Sketchup for Fitted Furniture Makers: Part 1
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
- Here it is at last, the Sketchup training you've been asking for! I wanted to make a series aimed squarely at UK based metric woodworkers designing, making and installing fitted furniture. If you want to get started in Sketchup, or fast-track your learning if you've already started, this is the channel to watch. I will tell you what you need to know to start making your business more efficient and more profitable by using Sketchup to speed up both your design and manufacturing processes.
Correction no. 1: at 2:17 I said CabinetSense when I meant to say CabinetVision. CabinetVision is the expensive industry software that I decided not to proceed with using, in favour of sticking with Sketchup. CabinetSense is an extension for SketchUp that I DO use and pay for and it is what enables us to make the carcasses with opening doors and drawer etc that I was demonstrating at that point in the video!
Try CabinetSense for free here: cabinetsense-prod.appspot.com...
Playlist for the whole series: • Freebird SketchUp For ...
*Correction no. 2: At the end of the video I said there would be extra content on a future Patreon page. I now use a different crowdfunding platform - check it out here:
www.buymeacoffee.com/freebird
I am adding extra content there all the time, much of it only available to monthly members in return for their ongoing support of the channel. However I decided to make this course free on UA-cam. If it helps you please buy me a coffee (you can do this as a one-off with no strings attached), or become a member for valuable extra content including my blueprints for building alcove components as shown here: pB4qKiopA2...
**Correction: at **2:17** I said CabinetSense when I meant to say CabinetVision. CabinetVision is the expensive industry software that I decided not to proceed with using, in favour of sticking with Sketchup. CabinetSense is an extension for SketchUp that I DO use and pay for and it is what enables us to make the carcasses with opening doors and drawer etc that I was demonstrating at that point in the video!**
Alistair am I right in thinking Cabinetsense is $75 a month for the professional version? Is that correct or is there a cheaper version that fulfils your requirements? Looks like a pretty good tool but approx £700 a year pretty pricey for me.
mark scheiner I am using the slightly downgraded version at $60 per month I think it is without full CNC functionality. It is a bit of a cost!
Hi Alastair,
I have been enjoying your videos, since you use Cabinet sense, I was wondering if you ever managed, or you know if it could be possible to visualize a j pull door?
@@valentinosfamurri8118 hi! Thanks for the feedback! Once you have created a door at the size you want (as a slab door) you can double click into it until your are working on the geometry inside the component, and simply draw a j pull cut out at the top of one of the side faces (using arcs and lines) then use push pull to extrude it out along the top edge (assuming it is on the top of the door)
Here is my referal link for a free trial of CabinetSense: cabinetsense-prod.appspot.com/register.jsp?referral=ZnJlZWJpcmQ=
I am a novice at Sketchup and have watched a few tutorials recently, but this one is by far the most clear and easy to understand. I will check out the links in the description to show my appreciation. Thank you very much.
Most excellent video, thank you. I'm making a simple stud wall, floor to ceiling closet with 4 hinged doors, sheeted with plasterboard and matching cornice, I have never used plans until now! Thanks again, I love your channel, greetings from Fremantle, Western Australia
Brilliant video thanks. Watched 4 full instructional videos before finally finding someone who really helps.
3 minutes in and I know I'm where I need to be. Thank you 👍
same, for guy in video, very articulate and calm,
for program itself, seems like it does everything i want it to, I can design rooms/houses etc, and furniture and have it cut out parts for me so i can submit them to workshop for cutting, top notch stuff
This video couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Excellent. Keep them coming 👌
Glad to hear it!
Hi. Thanks for the video. I have just started building wooden furniture and have wanted to learn sketchup for a while. Excited to see the next videos. Regards Lee
Great video Alastair. Keep them coming.
Thanks for that..Very well explained as usual and I'm looking forward to the next one!
Thanks Simon I’m glad you found it clear!
Thanks for this brilliant explanation, I have watched quite a few of these ,trying to pick it up , but this has been the most enlightening, thanks again
stuart williams I love getting feedback like this thank you. I’d better get cracking on episode 3...
