Using the 2D Canvas
The canvas is your room, viewed from above. Everything — adding cabinets, repositioning them, building runs along walls — happens here.
The library panel
The left panel is your object library. It has three tabs:
| Tab | What's in it |
|---|---|
| Cabinets | Every cabinet type grouped by category: Base, Wall, Tall |
| Appliances | Fridges, ranges, dishwashers, microwaves, ovens, and more |
| Openings | Doors and windows you can cut into walls |
To add anything to the canvas, drag it from the library onto the room, or click a type and then click the position on the canvas where you want it to land.
Adding cabinets
- Open the Cabinets tab in the library.
- Find the cabinet type you want (e.g., Base Cabinet, Wall Cabinet, Tall Pantry).
- Drag it onto the canvas. It snaps to the nearest wall if you drop it close to one.
- Click the cabinet to select it. The Properties panel opens on the right.
- Adjust Width, Height, and Depth as needed.
Tip: Hold Shift and click multiple cabinets to select them together. You can then move, align, or distribute them as a group.
Autoscribe — fitting cabinets to walls
When you drag a cabinet close to a wall and release, Cabora checks whether the cabinet's side is flush against the wall surface. If it is, it automatically adds a scribe strip to that side — you'll see the toast "wall scribe auto-added" appear at the bottom of the screen.
What a scribe strip does: Cabinet boxes are factory-cut to exact dimensions. Real walls are rarely perfectly plumb or straight. A scribe strip is a thin filler piece that bridges the gap between the cabinet side and the wall, letting you scribe (trim) it to match the wall's contour.
Where the scribe width comes from: The default scribe strip size is set in Shop Defaults → Moldings. Look for the Scribe Strip profiles (e.g., "Scribe Strip 1.5"" or "Scribe Strip 2""). The active scribe profile determines the default width that gets added. You can change which profile is active in Shop Defaults to change what gets added to new cabinets.
Adjusting a scribe on a specific cabinet:
- Click the cabinet to select it.
- In the Properties panel, go to the Properties tab.
- Under Options, find Left Filler and Right Filler.
- Type in the exact width (in inches) you want for each side, or set to 0 to remove it.
Adding appliances
Appliances are layout placeholders — they reserve space and affect the design visually and in renders, but Cabora does not generate cut list parts for them.
- Open the Appliances tab in the library.
- Drag the appliance onto the canvas.
- Click to select it. In the Properties panel you can adjust its dimensions, position, and (for panel-ready appliances) the panel configuration.
Fridge enclosures — linking a fridge with side panels and a top box
A Fridge Enclosure is a special cabinet type that wraps a refrigerator with finished side gables and optionally a wall cabinet on top.
Adding a fridge enclosure
- In the Cabinets tab, find Fridge Enclosure under the Tall category.
- Drag it onto the canvas.
- Cabora automatically creates a Panel Fridge appliance inside the enclosure and links them together. The appliance moves and resizes with the enclosure.
Adjusting the linked appliance
- Click the enclosure to select it.
- In the Properties panel, open the Appliance section.
- Here you can change the appliance type (fridge, freezer, wine fridge, paired column), adjust dimensions, and control the clearance gap between the appliance and the enclosure sides.
Adding a top box
A top box is a wall cabinet that sits on top of the fridge enclosure, inside the same outer footprint.
- Select the fridge enclosure.
- In the Properties panel → Appliance section, click Add Top Box.
- A wall cabinet is created and linked to the enclosure. Its width stays in sync with the enclosure automatically.
- Click the top box to select it and set its height in the Properties panel.
Moving and deleting
When you move a fridge enclosure, the linked appliance and top box move with it. If you delete the enclosure, Cabora asks whether to delete the linked objects too or leave them as standalone pieces.
End panels
An end panel is a finished decorative panel applied to the exposed side of a cabinet — the sides that face into the room rather than butting against another cabinet or wall.
End panels are configured per cabinet, per side.
- Click a cabinet to select it.
- In the Properties panel, go to the Build tab.
- Scroll to the End Panels section.
- Set Left side and Right side independently:
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not exposed | No end panel; just the raw cabinet side |
| Standard | Plywood panel matching the cabinet box material |
| Stained | Solid wood panel with stain finish |
| Furniture | Full furniture-style finished panel, thicker and fully finished |
Tip: The Cabora Advisor will flag if you have an end panel set on a side that's against a wall — it'll suggest removing it to avoid unnecessary material cost.
Using the molding section
Molding profiles let you add crown, light rail, sub-rail, toe kick cap, and scribe strips to your design. They're configured at the shop level in Shop Defaults → Moldings, and then applied per project or per run.
Molding types
| Type | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Crown | Top of wall cabinets, returns at corners |
| Light Rail | Horizontal accent rail below wall cabinets |
| Sub-Rail | Vertical build-up strip between the cabinet top and the crown |
| Toe Kick | Cap molding at the base of lower cabinets |
| Scribe Strip | Filler between cabinet side and wall (see Autoscribe above) |
Applying molding to a cabinet
- Click a cabinet to select it.
- In the Properties panel, go to the Properties tab.
- Scroll to the Molding section.
- Use the dropdowns to select a Crown, Light Rail, Sub-Rail, or Toe Kick profile from your shop's catalog.
To build out your molding catalog, go to Shop Defaults → Moldings and add or edit profiles. Each profile has a name, type, height, projection, material, and cost per linear foot.
The Properties panel tabs
When a cabinet is selected, the right panel shows three tabs:
| Tab | What's in it |
|---|---|
| Properties | Dimensions, position, door style, finish, material, molding, scribe fillers |
| Build | Interior layout (shelves, drawers), back panel, end panels, island options |
| Info | Hardware list, edge banding spec, dimension summary for the cut list |
When an appliance is selected, the panel shows a single Properties view with the appliance dimensions and any panel configuration options.
Adding doors and windows (openings)
- Open the Openings tab in the library.
- Drag a door or window onto a wall on the canvas.
- Click it to select it and adjust its width, height, and position along the wall.
Openings affect the available run length for cabinets placed on that wall and are included in elevation drawings.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| R | Rotate selected cabinet 90° |
| C | Center the view |
| F | Fit everything on screen |
| ⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z | Undo / Redo |
| Shift+click | Add to selection |
| Scroll | Zoom in/out |
| Shift+drag | Pan |
| ? | Show all shortcuts |