Using cut list

I’m new to SketchUp and neglected to create components in my first model. Now I’m trying to use Cutlist and obviously can not. Is there a way to go back into my model and create components so Cutlist will work? Thanks.

It can be done, but unless the model is quite simple it is going to be tedious. You have to select all the edges and faces that should have been a component and then create a component from them either via the right-click menu or the Edit menu. Be sure to check the box to replace selection with component. Give the new component a sensible name (that will help make sense of CutList’s output). Repeat for each additional component. Where two adjacent components share an edge or face, it will have been grabbed by the first one you create so you will have to redraw it for the second one.

If there are multiple instances of what should have been the same component, you can erase the original geometry and place a new instance of the master you just created. You will likely have to flip or rotate it to get the right orientation.

There is no automated way to do this because SketchUp has no way other than your selection to know what you intended to be one component vs another.

On another matter, your forum profile is a bit garbled, please correct it! It says your OS is iOS, but SketchUp Make 2017 does not run on iOS, only on desktop OS’s. Assuming you are using a Mac, you can find out your specific macOS version and graphics by clicking the Apple icon at the top left of the screen and choosing “About this Mac”.

Thanks so much. In Cutlist it says to grab the “root”. What exactly does that mean?

Which cutlist extension are you using exactly? There are several available.

Good question. I thought it was just Cutlist. I can check later and get back to you.

Can you share your SKP file? It may not be all that difficult to pry the parts out as separate components. If you don’t want to share it publicly, you could send it in a PM.

Sure Dave thanks. I will send later when I’m on my laptop.

Thanks for looking at this. Please be gentle this is my very first NewBunkBeds.skp (224.8 KB)

This shouldn’t be difficult to remodel correctly with components. I assume you want some sort of thickness on the side and end rails(how much?) and the boxes at the bottom are supposed to be drawers. How are they to be constructed? It should be a fairly straightforward job to remodel it. Do you really want the upper foot board to be 14-61/64 in. tall? How will you joint the rails to the legs? How will you support mattresses?

If I were doing this, I would use the model you’ve created as a rough guide and start over to the right of it.

Thanks Dave I think I will try to do just that. I appreciate your help.

You’re welcome. I got started on redrawing it making some guesses where things seem to be a bit off.

If you want to spend some time together to see how I go about doing this to make it painful, we could set up a time to do that.

I continued puttering with your model for a few minutes. There’s more to do and I did take some liberties with the design. I just did it to show how the cutlist looks with all the components.



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Wow thanks Dave. It looks perfect and exactly what I was expecting from Cutlist. I can’t wait to start redoing the model. Thanks so much. Did you draw those pulls on the drawers?

Also every individual board is a component?

Yes. Years ago. I just grabbed it out of my Knobs and Pulls collection.

Yes. Every piece you’d handle in the shop would be a component in the SketchUp model. The boards with the arcs cut out of them were originally instances of the head board/ foot board slat component or the side rail slat component. Once the pieces were in place, those components were made unique so they could be cut without cutting the others. For me, a work flow like that helps to reinforce the work flow in the shop. I can easily figure I need 14 of those boards for the head and foot. They’ll all be identical up to the point where I need to cut the arcs out of the four top ones.

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Awesome and makes perfect sense. Thanks so much for your help and guidance. It will make everything so much easier for me moving forward. I will redo the model and for kicks post it.
Thanks, Joe

Good luck with it.

Dave,

Ok so now I’m trying to creat the 3D lumber as you did. A 1x5. I can not for the life of me figure out why I can not push/pull to the post on the right. It’s strange. Here’s a video. Help.

Video.mov (1.1 MB)

Looks to me as if you have the rectangle oriented incorrectly on the post. How about sending the .skp file as you have it so I can see it?

Dave,

Well you just telling me that helped and I got it. You are an incredible help thanks so much.

Joe

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