Feature add: dowel holes for basecab legs

[Gene Davis]

When we use any of the various leg levelers (Camar, etc.) under basecabs, we would prefer to use the doweled top fitting, instead of the screw-on type. A photo of a Camar with 10mm dowel is attached.

The doweled \"skids,\" as they are called, require either a 10mm or 15mm socket hole, 11mm depth, into which the fitting is driven with a softface deadblow mallet. Really quick, really efficient.

They are called skids because basecabs are shop-built with the skids attached, and the skids provide a convenient \"stand-off\" for the basecabs, when handling and in transit. It is a nice feature for protection of front taped edges, or if faceframed, protection for bottom edge of faceframes.

Today, the workaround is to use the part editor to do the holes in the bottom faces of decks.

If done parametrically, the settings would be: A.) hole diameter, B.) hole depth, C.) L side inset for hole centering, D.) R side inset for hole centering, E.) Front inset for hole centering, F.) rear inset for hole centering. All this, only when choosing \"detached toe\" for the toekick.

Such a feature would eliminate the tedious work with the part editor, and would make the holes occur correctly when basecab seeds are used and resized per job requirements.

[DanEpps]

Gene

You can save the hole pattern as an extended tool file (.x_t) from the Part Editor and easily apply it to new seed cabinets.

In addition, use the Constraint Manager to keep the holes located correctly when the cabinet is resized.

[DanEpps]

Here is an example of the hole pattern file and the cabinet with holes and constraints applied.

[Gene Davis]

Dan, the help files and tutorials are not making this clear to me.

I am able to use the part editor to cut holes in the bottom of a deck. Since all holes are located by their centers using an x-y origin offset, placing the holes is really tedious.

Is there any way to reset the origin to a corner or location other than what the software considers the lower left corner?

Also, I am not sure how to take a hole array and save it as an extended tool file.

Bringing in the extended tool file to spot an array of holes onto the deck of another cabinet, would require that the next cabinet be the same size as the "seed," in width x depth. Right?

Wouldn't one need to then do the constraints on every new seed to which the hole pattern was applied?

[DanEpps]

It doesn't have to be tedious...no, 0,0 is always 0,0...it is very easy...no...yes.

Now that all of the short answers are out of the way, lets go into a bit more detail.

Starting with placement, you can place the holes anywhere and move them in the Constraint Manager. The locations there are a little easier to grab hold of--1" from left, 1" from top instead of a static distance from 0,0. You just have to apply both constraints then edit each with the location you want. The hole will then stay at that location no matter what size the cabinet is.

You do the same thing when using an extended tool file for the hole patterns. Apply it, cut the holes, constrain the holes then edit the constraints to locate the holes exactly where you want them. It sounds like a lot of steps but it really takes only about 2 seconds to perform. The first few times will take a little longer of course, but after you see exactly what is going on, you'll be amazed at just how quickly you can do this.

Using this method, it doesn't matter what size the new cabinet is. You simply set the constraints to keep the holes where you want them.

You can easily keep from needing to modify cabinets by creating a new seed library with the holes and constraints in place. From that library, use whatever seed you need to start with, modify it and save it as your new cabinet--complete with holes and constraints. You can then resize it and the holes will stay where you want them.

Creating an extended tool file??? Simple!!! In Contour Mode of the Part Editor, after defining but before cutting the holes, click the save (diskette) icon on the bottom toolbar. Browse to your profile tools directory, name the file and save it. Next time you need it, open it (make sure you select .x_t as file type to open) and cut the holes.

Save x_t.jpg (63.62 KiB) Viewed 4685 times

[DanEpps]

Maybe this short video will help out Gene. Go to http://www.eCabWorld.com and look in the Downloads area of the Member's Lounge for "Using Part Editor and Constraint Manager." It is about 7MB zipped and is a little over three minutes long.

In it I purposely misplace the holes to illustrate how to constrain them to precise locations in the Constraint Manager.

Hope this helps.

[Gene Davis]

Thanks, Dan. I am grinding my way through my library, basecab to basecab, doing 15mm dia. x 12mm deep holes.

I created an array of four (4) 15mm circles, in a group small enough that whatever size of basecab deck I bring into the contour editor, it can be brought into from storage ( the .x_t contour file) and place against the bottom side of the deck. This saves a little bit of time.

The array of 15mm circles in place, I can then back into the part editor to chop them all to their 12mm depths, in effect turning the "contours" into actual part geometry. The software does this for me relatively quickly and easily.

THEN, I need to back back into the cabinet editor, to let the geometry process, before I can select the deck again in the cab editor, then select the constraint manager tool to relocate the holes where needed.

In the constraint manager, I need to use the tools to dimension the hole locations in both x and y directions, that being 8 moves for my 4 holes, then EDIT each, another 8 moves, then FINALLY, back out and save the cab.

Certainly all very do-able, but a little tedious. But hey, the software was free, so who cares? And once done to all my basecab seeds, it's all over.

One of my cabs has a hang-up, and won't allow a re-visit into the constraint manager. I attached it here. What do you think I should do?

[DanEpps]

One of the holes "violates ideal tenon or dados" and is causing the problem. It will need to be relocated to fix it. Try removing the holes in the deck and re-doing them. I was able to get it into the Constraint Manager by doing this.

One thing you should avoid is using the extra periods in file names (Base 1 drwr over 2 doors with 2 p.o.t..hsf). I have seen this cause problems in the past. It may have been corrected now but it is good practice.

You are correct...once you create your seed library, you never have to do it again until you add a new seed. That is part of what makes eCabinets so powerful. It takes extra work up front but you get exactly what you want and not what someone else thinks you should have.

[Gene Davis]

A hint, please, Dan.

You say, "remove" the dowel holes in the deck.

What, praytell, is the proper way to do the removal?

[DanEpps]

In the Cabinet Editor, select the part (deck in this case), right-click and choose "Remove Part Editor Cuts -> From Selected Part." Make sure you use the "From Selected Part" option and not "From Entire Cabinet."