Multiple models with CutList

New to Sketchup. Just starting a kitchen and will be creating a new model for each cabinet…thus a new file for each cabinet? Right? The reason I ask is I want to utilize CutList.

I’m using SU 2017 for Mac. I have Fusion and Windows on the Mac. So I understand, CutList only works with Windows…not Mac.

How do I get more than one cabinet (model) into CutList at a time? Should I have a different file name for each cabinet?

Thanks!

First of all, CutList works just fine on Mac. I use it all the time.

CutList deals with the contents of only one model (file) at a time. If you split your kitchen model into one file per cabinet, you will need to run CutList for each file. If you put all the cabinets into a single SketchUp file and make each complete cabinet a component (with nested components for the parts), you can select “Tables: By Sub-Assembly” in the CutList UI and the output will be sorted with all the parts of each cabinet gathered together.

The CutList extension works on both PC and Mac.

Thank you both for replying so quickly! OK, so I’ll use one file and organize the cabinets as they will go into the kitchen. Got that. One file.

Now, which Cutlist extension? I just downloaded SU for the first time and it is 2017. Cutlist goes away when I click on 2017 version in the Warehouse. Cutlist Bridge 4 is the only one remaining. Is that the right one? Or will CutList work in 2017?

I don’t know what you mean it goes away. The CutList extension by Steve Racz will work just fine in SketchUp 2017.

@DaveR has a point: if you are referring to the standalone CutList Plus fx application, that is a Windows application. Given appropriately formatted csv output, it can generate cutting diagrams for a SketchUp model. Joe Zeh’s CutList Bridge 4 is specifically designed for that purpose. It is more cumbersome to use than the Steve R CutList but ultimately more powerful. For what I do, the latter is adequate. Both of these extensions are available on the SU Extension Warehouse - search for CutList.

Edit: Nobody has yet marked Steve R’s CutList as compatible with 2017, so indeed it drops from the EW list if you filter for 2017. Alas, Steve R died and nobody has picked up maintenance of this extension. However, I have installed it and run it under 2017 on Mac with no issues.

List @slbaumgartner, I find the CutList extension by Steve R more than adequate for my needs.

Great! Thanks to both of you! What a blessing.

I’m installing CutList now.

Some tips regarding use of the CutList extension:

  • It deals exclusively with Components and Groups. You must make each distinct part of your model into one or the other of these. Loose edges and faces will be ignored. Like DaveR, I always use Components. Not everybody agrees, but in my mind Components have several advantages and no significant downsides.
  • When Components are nested, the outer levels in the nesting are considered to be “subassemblies” and only the innermost Components will be treated as parts.
  • Make sure to set the axes of each Component to create a tight bounding box around the Component. For example, a board should have one axis pointed along each of the three edges at a corner. If you don’t do this, CutList will report distorted dimensions for the part. Note, however, that the existing version of CutList is somewhat stupid about what it considers to be length, width, and thickness - basically the largest dimension is always “length”, the next biggest is “width”, and the smallest is “thickness”. That is one thing that CutList Bridge 4 handles better (with more setup work by you to designate the directions).
  • Use meaningful Component and Material names. CutList’s output is organized according to these names, and names such as SketchUp’s automatic “Component#23” really don’t help you!
  • Be sure to edit the lists of “Part Words” and “Sheet Material Words” to match the sort of names you use. Matches on these (even partial matches) will cause Components to be kicked out of the board list into the hardware and sheet goods lists.
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Thank you both again! Wow! I’m starting to get it…one more question if you don’t mind.

Can you point me in the direction of where I can understand how best to save and identify a kitchen full of cabinets? If I just call the file: Johnson Kitchen.skp and all of the models (comonents or cabinets) and components nested within each of them - it seems to get very messy and huge considering using layers and scenes. Right?

Reason I ask is that I’m starting out - literally right now - drawing the cabs within the “room” I’ve created. So far so good. I think I should make the room a component before I start laying cabs in…right?

I do have the new Woodworking guide to Sketchup by Bob Lang…if you are familiar with that publication. Its been a huge help. Other than that…what do you suggest I can study to get this figured out?

John

I would make the room into a component.

As for the cabinets, first you need to be careful about the nesting. then, as far as the Johnson’s kitchen, those cabinets are just part of the model. There’s no need to do anything further to save them. If you want to use the cabinet components in the future, create a folder in Documents or some place and call it Kitchen Cabinets. Then you can save the cabinet components into that folder. It becomes a local collection or library from which you can drag the cabinet components into the Smith’s kitchen project when you do that next.

There are a couple of ways to save the components to that library. Either right click on it and choose Save as… Or open the secondary pane in the Components window, set it for the Kitchen Cabinet library and then drag the components from In Model to Kitchen Cabinets.

Thanks Dave. Scenes? Layers? I want to have dims for the shop - for the drawers and such. I’m doing euro style cabs, so thank goodness there are no face frames…But I’ll call each cabinet a different name when i make each of them a component. I get that. But then when I add scenes and layers for each cab, it seems to get messy…complicated.

Is there a good explanation in print or YouTube?

Layers: Assign components to layers as needed to control visibility of the various entities. Read: Controlling Visibility with Tags | SketchUp Help

Scenes are just snap shots of the model space. You can turn layers on and off as needed to show or hide things. Read: Creating Scenes | SketchUp Help

OK, I think I have a better understanding of scenes and layers. Thanks. I can understand if I was just modeling a dresser or bed…ie. one piece. How do i organize all of the cabinets (20) for this kitchen so I can print shop drawings for each component? All examples I’ve read or watched are using a single cabinet or house. What if you have 20 components (cabinets) at one time (a kitchen).

Thanks Dave.

What do you really need plans of? If you are going to make construction plans for the cabinets, perhaps you do those in separate files but you shouldn’t need a separate plan for each cabinet. You’re not going to cut out the parts and build one cabinet at a time are you? You’ll batch things, right? Batch your plans with the same idea to make it efficient in the shop.

I’d probably do a plan for all the cabinets in one model and one LayOut doc. I’d have the kitchen displayed for a few scenes as needed. then I’d create elevation views of the cabinets on the various walls so I could add dimensions for things like cabinet width and door and drawer fronts. I might do a single view for each cabinet side–only need one of each size–and scenes for anything special. I’d create a cut list so I can batch cut parts, too.

That helps. I’ve created 2 files so far. One for the floor plan that i’ll place the cabs into after they are drawn and make into components. the other file will be where I’ll draw all of the cabinets. That way I can copy and paste and it should go fairly quickly…famous last words!

Thanks.

Good luck.

One reason I would tend to keep it all in a single file is so that it’s easier to make the inevitable updates when they come. It’s more involved to manage changes with multiple files and you’re mode likely to introduce errors.