Islands

Island components are built as base cabinets (with a variety of parts and a countertop) that “float” in the room on an Island Plane. This means that they are not built on a typical wall-based design zone.

The following application applies to a two-sided or one-sided island.

In the Plan View ribbon toolbar, click on the down arrow next to the Wall tool, and select Add Island to turn the tool on. Just as a user would manually draw a wall, the first node must be left clicked to place and then pull in another direction at the estimated length and left click to place the second node.

The island plane can be resized or moved afterwards by clicking and moving the individual nodes, or by double clicking on the plane’s dimension lines.

The length of the island plane depends on how many components are to be added. Length can be adjusted as needed after placing the island node.

Users can also position the island using the X/Y Positioning which corresponds to the icon in the lower left of the walls (this “Icon” can be turned on/off in the Drawing Aids section of the ribbon toolbar). This is a method that can be very specific with placement, and is optional compared to other ways of moving.

Right click on either of the island nodes (the crosshair-like things on the end of the plane) and select Properties [Node].

Users can adjust either the Relative Position or the Absolute Position.

RELATIVE POSITION

What is the node's position relative to the other node? This can impact the width and the placement (X is essentially the width), including the angle (Y is how much above/below the nodes sit from each other).

ABSOLUTE POSITION

What is the node's position in relation to the XY (origin) icon? This will ultimately place the nodes a selected distance from the side (X) and bottom walls (Y).

Once the island plane is placed, add a design zone to one side or both. Adjust the design zone height as desired.

In the elevation view of the island design zone (either side), add desired components, parts and/or countertops. It is best to add the components flush against the left or right side versus centering them as it makes it easier to line up components, and also easier to resize or move island planes.

It doesn’t matter if components don’t fill the entire design zone as the length of the island plane can be adjusted afterwards as needed.

Repeat the same steps on the second side of the island plane is creating a two-sided island, but be mindful of the location of the components to ensure they match up.

Also ensure that both sides are the same height if that is the desired design. Users can double check how the line up in the plan or 3D views.

One side of the island will automatically have structural 3/4“ backing. Backing has faint diagonal hash lines and a red dashed outline on the component.

This backing cannot be added or removed manually, so users must pay attention to the order and direction in which the island plane is drawn (left to right, right to left, up to down, or down to up, or even on an angle). This dictates the side with auto backing. The image below shows which side would automatically have backing based on the where the design zones is.

The program always adds backing to the side opposite of the plane dimension. It is important to know this in case the user is creating a one-sided island, or if one side were to have a lower component (for a bench or similar). Here are some examples:

ISLAND PLANE PART PROPERTIES

When adjusting components or parts in their Properties menu, the Apply Properties To.. options are different than those on a typical wall-based design zone. Users can choose to apply changes to the entire island, or the individual plane (or side), in addition to select components.

MOVE, RESIZE & DELETE AN ISLAND PLANE

Islands can be added into any room, but the biggest consideration is having enough space to build it and be able to navigate or move around it. Users can adjust the location and length of an island plane after placing it by clicking on one of the nodes, holding, and dragging it in another direction. Both nodes can be adjusted if needed.

Make use of the drawing aids in the Plan ribbon toolbar – If Adj Node is turned on, users can only move the island up or down, left or right. If Adj Node is turned off, users can rotate the island.

The Otho drawing aid has similar functions but it comes into play when drawing island planes.

If the island plane it too short to accommodate components, users will get a warning X and will have to adjust again.

If wanting to delete the island plane, simply right click on one of the nodes, and select Delete. This will delete the entire plane, not just one node.

The Add Dimension tool can be used to decide if there is enough room around an island for proper use, or to ensure it’s centered in a space. One node can be placed up against the island while the other stretches to a component or wall (or vice versa).

If there is not enough space, the user may need to move the island or reconsider the size/orientation. Ideally, a minimum of 32” is needed. More is always good, especially if the client is needing special accomodations.

Just remember that if measuring from the front of a hanging component, clothing hangs out further than the front of the shelf or partition. Users will want to measure ~22-22 inches from the back wall, and measure to the island from that measurement.

Consult with a manager if you have any questions regarding island placement or spacing needed. CC360 also has a Design Theory module on Accessible Design Basics.

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