[Andrew]

Hello,

I’d like to be able to copy and modify the default catalog in order to remove cabinets from that catalog that not offered by my company as well as add/save cabinets with custom sizes and variables (Ex: 36x24x24 refrigerator wall cabinet). After several attempts to utilize the so-called “live chat support” and wasting several hours researching this I am not much closer to finding a solution. I keep reading about a “2020 Design Catalog Tools” program but I have been unable to find anything regarding where I can download this application or how much it costs. Frankly, I would find it a little bit ridiculous if you really charge your paying customers an extra fee just to be allowed make persistent changes to the default catalog.  Is there no way simple way to save a cabinet with custom variables to the catalog?

[Andrew]

Since nobody has responded I am replying to my own thread in case someone else who is experiencing the same issue finds this post (assuming it won’t be deleted, because I have a feeling that this information has been deliberately made difficult to find).

Previously, each time I tried to contact support via the “live chat” function, I would enter a question regarding catalog modification, and, after waiting in line for several minutes, I would receive an error message stating nobody was available to assist me at this time. I was finally able to chat with a live person by rewording my initial question to something more along the lines of “I would like to purchase the Cabinetry Tools for 20/20 design”.  The live chat support person told me to contact sales and gave me a phone number. I called the number and after a short discussion my call was finally transferred to someone who could answer my questions regard the cabinetry tools.

Based on my discussions with the customer/tech “support” departments, there is absolutely no simple/cheap solution for creating user defined catalogues or modifying existing catalogs. The “Catalog Tools” is essentially just a scheme to milk as much money as possible out of cabinet manufacturers at the expense of the cabinetry installers who actually use and pay for the software in question.

TL;DR

The only way to modify a catalog is by purchasing a license for the 20/20 design “Catalog Tools”. There is a significant upfront cost for this along with a very hefty monthly fee (for “updates” and “support”). Basically, you are SOL if you are like me and you work for a small cabinet installation company that gets their cabinets from an overseas manufacturer who is not willing to pay the exorbitant costs and fees associated with creating and maintaining their own 20/20 design catalog. So for anyone else who is like me and is looking for a way to streamline their process by customizing the pricing and cabinetry sizes (without breaking the bank), I would suggest looking into alternative design software as I intend to do.

[Mike Langensiepen]

Wow! Attitude much! You post on Feb 28th and don’t get an immediate reply so spit the dummy? Many 2020 users are in different timezones so you can wait a day or so for replies.

Catalog creation/modification is complex and (as you say) not for everyone – I’ve been doing it for a number of years and I am still learning. I do it for my employer who has 20 designers and for a number of other Australian companies (in my own time and where there is no conflict of interest). There are plenty of independent catalogue modification people out there who would be happy to quote you a cost. You may face an issue if the supplier of your catalogue has locked it down to prevent modification by unauthorised people and you would have to get their permission to modify that catalog.

I would suggest posting on the independant Delphi forum to get some pricing:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/2020catalog

As for alternative design software – good luck! 2020 Design is VERY reasonably priced for specialist software and all the alternatives I look at are invariably more expensive and/or create inferior results – and I check every month or so. I’m not a big fan of the way 2020 Tech deal with their clients (I’ve been trying for 3 years to get a quote for a customised import routine) but everything in perspective.