Simple 3/4ply box - any way to resize on one axis via object info palette without all of the walls of the box being affected?

[Mike_M]

To be more specific, I wanted to design some custom cabinet styles. The framing being unique in the way they are built. My thought was to create one basic framing layout and be able to adjust the overall width of the cabinet frames as needed. With my limited understanding, if I create a simple box with 3/4" thick walls, group it and adjust the size via the object info palette, the walls themselves will change thickness. Every element of the box will resize relative to the new overall dimension.

 

Would there be a way to perhaps create a symbol where only certain elements will resize? The goal being to have a box where the rear and face panels will adjust in size (width) while the left and right walls maintain their thickness?

[Kevin K]

@Mike_M 

when you say “walls” in your post, were u referring to extruded items, or are you actually using the wall tool to create the various items?

You won’t like hearing this, but the add-on InteriorCad can do this quite well. 🙂 Otherwise, I don’t think VW native cabinet tools can. I maybe be wrong…..as often I am 🙂

Would you have something that you could post/upload to show exactly what you are hoping to easily achieve? A sketch, or VW file? 

[Tom W.]

@Kevin K are Extragroup paying you a commission? 🙂

[Kevin K]

hahahaha....No....YOU of all people know that they are not!!  🙂 

Uh....don't you have some evening wood to chop!!   

[bcd]

You'll be able to do this with Marionette.

[Pat Stanford]

Expansion on @bcd's answer.

 

By default, VW objects, especially groups and symbols that are made up of multiple components don't scale extremely well.

 

You can use Marionette (or Vectorscript or Python) to create an object that you can resize either from the OIP or by dragging handles.  However, creating that object is substantially more complicated than simply modeling it.

 

But there are people here who will be pleased to help you if you want to learn.

[Mike_M]

17 hours ago, Kevin K said:

@Mike_M 

when you say “walls” in your post, were u referring to extruded items, or are you actually using the wall tool to create the various items?

You won’t like hearing this, but the add-on InteriorCad can do this quite well. 🙂 Otherwise, I don’t think VW native cabinet tools can. I maybe be wrong…..as often I am 🙂

Would you have something that you could post/upload to show exactly what you are hoping to easily achieve? A sketch, or VW file? 

 

Kevin, by "walls" I meant the walls or more specifically side panels of a cabinet. So yes to the first part of your question as the items in question are extrusions. I'll attach a pdf to this although it seems like what I'm going for isn't quite possible without the use of Marionette, Vectorscript, etc. I'm not quite there yet. The idea would be to create a group of the items and then be able to resize the overall width. In doing so, only the extrusions in green would resize, leaving the side panels the same width (in this case .75")

 

The cabinet tools in Vectorworks do have this capability. I use Spotlight or Fundamentals 2021 which is just what I have access to at work. Spotlight has the custom cabinet tool which seems to utilize InteriorCAD. This works really well to quickly get a visual/rendered idea of what a set of cabinets would look like. In my case I've been designing some cabinets, storage units, etc with different/custom framing structures. I was curious to see if there was a way I could create some custom frames that could be scaled the same was the cabinet tools/InteriorCAD permit. Again, seems like doing so could be possible with some custom graphical scripting but might only be worth if it I'm producing far more of this stuff than I am.

 

8 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

Expansion on @bcd's answer.

 

By default, VW objects, especially groups and symbols that are made up of multiple components don't scale extremely well.

 

You can use Marionette (or Vectorscript or Python) to create an object that you can resize either from the OIP or by dragging handles.  However, creating that object is substantially more complicated than simply modeling it.

 

But there are people here who will be pleased to help you if you want to learn.

 

Hey Pat. I was thinking this might be the case. c'est la vie. As you suggested it might not be practical for the smaller projects I'm working on for now. Good to know however. I'm still learning a lot everyday and I'll add some graphical scripting to the list!

Box Test.pdf

[Kevin K]

Mike

So.... referring to the green items in the PDF file, the bottom, back and the stretchers on top, what would be the desired dimensions of those items? Will there be a finite number of dimensional options for those items ??  Plus...how does the front of the box / cabinet come into play?? overlay doors/drawers,  inset doors/drawers, etc?

OR,  is it only the the cabinet box as you have shown.

Seems like you could perhaps easily create a few symbols of just the green items for the varying conditions, then tweak the symbol settings to accommodate your various dimensional conditions? You would still need to move the sides of the cabinets to fit the new dimensionality of those tweaked green parts. Still a bit of work 🙂

Anyway....note the screenshot. InteriorCad let me quickly, parametrically, change the thicknesses for the stretchers on top in addition to the bottom shelf of the cabinet, as well as the overall width, all in seconds, for the cabinet on the right.

Both of those I made 1 1/4" thick FYI. Easy-Peazy 🙂

 

[Mike_M]

Kevin,

 

In a way I was going for some of the functionality of the custom cabinet tool but with the ability to have my own unique framing structures. This with was mixed with a general curiosity of what might be possible. So if I could design my own cabinet, including drawers, doors, face frames and then manipulate it in ways that the custom cabinet tools offers, that would be pretty cool. I figured this was asking a lot and is pretty much the point of the cabinet tools. They aren't bad tools either. So I was wondering if there was some way to design just the cabinet frame (no doors, drawers, face frames, etc) and be able to resize the widths without the size side panels being affected. In that they would remain the same thickness and reposition automatically. Whether this size change was controlled by clicking and dragging or through the object info panel. I drafted and built the cabinets attached here for a MakerSpace I work with. It's a bench for a miter saw and I created the drawings in a way that if I myself, or someone else wanted to build a similar bench they could use them. I got to thinking that if I could create a symbol of one base cabinet with the framing I used and just resize it then it would be easier customize a similar setup with different sized cabinets.

