SketchUp Ogee Rail & Stile Template Available

Jeff Wright

Member
Messages
92
Location
Treasure Island FL
I couldn't ignore the buzz any longer. I began my quest to learn SketchUp a few days ago by printing out the 370 page user's manual, watched a number of video training clips online and lurked around a few threads. Below are some pics of a wall cabinet I created that features a 3/8" rail and stile ogee molding. I made the cabinet by making each of the parts groups, so if anyone would want a copy, you can disassemble the drawing and extract the rail or stile and adapt to your project. It is a faithful rendering of the Amana InStile bits I just received.

I am finding it easier to convert the drawing's parts into groups rather than components. I was finding that what I thought were going to be identical pieces actually required some individual tweaking, so making items into components didn't work since what is done on one duplicate component is automatically copied on all other components. I suppose if I were dead sure that ALL items would continue to be identical throughout the design, I would use the component feature. I would be interested in hearing why you use components instead of groups other than the component's ability to make changes to all components by changing one.

The exploded view showing the panel door is a portrayal of the Sommerfeld offset tongue and groove cabinet making bits. They are proving to be a great way to build dead-on square cabinets that are very strong as well. The last photo shows a face frame stile that is aligned with a cabinet side. The tongue and groove provides plenty of glueing surface. I use my Domino to attach the face frame rails and stiles to one another - with great precision, strength and speed.
 

Attachments

  • cab01.jpg
    cab01.jpg
    67.3 KB · Views: 30
  • cab02.jpg
    cab02.jpg
    26 KB · Views: 26
  • cab03.jpg
    cab03.jpg
    25.6 KB · Views: 22
  • cab04.jpg
    cab04.jpg
    20.8 KB · Views: 20
Last edited:
Jeff, that's a very nice cabinet. Good work.

You are correct that editing one instance of a component results in all other instances of that component being edited. That's actually a powerful time saver.

There are other reasons for using components though.

*File size control. If you have a 10 identical groups, SketchhUp has to keep track of the geometry for each one of them. If they are components, SketchUp only counts the geometry once.

*Organization. Components can be given names and descriptions. They are listed in the Outliner under their names. This can make it easier to identify and locate parts in your drawing. You can also get quick counts and plugins such as the cutlist script will generate files can sort by those names.

*Other attributes. When you make a component, or later edit it, you can set the components gluing plane and set it to cut openings. This is handy for things like windows, doors, sinks, etc.

*Future use. Right click on a component and choose Save as. Save it in the Components library for future use. Actually you can save a group (not from the Context menu, though) and use it in future drawings however when it is imported it becomes a component anyway.

Try this: Use components instead of groups. When an instance ends up getting an operation done to it that makes it different from its cousins, right click on it and choose Make unique. It will still be a component but editing it won't result in changes to all its cousins.

Suppose you are drawing a kitchen full of cabinets. Draw your first upper. Make components of all of the parts. If you want to drill the doors for knobs or pulls, select the appropriate stile and choose Make unique from the context menu. Drill the hole. Put the hinge mortises on the other stile if desired.

Copy that cabinet as many times as needed for that cabinet size. I'd start out drawing the cabinet size that will be repeated most often. Make another copy and edit the parts that need to be resized for the next cabinet width. Remember to make the components unique though. If your first cabinet was an upper that was 12" wide and the next needs to be 15", all you need to change are the face frame and door rails as well as the top and bottom of the cabinet.

Jeff, I've written a ton about this in the past so if you need more clarification, please first search this forum. Then ask more questions.

There's a handy script called applyto.rb which will help you when it comes time to reassigning component definitions. You should get it.

Edited to add: Read the help files concerning printing. You don't need to turn off perspective to get your model to print to full page size.
 
Last edited:
Dave, Thanks for taking the time to reply so thoroughly! EXcellent ideas and I will incorporate them all into my learning and use of SU. SU has wowed me as much as Aldous' PageMaker layout program did back in the mid 1980's. Would it be worth my while to get the professional version of SU?
 
Jeff, you're welcome.

As to the pro version, there's no need unless you want high resolution printing, high res image exports or PDFs, DXFs, DWGs, 3DS, animation, OBJ... Oh and Layout which is a presentation application that makes it easy to create slideshows and PDF packages. Layout is neat because you can manipulate the SketchUp model directly in the presentation.

The pro version also allows for additional tools that are available as Ruby script plugins. Some of those scripts can only be accessed via special toolbars.
 
Top