Using the Set As Default Tool to Change Cabinet Styles

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I have finished my kitchen plan but I want to be able to show my client multiple cabinet styles. How can I quickly change out the cabinets?

ANSWER

This article discusses how to utilize Dynamic Cabinet Default settings to quickly change cabinet styles. To become proficient with this technique it is necessary to understand which settings are dynamic defaults.

The following cabinet default values are dynamic: Backsplash Height and Thickness, Countertop Overhang, Thickness and Corner Width, Toe Kick Height and Depth, Separation, Side and Vertical Overlap, Reveal, Stiles, and Hardware spacing.

All Materials are also dynamic, with one exception: materials assigned to doors and drawers when the default door/drawer is a library symbol. When this is the case, the default door/drawer material is dynamically linked to the "Cabinet Door/Drawer" material set in the Material Defaults dialog rather than the Cabinet Defaults dialog.

In the Core Catalog> Architectural> Cabinets> -Style Template Cabinets directory there are several cabinet templates you can choose from, or you can use your own customized cabinets.

To quickly change your cabinet defaults

1. Click a cabinet from the library and place it in the plan near the other cabinets.
   
   
   
2. Take a camera view so that both the existing cabinets and the new cabinet are visible.
   
   Any camera view where you can see the cabinets will work. In this instance a Wall Elevation is used.
   
   
   
   *Cabinets to the right of the fridge are the template cabinets.
   
   
   
3. Using the Select Objects  tool, select the new cabinet.
   
   
   
4. On the Edit Toolbar click the Set As Default  tool.
   
   
   Note: Set as Default is not available for special shaped cabinets. Only Standard cabinets can be the default cabinet type.
   
   
   
5. An Information message will display advising that the defaults have been updated.  Click OK.
   
   
   
6. In the camera view, the cabinets have been updated to the new style.
   
   
   
   

   Notice that the moldings on the top of the cabinets did not update. Moldings are not considered dynamic defaults. They will not update materials, molding profiles or be removed when you use the Set as Default tool. However, the material for the moldings can be updated easily using the Material Painter. More information on the material painter can be found in the related articles section below.
   Also, depending on the type of doors and drawers you are using, you may also need to use the Material Painter to update the materials on your doors and drawers.