 

Using symbol settings as you suggested isn't far off and a great idea. I imagine I could create the "horizontal" framework (stretchers, bottom panel, rear panel) in different design configurations and save them as symbols. If I want to use said configurations for a project I could import in the corresponding symbols as many time as I want, change them to the desired widths, draft just a few side panels and place them as needed. I could also create symbols for the matching side panels and drop them in as well now that I think of it.

 

It's not the biggest shortcut but a shortcut nonetheless. Again, call it a combination of general curiosity and probably thinking to much along the lines of "mass production". In utilizing any CAD software I just love the ability/convenience to reference previous builds for something similar in the future. If I take the time to do it right the first time, why not re-use it where and when I can?

 

Thanks for talking this one through! I'll probably create some symbols and see how convenient and useful they are with other projects down the road!

 

 

 

 

8ft Miter Saw Bench and Cabinets.pdf

[Kevin K]

Mike

Although not perfect, I do think with some thought and planning, the symbol route may work pretty well for what you do.

Nice presentation shown in the PDF !!!

Not sure how you created all the sheets and views, but I imagine it took some time? Especially with all the parts layout?

 

InteriorCad does that too...with one click, which is pretty cool.

I attached a 2022 file of a cabinet created in InteriorCad.  You won't be able to manipulate any of the settings, but you should able to rotate the vuew, but factions, use the clip cube too as well....just for fun 🙂

Be sure to note the sheet layer...that is where it automatically placed every part of the cabinet!

Again, not forcing InteriorCad on you...just making you aware.

 

Mike M.vwx

 

 

[Mike_M]

Kevin,

I'm beginning to believe in Tom W's conspiracy theory 😄. Thank you, it did take some time. I was able to speed things up a bit by copying/pasting viewports and changing views/classes. Still time consuming. If I had access to InteriorCAD, I would definitely be using it. I hope to be utilizing Vectorworks for more personal projects in the future and would get the full Design Suite and InteriorCAD in that case.

 

As I'm working with Spotlight/Fundamentals 2021 for now I can't open the file you were kind enough to send me! If it was created in 2022 or 2023 I won't be able to open it.

[Kevin K]

Mike

Don't ever believe what Tom W says.   In fact, never ever make direct eye contact with him!  🙂

Sorry about posting that file and not asking you what version of VW you use.  My bad. It may be of no interest to you, really.  I probably got ahead of myself a bit.  I have just found InteriorCad to be such a time saver as well as just, for the most part, a great piece of additional software to use within VW.

IF you are interested in seeing that file, le me know and I can create a 2021 version for ya.

 

Also...do you mainly create cabinetry, etc for your business, or do you specialize in other areas as well ?

[Tom W.]

@Kevin K were you actually deported to Tahiti? 😁

[Kevin K]

Oh, that's it buddy...I am reporting you to the Forum Police!!!

Bullying the innocent !!!  🙂

[Pat Stanford]

👮‍♂️🚓

[Kevin K]

Get him Pat!!!!!!!!!!

[Mike_M]

On 6/16/2023 at 12:15 PM, Kevin K said:

Mike

Don't ever believe what Tom W says.   In fact, never ever make direct eye contact with him!  🙂

Sorry about posting that file and not asking you what version of VW you use.  My bad. It may be of no interest to you, really.  I probably got ahead of myself a bit.  I have just found InteriorCad to be such a time saver as well as just, for the most part, a great piece of additional software to use within VW.

IF you are interested in seeing that file, le me know and I can create a 2021 version for ya.

 

Also...do you mainly create cabinetry, etc for your business, or do you specialize in other areas as well ?

 

Kevin,

 

Apologies I was out of the shop Friday and had a nice but busy weekend. Glad to see yall having a good time here! Gave me a good laugh to start off my Monday.

 

The cabinets actually were a side project that I designed and built for a small shop/makerspace in my area. For the past 10 years my 9 to 5 has been within the entertainment/scenic industry. A lot of custom fabrication for museums, theatres, conventions/events and even cruise ships! I've only been working with vectorworks for a little more than a year. Most of it has been focused on event/venue layouts, creating shop production drawings for custom fabrications and plotting out elements via vectorworks/Vcarve  to run on a 5'x10' CNC machine.

 

I've dabbled with AutoCAD in the past but never had a need to use it "day to day". Working with Vectorworks on a  regular basis has been a lot of fun. it's pretty versatile. I've been doing a little 3D modeling/priniting with it as well.

[Kevin K]

Mike

ok, got it, thanks….just steer clear of Tom W!  🙂

[Mike_M]

Kevin,

Lol, will do. And no sweat regarding the 2023 file. I would definitely be using InteriorCAD if I had access or was working for myself. That could be in the future. I'd love to take a look at the file you shared if adapting it to the 2021 version isn't a hassle!

 

Thanks!