CAD Blocks

How to get the front and side elevations of a piece of furniture

Draw the piece from a photo at its true width, depth and height, so the plan and both elevations agree. CAD Blocks (cadblocks.app) gives you the plan, front and side as three named blocks in one DXF. For classic pieces, the free block library already has all three views.

Why the three views must match

Elevations show how a piece sits against a wall, a window or a run of joinery. If the front comes from one source and the plan from another, their sizes can disagree on your drawing. When all three views are fitted to the same width, depth and height, they agree.

Getting the three views

  1. Add the product

    Paste a link to the product page, or drop in a photo, a screenshot from the maker's website or a PDF spec sheet. You can add up to four images of the same item.

  2. Give the size

    Type the width, depth and height from the spec sheet. Every view is fitted to those three sizes, so the plan and both elevations agree.

  3. Download the DXF

    The plan, front and side arrive as three named blocks, drawn true size in millimetres or inches. Insert them into your drawing.

Placing the elevations

Each view has its own insertion point. The plan's is the back-left corner, so it sits against a wall. The front and side are placed from the bottom-left, at floor level, so they stand on the floor line of your elevation.

Edges you can't see, such as legs under a tabletop, are dashed. They are on their own layer, I-FURN-HIDN, so you can switch them off.

Questions

Are there free elevation blocks?

Yes. Every block in the free library has its plan, front and side, free to use in your projects, including drawings for clients.

Do the elevations work in Revit?

Yes. Revit imports the DXF as CAD geometry, so the blocks work as plan and elevation symbols in a view or inside a family. See how to import it.

Can I change the size later?

Yes. Change the width, depth or height after drawing and download again. It's instant and doesn't use a block.

More guides

Can't find your exact product?

Draw it from a photo. Drop in a product photo or a screenshot from the maker's website, give the size, and CAD Blocks draws its plan, front and side as a DXF. Your first three blocks each month are free.

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