Hinges and mounting plates are classified as hardware items within the Foundation library, and as such, the process for adding hinges and mounting plates does not differ greatly from other pieces of hardware, though with the variety of cabinet hardware in the library, it is essential to be able to create and maintain multiple different new pieces of hardware at once.

Step 1: Add the Hardware to your Materials

The first step is to add your new hinge or mounting plate to Microvellum’s material database. Always add new materials using Library spec groups — not the project — so your additions remain available across projects.

1. Open the library specification groups interface from the Microvellum Settings tab of the Microvellum palette.

2. Navigate to the Material File button and click it.

3. Upon opening the Material File interface, navigate to the Hardware library.

From this point, there are 3 general methods for creating new hardware.

Option A: Create a New Material

The first option is to create a completely original hardware material from scratch. This can be done by right clicking a category folder, then selecting “Add Material” from the pop-up menu. This will not assign any attributes to the materials and is thus generally not the recommended method for creating a new hinge or mounting plate but will suffice if one knows how to set it up properly.

Option B: Copy Existing Hardware

Locate a similar hardware item from the category your hardware is intended to be for, then right click it and select “Copy Selection to Another Category”, moving a copy of the item to an original folder wherein you can edit it into the new hinge/mounting plate. This is the preferred method for creating a new piece of hardware due to many custom hardware items ultimately needing to share the basic features and settings of existing ones.

Option C: Import New Hardware

Use the Database Management utility tool “Create New Materials from Import File” to add a material from an existing file. This is the most effective option when adding multiple new hardware materials, with the ability to not just add but manage materials in bulk. Depending on the specific materials being added, it may be necessary to add machine tokens.

Adding Machine Tokens

Adding machine tokens can be done in the H workbook of Workbook Designer, on the MachineTokens worksheet. Within the worksheet, Machine tokens define how Microvellum machines each piece of hardware. Unlike materials, which are stored in the Factory database, tokens are stored in the Hardware (H) workbook on the MachineTokens worksheet. Each hardware item in the database has a LinkID that connects it to a row on the HardwareLibrary worksheet — and its tokens live on the same corresponding row in the MachineTokens worksheet.

This structure makes bulk token management fast and efficient. Rather than editing tokens one at a time through the UI, you can use Workbook Designer access to Find & Replace, copy and paste tokens across rows, and review all tokens instantly to spot issues or inconsistencies.

Step 2: Add Hardware Machining

The second step is to configure or confirm the machine tokens that determine how the hinge is machined when placed in a cabinet.

Associative and Non-Associative Hardware

Microvellum supports two different types of hardware placement: associative and non-associative. For a more in-depth technical explanation of how to create associative machining, visit the following article.

A piece of hardware can be assigned to a product by entering it into the hardware worksheet of the product or subassembly. From there, one can assign a value in the Associative Rotation column, which will determine whether the hardware is associative or non-associative:

• Non-Associative: The Associative Rotation column is left blank. Microvellum will search for a matching .dwg graphic file in the library’s Graphics/Hardware directory. The graphic is placed in the drawing using the specified X, Y, Z, and rotation values, but it is not linked to any part.

• Associative: A value is entered in the Associative Rotation column — typically between 0 and 180 degrees — defining how the hardware rotates relative to the part it is associated with. This value can be static or formula-driven. When Microvellum detects an associative rotation, it triggers a different set of behaviors in the software that link the hardware to the adjacent part.
  

Set the Y origin of the hinge to –0.01. This ensures the hardware “penetrates” into the cabinet door by 0.01 units, which is how the software identifies which part to associate with. This value works for both metric and imperial units.

Graphic File Names

Another important aspect of using associative hardware is adding the correct names for 2D and 3D graphic files. When using associative machining, Microvellum automatically appends prefixes to the hardware name when looking for graphic files:

• 2D_ is prepended when placing hardware in the 2D single part editor.

• 3D_ is prepended when generating 3D product representation via the workbook.

This means every hardware item using associative machining should have both a 2D_ version and a 3D_ version of its graphic file. Follow this naming convention carefully to ensure proper graphic resolution.

Best practice: In most cases, copying an existing hinge in the database means you will not need to modify any product or subassembly formulas. The token structure handles it automatically.

