CAD for Kitchens

[tom owens]

Recently i'v been using my supplier for kitchen design as they offer a free home visit and measuring service. I get the call from the customer arange a date and time. They go and measure up, ring me when its been drawn with a cost for the goods, I pick the drawing up and go and see the customer with a price.

After 2 or 3 failed enquierys a rang the last customer up just to see how the designer had been with them. The lady who i spoke to told me he was only there best part of half an hour and couldn't wait to get away. He told the customer what they SHOULD have and not customer telling them what she wanted. She wasn't impresed..

The whole point of this thread is that i would like to try to measure and design my own kitchens to cut out the middle man so to speak.
If anyone has any advice or 1st hand knowladge on kitchen cad software i would be greatfull for some help.

I have autocad 2010 on my laptop and sketch up 8 but not sure if these are suitable for what i want. Auto cad was put on with all intentions of enrolling for collage last saturday but due to work commitments couldn't afford the one day a week at collage.
Any advice on courses or if someone could offer some hands on knowlegde would be very helpfull.

 

[mailee]

I have used Sketchup for my kitchen layouts Tom. I drew up some generic base and wall cabinets and then a few door styles and saved them all as Components. I think if you visit the Google Sketchup site there may even be some cabinets already for you to use although I have not used them myself it would save a bit of time. I have not used this for a while as I haven't had any kitchens to fit recently. HTH. :wink:

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Tom, since you have SketchUp 8 on your machine already, you might follow mailee's lead and give it a go. With it you can make easily work with the client to make sure they get what they want. They'll be able to see it in perspective and from whatever angles you want to show them.

Also as Mailee alluded to, Google's 3D Warehouse may already have cabinet components you can use although they aren't difficult to draw from scratch. You can create views with various door styles if needed and you can quickly make changes to the arrangement of the cabinets to suit.

If you set up your components properly you can generate a cut list to take to the shop. If you use the pro version of SketchUp 8, you'll also have LayOut 3 with which you can make professional presentation packages that can be sent out as PDF files and you'll be able to export CAD files if you really need them. I expect, unless you take a class on using AutoCAD, you'll really have little if any need for it.

 

[planetWayne]

Hi Tom,

If you are playing with spaces and layout you might want to have a look at the Ikea kitchen planner. It's a free download and will let you play with the basic building block shapes.

Obviously this isn't for custom cabinets etc but from what I came across in the uk, most cabinet sizes are based on standard sizes.

When I did our kitchen I already had the layout done I just handed that to our local fitters, picked the fronts and handles etc, job done!

Cheers
Wayne.

 

[cmwatt]

Hi Tom,

Funny I should find this, I've just completed my architecture course at Uni and use AutoCAD all the time. (I've actually applied for kitchen designer jobs as well, as architecture jobs are few and far between just now). I am also hoping to get into woodworking, perhaps doing an evening course or something to begin with and buy some tools once I get a job.

I first learnt how to use AutoCAD at my local college doing an evening course over a few months whilst at school. Maybe if you don't have enough hours in the daytime this might be an option if your local college offers it.

Once you get the basics, you might be suprised but it's quite easy to pick up the rest as you go along, even 3D stuff! You just need to know about the UCS system and working with coordinates. What experience do you have with AutoCAD so far? I could help teach you the basics/answer questions.

Check this website for tutorials:
http://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials/autocad/index.php?category_id=1

Regards,
Craig.

Edit - Opps, seems im not allowed to post links yet. Maybe a moderator could enable it for me please?

 

[jasonB]

Kitchendraw is free for the first 30hrs and you can get quite a few designs in that time, it has UK size components be wary of some US programmes that don't suit our cab sizes. You can do full walk throughs and spin the design around to view from any angle, set the finishes at the click of a button etc. Make custom size cabinets. You can also use it to price the kitchen and produce order lists etc

http://www.kitchendraw.com/

Not sure if they have one for the latest versions of windows though.

The Ikea one is very basic and their cab sizes are not the same as most other UK cabinets

Jason

 

[tom owens]

Thanks for the info everybody. I was playing around with sketch up last night and within 20 mins i built the two chairs on the tutorail videos which i picked up pretty easily. I think i am going to have a play around with autocad too and see which i prefare to use. I think sketch up could be the way to go so mailee, Dave R expect some pm's.

cmwatt i might look into the evening course for autocad i was never really into computers or interested in anything like cad but i am really enjoying sketchup. i would really like some dvice to about autocad if i can contact you in the future.

 

[cmwatt]

Glad your getting on well with sketch up, I've had a play with it before but never used it properly. I know a lot of fellow students used it to produce some amazing stuff.

Sent you a PM (private message).

 

[mailee]

Glad to help Tom. My knowledge is limited but I am sure Dave R can put you straight if I can't.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

By all means, I'll be happy to help.

FWIW, last week when I was at SketchUp 3D Basecamp, I saw complete condocs for some major projects that were done in SketchUp and LayOut. No other drawing software was used at all. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[tom owens]

Jason

I'v just watched the demo for kitchen draw. Is this something you use?

If so can i put the prices of my own supplier into the system so it adds it up based on my prices Or does kitchendraw supply their own cabinates, doors ect?

 

[jasonB]

I've not used the pricing function myself as I make all mine but yes you can enter basic carcase prices, cost per length of trim and it will list out quantities and total the lot up. Its not like Ikea who supply whats in their programme, its just a drawing prog aimed at kitchens and bathrooms.

The main advantage over sketchup etc is that all the carcases, appliances are there and you just drop them into place, no need to create each item. You also don't need to draw all the plinths, pelmets, cornice etc it will just add all those to the drawing at the click of a button.

Worth downloading and playing with for an hour or two as its free

Jason