Perfecting the pitch

The most important decision in a woodshop isn't how to make something. It's what to make, because without orders there's no need for production. So, designing kitchens or furniture, and then being able to show the design to the customer, is crucial.

While CAD lets woodworkers draw accurately, renderingsoftware delivers realistic photos and virtual walk-throughs of completed rooms before they exist. The latest versions of this design and presentation software are heavy on improving speed, and much of that comes from programs being able to teach themselves to customize how they work for individual shops. That, of course, is a result of improvements in artificial intelligence (AI), which suddenly is everywhere in industry.

While the familiar Cabinet Vision suite from Hexagon(hexagon.com) takes projects all the way from concept to assembly, the company says its specialized Cabinet Vision Design package is “the ultimate custom showroom design tool.”It lets a woodworker create professional designs, renderings and pricing estimates. The shop can choose from three possible configurations (cabinets, closets, or both), and a woodworker can draw in 2D or 3D, work on floor plans and elevations, and generate photorealistic, cartoon, hand drawn and hatchrenderings. This lets a woodworker show customers what they’re getting, and also make changes before anything is cut.The latest edition focuses on streamlining many common tasks and implementing new time saving features, and that’s a common trend right now.

The newest edition of KCD’s award-winning software, Version 23 (kcdsoftware.com), is a suite that includes libraries for designing different types of cabinetry, such as face frame, frameless, overlay frame, and closet cabinetry. It also includes a library for using direct-to-Cabinotch production. And there’s an accessories library that includes items like housewares, furniture, and lighting, which can add substance and realism to renderings being shown to potential clients.

Autodesk’s Fusion 360 (autodesk.com) is a woodworking and furniture design software package that lets a woodworker design in 3D and then manufacture products. The latest edition makes use of parametric design, a method that uses mathematical equations and algorithms (step-by-step learning), which is basically what artificial intelligence does. The word refers to the way that data is fed to algorithms within given parameters, so it can help designers create drawings that can adapt as dimensions or even the style changes (you can move or resize something instead of reworking or redrawing the whole cabinet). New features include improved cloud synchronization, plus faster opening and closing of design files from the data panel.

In an economy that is just recovering from an inflation cycle, some software is becoming easier to buy. Cabinet Pro says that “the new and unique affordability” of its CNC software “has now brought CNC technology into the price range of even the small one-man cabinet shop”. The company offers woodworkers the choice of buying or renting its cabinet or door packages, and that has become a widespread trend in the industry.

CabMaster’s (cabmastersoftware.com) new Version 12 was released in late 2023 and includes several new features, including 64-bit architecture that allows the software to use up to 16 billion GB of memory, which can help stabilize and optimize how it runs on a computer. Previous versions of CabMaster used 32-bit architecture, which could only use up to 4 GB of memory. The update also has some new door profiles, allows models to be displayed in plan and elevation views, and has a new editor for drawer runners. The models library has been updated to show detailed graphics of models in plan and elevation views. CabMaster is also beta testing Toog, a new online software product that imports all the parts/cabinets from CabMaster to create quotes and track jobs in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program.

Among the recent updates to Microvellum (microvellum.com) is Toolbox 2023, which includes new toolsets and features such as the ability to work in viewports with shaded, or shaded-with-edges visual styles, and the option to place text along an arc. There’s also a recent Closet Expansion update from that includes a wide range of closet components such as hutches, U-shaped and L-shaped configurations, straight sections, sliding doors, shoe shelves, pull-out systems, and LED strip lighting. The dataset also includes hardware options (libraries) from various suppliers.

Mozaik CNC (mozaiksoftware.com) is a full spectrum suite that includes “everything you need to run a CNC router” from design and cut lists to nesting and machine-ready G-Code. The Australian website Cadmate reports that some of the new features in this summer’s Version 13 include drawing enhancements such as a glass layer that can be turned off to allow cabinet interiors to be seen through glass doors in elevation views. There’s also a new layer that can show door sizes on elevation views for face frame cabinets, along with several machining upgrades for operations such as optimizing.The company also publishes Mozaik Manufacturing, a software suite for shops that don’t own a CNC that covers designing, pricing, planning, cut lists and more.

For the busy woodworker who prefers to spend time making rather than learning complex design software, there are some interesting options.

Vortek Spaces is software for professionals without much time on their hands or deep 3D expertise, allowing them to create interactive 3D presentations within minutes. It’s aimed at kitchen designers, interior designers, woodworkers, and architects who aren’t rendering experts but know their way around the basics of a CAD program. The software can turn drawings that were made in programs such as SketchUp or Cabinet Vision into live 3D walkthroughs, images, videos, 360 videos, virtual reality (VR) and other graphic options. It also lets the shop instantly share images and videos with salespeople, contractors, and clients. Among the newest updates are an increased number of choices in render-optimized houseplantsthat can be added to an image, along with new countertop colors and textures.

Thermwood (thermwood.com) basically eliminates the need to learn design software. Its Cut Ready Cut Center is an alternative to traditional CNC routers for making cabinets, closets, furniture, doors, drawers and more. The operator just needs totell the machine what to make, and it essentially does the design work. No programming is required, just library and dimensional selections that are made on the control panel. Among the latest Cut Ready updates is the ability to pre-drill for slides, hingesand hinge plates from manufacturers such as Blum, Accuride, Grass, Hafele, and Salice. That can speed up production, but it also means that the placement is dead-on. It eliminates the need for clamped-on jigs, tape measures and educated guesses.

There are several niche design and presentation software packages that have gained a following among woodworkers, including the CAD program SolidWorks (my.solidworks.com), and SketchUp. Instruction is available online in venues such as SketchUp for Woodworkers (sketchupforwoodworkers.com).This is a handy resource for cabinet and furniture builders who just want to learn enough 3D CAD to show customers what they can build, and then take a drawing and a cut list to the shop and the lumberyard. It’s hosted by author David Heim, who teaches SketchUp at the Brookfield Craft Center, the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, and the Austin School of Furniture.

Graphic for Mac (and iPad) has recently added new features including Apple Pencil support, Smart Keyboard integration, and the ability to customize gestures to perform specific commands.

While Shaper Origin (shapertools.com) has proprietary software that is both free and constantly updated, several other highly reputable makers of small CNCs have embraced versions of Rhino 3D, Vectric VCarve and Aspire as their CAD software of choice. These manufacturers include Yeti Smartbench (yetismartbench.com), Axiom Precision (axiomprecision.com), and ShopBot Tools (shopbottools.com).

Once a design is complete and the customer has given approval, the files need to find their way to machines on the shop floor. Most of the CAD programs mentioned here have CAM modules that will do that. There are also some widely used CAM programs with constant updates, such as CNC Software which has just released Mastercam 2025 (mastercam.com). The company says the program’s latest cutting-edge features and enhancements “are designed to maximize speed, efficiency, and precision.”

There are several updates for shops that use EnRoute Complete from SAi (thinksai.com) for cutting, nested-based manufacturing, and design. There’s a new way to draw threaded parts, and a shop’s nesting capabilities can be upgraded with anew Maintain Layers option that ensures objects and their toolpaths remain on their respective layers after nesting.