There are a few useful and easy-to-understand tools, and you can do more using the dropdown menus. SketchUp’s toolbar is simple (unlike AutoCAD’s overwhelming toolbar). SketchUp is one of the most user-friendly woodworking and 3D modeling software. SketchUp’s most striking advantage is its simplicity.

Possibly The Most Beginner-Friendly Software for Woodworking You can download thousands of ready-made projects other users have designed, and play around with even as a beginner. Source: YoutubeĪlso, since SketchUp has been popular for so many years, there’s a great community. Top results of users/woodworkers who have uploaded SketchUp tutorials. It’s popular among both older and newer woodworkers, so there are a wide range of video tutorials for getting started, and for learning different niche uses, tools, and how to design certain projects. SketchUp is one of the most popular woodworking software options around. And if you are more advanced, SketchUp Pro is an excellent choice – whether you’re looking for woodworking software for Mac, or Windows. Plus, SketchUp’s simplicity doesn’t hamper your woodworking abilities.

In contrast, it would require much more CAD knowledge to navigate AutoCAD, even for a simple design. You only have to learn the CAD tools that directly apply to woodworking (as opposed to many other software like Solidworks, Blender 3D, and even Fusion 360).įor example, designing a simple chair with SketchUp doesn’t require extensive CAD knowledge – you can design it using SketchUp’s simple and intuitive toolbar. Overall, we feel SketchUp Pro is the best software for woodworking, as it’s simple to use and doesn’t confuse with irrelevant tools. SketchUp is not complete CNC software, since you need separate CAM software to generate g-code. SketchUp Free version has fewer features compared to Fusion 360 free.Īlthough adequate, SketchUp’s render engine is not as impressive as Fusion 360 or PRO100.

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