A SketchUp alternative that draws the furniture for you.
SketchUp gives you a canvas and a set of drawing tools. Plank CAD gives you a finished, structurally audited model from a sentence — with the cut list and nesting map already worked out.
SketchUp is a general-purpose 3D modeller. It is genuinely good at what it does, and a large share of woodworkers use it happily. But the model is something you build: you place the geometry, you set the dimensions, you decide the joinery, and you keep the cut list in step by hand or through an extension.
Plank CAD starts from the other end. You describe the piece in plain English and the engine produces the geometry, assigns joinery per joint, runs a structural check, and nests the parts onto sheet stock. The output is a fabrication package, not a canvas.
SketchUp: you model it
A manual modelling tool. Every face, dimension and joint is something you draw. Cut lists and layout typically come from extensions layered on top, and they only stay accurate as long as you keep the model tidy.
Plank CAD: it models it
A generation engine. You supply intent — species, dimensions, style — and it produces parts, joinery, a structural audit, a nested sheet layout and exports. Adjust parameters in the Inspector Panel and re-validate without redrawing anything.
Where the two differ.
| Dimension | SketchUp | Plank CAD |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Empty canvas and drawing tools | A plain-English description |
| Who decides joinery | You do, and you draw it | Assigned per joint from structural requirements |
| Cut list | Extension or manual take-off | Generated with the model, metric or imperial |
| Sheet nesting | Separate step or extension | FFD bin-packing onto standard sheets, built in |
| Structural check | Your own judgement | Automated audit — load path, stability score, centre of gravity |
| Learning curve | A modelling skill to acquire | Type a sentence |
| Runs in | Desktop application | Any browser |
When SketchUp is the better tool
- You want direct, tactile control over form — sculptural or non-standard geometry that no generator will guess.
- You already model fluently and enjoy it. Speed is not your bottleneck.
- Your work depends on SketchUp-specific extensions or a shared model library.
- You need to model something that is not furniture or cabinetry.
Using both
Most people who adopt Plank CAD do not abandon SketchUp. They generate the structure, the cut list and the nesting map here, then take the piece into SketchUp when they want to change the form by hand. Plank CAD does not replace a CAD environment for every task. It replaces the drafting phase — the hours between "I know what I want to build" and "I have cut lists and files".
Plank CAD and SketchUp.
Only for the drafting phase. Plank CAD generates the model, joinery, cut list and nesting map from a description, so you never start from a blank canvas. If you want hands-on control of sculptural or non-standard form, SketchUp remains the better tool, and many people use both.
No. You describe the piece in plain English and adjust parameters in the Inspector Panel. There is no modelling step to learn.
Yes. The cut list is generated from the model itself, in metric or imperial, alongside a nested sheet layout and a CSV export — no extension required.
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