.

[Donald Thomson]

Another useful application of this might be the ability to apply these settings across a job/room/batch of cabinets. Say you want to change the way upper cabinet stretchers, used as reinforcement for hanging a cabinet on the wall, are offset up/down from the bottom/top of all the cabinets, you could make 1 global settings change and all the cabinets in that job/room/batch are changed to that new setting.

Just a thought.

[Gary Puckett]

I am aware of the problems we are having with V6 and I am sure that in time they will be resolved.

So after everything is fixed how many of you would like to have the ability to construct custom doors and not have to pick from the door library.

I am talking about cabinet doors and interior doors, just a thought.

Thanks
Gary

Guys,

This is the original post, lets discuss this as a possible update feature in a future update. This was not intended to be a wish list. We will never be able to send a message of what is desired in the program if we don't voice our opinions.

If there is anything in the program that someone would like added then I think it should be put on the forum for the members to agree or disagree on, at least that way Thermwood has an idea of what the members want. But we need to focus on the original request and not get off track

Thanks
Gary

[Donald Thomson]

You're right Gary, this was turning in to a laundry wish list. Sorry.

Getting back to your original post, yes it would be great to be able to design our own doors without having to use the library. It would also be nice if we could get design data from door suppliers (I am moving in that direction for 5 part doors) and be able to incorporate that suppliers designs in to cabinets.

[Gary Campbell]

Gary..
Sorry for the thread hijak. Wishing V6 was operational isnt going to happen today... I got caught up in the other wish list.

I am a little confused. In your original post you said that you would like "to have the ability to construct custom doors and not have to pick from the door library."
Are you wishing for this to actually construct the door as you state, or do you wish to be able to render a custom door? Please excuse my niavete, but I dont use the Room layout or any of the rendering features. We do use the Editors (not the door) and take some of the cut list door, drawer, edgebanding quantities for the cutlist and some hardware info from the buy list. Other than MDF products, which we dont use, I just cant figure how the door designer would help you or I construct a door. But I am willing to learn.

Does Thermwood have a 5 piece door machine? This would be the perfect marriage. eCabs has such a strong output and cutting ability when you take it to CNC, one could only wish that 5 piece wood doors could be processed with the same efficiency.

[Kerry Fullington]

Gary,

For some it is just to get an accurate visualization of doors. For example, the job I am working on now is a Mission style Where some of the doors have a mid stile, some have a mid rail and some have V grooved panels. When bidding this job I explained all this to the customer and she was quite annoyed when I couldn't show her what they would look like.
It is also necessary to get an accurate cut list to build these doors. I have to take the door sizes from eCabinets and enter this information into another software to get a cut list. It would be better if I could get the cut list and visualization from eCabinets and be able to do multiple panels with mid stiles and rails.

Kerry

[Neville Bastian]

Sorry guys I am still wanting both. To be able to show the client the door design they have requested in render view, Be able to get that to show up in cutlist with correct labour and machine time cost then actually export it to the thermwood. Hey that's 3 things. Just as well I don't work in a bank.

The mdf door thing is a real disappointment especially when I was lead to believe it was on Thermwoods short list of improvements when I bought the Thermwood. This was from my Aussie salesman so my fault should have asked Dale the question. I guess its not such a big issue for most US users where timber doors are so cheap but in Europe and Aussie its a big part of our business. This ability to do involved mdf doors for me has a work around but I would certainly like to show people any custom door in a kitchen render then price it. For programmers benefit please don't do this as a squ ft M2 type calculation. In Australia its worked on door size so you need a matrix table for sizes which isn't that difficult to set up. Just have two options matrix and per squ foot.
Thanks
Neville

[Gary Puckett]

This is what I am referring to

1) The ability to add a center style or rail

2) The ability to control the width of the styles or rails

3) The ability to produce a door with applied moulding on it

4) The ability to cut an arch or other profile on the top rail of a door

I know that these things can be done, but it can take a lot of time.
If you think about it adding a center style or rail would be like adding a shelf or partition in a cabinet
Controlling the width of the door style or rail would be like controlling the width on the face frame stock
and the ability to put applied moulding on a door would be like putting moulding on a cabinet.

Now I am no programmer but these are just references


Thanks
Gary

[Gary Campbell]

Gary...
now you really have me confused. From your list 1) thru 4) are you looking to:

1) render these properly as a sales tool?

2)export a cutlist as Kerry describes above for cutting on non cnc shop equipment?

3)take the digital output to an automated door machine?

Thanks for your patience.

[Gary Puckett]

Gary,

Being able to draw a custom door through a custom door editor. Once you have the ability to draw the door the Thermwood should be able to machine the door, also give you a cut-list to the door and a price for the door.