Recommended Workflow for Bulk Additions

If adding many hinges at once, a practical workflow is:

1. Add all new hinges using the bulk import utility.

2. Find an existing hinge with the same or similar machining.

3. Copy its machine token and paste it onto all newly added rows.

4. Make any fine-tuned adjustments as needed.

Step 3: The Hardware Wizard

The third step connects your new hinges to the Foundation Library’s built-in Hardware Wizard interface, making them available for engineers and drafters to assign to their projects. This step applies specifically to users working within the Foundation Library.

How the Hardware Wizard Organizes Hinges

The Foundation Library classifies hinges into 10 different types or “pointers” — for example, Full Overlay, Inset, Face Frame, and so on. For more information about material/hardware pointers, visit the following article. When setting up a project, a user simply selects which hinge to use for each category. The UI uses prompt control type 9, which opens a hardware database selection dialog when clicked.

The Hinge Brand Combo Box

Users can manually select a specific hinge as the default for its respective category in the Hardware Material Wizard by clicking the button next to the category. However, to simplify the process of switching between all 10 hinge categories to a different brand, the Hinge Brand dropdown menu is also available within the hardware wizard.

To use it, open the dropdown menu and select the specific brand of hinge you intend for your products to be using. All 10 types of hinges will then default to using this brand. There is an option to select between hinges in both frameless and face frame cabinetry. Using this option will also cause all mounting plates to automatically change to match the hinge brand.

Hinge Lookup Table

Each hinge category uses a VLOOKUP formula tied to a reference table rather than a static hinge name. Each column in that table represents one of the 10+ hinge types, and each row represents a hinge brand’s default values.

Depending on what one needs, there are two options:

• Add a new brand: Insert a new row into the table and populate each column with the appropriate hinge name for that brand.

• Update an existing brand: Locate the brand’s row and update the relevant cells with the correct hinge names.

The same table structure applies to mounting plates. While this table may look complex at first glance, the logic is straightforward once you understand the row/column relationship.

Be sure to assign the correct hinge type to the correct category. For example, Full Overlay hinges should be assigned to the Full Overlay category, Inset hinges to the Inset category, and so on.

Step 4: Adding 2D/3D Graphics (Optional)

The final step is to add the 2D and 3D graphic blocks that visually represent the hinge in the drawing environment. Note that this step is entirely optional. The graphics do not carry any machining data- they are purely visual aids used to verify that machine tokens are placed and aligned correctly with the physical hardware location in the drawing.

Finding Graphic Files

The most efficient approach to creating graphic files is to find a similar hinge already in the Foundation Library and use it as a template for your new graphic. Alternatively, most major hardware manufacturers provide DWG files of their hardware available for download.

If downloading .DWG files from a manufacturer, search for simplified or lower-resolution versions whenever available. Highly detailed graphics with many surfaces can slow down drawing performance when applied to multiple products.

Block Origin

When creating or editing a hinge graphic block, the 0,0,0 origin of the drawing is the insertion point that Microvellum uses when placing the block in a product drawing. Ensure your origin is set correctly to align the graphic with the machining.

Hinge Features

There are multiple features inherent to hinges within the Foundation Library to account for when adding a new one:

Hinge Offset From Edge

For standard euro hinges, the placement distance is controlled by the global variable “Hinge_Offset_From_Edge”. The default is 22.5mm to the center of the hinge cup. To globally adjust all hinges in a project, update this variable. To set a unique offset for a specific hinge, include the offset in the hinge name using the correct format. For example, for face frame hinges requiring a 20.5mm offset, the name “Hinge FF_BLUM 1_2 Overlay @20.5mm”. The workbook formulas read this value from the name automatically.

Institutional Hinges

If the word Institutional appears in the hinge’s name, the “Hinge_Offset_From_Edge” value is ignored, defaulting to 0.

Per-Door Hinge Adjustments

Within the prompts of any Finished Face Sub (door), there is a Hinge Adjustments tab. The Hinge Override and Hinge Base Plate Override fields default to “Bay Position Control”, meaning Microvellum automatically selects the appropriate hinge based on the door’s type (Full Overlay, Inset, etc.) as configured in the Hardware Wizard. If a specific door requires a different hinge, you can override it directly by selecting a unique hinge from this prompt.