Articad

[ftacarpentry]

Afternoon all,

I recently purchased Articad as the last of a few big expenses (big to me, anyway!) to help push things forward a bit. I'm hoping to secure some bigger/higher value jobs with it that I don't think I could 'blag' with the Sketch up take on things.

I did the level one training course, and I've been watching the videos online, but it all just seems so 'wooly'...

For instance, positioning a blind corner unit and an adjacent unit accurately seems impossible... without knowing the worktop overhang getting the right positions so the cabinets meet in the corner is trial and error, which can't be right?!! The rep came out and saw me, and rather than dragging me forwards, he left seemingly defeated.

Positioning face frame components where they are required as well... either too many options, or none?

I like to extend the jamb of the face-frame to the floor on the last cabinet in a run to dress the end panel to the floor (ie extreme left cabinet would have left jamb to the floor/extreme right unit would have right jamb to the floor)... this seemed to vex the Articad chaps as well.

I've seen loads of examples of this program being used very effectively (Paul- looking at you!) so I know it's possible, but how have you learnt it?!! Practice obviously is key, but I'd need the rest of my career to get halfway decent!

I'm starting to think I've wasted my money, and am contemplating a rendering engine (Vray) as a plugin for Sketchup.

Any thoughts/tips appreciated!

Pete

[MJ80]

I used sketchup a lot and wanted to move the models on from the sketchy edges styles. I found this tutorial to make them into marker drawings and it worked really well for me.
http://www.sketchupartists.org/tutorial ... strations/

[PABLO123]

Hi Pete,
I think its a great system, its going to take some time to learn, if yo want the legs to go to the bottom
this is what you have to do in the box on the left of the screen go into
1.base units
2. Miscellaneous
3.Cubic Box
type in the width depth and height, eg 37mm frame width , 150mm plinth height , 600mm depth
drag this and attach it to the cabinet then the leg will run to the bottom
hope this helps Pete

[ftacarpentry]

Cheers Paul,

I’ll give that a go. It just seems mad to me that there isn’t a proper manual for the system?

The videos online skim the surface but there is such a steep learning curve!

After having tried Vray to render SU drawings, it’s pretty obvious Articad has to work for me... even my all bells-and-whistles Mac cant handle the rendering system?!!

Thanks again, and Merry Christmas!

[ftacarpentry]

Thanks MJ80! Pretty impressive results he’s achieved!

[PABLO123]

I had a laptop built to run it, i7 processor, Geforce 8gig dedicated graphics card, to do a full HD render takes about 12mins

[mark270981]

I use cabinet vision - not used articad - but I am guessing they run in a similar way - it’s taken us 2 years plus to understand about 15% of it - you only need to know 10% to be ultra efficient (if that makes sense) I can only assume articad is similar.

My point to the above is to persevere as there always short cuts or a method of doing something that’s not in the manual

[PABLO123]

That about sums it up Mark

[ftacarpentry]

Cheers chaps,

I think i'm largely suffering from 'analysis paralysis'...i.e. completely overthinking it.

I set myself a budget for 'tidying up' the elements of my business that I felt needed it most. The last of them was the quoting phase, and at the moment it feels like a massive step back... which, of course, I should have anticipated given I've never used it before.

I Appreciate all the help- as always with this forum!

Bon Noel to all!!!

[thatsnotafestool]

If you want to see what SketchUp can turn out when in the hands of an expert then check out Dave R's thread here

[ftacarpentry]

Yes, I know how powerful SU is, especially when used in conjunction with a decent rendering plugin (and possibly photoshop as well) but it isn't really feasible when you take into account the time that would be required in SU to produce a rendered image on a par with an Articad image of equivalent merit.

I love SU, and how 'graphic' everything is, but the main selling point of Articad/Autokitchen etc etc is the simplification of the rendering process. It's the first bit that's killing me at the moment however!!!