Hi folks,
First time poster as I have just chanced upon this goldmine.. I started a business a couple of years ago in the UK making fully fitted offices, bedrooms, kitchens etc and wish to upgrade from my current panel saw to a CNC. The only problem.. I'm a novice and it's a minefield. I currently use Polyboard and Opticut however need to upgrade to use with a CNC router, so I'm looking to see what everyone else uses.

Thanks in advance.

Dean

After reading your title, then your post, I still don't know what help you are asking for. Machine advice, or software...

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the quick response, any help is always appreciated. Please don't take this the wrong way, but worried that I had misexplained I re-read my post but still thinks it's pretty clear 🤣🤣. No mate, it's software I'm after. As I said, I have Polyboard and opticut but need to upgrade. Any suggestions as to sommet that is cost effective?

Ta

Dean

If you know Polyboard then why not stick with it. It will save you a lot of time getting up to speed and it seems very versatile.

Hi Tom. Not quite as simple. It was sold to me that I could just pay the difference when I got myself a CNC but now I'm looking they have told me they cannot upgrade as they meant BEAM CNC not ROUTER. Also, opticut will not work with a CNC router. I would need to change to optinest. The repurchase of software after negotiations is coming to about 6k. So as I can imagine... I'm looking for alternatives.

Thanks

Dean

I would take a look at the Vectric software you can try it free and see if it is a fit for you

I don't know of any inexpensive software that nests well so maybe $6K is worth it.

SheetCAM is a great CAM program sold by a countryman of yours. I have run a 5X10 Biesse with a drill block with it. $200 or so. I see they have nesting now but I don't know what that looks like.

Cabinet Sense is good for casegoods - I think it now nests and creates G code but I've never used it for that. Also great support.

When you pick a CNC get one that your software has a post for. Otherwise big trouble.

I have a simple cnc and run Vectric for most of my work and I am very happy with it. I do not do cabinets much. If I were, I would use another cad cam package. It does not support drill blocks or other aggregates. It doesn't blast out cabinet parts with ease. You would have to make libraries of drawings and adapt them to each job.
I don't have a suggestion for a good program but the investment in a comprehensive cad cam will pay off quickly. The time savings is huge when you incorporate all the available options. Photo realistic rendering might make sales easier and more profitable. Consider all this when you do the cost/benefit analysis.

Thanks folks,
I see a few of you are using Vetric (I'm presuming vCarve)... The CNC I am getting will support this, and would require it so I can preset tooling paths.

Tom, most of the stuff I do is bespoke... Well, bespoke-made to measure not bespoke-unique. This means most of my cabinets would be similar but would need to be parametrically changed meaning this churning out multiples of parts. I would need something to support this and not sure vCarve on it's own would.

Softwares considered so far;
- Polyboard & OPticut (Current)
- Cabinet Vision
- Cabinet Pro
- Cabinet Sense (Thanks dropout... just had a look. Might be worth a look)
- Mosiak

Any obvious ones I'm missing?

V-Carve on its own will not give you parts from a database of cabinet measurements. It can be done with some LUA programming and pulling variables from a database but I have never done it. I'm a cabinetmaker not a programmer.
If you want a bare bones software there is Cabinet Parts Pro. It is $200 US I think. If you are making rectangular frameless cabinets then it is okay. It is a bit buggy if you ask it to do a lot but for the money it works fine. I think it was a side project of a cabinetmaker. I occasionally use it and output to V-Carve for cam.

Hello Dean,

I am a dealer for CabMaster Software. We have a full cabinet design and manufacturing software that I believe will meet your needs. CabMaster will enable you to create your 3D and 2D designs and output to your CNC, all from one platform.

CabMaster has a good balance between ease of use and the flexibility you require.

Please take a look at our website and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Out of curiosity, have you encountered any major limitations or challenges when using Cabinet Parts Pro, especially when compared to more advanced software options?

I can't speak to the abilities of more expensive and better spec'd software.
Cabinet Parts Pro will cut and drill basic cabinets. I have used it to do dado and rabbet joints, drill shelf holes, place drawer slide hardware. I don't cut drawers with it nor do I cut doors using the software.
I have encountered math errors intermittently,when cutting corner cabinets for instance, which is frustrating and made me check all components before cutting when doing out of ordinary jobs.
I output to V-Carve to toolpath and I have templates that mean sheet toolpaths are only a few key strokes each.
I am a one man shop. It works for me. Would it be reliable for a less attentive cnc operator? I don't know.
Nesting is surprisingly good. But there is no kitchen layout drawings, renderings, etc. Also the owner is available for emails but don't expect to get one on one training or immediate support. I didn't need much support, just a couple of answers in the initial set-up.