Can anyone suggest a reasonably priced software program for most woodworking. A while back I sampled a cabinet making program where you put in the measurements and the program spit out all the details and it was pretty accurate. My project turned out very well. But the price for me was way too high for a casual woodworker like myself. I’m looking for something that after I put in the parameters, the program would tell me how much to buy, what kind of material and then tell me just how to cut each piece to the right size and where to put dadoes, dovetails, grooves, slots, etc.
Thanks,
Dave Y
Edited 9/18/2005 9:49 pm ET by DaveYat
Replies
My answer is not the one you want but it might have some uses. I use MS Word drawing pkg for cutting plans working on 8 x 4ft (1220 x 2440mm), it will take metric or imperial, metric makes it easy to do one tenth scale plan and its very precise. It's lot cheaper than wasting wood. Also it does have a 3D feature and you can add colour. I know this is not state of the art stuff but it does have some viability and there is alot of MS word around.
All the best Steve
Dont bin it recycle it
Hi Dave,
What sort of price range are you comfortable with and what was the price of the product you looked at previously?
My company produces 3D design software and we are considering the woodworking market so your feedback will be helpful.
Thanks,
Greg
Greg,
Just to let you know, I went to e-Cabinets and got their software for free. It is very involved and if I get comfortable with it, I'll be using it. It's very intense. If it's too involved for me, I would be comfortable with a program up to $100.00, if I can say to it, look, I want a cabinet so wide, so high and so deep, with these kind of drawers and doors, just give me the cut list. This e-Cabinets program is very involved (about a 400 page manual). Enough said. I'm smarter than the average bear, so I can figure it out. But I wouldn't mind a program that I can just load up and start using without a 6 week seminar just to learn how to use it for a weekend woodworker in his garage. Hope this gives you some help for the market.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Your feedback is really appreciated. We're still just exporing the market but I think we are getting close. $100 is probably below where we will come in but it gives me another datapoint to consider.
Thanks!
Greg
Hi Dave, I just got E-cabinet software myself. It is a little involved, but I think the capabilities of the software are very complete. If I ever get it all figured out. Just to add a few things, it'll nest like Cut Logic ($900) and design similar to EasyCab ($800) and the cost is nothing. Thermwoods got an interesting take on the marketing of this program. I hope it works for them.
Steve
Hi Dave - I'm and eCabinets convert too. The software is really tuned to the small cabinet shop, but is capable of doing furniture designs and providing cut lists, proposals, and photo-realistic views of the design. The eCabinets marketing program is unique and takes a wholesaler's approach - combining the buying power of all the small shops to get better prices on parts, and sharing work between members - its really a great idea and for me, levels the playing field a little bit. I'll agree that the learning curve is steep, but its worth it...
I had eCabs for a while, but found it unsuitable for my practice.
What I really didn't like was the drive space it took up on my computer.
Don
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Hi don. this is the 1st time i have joined this forum. I am verry interested in the ecabinet software, i have just sent for a coppy over the net. the problem is I live in Perth western Australia and dont know if this program is distributed to ausies. If not,would you consider sending me your coppy if it is of no further use to you.I would be pleased to pay any costs involved. your reply would be much appreceated.
John,
I don't know if I can even find my copy of eCabs, and by now it is out of date. I'll keep an eye out for it when I go through my cd drawers.
It would be a surprise if they don't respond to your request.
Here's how I do things, I have DeltaCad, a low price but very capable 2D drafting program, and CorelDraw11. Between the two I can design my own stuff including minute detail. Now, there's no doubt CorelDraw Suite is no cheap date, but I've been using Corel for many years and I'm not limited to just the templates in eCabs. My main gripes with eCabs are these: Regardless of your interest, the program places literally thousands of graphic files on your hard drive. Not just shapes, but patterns and textures for floors, countertops, wallpapers, etc. Keeping my drives managable was becoming more work than I wanted to expend.
