Designing a kitchen step by step. Smart functions supporting design (2/3) – Advanced functions for inserting components

WOODEXPERT provides many tools supporting the design of kitchen furniture. It facilitates the work of designers, shortening the implementation time and minimizing errors at every stage of the process. In this series of articles, we present the possibilities of the add-on in terms of creating and inserting components into the project. In the last article we will show how to create a copy of a project with just a few mouse clicks.

In this part, we will discuss advanced functions for inserting library components into the project.

1. Insert component (custom name)

First, I open the add-on settings. In the “Naming” tab, I make sure that the assembly name template contains a <customname> block.

In this article, we will insert several components into an existing project. I will open an existing project from the project library. After specifying the search criteria, I select the project I am interested in and open it.

In the previous article I presented two options for creating your own components. In this part, we will use the components created in this way.

To insert a component into the project with a name of your choice, right-click on the selected component and select “Insert component (custom name)”.

At this point a window will appear. In the text field I enter the desired name.

The remaining steps are the same as when simple insertion. The assembly and its components will be named according to the templates I specified earlier.

2. Insert similarly

Now I want to insert another component into the project. It will contain different equipment, but I want it to have the same dimensions as the previous module. To do this, I don’t have to redefine all the insertion parameters one by one. I’ll use the “Insert similarly” function.

To do this, in the FeatureManager tree or in the Graphic Area, I select the body assembly that I just inserted, then right-click on the module in the library and choose the “Insert similarly” option.

Now all I need to do is specify the right face of the first body as the left insertion plane for the new body. Remember to adjust the parameters if necessary, as they will not be copied from the previous component.

What else can the “Insert similarly” function be useful for?

A good example would be inserting a drawer box into a body where we have already inserted a front. The front obscures the inner space where the box should be, so I cannot specify the faces manually when inserting the drawer (unless I hide the front or use the SW “Select other” tool). However, the drawer box will be using the same planes as the drawer front; therefore, I can point to the front and insert the box with the “Insert similarly” function.

I can still edit the insertion planes and parameters if necessary.

3. Replace component

The last insertion function I would like to discuss in this part is the “Replace component” function. This function replaces the selected component with a new one. Similar to the “Insert similarly” function, it requires that you first select the component to be replaced.

The above screenshot shows editing a subassembly of one of the bodies in my project. I have inserted a set of adjustable shelves into it. After a while, I realized that there should be a single horizontal partition in their place. To change this, in the FeatureManager tree or in the Graphic Area I select the shelf set assembly, and then in the WOODEXPERT library, I right-click on the horizontal partition and select the “Replace component” option. The same planes will be used in the insertion configurator as when inserting the shelf set. Thanks to this, I do not have to delete the component, then insert a new one and specify all the dimensions. Again, I remember to adjust the variables in the “Parameters” tab.

Summary

As you can see, WOODEXPERT features many useful component insertion functions that can significantly shorten the furniture configuration stage. In today’s world, when customers expect a quick turnaround time with the highest quality, every minute saved at the design stage is extremely valuable.

What’s next?

In the last part of this series of articles, I will show you how to use the “Copy project” feature.

Are there any other WOODEXPERT features we should cover? Feel free to comment.