This is the simplest tutorial I’ve found. Fair play to you mate for giving your time to everyone. 👏🏼👏🏼
I recently saw in one of your previous uploads that you would forward on costing templates etc. via email ? How do I avail of this ?
Thanks Alistair this has come at the perfect time for I am an absolute beginner nice clear and great to follow cheers Terry
That’s great Terry thanks for letting me know 👍
Thank you so much! Finally a video in mm !
Thank you Alastair, this is one of the best tutorials I have come across. Still pulling my hair out when it comes to sketchup, but you explain things really clearly
I’m glad you liked it thanks for commenting. Hopefully the whole series will help make sense of things!
Really enjoyed this, even if I did watch episode one and two the wrong way around. I appreciate the way you explain the various ways of doing the same thing and also for showing some really useful timesaving shortcuts such as copy/move
Thanks! I’m just kicking myself that my slipnof the tongue about cabinetvision/CabinetSense is preserved here for evermore and UA-cam have removed their annotation tools that would have allowed me to correct it better!
Thank you, yet another outstanding video. I have been struggling with Sketchup for over a week. I have watch loads of videos and none of them come close to the clarity of yours.
I love this comment, thank you!
Thanks Alistair. Just what I needed after recently downloading sketchup which has inspired me to attempt a cabinet build in my shoe cupboard after watching your channel. Nice to hear a uk voice especially one from sunny Sheffield. Lol
Excellent, you explained this so well. This I can see is one of the most difficult parts to learn as once past this you understand how you can expect things to work. I tried to understand grouping from other videos but you explained it so well.
Encouraging, thanks!
Hi Alastair, great video mate, you make it very easy to follow and understand cant wait for the next part 👌
Thanks for the encouraging feedback Steve!
Most useful video on SketchUp to date. Thank you.
Make Build Restore I’m so glad you think so, thank you!
What a great insight to Sketchup. Looking to use it for personal projects with the aim of improving my designs and ultimately my builds and then who knows. Great job. Thank you.
James Patterson thanks for the feedback 👍
I mentioned on another of your videos I recently got into SketchUp for an unrelated reason. As a hobby DIYer it's an absolute game changer for planning out projects. I got some good tips from this video, so thanks!
Great!
Many thanks, Alastair, I've been pratting around for nearly 5hrs over 3days trying to draw a simple wall divider. Found your video at 10am US time & about the try again. Cheers Dave (An Englishman who moved to the USA Aug 18. Well done mate.
Glad to help!
Excellent tutorial, clear and easy to follow.
Thanks, I’m glad you found it helpful, there will be more in due course
Easier to follow than the online version. Good video, I'm watching the lot.
I'm glad you liked it!
Hi Alastair, big thanks for taking the time to film and post this. Whilst it's starting from scratch, I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses, as your Sketchup skills are top notch 👍🏻
Sperky Sperks thanks for being the first to comment! Where are you up to with sketchup then, have you been using it for some time?
@@Alastair_FreebirdI started about about 9 months ago, when I went solo. I'm getting better, but it still takes me a day to produce a wardrobe or run of cabinets. My goal is to get quicker; your speed and ability to churn out a design in front of a client is amazing 👍. There's so much tutorial content on UA-cam, but I'm having to invest big chunks of time watching videos just to get a little relevant nugget that relates to cabinet making 😀
Sperky Sperks that confirms my thinking - there is a demand for specific content for fitted furniture makers using SketchUp.
Great Video, I've been meaning to move over to cad for years but never had the time or a clear base line understanding. This is a massive help thanks. Keep up the great content.
N B glad it helped thanks for the feedback
Fantastic info
Brilliant video just waiting for the next instalment
I know I know... I'll be getting back around to it, just on a 2 week holiday right now! The back story behind this delay is that there was much debate between me and my wife about whether and how to start monetising this - evenings and late nights spent YouTubing aren't sustainable much longer for me or my family without some kind of return on the investment Long story short, I settled on continuing the course freely available, but with a tip system for those who choose to support it via www.buymeacoffee.com - we've got that profile up and running now and we are still kind of testing how this works for people. It's very important I balance keeping the goodwill from the audience vs starting to getting some kind of payback for time invested. I think continuing offering it for free keeps the balance of a broad reach that helps to grow the channel, and enables me to grow the monetisation without getting people's backs up or twisting their arms. I'm always open to feedback on this thorny subject!
