If you are a woodworker and maybe a user of the OpenCutList extension, this topic that talk about the futur of OCL may interest you.
One cool thing with SketchUp is that it’s a versatile 3D software. You can draw a building as a small furniture with the same light and powerful user interface.
In its specific domain, OpenCutList try to improve this experience for woodworkers who prefer to spend more time on modeling their projects than generating cutlist, cutting diagrams with multiple external tools.
One unified tool that keep your models as clean as possible and that do not reinvent the wheel may bring some limits in customization, but can be very helpful if you prefer to spend your time in front of a piece of wood instead of a computer
That’s what the OpenCutList team have in mind when they develop a feature that will allow you to print exploded view without creating scenes and modifying the 3D model, but directly in the extension dialog.
I will definitely support this. Am an OpenCutlist-Contributor and this is awesome. While we do most of our furniture Assembly drawings in a weird database driven Program called IMOS (AutoCad based) this is great for quick-shots where a CNC program is not necessary. It’s amazing what they get done here and one more reason to FINALLY MAKE A LAYOUT API for developers. What you see here is great but it should be plugged into Layout not Sketchup…
Great Demo, guys!
BTW - is there a way to export cutlist-parts as 2D-DWG files via OpenCut-List? That would be awesome and save a lot of time.
Currently, no. What do you expect to be exported, the 2D rectangle of each part arrange on the sheet (cutting diagram), or its complete 2D shape with holes and other machining ?
This is nice feature. But …
Real use would be if you can export it also with three wire wievs to see what is inside with automatic dimensions .
That would be real big help.
But also i am realy wondering why you guys are not focusing on cnc saw programs export.
Or the abs edging is not working properly if my side panel component is made of grups inside to dynamicaly show cutouts. Than the eding is not recognized.
Also the hardware of cabinets is not usefull at all.
Because I think it’s quite stupid to use SketchUp if you have bought a CNC. CNC owners spend a lot of money in their tool, and my advice is to spend a little more in a real cabinet software fully designed for that. A lot of high level program exists in the market and time of SketchUp in this domain is counted.
Then it’s ridiculus for me to spend time to develop an extension for compagnies who will definitively quit SketchUp in few month or years.
This is the main advantage as the main problem of SketchUp, there’s no limit and you can draw what ever you want in the way you choose to do it. No “common” software can respond to this kind of demand without frustrating you. The only way I know to keep this kind of freedom is to write your own software
All professionnel software create a set of rules and the user have to follow them to enter the optimized process.
The exploded view is a great idea, but ask that only components are moved
Thereas groups (which currently are not counted remain intact in their component) as I make tenons, cuts, and dynamic parts as groups with no adverse effects.
With regards to edge strips can they measure shorter edges as in L shelf rather than overall? Maybe lengths of curve for even smaller <100mm to match the colored edge(s)
i kinda agree with you. Once you go CNC you will need more specialized software because there are so many settings to be considered - what line to cut with what speed and tool and so forth.
I keep finding the need to export the contours of parts for all kinds of purposes all the time (sending it to suppliers for quotes, prepping for additional AutoCAD work, etc. ) Right now I have to put all parts (components) flat on the ground and then use the 2D DWG export function but it’s manual labor and it’s of course prone to errors (forgetting to add or remove parts when you change design).
So for that it would be nice to be able to export the 2D contour of each part in the cutlist. On the other hand - what OpenCutList has achieved is already extremely cool - so no pressure to add even more features!
@boris.beaulant ,
I know that sketchup is more than capable of making expensive projects. My latest one was around 75 000 €. It does great job just with DC components . Iam employing 5 people making very good living out of it. Happy families.
I have sketchup conected with optimization software that export xml format to my biesse selco 3200
CnC panel saw. Thats it i am not talking about cnc portal or anything like that.
I just wantet to contribute to your project because i like the way you started it and keep going. Just to give you idea and participate just because i think that if your plugin can satisfy more users than better for everyone.
Yes the way that OCL manage edge banding on the only 4 flat edges is limited.
But even if detecting curved edges can solve more case, it brings more case that are not easy to implements. Currently I do not have found a simple and common solution for that.
Hmm, this start to be complex. Because some group would be exploded and other not.
Since I start to develop OCL, the main problems come from dynamic components, because DC creators use them with an other logic than the classic Groups and Component simple structure that OCL is based on. One part = One component instance.
Currently I not sure to have a good solution for your request. Sorry.
@pcmoor, currently, sub groups of a part (a component instance) are “ignored” and every drawing elements they contains are considered in a flat hierarchy. (Caution that this not the same for sub component instances.)
Note, in OpenCutList 5.0, the Exploded View feature in the Drawing function is not operational due to a lack of funding in the Open Collective. This should be noted in the plugin description. The existing features of OpenCutList are also available in CutList Plus fx which has been around for many years.
