What is the best way to put together a complex cabinet?

[titusc]

Hi, I want to draw a cabinet that resembles the one in this photo.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/8487897/Blue-dream-basement-traditional-basement-montreal

 

I am running into the following issues ...

1) If I use one single full height cabinet, then create the cabinet doors, openings, etc by double clicking on cabinet -> Front, it accurately gives me only one Separation - Horizontal or Separation - Vertical between adjacent Face items.  However when using the dimension tool later and draw across the full height or width of the cabinet, it does not give me the break down of height or width of the Face items and instead gives me the full height or width of the whole cabinet.  From the purpose of using dimension it makes sense to assemble the whole cabinet by using individual smaller cabinets but doing so it'd double add these Separation - Horizontal or Separation - Vertical items between cabinets.  I'm confused on whether I should always put together a large cabinet using smaller ones or edit / add the Face items of one single cabinet.

2) If you look at the photo carefully you'd notice the Separation - Horizontal piece where the TV is resting on is quite thick and is above the doors.  However when I'm in Elevation view I can see the doors are covering this Separation - Horizontal item, instead of the Separation - Horizontal item resting above the doors.  Any idea how I can achieve what I want?

3) If I want to use dimension tool to measure the inside dimensions of the opening Face item where the TV is, I think I should be using the Point to Point dimension tool but I notice the start and / or end arrows don't necessarily begins or ends on the inside edge of Separation - Horizontal or Separation - Vertical items.  How can I make the Point to Point dimension tool to snap to the edge of the Separation - Horizontal or Separation - Vertical items?

 

Thanks.

[LawB10]

Use 3 each wall cabinet and base cabinets and 2 full height cabinets, raise the countertop thickness to 3" or so.

 

Use a shelf and resize to 2" or more.

 

 

 

 

[titusc]

Guys thanks for the comments.

@LawB10 you meant 3 wall cabinets + 3 base cabinets + 2 full height cabinets (for the sides)?  When I use the full height cabinets I'm unable to get the dimension tool to provide the breakdown on the vertical dimensions of each of the 3 doors.  Is this a limitation of the program or there is something I need to do?  I'm new so there is likely something I'm missing.

 

@solver can you elaborate how is the cabinet broken up into 4 units?

 

Also if we use multiple cabinets, how do we take care of the problem that two cabinets side by side would have 2 Separation - Vertical units, doubling thickness of it.  Is there a way to set the default such that when this happens the program will automatically remove 1 of the 2 Separation - Vertical units?  And same thing for Separation - Horizontal units when we place one cabinet on top of another one?

[titusc]

 

 

Are you trying to create construction drawings for this cabinet?

@solver yes I am.  I am trying to design a cabinet that more or less resemble this and provide a precise specification for a company to build it.

I just downloaded Home Designer Pro 2017 and am experimenting with the trial version for the moment.  I have been using Visio throughout and am finding the dimension tool in Home Designer Pro really difficult to use.  Here are the list of things:

1) It's impossible (at least that's how it seems) to measure precisely between two things, say inside edge of a cabinet.  The beginning of the arrow head always snap to somewhere other than the object itself.

2) Again I still haven't figured out whether the it'd automatically get rid of one of the Separation items when you put two cabinets side by side to form a larger one.

 

I watched a few of these intro and specific videos on dimensioning but it doesn't really cover my questions.

[LawB10]

Guys thanks for the comments.

@LawB10 you meant 3 wall cabinets + 3 base cabinets + 2 full height cabinets (for the sides)?  When I use the full height cabinets I'm unable to get the dimension tool to provide the breakdown on the vertical dimensions of each of the 3 doors.  Is this a limitation of the program or there is something I need to do?  I'm new so there is likely something I'm missing.

 

@solver can you elaborate how is the cabinet broken up into 4 units?

 

Also if we use multiple cabinets, how do we take care of the problem that two cabinets side by side would have 2 Separation - Vertical units, doubling thickness of it.  Is there a way to set the default such that when this happens the program will automatically remove 1 of the 2 Separation - Vertical units?  And same thing for Separation - Horizontal units when we place one cabinet on top of another one?

Yes, but you can use more or less cabinets just resize them to your liking.

 

You control the width and height of the cabinets, just click on a cabinet, open it's specification box and make your changes , click on the cabinet within

the specification box and you can add, delete, resize or change doors, drawers etc.

[LawB10]

titusc

 

Here's the plan..

 

Cabinet.plan