7- How to create custom crown molding on the top of cabinets.

DecoTech™ does not support custom crown moldings.  However, you can create a nice looking custom crown molding by using many layers to approximate it.

Choose a crown molding shape and split it in some layers.  In this example we will use seven layers to approximate this molding.

Draw the approximated layers and write down the variation and height values in a table.

Since you need to do this step only once per crown molding shape, make it clear so you can reuse those values easily in future projects.

Before continuing the example, you will need create and add a new Adding Preferences Object to the basic library.  You need to do it only once and then the object will be available forever for any future projects.

Click the Adding Preferences button.

In the Adjusting Adding Preferences window, select the Counter button.

Then click the Object Specifications button.

In the Object Specifications: Counter window, set all the values and button selection to exactly match the settings displayed below.  The width and depth values are not used so you do not need to set them.  Clear the Name text box.  Click the OK button. 

Back in the Adjusting Adding Preferences window, click the Position button.

In the Position: Counter window, set the MinY value to 84 and press the TAB (or Return) key to confirm the change.  The MaxY value will be adjusted automatically.  (Assuming 84" is the top of the wall cabinets.)  Click the Accept button.

Back in the Adjusting Adding Preferences window, click the Palette button.

In the Crayons Used for: Counter window, set the Object surface type to crayon #065 (Cabinet, Set A, Top Light Valence).  Click the OK button.

Back in the Adjusting Adding Preferences window, click the Pattern button.

In the Pattern Selection: Counter window, set the pattern type to None.  Click the OK button.

Back in the Adjusting Adding Preferences window, click the Save button.

In the Saving of Adding Pref.: Counter window, adjust the viewing angles for the preview.  Click the OK button.

In the Save Counter window, enter Custom Molding   P01 for the name (but it can be something else if you prefer.)  Click the OK button.  The new Adding Preferences Object is now added to the basic library and you will not need to recreate it again.

Normally you begin from here when you want to add a custom crown molding to a new project.

For our example add three wall cabinets on the floor plan like those ones.

Click the Scene Specifications button.

In the Scene Specifications window, unselect the Display Top Light Valence button and click the OK button.  We do not want the default vertical top light valence to be automatically added because we will add multiple objects instead.

Back to the floor plan, be sure to select the Snap button and to unselect the Snap-45° button.

Click the Add button.

In the Type of Object to Add window, click the Counter button (because it is in this type of object that we have chosen to saved our Adding Preferences Object).

In the Load Counter window, select the Custom Molding   P01 file.  Click the OK button.

On the floor plan, add this polygonal object over the wall cabinets in the same manner that you add a countertop over bottom cabinets.

After clicking all the seven points press the Enter (or Return) key.  The new object disappears because objects of counter type are always drawn before objects of cabinet type.

Click the Advancing Sides of a Polygonal Shape button.  When the button is activated, only objects using polygonal shape are displayed.  So cabinets disappear and we can now see the lowest object that will compose the custom crown molding.

BEGIN of Loop...

Make a click inside the object to activate it.  Then click on each edges that will need to be modified.

In our example you need to select those five edges.  When done, press the Enter (or Return) key.

In the Advancing sides of a Polygonal Shape window, always select the Use a Copy of the Object button and the Auto-Set Above button.  You can see under the Before column the Height and Vertical Position of currently selected object.  You can check those values to be sure if all is OK with current object before creating the next object.

...END of Loop

The height of first layer is 1 inch so all is OK for now.  Set the Variation value to 0.250 and the Height under the After column to 0.500.  Those values are taken from the row named Copy #1 in the Table #1 above.  Click the OK button.

You now see on the floor plan a freshly created copy of the current object.  Its height is 0.500 inch, its minimum vertical position is 85 inches and its size have been increased in the five directions by 0.250 inch.

Repeat the same steps from the BEGIN of Loop up to END of Loop.  Set the Variation value to 1.000 and the Height under the After column to 0.625.  Those values are taken from the row named Copy #2 in the Table #1 above.  Click the OK button.

Repeat the same steps from the BEGIN of Loop up to END of Loop.  Set the Variation value to 1.375 and the Height under the After column to 1.000.  Those values are taken from the row named Copy #3 in the Table #1 above.  Click the OK button.

Repeat the same steps from the BEGIN of Loop up to END of Loop.  Set the Variation value to 0.500 and the Height under the After column to 1.375.  Those values are taken from the row named Copy #4 in the Table #1 above.  Click the OK button.

Repeat the same steps from the BEGIN of Loop up to END of Loop.  Set the Variation value to 1.000 and the Height under the After column to 1.250.  Those values are taken from the row named Copy #5 in the Table #1 above.  Click the OK button.

Repeat the same steps from the BEGIN of Loop up to END of Loop.  Set the Variation value to 1.625 and the Height under the After column to 1.500.  Those values are taken from the row named Copy #6 in the Table #1 above.  Click the OK button.

You have now completed the last layer.  Click the Measure button (or press the Escape key) to come back in normal floor plan display.  You can now see the wall cabinets and the highest object composing the custom crown molding.

Adjust the camera viewing angle and create a 3D perspective using the Smooth Shading rendering mode. (Colors and door style may be different.)

That's it.

NOTE :  For better results with complex crown molding, use more layers to approximate the shape.  Below we have split three thick layers to get a total of ten layers instead of seven.

The new table goes like that:

As you can see the result is more accurate and looks more like the crown molding shape.