Very well explained. Bravo
Hi Alastair, absolutely brilliant I found very easy to follow looking forward to follow up videos, thank you.
glen crawford great! Are you a total beginner?
Freebird Interiors yes I’ve been struggling with it
YESSSSS!!!! thanks for making this, you legend
Great reaction 😄
I've been trying to learn this for ages. you've made it so clear. better than other online sources. Thankyou very much!
Brett Mayfield I love this feedback! Reminds me its about time I work on part 3... was there a link to part 2 from this video, I don’t remember if I set one up!
@@Alastair_Freebird I'm still on making components. trying to make drawers and put them in the wardrobe. Thanks mate
Brett Mayfield is there anything in particular you’d like more help with? I’m planning the upcoming episodes.
I just discovered this channel, love your video and this kind of content from sketchup to building.
Thanks for that feedback I appreciate it!
Hi Alistair. Thanks for the great content. Maybe you could start up a cabinet making school one day😁 you seem to be a natural at teaching. I bet it would be a very popular coarse. Let us all know when you get your patrion page up and running 👍🏻
Excellent intro into sketch many, many thanks.
Black Country Lad in glad it was helpful, I suggest you carry on to no. 2. No. 3 is WAY overdue I just have a hard time finding a time to record it in a quiet house, with kids and all...
top work! Thanks for taking time to make video.
Heriot Handyman you’re welcome. Part 3 will be out in due course, I’m a bit slow at getting round to these at the moment but the plan is there in my head!
Great video. Thanks
Really helpful! Thank you.
Great video. So we'll explained. Thanks
Great tutorial, thank you! I've subscribed.
It's great timing for me to discover your channel as I'm contemplating some DIY of this nature. I've used SketchUp a few times and got the hang of the basics but learnt several really useful tips there that will be so helpful in getting ideas down quickly. (E.g. the different directions of drag to select, some keyboard shortcuts, knowing which plane it will focus on... )
One thing I found powerful was to make grouped objects into components. Looking forward to future videos and watching your back catalogue!
Robert Amsbury thanks for commenting and letting me know! I will be getting back to this series after a holiday.
Absolutely Fantastic….. Thank you for your Time and very educational Videos
You’re welcome!
Hi, fully enjoyed the sketchup tutorial looking forward to further videos for beginners such as myself.... thanks
Bear Pa thanks for the feedback! So, as a beginner was the amount of information and pace ok for you?
@@Alastair_Freebird I found it informative and taken in stages without overloading with information
I have always done this by hand, obviously not in so much detail hahaha. Thank you I cannot wait to try sketch up.
Shaun Dell I hope it works out for you!
Cool!
Thanks for taking the time to share and film this Alistair. I hope it hasn't had the detrimental effect on your channel that Andy Mac of Gosforth handyman experienced with his series! Most helpful because it's directly relevant to what I want to learn (I've its in millimetres and about cabinetry). So many Sketchup videos are wildly off-topic and American. Really looking forward to the series.
darren green I was aware of Andy’s first video and vaguely aware of some controversy around him moving it to Patreon after that, I totally understood why he might do that and it was food for thought about how I move forward with this. Has the whole issue been an ongoing problem with some of Andy’s followers, or was the issue you refer to more about UA-cam algorithms etc? (which I hardly understand!)
Hi Alistair, it was basically about the algorithm, which like you I don't fully understand. Andy actually did a video explaining why he'd moved it to Patreon which is worth looking up. In a nutshell his first video did ok at about 50% of his usual views. The 2nd video didn't do well at all, mostly because people put it in their watch later to watch when they had more time (many people wanting to work alongside the video on their own PCs). This resulted in the algorithm thinking it was a flop. The net result of this is UA-cam not only no longer suggested the video, it started removing all of andy's videos being recommended even on the home page of subscribers, who, no longer being alerted to videos being uploaded, weren't watching his channel's content. Advertising revenue plummeted and his only option was to remove the videos and move them to Patreon. This didn't go down well with all his subscribers, but as he says, if you don't think a video that has taken days to film and edit is worth $1 of their cash (to watch all the Patreon videos) then feel free to take a hike! You the sent a great platform for more niche subjects and the algorithm is a pretty blunt tool. Personally I'm a Patreon supporter of a few maker channels. It's buggy, frustrating but ultimately rewarding to be giving something back and as pets millard would say " keep the lights on".
