Creating a Custom Shaped Countertop

QUESTION

I would like to create a custom shaped countertop for a kitchen island. How can I accomplish this?

ANSWER

Creating a Custom Countertop in almost any shape is easy to accomplish in the Home Designer Architectural and Home Designer Pro versions of the software.

To create and edit a Custom Countertop

1. First, launch Home Designer and Open  the plan in which you want to place and edit your Custom Countertop.
   
   
   
2. If you have not already placed base cabinets in your plan over which you want the Custom Countertop, you will want to begin by selecting Build> Cabinet> Base Cabinet  and click to place your cabinets in the desired arrangement.
   
   For the purposes of our example, we have used the cabinet configuration below.
   
   
   
   
   

   Cabinets generate their own countertop as defined in the Cabinet Specification dialog. When a Custom Countertop covers any portion of a base cabinet, it overrides the default countertop. If there are multiple cabinets below, the Custom Countertop uses the specifications for the cabinet with the greatest overall height. 
   
   If there is no base cabinet below where you want to place your Custom Countertop: it's initial material, height, and thickness are based on the base cabinet defaults but, can also be edited once the Custom Countertop has been created. 
   
   If a sink or built-in appliance is added to the cabinet, a hole for the fixture is automatically cut into the Custom Countertop. 

   
   
3. Select Build> Cabinet> Custom Countertop  and then click and drag a rectangle to draw the initial countertop.
   
   
   

   Custom Countertops can be drawn in any view except cross section/elevation views. While they initially are drawn in as a rectangle, they can be edited into almost any shape once placed.

Now that the countertop has been created, it can be selected in 2D and 3D views and edited using the edit handles, the edit toolbar, and their specification dialogs.

To make the Custom Countertop easier to see and to allow for seeing the cabinets below it for more efficient editing, we will apply a Fill to the Custom Countertop.

To apply the Fill Style

1. Using the Select Objects  tool, select the rectangular Custom Countertop that you have just created.
   
   
   
2. Click on the Open Object  edit button to display the Custom Countertop Specification dialog.
   
   
   
3. Select the Fill Style panel and use the drop down menu to choose an appropriate Fill Pattern, Spacing, and Fill Color.
   
   
   
4. Place a check mark in the Transparent Fill option, which will allow us to see the base cabinets below the Custom Countertop.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click OK when you have finished making these changes to apply them and close the dialog.
   
   

After we have specified a Fill Style for the Custom Countertop, we are ready to begin editing it. Recall that a Custom Countertop is like other closed polyline based objects, and can be edited in the same fashion.

To edit the Custom Countertop

1. Use the Select Objects  tool to select the Custom Countertop.
   
   
   
2. Notice that the edge of the Custom Countertop that you have selected has a larger square Move Line Segment edit handle than the other three sides, indicating which side is selected.
   
   
   
3. With that side still selected, pay close attention to the options that you have available on the Edit Toolbar.
   
   
   

   When you select an object, the edit toolbar displays. By default, it is located at the lower left side of the program window, just above the status bar. The toolbar buttons that display can be used to edit the selected object(s). Which buttons display depends on the type of object selected, the current view, and how you selected the object. 
   
   The edit toolbar buttons are the same as the options in the contextual menu when you right-click on an object. 

   
   
4. Click on the Change Line/Arc  edit button to change the selected straight line edge of the Custom Countertop to an arc.
   
   
   • If you were to click the edit button again, it would change the arc back into a straight line.
   
   
   
5. Now, you should have a selected Custom Countertop similar to the image below.  You will note that the countertop is highlighted and has several Edit Handles, similar to the image below.
   
    
   
   

   If you are unfamiliar with the functions of these edit handles within your software, select the Help menu button at the top of the program and click on Launch Help.

   
   
6. Single click on the Add Break  edit button, then click on an edge of the Custom Countertop to add a joint-type break.
   
   
   
7. Using the Change Line/Arc  edit button, as well as the Add Break edit button, you can create almost any shape for your custom countertop. Check the final result below. 
   
    
   
   

   If you happen to place more breaks than are necessary for your Custom Countertop, you can easily remove them by selecting the diamond edit handle at the break and dragging it over to the next diamond edit handle. Repeat this procedure until you have the the right number of breaks in your Custom Countertop. 

Dimensions can be used to move or reshape Custom Countertops, or they can also be edited via their specification dialogs. See your software's Help menu for additional information.