WoodWorkCalc guide · Design and build
Design Studios, Saved Projects & Build Packages
A studio project keeps the design decisions and business record together. Begin with a cabinet, cutting board, laser product, epoxy pour, sheet layout or shadow box. Adapt the inputs, inspect the drawing, then save a measured build package when you are ready to keep it with your shop work.
Follow this in WoodWorkCalc
The workflow, screen by screen.
Open the linked area as you move through the job. Each step has one job so the record stays clean.
- 01
Choose or adapt a design
Open a studio or guided project. Set the dimensions and construction options, and inspect the drawing and cut list as they change.
Open design studios - 02
Review the whole build package
Check material quantities, labor hours for the entire batch, overhead and markup. Use Build sequence for ordered work and checkpoints.
Explore guided projects - 03
Save the estimating project
Enter optional client name, payment terms and purchasing supplier under Client details & project notes. Save project creates a private design revision and an estimating job. Subsequent saves add revisions; they do not overwrite earlier build packages.
Open saved projects - 04
Apply the reviewed plan
In Use in dashboard, apply the build plan to populate the estimating job’s material items and tasks. Inventory is reserved and consumed in Operations when the work actually happens.
Open Operations - 05
Create the quote and purchasing draft
Create a draft quote from the applied revision. Prepare a purchase order for shortages, then review supplier, dimensions, allowances and current prices before ordering.
Review quotes
Before you begin
Set up the inputs that make the workflow useful.
- Measure actual stock thickness, usable sizes, hardware clearances and machine kerf.
- Treat the loaded dimensions and prices as an editable example. Enter your supplier costs and exact product instructions.
- Match an inventory row only when its material, dimensions and purchase unit agree with the generated requirement.
Choose the right studio
Cabinet & Drawer Builder covers frameless butt-joint carcasses and preliminary hardware-specific drawer geometry. Cutting Board Designer follows strip arrangements and edge- or end-grain glue-ups. Laser Product Studio creates geometric SVG and DXF files for tabbed boxes, jigs and stands. Epoxy Planner handles pour quantities and mixing bases. Multi-sheet & Offcut Planner fits rectangular parts to available stock. Plaque & Shadow Box Designer checks object position, spacing and depth. Each tool exposes its own construction assumptions.
Understand dimensions and units
Display units can switch between millimeters and inches without changing the physical design. Part width and length are identified in the cut list; grain follows the listed length when rotation is locked. Laser vectors always export in millimeters. Check a known dimension after importing the file, and disable additional kerf compensation because the entered compensation is already in the exported paths.
Save and reopen revisions
A saved design lives under Dashboard → Design projects and shares an estimating job with Operations. Save revision records the full current inputs and recalculated results. Saved revisions lets you load an earlier design as editable inputs; saving again creates a new revision. If another tab saved first, the app asks you to reload rather than silently overwriting that newer revision. Save as a new project creates a separate work record.
Keep design changes separate from committed work
Saving a drawing does not automatically replace job materials, tasks, quotes or invoices. Apply build plan is a separate reviewed action. A plan with linked quotes, invoices, consumed or reserved material, or recorded work cannot be silently replaced. Keep the updated drawing as a revision, then review the customer and production changes in Operations, or create a new project for a separate scope.
Match stock and prepare purchasing
Use Match inventory to select stock with the same purchase unit, material and dimensions. The app verifies ownership and unit compatibility. Sheet stock can be measured manually or imported from an offcut recorded by the planner. Purchasing drafts consolidate linked-stock shortages after subtracting available stock and this job’s existing reservations and usage. Unlinked materials and allowances remain explicit draft lines for review; the app does not contact suppliers or place an order.
Return reusable offcuts accurately
For a sheet plan, apply the build package, reserve and record the source stock as used in Operations after cutting, then choose Record reusable offcuts. Confirm that the real cuts followed the saved layout. Only free rectangles meeting your minimum size are added, and the action is recorded once for that revision. Their initial additional cost is zero because the original sheet remains charged to its source job. The saved dimensions make them available to a later sheet plan.
Download a complete handoff
Print / PDF opens a printable package with dimensions, materials, pricing, ordered checks and available sheet layouts. Cut-list and materials CSV files support spreadsheets. A project JSON file reopens the editable design. Laser SVG and DXF exports contain cut geometry; the separate fit coupon helps verify stock and settings. Customer layout proof creates a shadow-box arrangement sheet without the internal material pricing.
Use reusable product templates
Save product template creates a repeatable batch template in Operations and links it to the design package. Its quantities describe the whole selected batch. Templates use the business profile’s currency, so match the project currency before saving one. A later template quote uses the existing template workflow and current linked inventory costs; the saved studio revision preserves the original design snapshot.
From a measured cabinet to a working job
| Action | What is kept |
|---|---|
| Design and save | Panel sizes, sheet layout, chosen prices and revision 1 |
| Apply build plan | Material items and ordered build tasks on the same estimating job |
| Create draft quote | The applied revision’s batch price and material lines |
| Record work | Reserved and consumed stock, actual time, payments and delivery in Operations |
A new design revision does not silently rewrite the quote or material already used.
Open the right workspace
Continue the workflow without hunting for the screen.
Common questions
Answers before you start the workflow.
Can I use the studios without an account?
Yes. Design and export without signing in. Sign in to save projects to your account and use inventory, quotes, purchasing and job actions.
Does saving deduct inventory?
No. Saving records a design. Applying it creates job material requirements. Reserve and record usage in Operations as the physical work happens.
Will changing a dimension change my approved quote?
No. Design revisions are saved separately. Existing quotes, invoices and used material are preserved; review changes through the job workflow.
Are the laser files machine-ready commands?
They are millimeter vector geometry with the entered kerf compensation. Import and verify them in your laser software, set your tested process and cutting order, and check the fit coupon before production.