Great video alistar, may even get going on sketch up now
spudian65 yeah give it a try!
Thank you - I've recently started following you on Instagram (plank.canvas) after a recommendation! I'm glad to see so far that we both use the same method for drawing cabinets! Look forward to seeing more of your videos! Great stuff so far 👍
Craig Coe thanks for commenting, I’ll looks out for your posts on Instagram when I go back on in a week or so!
You should up an online tutorial mate, “chargeable of course” excellent video to explain how to use sketch up 👍.
Thanks I’m glad you liked it. I’m planning on adding more SketchUp content to the member site after a planned relaunch in coming weeks www.Buymeacoffee.com/freebird
Thanks Alistair, what a great idea! I've been wanting to get into Sketchup for ages. I've been using ZWCAD (similar to AutoCAD) for a few years now, (2D drawings - mainly for swimming pool design), but have been wanting to get into 3D design for small parts and my growing woodworking hobby!
My main hurdle was not knowing the best way to start - especially since I'm using a mac. So starting from square one ie. where to download and which version was really helpful in pushing me to get started!
Thankfully the commands & tools are pretty similar to what I have been used to. It did take a while to find the navigation toolbar though:
VIEW - Tool Palettes - Large Tool Set (incase I'm not the only one!) 😀
Aquaspheric I’m glad it helped and thanks for that clarification, I like how comments can also help other viewers 👍
Good stuff.
Glad you liked it!
Hello Alister, this could be a useful & valuable set of videos for me.
I’m fairly conversant with the program but don’t use it enough to be quick with it!
It’s all about ‘practise making perfect’ !
What interests me is that you are specifically targeting fitted furniture.
I’m not a professional but a keen amateur handyman who wants to build his own built-in alcove units & such like.
I appreciate what a difference a 3D design can do and how it will help with the construction & installation.
Of course you need to put in accurately the space you are fitting it into in the first place!
So looking forward to the next lesson, teacher 🍏
Good luck
Dave
That’s great Dave and I’m thinking a run through of my alcove design process could be a good video down the line.
Ditto Dave.
Great video thanks. I do everything in sketchup but am certainly a beginner. Everything takes me so much longer than it should do. I am still on the free version so looking forward to finding out more about the better functions, in particular scenes and moving parts. The main benefit to me though will be creating a cut list... I can draw a big design at a reasonable pace but can spend a whole day sometimes having to slowly measure each panel and make a list, so frustrating!
Thanks. I'll be signing up for sure 😁
Matt
Ps. When I'm pushing a face somewhere I can't see it, i 'pull' it in the opposite direction and type "-18". This way I'm certain of where it's ended up.
Matt Kindon good tip on the minus direction thanks. You can do scenes in free version (I think). Will cover it in due course.
Quality tutorial pal gonna go through all your vids for sketch up now. Just a question when I’m trying to replicate another piece I select the piece click on the corner when I click alt on keyboard it doesn’t do anything? I couldn’t work it out so I just ended up going to edit and using copy and paste?
That was a really useful intro. I will have to go over it again whilst working along with skethup. Just a suggestion, but as most will have to see you do something, then pause your presentation to goto sketchup to practice, and then back to your presentation etc. I was wondering if you could think of breaking your presentations with some punctuation points where you say 'now go and practice what I just showed you'. This approach could save much rewinding and forwarding of your presentation and enable each bit to be easily found. But again this is just a suggestion as it may be too interruptive of your flow to present this way. I'm looking forward to your next lessons and its a brilliant way to get started with sketchup from the woodworking perspective.
Thanks for the suggestion, worth considering. I am throwing a lot of information at you, do you think I should cover less, slower, in each video or is it ok? My thinking was if I move things along quicker it may be more satisfying and viewers can rewatch, pause etc as necessary. If anyone else thinks I should slow down or punctuate it more let me know!
