Cabinet anatomy basics
Learn the surface names and cabinet roles that move through CabCAD, JoinCAD, and CutCAD.
Start with a single cabinet
Every new CabCAD project starts with a single cabinet. Choose a cabinet preset, then set its construction, dimensions, openings, and materials. Every generated part keeps a useful role such as side, deck, back, shelf, front, stretcher, or drawer-box part.
- Choose: Select a cabinet preset, then establish the construction family.
- Details and size: Set construction, materials, openings, and the dimensions that control the generated assembly.
- Handoff & Export: Review the completed model, export 3MF, or send the project to JoinCAD or CutCAD.
Common carcass surfaces
These are the common surfaces you will see in generated cabinet projects.
| Deck | Bottom panel | Receives side-panel joinery and toe-kick context. |
|---|---|---|
| Side | Left and right panels | Primary target for shelf holes, connector checks, and grain direction. |
| Back | Rear panel | Can be captured, flush, or omitted depending on construction. |
| Shelf | Interior horizontal panel | May be fixed or adjustable; exported as a normal sheet part. |
Roles continue downstream
When the cabinet moves downstream, ShopCAD preserves stable part IDs, role labels, materials, construction hints, and mating relationships. JoinCAD can build connector decisions from that context, while CutCAD can classify sheet and lumber streams without treating every body as an anonymous solid.