Overview
You can copy cabinet attributes from a construction template cabinet and apply them to all or the selected cabinets in your model. It copies attributes that are not considered specific to any given cabinet. Cabinet specific attributes are things like, height, length, width, part visibility...
You can make templates for base, wall, and tall cabinets. Frameless cabinets and Faceframe cabinets have their own templates as well. You control which type of template you are defining by the Cabinet Type attribute in the cabinet
Construction Templates provide you with:
This is accomplished by designing a cabinet and setting it as a template that the rest of your cabinets can follow.
NOTE: Construction Templates are completely optional. You must have at least one cabinet designated as a template in your model before this option is activated.
CabinetSense will apply templates to matching cabinet types in your model (IE. frameless base templates will be applied to cabinets in your model that match that designation). There are four selections that you can choose from:
Cabinets that are defined as Construction Template do not get exported for processing. Dragging a template into your model allows you to use it as your construction default without worrying that CS will also send it to your shop floor.
Cabinet sense will apply settings differently for finished and unfinished ends. This makes it possible to apply the correct machining, material type and thickness based on the end type. If your Construction Template component has a finished and an unfinished end (strongly recommend doing this), CS will apply those specific attributes in your model regardless of the location of the end. For example, if you define your Construction Template with a left finished end, and you apply that profile to a cabinet that has a right finished end, CS will apply the finished end attributes (that it found on the left end in your master) to the right finished end that you are applying the changes to. Not only that, CS will also apply all of the joinery that was used on all the parts that mate to the finished end to your target component.
With this feature, it is now possible to save several construction styles in your library and quickly change any model (or part thereof) to any style quickly and correctly.
Anatomy of a Construction Template
You can control as much or as little as you want with your template. Only parts that you insert into the template will affect the cabinets under the control of that template.
For example:
It is strongly recommended that you always have:
Attributes
CabinetSense will copy the following parts that it finds in your Construction Template: Carcass parts (finished end, unfinished end, top, top back stretcher, bottom, back, front nailer, base), nailer, apron, shelf, partition A good Construction Template will contain all of the parts that you may place in your other cabinets in your model including one finished and one unfinished end.
As mentioned, not all of the cabinet attributes are copied. Here is the list of parts highlighting what can be copied:
Toolbar
The down arrow toolbar icon is for applying a Construction Template to your selected cabinet(s). CabinetSense will determine which Construction Template applies to each cabinet that you want to affect
Using Construction Templates in your Model
NOTE: Construction Templates are completely optional. You must have them in your model for them to do anything.
To use Construction Templates, you drag each kind of template into your model. (you would typically have a base, wall and tall cabinet template). You may want to place them on a separate scene (or tab) and make them private to that scene. This will keep them from visually interfering with the rest of your model.
Once you have template cabinets in your model, CabinetSense will activate this part of the system and will be ready to update your other cabinets.