Microvellum Knowledge Network

Solution to drawer calculator issues Part 2 (Component Drawers)

Here I will try to provide instructions on how make "Component Drawers" more useful and easier to modify locally.
I highly suggest you first read my other post "Solution to drawer calculator issues Part 1 (Individual Subassemblies)" to gain context for this.

I should note, this is in the Foundation Library.

Currently with the default method in the library, when you want to calculate drawer front heights you must go into the subassembly, use the subassembly calculator, and you likely will still run into issues trying to change drawer qty and having the drawer fronts not working properly.
The Pros - it does technically work
The Cons -  You often will need to revert your subassembly in order for the calculators to work after making changes
- You also lose any ability to benefit from project level changes to the "Component Drawers" unless you revert your subassembly again.
- It requires a little bit more understanding and training of someone to know what subassemblies even are.

After following my instructions below your product should provide you with:
- Editing drawer qty of the subassembly in your local product 
- Leaving your "Component Drawers" Subassembly/Subassemblies unmodified, leaving them open to project wide changes to the subassembly.
- Drawer Calculator always working, regardless of drawer quantity, or certain doors "checked" as equal
- Easier use of products for less experienced users
- You will need only this one drawer bank cabinet, so no need to update seven different drawer cabinets every time you want to add a feature in the future.

We need to start with the 7 drawer bank Product, as it has all the prompts you will need already in it. You may ignore that some prompts and options shown in the product prompts UI here look slightly different than yours, this will not affect the outcome.


First we need to go into Edit Design Data of the cabinet, go to the "Prompts" tab, and find the Drawer_Qty prompt. We need to make this prompt visible on the main screen. To do that, the whole row for that prompt must NOT be below the first blank row in the spreadsheet, as shown below.


We must move it up to be above the first space. To do this carefully, first click on the blank row number to highlight the blank row. Then right click, and select "Insert". In the Pop Up Box the comes up, make sure that "Shift Down" is selected and then hit "OK". Now there should be two Blank rows, one on top of the other. Now select the entire row of the "Drawer_Qty" prompt and right click, and select "Cut". Now Select the top most blank row so the whole thing is heightlighted, and right click, "Paste".  Now Just select the blank row that used to have "Drawer_Qty" in it and delete it, ensuring that "Shift Up" is selected.

If you don't follow these instructions exactly you may have issues with the defined name not moving with the prompt name.
It should look something like this now:


Now, we make it visible to the main screen by making sure that the cell in that row under the "Hide Prompt" column is either blank, or 0. Also make sure that "Tab Index" Cell is set to the "Main" by entering either a 0, or this formula:
=MATCH("Main",N:N,FALSE)-1
You could put the "Drawer_Qty" prompt on any tab you like by swapping out the "Main" part of the formula and putting in a different tab name.

You must also change the Control Type cell value to 5, then it will be a drop down selection. In the Control Type Data cell, paste this:
1|2|3|4|5|6|7
This will be the options in your drop down list. Component Drawer Subassembly only goes up to 7 drawers, so do not go over this.
It should all look like this now:


At this point I would recommend you save your progress by saving this cabinet back to you library AS A NEW product, with a distinct name. You don't want to save over your current products incase this doesn't work.

Now go to the Subassemblies tab in Edit design data. At the bottom of the list of existing subassemblies, add a Component Drawers subassembly as shown below. We also must formula drive many of the cells in that row. Copy and Paste the formulas below:
Quantity Cell: 1   (no formula needed here)
Width Cell: =Inside_Width
Height Cell: =Inside_Height
Depth Cell: =Inside_Depth
X Origin Cell: =Opening_X
Y Origin Cell: =Opening_Y
Z Origin Cell: =Opening_Z
Prompt Values Cell:
="Drawer_Qty;"&Drawer_Qty&"|Top_Drawer_Front_Height;"&Top_Drawer_Front_Height&"|Second_Drawer_Front_Height;"&Second_Drawer_Front_Height&"|Third_Drawer_Front_Height;"&Third_Drawer_Front_Height&"|Fourth_Drawer_Front_Height;"&Fourth_Drawer_Front_Height&"|Fifth_Drawer_Front_Height;"&Fifth_Drawer_Front_Height&"|Sixth_Drawer_Front_Height;"&Sixth_Drawer_Front_Height&"|Bottom_Drawer_Front_Height;"&IF(Drawer_Qty=2,Second_Drawer_Front_Height,IF(Drawer_Qty=3,Third_Drawer_Front_Height,IF(Drawer_Qty=4,Fourth_Drawer_Front_Height,IF(Drawer_Qty=5,Fifth_Drawer_Front_Height,IF(Drawer_Qty=6,Sixth_Drawer_Front_Height,Bottom_Drawer_Front_Height)))))

Also you must turn all existing drawer box, finished face subassemblies, Drawer Stretchers, and Shadow Rail Subassemblies off, or Delete them entirely. These things are now controlled by the Component Drawer Subassembly.
Your subassemblies tab should look something like this:


Now we go back to the prompts tab and find the Top_Drawer_Front_Height prompt. Put this formula in its value: =G!Default_Top_Drawer_Front_Height

Now scroll to the right a little bit on the spread sheet to find the column that says "Calculator Index" and in the Top_Drawer_Front_Height row, make it 0.
Make the Second_Drawer_Front_Height through Bottom_Drawer_Front_Height "Calculator Index" values 0.1, as shown below. 


You may want to formula drive the product description/name prompts so that the products name matches up with how many drawers there are in it. I use this formula to get a matching description:
="Base "&Drawer_Qty&" Drawer"  
Now Save your Cabinet to your library again before testing (Not over top of your good library products) because there are some formulas that will convert to hard values during testing, and in order to have your project level defaults come through, the formulas need to be there the first time you draw the cabinet.

Now draw a fresh version of your new cabinet and test thoroughly, changing drawer quantities, using the drawer calculator, etc. 
Hopefully this sends you down the right path. I will try to answer any questions the best I can. There are a few concepts used here that are too complicated to discuss in this thread, like prompt values and custom calculators, so some troubleshooting will require a learning to full know why/how it all works.

     

    MVU eLearning



    Grow Your Knowledge
    Follow along with RJ as he takes you on a journey to build your foundational knowledge of Toolbox.


      Follow us on:

               

        Google Review