# BenchUp

> Free, open-source 3D modeling for woodworking and furniture design, available as a desktop app and in a desktop browser.

BenchUp helps woodworkers, furniture makers, and DIY builders model shelves, tables, cabinets, workbenches, and other furniture before building. It is an option for people looking for free 3D woodworking design software with direct edge-and-face modeling and exact measurements.

## Application facts

- License and price: MIT, free and open source.
- Platforms: Windows x64, macOS Apple Silicon and Intel, Linux x64, and desktop browsers with hardware acceleration and WebGPU or WebGL2. Use a mouse and keyboard.
- Modeling: lines, rectangles, circles, polygons, freehand outlines, Push/Pull, Move, Scale, Offset, and Paint.
- Precision: exact lengths, geometry and axis snapping, Tape Measure, Protractor, and Dimensions.
- Organization: groups, reusable components, and tags; undo and redo.
- Wood joinery: mortise-and-tenon, half-lap, tongue-and-groove, rabbet, dovetail, and finger joints, including angled connections. Adjust dimensions and clearance with live previews; dynamic joints update when either board moves. Inspect machining diagnostics and cut guides; trim excess material while keeping source boards editable.
- Wood grain orientation: set grain direction on groups and components and display grain-direction guides across the assembly. Orientation is saved with the project and follows part rotation.
- Procedural wood material: the Materials face style shows procedural grain and previews sanding and finishing on parts with assigned wood stock. Configure wood colors and product appearance in the material catalog and adjust recipes and appearance overrides per part. Explicit face colors and Color by Tag take precedence. Work rates and drying times affect estimates only.
- Router tool: select an edge and choose chamfer, bevel, roundover, cove, rabbet, groove, Roman ogee, or bead in Properties to apply a profile. Adjust dimensions, change profiles, or choose None to remove routing while preserving original stock. Lines on solid faces can define routing paths. Saved routes contribute length and active work time to estimates.
- Workshop planning: assign stock materials and wood types, configure sanding and finishing products, and export printable PDFs from the Tools menu. Reports include the BenchUp header, project name, and generation date.
- Time & Cost Estimates PDF: summarizes material costs, hands-on work, drying and waiting time, and the sequential total, with detailed stock and finishing supplies, workshop tasks, and joinery allowances. Labor is not included in the material price.
- Cutting Plan PDF: groups matching parts by material and size, lists quantities and finished cutting dimensions, and shows color-coded stock layouts with part marks, saw kerf, and offcuts. Grain direction and rotation settings are taken into account; parts that do not fit are flagged separately.
- Workshop Labels PDF: one label per piece with a part mark matching the cutting plan, group or component name, dimensions, and dotted cut borders. Cutting plans and labels can cover selected parts or all visible parts; assign stock materials first and verify dimensions before cutting.
- Storage: local autosave and portable .bup project files (default), with support for legacy .bup files. No account required. Download projects to keep backups; clearing browser data can remove browser autosaves.
- Interchange: import SketchUp (.skp) geometry; export Wavefront OBJ (.obj) geometry. SketchUp textures, scenes, and some features are not supported; OBJ export does not include materials.
- Intended use: furniture layout, exploring proportions, dimensioned 3D woodworking models, wood joinery, grain orientation, and workshop planning. Mobile modeling and cloud storage are outside this version.

## Official resources

- [Homepage](https://benchup3d.github.io/editor/): overview, features, and platform downloads.
- [Browser editor](https://benchup3d.github.io/editor/play/): try the application.
- [Source repository](https://github.com/BenchUp3D/editor): implementation and developer documentation.
- [User guide](https://github.com/BenchUp3D/editor/tree/main/docs): modeling instructions and workflows.
- [Latest desktop release](https://github.com/BenchUp3D/editor/releases/latest): downloads and release notes.
- [MIT license](https://github.com/BenchUp3D/editor/blob/main/LICENSE).