Custom Countertop Problem

[emillerinc]

Let me see if anyone has had this problem...

1. Draw a standard 24" base cabinet

2. Draw a 1" deep, 24" wide base cabinet and attach it to the side of the previous one (I use this to do paneled ends on cabinets)

3. Draw a custom countertop at standard height that overhangs the two cabinets 1" on all sides.

4. Take a 3D view and look at the side where the 1" deep cabinet is.

The custom countertop snaps somewhere different than where it was drawn. When I go back to plan view it shows it snapped as well. It only snaps when I take any sort of camera view. I have tried putting it on it's own layer and locking it and also turning off auto-snap but it still changes the size of the top.

I use shallow cabinets to show paneled ends very often so this has been a problem. If I use a polyline solid it still snaps. The only thing I can do is use a soffit, but it's not very editable as far a shape.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Tim O'Donnell]

open the dbx for the end panel and in the Cabinet Front tab>options, uncheck flat sides

[emillerinc]

Thanks for the reply.

This fixed the 3D view because it effectively made the same shape countertop using the cabinets themselves as the custom top. But in plan view the custom coutertop still snaps back to the 24" wide cabinet. There are other situations in which this "custom countertop snapping" comes up. I'll try to post another one.

Thanks again,
Kevin

[emillerinc]

Here's another situation:

Say you want to make a 42" raised countertop on the back of 36" base cabinets. If you want the back of the 42" wall to be paneled, then the best way to build it is with 42" tall base cabinets. Essentially there is a 36" tall base cabinet back-to-back with a 42" tall, 3.5" deep base cabinet. Place a custom countertop at 42" on top of the taller cabinet. Let it overhang on the back side 1" and the other side whatever is suitable (ex. 12"). Take a 3D view and the countertop snaps to the back of the two cabinets where they are joined instead of overhanging 1".

I thought that a custom countertop or polyline slab would not snap at all (other than when you are drawing the CAD lines to make it). It should stay where you place it. In all of these situations it stays where it is drawn until any sort of 3D view is taken.

Kevin

[Dermot Dempsey]

Custom counter tops have some strange snapping rules that we will eventually have to straighten out. Basically, if you draw one over a cabinet it will snap to the cabinet height and then disable the drawing of the default counter top. Also, if you draw it close to the side edge of cabinet, it will snap to the side of the cabinet. All of this snapping happens when the 3D model is built and not when you draw it.

In many situations, this behavior is just fine and will make your life easier. In other situations, as you have discovered, this can be a problem. The easiest solution is to use a polyline solid or a slab to create your custom counter top. Neither of these will have the same snapping problem that custom counter tops have. You will then have to manually set the heights and remove the default counter top from the cabinets to get it to look the way you want.

[emillerinc]

I had thought, in previous experience, that a slab had a snapping problem too. This was using version 7 so it may be different now (version 9). It could be that I was just seeing the countertop through the slab (I didn't turn them off). Anyway, a polyline solid or slab works fine with version 9.

Thanks a lot,
Kevin

[alobartn]

Two years have passed and still the counters snap to weird places. I have base cabinets with a small cabinet above, which is silly but is something you have to do if you want a vanity such as the one below. I can't use custom counter tops, which I need to put in custom sinks and to attach molding. They snap to the tops of the bottom base cabinets.

[alobartn]

Whoops. Here's the one with the counter top where I don't want it.