@@Alastair_Freebird I think the pace was about right though the amount of information in each video will probably inevitably be too much to remember without doing some actual sketchup practice to consolidate ones understanding. If pause points were introduced then it would not really matter how long each video was, and to produce too many separate videos would not be very satisfactory either. Maybe once you have recorded a video you simply put in a few banners at pertinent points that flash 'Practice Point' on the screen for a few seconds. But whilst I personally think this would help I must also say I don't think this is really much of an issue and I feel a bit guilty in that I may be over egging the suggestion and the video is certainly really useful as it is.
B G 😁 ok, it’s fine, all suggestions welcome!
This is an amazing tutorial. No more graph paper for me!!
Glad you think so!
Nice start Alistair. Looking forward to some of the more advanced videos. Any sense of how quickly you’ll be progressing with them?
mark scheiner you mean like how many per week/month etc? Not going to promise anything yet but I do have some aims!
Just letting you know I'm starting on this playlist - There's no end of people recommending it on Facebook groups.
Hey that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know, I do seem to be seeing more mentions on Instagram too.
Alastair, firstly thank you so much for spending time sharing these videos as very useful. For me, as a beginner gives me help trying to gain experience in these areas and I wish you every success in building the business as well deserved. On to my question, when spending the time to for example, add a "standard" cabinet, can these dimensions/items be saved in any way to quickly add them to new designs (or limit redesign time)??
Keep up the fab work.
Thanks so much for your kind comments, I needed the encouragement today. Yes, if you turn something into a component (including making a component out of a group of sub components) you can right click on it then go to ‘save as’. Save them to a folder of your choice, then you can find and open this folder via the ‘components browser’ window (or ‘tray’ as I think they are called in Windows). This will bring up anything in that folder as an icon which you can the drag into the model. If this doesn’t make sense, keep watching the series and I think you will see these principles demonstrated for the components I’ve made available for download.
Shown here in part 2 actually: ua-cam.com/video/e8TfzOmmtfo/v-deo.html
@@Alastair_Freebird You do a fantastic job and also take time to help others so you should have at least a pat on the back for taking the time out. Perhaps people don't feed back enough but you do help others develop their knowledge and skills when they are also going through hard times. Myself I have already given notice on a very different and stressful job that I hate and and finding faith that perhaps I can start doing something I love but only limited (DIY skills presently) so getting this sort of help is fantastic. I can't thank you enough for the free mentoring!!
Now that uk is back into lockdown. how about an indepth cabinet sense tutorials. If you have time.
If only I had time! With overheads higher than ever, I need to get my main business working as a first priority. (We can still work because you can't make fitted furniture from home. And if we don't work there is no support available to us). However I have been considering doing some paid group training sessions, is this something you'd be interested in?
Hi Alastair, yup enjoyed that. Even though I already use sketchup it's nice to go back to basics to lay a better foundation!
Question, you use the group function, on each piece, I use make component function. Is there any difference between the two? Totally signing up to Patreon when you get it going!!!
Nic Harvey thanks Nic! Absolutely there is a difference between groups and components, I will cover this in future. When you copy a component it is a clone of itself. This has lots of uses. You could make a cabinet like this out of components, then copy them all and lay them flat on a board layout off to the side of the drawing. Then whatever changes you make to each part will change on the board layout too. Perhaps you already know this. Groups are simpler and just allow you to make a single unit out of a bunch of geometry. If you always use components you can sometimes come a cropper accidentally altering copies that should have stayed unique.
@@Alastair_Freebird that's interesting. I have definitely come a cropper with that. Especially when I copy one, orientate it then make a change. Big oops! Really looking forward to what else you have to offer here.
In cabinetsense video they are using microsoft access for some of its functionality. Is Access required.
Just for more advanced cnc functions i think - creating and managing the machining database. But i think there is a free version or equivalent that can be used?
Hi Alistair, Very clear and concise instructions. I've got as far as downloading but then I get a window to say sketchup 2017 with an arrow pointing to applications. when I click on it it opens the applications menu but no sketch up. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong please?
