Drawer Design-Build Drawers Inside of Drawers

Drawer design was a topic in a recent pop-up session.  A pop-up is a free 30-minute online meeting where SketchList 3D developers answer questions and explain the usage of the software.   Unlike our normal Tuesday night meeting (60 minutes) a pop-up is held during the daytime and is not scheduled but announced with relatively short notice from time to time.

A SketchList 3D user asked the best way to locate a drawer inside another drawer.  This unique organizing system is addressed in SketchList 3D by using container-type hardware to create and manage that inner drawer.   It allows easy adjustments like resizing or relocating both drawers at once.  Here are some examples of drawers in drawers.

What are the benefits of this drawer design approach?

The inner drawer is now an integral part of the outer drawer.  When you move, re-size, or clone the outer drawer the inner drawer comes along.   In addition, you can save the assembly with the nested drawers into your library for future use.

Drawer Design and SketchList 3D Container Types

The SketchList 3D container types (assembly, door, drawer, and hardware) manage objects in the project.  It is easy to switch between types of objects to accomplish the design.

The drawer-in-drawer idea helps organize storage in a design.  It is a good drawer organizer.  The upper level of the design is the project, in which assemblies manage other objects.  In our example, a drawer is inserted into an assembly.  Then the container called hardware is inserted into the drawer.  Even though we call it hardware, we use it to ‘build out’ another drawer.

From a SketchList 3D point of view, this is an application of the container type functionality.  You access the second drawer type by clicking on the drawer level at the top right side of the interface. This lets you work the inner drawer. it.)  Once created, this drawer needs to be positioned inside of a drawer-type container.

Click the add new icons at the upper left of the SketchList 3D main screen.

Next, click on Box with Shelf and select it. When the next window opens you can modify the parameters to specify the design of the cabinet.  For now, simply click Add.

How To Create the Outer Drawer

Select the change template test near the top left of the Cabinet Wizard form and click it.  This time click on the Drawer model.  In the Cabinet Wizard change the Drawer size as needed.  Remember it must fit in the assembly.

This time click the Merge button at the bottom of the screen to add the drawer into the assembly.  Locate the drawer as needed.

How To Create the Inner Drawer or drawer organizer

Go into the Drawer level.  Click the hardware icon near the top left of the SketchList 3D main screen.  An empty container will appear at the bottom, left, front of the drawer.  Resize it to the sizes of the inner drawer.  Rename the hardware as “inner drawer”.

Go into the hardware level and build out the inner drawer by inserting the necessary boards.  This post shows how to build out that drawer.

Conclusion

This tutorial introduces SketchList to users who are new to 3D design or want to expand their skill set.  It demonstrates the use and value of the various containers in SketchList 3D.  hardware may be the most versatile container since it can be inserted directly into the assembly or into drawers or doors.  In the latter cases, it provides a sub-subassembly.