Good software?

[Greg Heppeard]

I know this has probably been asked a bunch of times, but I'm in the market for some good easy to use cabinet making software. It has to do a 3D walk through for the customer and also a cut list for me. Anybody got any ideas? I did a google and looked at a few, but the good ones seemed to be over a thousand bucks

[Randy Carnley]

Take a look at Cabinet Planner.....Cabinetplanner.com

It's very basic but for the price (I have used KCDW and CabnetWare) it is good.

[Joe Dusel (Vista, CA)]

Hmmm... That's a tall order. From what I have seen you usually get one or the other.

I use eCabinet Systems software and I think it is great. It does realistic renderings, cutlists, nest diagrams, line drawings and even helps with estimating by giving cost information. Best of all it's free.

Is it easy to use? Nope. But none of the more versatile programs seem to be. You can teach yourself to use it if you read the manual and the eCabs Made Easy documents. Or you can take a class either from Thermwood, or at some colleges around the country. We have an eCabs class here at Palomar College in San Marcos, California.

Thermwood has a terrific forum dedicated to using the software with users around the world and it is also free unlike those of other high dollar cabinet design programs.

This post is likely to generate a Google ad for Thermwood, so if it does click on it and it will give SMC a donation, plus it will lead you to where you can register for the software.

For more information on what eCabs can do you can visit the eCabinet Systems Class page on my web site.

Take care,

Joe

[glenn bradley]

On any software, and most other things, power and versatility rarely coexist with 'ease of use'. Sometimes one program for sketching and 3D "walk throughs" and a second for cut-list and pricing will get you closer to your goal without breaking the bank.

Just a thought to help your search.