I remember trying to build my first wood project, using an old hand drawn plan and trying to figure out exactly how I was going to make this thing. The plan itself was ok, not great but ok. Some of the views were hard to follow, some of the details difficult to read. I took my time and would have to admit the project turned out great, I even impressed my self. I still have that entertainment center in my basement.

Today most woodworking plans are created in some sort of 3D CAD system. You’ll see these plans in woodworking magazines, plans that you buy from a woodworkers store, online or anywhere else you might buy your plans from. Since the birth of using 3D CAD systems to generate plans the details and views in plans have most certainly gotten better, much better, while I’ll even go as far as saying almost perfect! Still there are some plans where the views are a little hard to decipher and some things are left for you to figure out. Sure there usually is step-by-step instructions which do help, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what do you think the actual 3D model the plan was designed from worth? A 3D model can be rotated and viewed from any angle, you can zoom in to any spot, you can hide any component to get a better look or to take a look inside you can measure anything you want to. It’s as close to having the project completely built without actually having the project completed or even started.

Having access to the 3D model is a godsend for any woodworker, no more do you have to just look at hard to follow detail views or one page plans with notes and arrows going every direction, you can simple sit down at your computer look at the finished project any way you want to and determine the best possible way to complete the project.