Hope this clears things up

Gary

[Neville Bastian]

What about the face panel. I would like to be able to do V grooves at different widths and be able to centre them so as the door stretches in width it stays centre.
The changing of rail width is good but could the programmers do something like applied panel to floor then it adds the kickboard height to bottom rail automatically that we can manually overide?
The other problem we have is drawer fronts. How would you handle that? If a bank of 4 for instance they have a centre rail that's cut in half. Would you manual adjust those each time you had a bank?

With machining it is too time consuming if you profile these doors. The user needs to be able to control what tools are used, the number of passes it does, the feed speed and what sequence the tools are used.
If I could use two examples.
Bevelled edge door with a splay cutter. This you need to do in 2 or 3 passes all at different speeds and depths to reduce the shudder visible when painted even after sanding.
The other one is the farmhouse style door with a frame and a recessed panel with V groove. The clear out of the centre panel needs to be done with a wide cutter then the corners removed to get close to a square corner. Then a V cutter used to give a match liner appearance then another for internal moulding on rail. The outside edge of door may also have a bull-nose or ogee effect. The need to specify cutter, its sequence and speed etc is paramount.

I real nice feature would be using profiler in some parts that a cutter would leave rounded corners or you just haven't enough volume to warrant purchase of a once only cutter.
Last one. promise is the ability to place a DXF drawing on the door. This way you could have a design unique to you if the market wanted it.
Regards

Neville

[Kerry Fullington]

Neville,

You have probably made the case for not putting MDF doors in eCabinets. With so many variables it would be a cumbersome addition that relatively few members would ever use. Thermwood offers the PanelMatrix software, why not use it. I think it will do everything you have requested.
There has been mention of improving the functions for MDF doors in eCabinets but I doubt it will ever do all the things you have mentioned.
Of course the same goes for my requests. I can get by with the door designer the way it is and use another software for cut lists.

[Kerry Fullington]

I thought I had better add to my post above. I am not trying to start a fight but can we have too much functionality in the eCabinets software? can we have so many features that it becomes impossible to learn and too cumbersome to use?
I know that some of the other cabinet software packages offer more door choices than eCabinets but they don't give the user the tools to create their own doors. Some offer Door modules as a separate stand alone software.
Can an all encompassing door designer be added to eCabinets without slowing everything down?

Kerry

[Gary Puckett]

Kerry,


I don't think you can ever have to much, the main thing is the ability to be able to do it. Like the job you mentioned, you wasn't able to show your client the door that you had designed for her. You have to admit the doors and drawer fronts are a big part of the piece that give it that special look.

Anyway it was just a suggestion and my intent was to see how many members agreed /disagreed. If you choose a Conestoga door you get to choose style and rail profiles, raise panel profiles, just a frame,with/or without glass, the way you arrange the mullions so why leave out the ability to add a center style or rail?

Gary

[Neville Bastian]

Hi Kerry,
You may be right, it does seem very involved. I guess I am biased as I know what my percentage of doors are either vinyl coated or two pack painted. We do very little solid timber doors.
I just look at what the Thermwood program does and I wouldn't say dovetail drawers, 5 piece doors and puzzle joints would be that easy to program. From discussions with different Ecabinet and Thermwood owners I don't know any who use the dovetail drawer or make 5 piece doors on the Thermwood. The face frame construction with the puzzle joints seems unique to Mid & Eastern US and popularity is on the decline. I won't get into the argument which is the best construction.

I can see what you are saying about the panelmatrix program but I do have something like that now so I don't feel the need to spend more money when I was under the impression the MDF door program was known to be as useful as unders on a bull by even the Thermwood training staff. The programmers hands are tied by what Ken and Jason feel the needs of Ecabinets is. I feel I have a little more to complain about as I bought the Thermwood on the basis of where Ecabinets was heading. I thought they would modify the program for Ecabinet users outside of the USA but the programming time consuming features are Thermwood shop, dovetail drawers, face frame joints & 5 piece timber doors are unique to your country.

The trouble of having a separate panel matrix program is you loose the screen to machine ability. I think you need to be able to show people exactly what we plan to get them. Kerry you have proved what it is able to do but now Thermwood need to speed up that process using doors as a example quickly and not have us modify each door for a 30 door kitchen.
I honestly feel that Timber doors popularity will wane and pattern painted or Vinyl wrap doors will increase in the US market over the next 10 years. The sleek, simplistic European look will gain a hold. We need Ecabinets to be ready and waiting.

Just to finish up. If its deemed that resources are not worth spending on the machine output at least get some software graphics looking right. It needs to be a quick process to change door and drawer design when you have the client sitting next to you.

Regards
Neville