Kraftwork hi, if I’ve understood correctly, what that window means is you should drag the sketchup icon onto the applications icon (click, hold, drag, release) to place the downloaded program within your applications folder. After you have done this you will be able to find and open SketchUp from the applications folder. Let me know if this worked.
Alastair Johnson - Freebird Thank you yes that was very helpful. I managed to download it. :-)
Glad to hear it
Do you still use cabinet sense? I can't find it in the extension warehouse.
Yes I do and you have to download it via the website www.cabinetsensesoftware.com
3 years later and 2017 Make isn't available for download - what do you recommend these days Alastair?
Oh that time has come? Well I’d recommend sketchup Pro, but there is also the online free version and now an iPad version that’s increasingly sophisticated
Alastair - I am just at the start and am going to go through the training video's from the start. Just one question, currently we use cabinet vision and have done for a number of years. I have a bit of a love hate for CV - long story! However as a user of Sketchup and an extension called cabinet sense - roughly if you don't mind what is it costing you? And another question - on the standard Sketchup can you export the cutting lists from SketchUp with layers into Vetric? thanks Tim
Hi Tim I am on the top level of cabinetsense which costs $100 per month but you do get some cnc functionality on lower tiers. This is on top of a yearly Sketchup pro subscription which is £300 I think, and vectric Cut 2D which was a one off payment of something like £250 if I remember rightly.
Please watch this video which compares ways of getting vector date from Sketchup into vectric without CabinetSense, then explains the benefits of using CabinetSense
@@Alastair_Freebird Thanks for the reply and am enjoying your Video's - I really don't know when you get the time. We bought C/V some years back and now only pay a monthly support of around just under £100 per month for support which we never use - I have never been a fan of there rendering which we no longer use, and there ability to draw in CAD is virtually none existent . Aspire I think is great and use it every day and have done for many years, however I have never got my teeth into Sketchup and was wondering if there was another way to - skin a cat, as they say. We still use the C/V however if Vetric and there approach was to jump into dedicated detailed cabinet design and construction, I think they would nail it.
You can still get Sketchup 2017 for FREE Download which is far better than the current web based free version. Same interface as the pro version and 3D warehouse and access to some great free Extensions.
Yes, they seem to be hiding it a little these days but that option is still available and to be recommended!
Is there going to be any more videos? :)
Craig Wood yes. Definitely. Patience appreciated and I will get back to it in due course. Apologies for the delay!
There are at least 4 other sketchup extensions of making cabinetry. Cabwriter, cabmaker, 3hfurniture and Easysketch
MySchizo Buddy you sound well informed, I wasn’t aware of all those though I knew others existed. Have you tried them?
@@Alastair_Freebird im in the evaluation stage. 3hfurniture has a nice drag and drop and then edit interface. So you can get a working kitchen in seconds. It has a free and subscription service but the developers are non english speakers which will most likely make support complicated. Little to no tutorials. Cabwriter and cabmaker don't have drag and drop. Cabmaker is the cheapest option and cabwriter expensive. Cabwriter has the most detailed tutorials on youtube and the developers are very active. I don't like the story stick method of cabwriter. You have to think hard before you create a cabinet. With 3hfurniture i can think after i have placed a cabinet. Cabmaker is great value for money. Cabmaker with nesting option are the cheapest and looks very powerful.
MySchizo Buddy have you tried CabinetSense? drag and drop self aligning components. Integration with CutList plus. And machining (automatic generation of drilling patterns for CNC). It’s very powerful.
@@Alastair_Freebird i have been put of by the subscription model. I'll most likely go with cabmaker as it is the cheapest and if that doesn't work for me ill move to cabwriter.
there is no free version on offer anymore except the online platform version.
Yes I need to update this in some of my documents available via my membership site
What’s the software name
Peg lalo Lalo which software? We are mainly talking about SketchUp
Totally lost after you copied side wall to the other by hitting"alt". Can't figure it out.
Ctrl on windows, alt on Mac. Does that help?
Yessssssss. Back in business. This tutorial really got me where I need to go. Subscribed!!!
Great video. Thanks
You're welcome, thanks for commenting