This FreeCAD macro creates plywood sheet models with configurable dimensions and thickness, letting you quickly mock up real-world materials in your 3D workspace. It supports both standard plywood sizes and custom widths, lengths, and thicknesses entered in feet/inches or fractions.
- Choose from a list of standard plywood panel sizes
- Specify custom width and length in feet/inches (e.g.
4',36",3' 6") - Select from common plywood thicknesses or enter a custom value
- Stack multiple copies of the same panel
- Converts everything to millimeters for FreeCAD compatibility
- Automatically adds plywood parts to the current or new document
The following standard plywood sheet sizes are included:
| Label | Width (in) | Length (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 4x8 | 48 | 96 |
| 4x4 | 48 | 48 |
| 3x8 | 36 | 96 |
| 3x6 | 36 | 72 |
| 2x8 | 24 | 96 |
| 2x6 | 24 | 72 |
| 2x4 | 24 | 48 |
| 1x8 | 12 | 96 |
| 1x6 | 12 | 72 |
| 1x4 | 12 | 48 |
| 1x3 | 12 | 36 |
| 1x2 | 12 | 24 |
| 1x1 | 12 | 12 |
Nominal plywood thicknesses and their actual sizes (in inches):
| Nominal | Actual Inches |
|---|---|
| 1/8" | 7/64" |
| 1/4" | 7/32" |
| 3/8" | 11/32" |
| 1/2" | 15/32" |
| 5/8" | 19/32" |
| 3/4" | 23/32" |
| 1-1/8" | 1.125" |
| 1-1/4" | 1.25" |
Or you can enter a custom thickness using feet/inches format.
Download the latest version from:
👉 https://www.freecad.org/downloads.php
Download the file PlywoodBoardGenerator.FCMacro and place it in your FreeCAD macros folder:
In FreeCAD:
Tools → Macros → Macros Folder
- Open FreeCAD
- Go to Macro → Macros
- Select
PlywoodBoardGenerator.FCMacro - Click Execute
- Select Plywood Size: Choose a preset, or leave blank to enter your own
- Custom Width / Length: Optional overrides; accepts
'6','36"','3' 6"' - Thickness: Choose from common values or enter a custom value (in ft/in format)
- Quantity: Number of identical sheets to create (they will stack)
| Input Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Inches | 96" |
| Feet | 8' |
| Feet + Inches | 4' 6" |
| Fractions | 2' 1 1/2" |
| Decimal Inches | 12.5" |
- All parts are created as 3D
Part::Featureboxes in the model - Stacked vertically with 1 mm separation
- Units automatically converted to millimeters
You want to mock up five 4x8 sheets of 3/4" plywood. Simply:
- Select
4x8from the list - Leave width/length blank
- Select
3/4"as thickness - Set Quantity =
5
Hit "Create Plywood Piece", and you're done!
If no document is open, the macro will automatically create a new FreeCAD document named "PlywoodSheets".
Want to improve this? Found a bug? Feel free to fork the project, submit a pull request, or open an issue!
This macro is beginner-friendly and open for improvement.
MIT License – free to use, modify, and distribute.
@JodiRayTech
New to GitHub, CAD scripting, and automation — learning one macro at a time.
Mainly building tools for FreeCAD.
You can design an entire shed or shop wall using this macro — and it’s surprisingly accurate for layout planning!