My computer is not old or outdated (but it is almost three years old, younger people would think it's old) has WinXP, two huge drives and Pentium 4 processer with fast bus speed, so that's not the problem. But when I do a search for graphic files, all those thousands of patterns, wood grains and such would pop up in the search. My own JPG collection is over eleven thousand files, so I just don't need all those other ones as well.
You can try DeltaCad free for a month, it's a full featured version with only a "DEMO" note showing up when you print. http://www.deltacad.com
Regards,
DonI'm not the man I used to be, but then I never was!
Ahha, someone who may be able to tell me what I'm goofing up. I'm actually taking a break from fighting with eCabinets. This is my first try at using this software to design a kitchen, and I'm stuck. I read the first 50 pages of the learning guide, and got bored, so I'm trying to figure it out on my own. How in the world do you add a raised panel door to a cabinet? I built a door, saved it as default, but how do I put it on the carcass? All I can get is a slab door. Any ideas?
Steve
I also found the learning guide a great aid for insomnia in the first 50 pages, but then skipped ahead to the relevant parts. The Cabinet/Assembly editor is where its all happening - go through the learning guide on just this section first - that will give you a lot of insight into how the program works. You might also make sure "learning mode" is turned on and it brings up some nice hints along the way. Also, their forum on their web site has a lot of great information and folks who use this software daily in their living who are all very helpful. One of the guys even made me some furniture parts that I couldn't do in ecabinets and posted them that night...great bunch...I'll be off the systems this weekend but if you get stuck drop me a line on the forum and I'll try to get you going again...
Just to contrast with some of the other posts, I use autocad, and do a lot of 3d modelling to see if a piece is well porportioned etc. I think one can find scripts and things for doing specific kinds of work, like cabinets. But barring that, some of the less expensive tools that are aimed at cabinet making likely get somebody farther faster.
One post talked about giving a s/w tool parameters on a cabinet and then having the cut list spit out. Autocad, at least what I have, is far from being able to do anything that automatic. I have started to write or find scripts for things, but still. I tried a bunch of trial-ware cut-list tools for sheet goods but threw in the towel after a few and went back to autocad scripts and excel.
I think the guy doing things in MsWord has the right perspective--if you're not doing this stuff all the time, having low expectations with a simple tool might be the best path. I happen to like mucking about in Autocad, writing a bit of code, but I don't think it's for everyone. I manage to make maybe 2 pieces a year, so fancy s/w is not the limiting factor.
Visio is really good for 2D stuff I think, pretty intuitive, and can print 1-1 on multiple sheets of paper.
Regards,
Ted
If you know what you are doing in Autocad, probably you're OK. A good friend who is a retired machinist is very good with Autocad. He turned me on to Autocad v14 and I'm still trying to figure it out. If you know it, it's OK, if not, (for me anyway) I can't see the forest for the trees. I think e-Cabinets will be the one for me because you can take stock files there and change the parameters (not too difficult) and get what you want. As you get better with it, then you can make your own up.
Dave Y.
Dave,I think that these simpler programs specially aimed at doing cut lists have to get most people farther than a complex general purpose tool like AutoCAD that out of the box knows nothing about cut lists for example.I have bought a few books on AutoCAD from 1/2 Price Computer Books, 3D Modelling In AutoCAD is a good one.I just like messing with solid models and stuff--I'm messed like that ;). The main thing is that whatever you're using it is more helpful than irritating. If you have any AutoCAD questions, don't hesitate to ask, I might even have an answer.All the best,Theo
DaveYat,
I use Cutlist Plus for $60. It will optimize your wood use and produce cut lists and layout diagrams but you have to design the cabinet or casework then enter the dimensions. The program is simple and will minimize your wasted wood but it will not design your cabinet. You can not tell it to design a cabinet to fit into a 3' by 2' by 8' hole with four doors and one bank of drawers. You have to design it and know how all the pieces fit together and their associated dimensions. Wood magazine produces similar cutlists and layout diagrams for their projects. I think they have a free trial if your interested.
Good Luck,
Clark
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