This is a popular option, not only because it provides you with a good free platform for your woodworking designs, but also because the program has been around for quite a while. It’s not specifically for woodworking design purposes, but the many features integrated into the software will allow you to design both 2D and 3D models with ease.
In essence, SketchUp is a drawing software that has a great user interface and a variety of features that help turn a design idea into reality. Woodworkers can take advantage of all of the included features to design anything from a basic chair or table to elaborate wood creations that will stretch the boundaries of your imagination. The interactive design interface also gives you a virtual glance at your creations before you bring them to life. SketchUp has several versions available, including a free one for personal use. While not as fully functional as the paid versions, the free option is still a great tool for woodworking design purposes. First released in 2002 and steadily updated since, FreeCAD has wide use in product design, as well as architecture and engineering and mechanics. It uses a web-based platform to give you basic design features and comes with 10GB of cloud storage to build a library of your ideas. FreeCAD is a free and open-source CAD software modeling tool for building complex models, with the ability to design both 2D and 3D models. You can only do 3D modeling in the free version, but that’s perfect for furniture and other woodworking projects.
