Getting Started with Cabora

Cabora is a cabinet design tool built for custom shops. You design room layouts, generate cut lists and cost estimates, and share polished proposals with clients — all in one place.

Creating your first project

  1. From the dashboard, click New Project and choose a room type (Kitchen, Bath, Laundry, or Custom).
  2. Enter the room dimensions — width, depth, and ceiling height.
  3. You're now in the editor. The blank canvas represents your room from above (plan view).

The editor at a glance

Area What it does
Left panel — Cabinet Library Browse and drag cabinet types onto the canvas
Canvas (center) Your room layout, viewed from above. Click to select, drag to move.
Right panel — Properties Edit the selected cabinet's dimensions, material, and method
Top tabs Switch between Design, 3D, Drawings, Methods, Costing, and Cut Planner views

Adding your first cabinet

  1. In the Cabinet Library (left panel), click any cabinet type to see its options, or drag it directly onto the canvas.
  2. Click the cabinet on the canvas to select it. The Properties panel opens on the right.
  3. Adjust the width, height, and depth as needed.
  4. To move a cabinet, drag it. To rotate it 90°, press R or use the toolbar.

Keyboard shortcuts

Key Action
R Rotate selected cabinet 90°
C Center the view
F Fit all objects in view
⌘Z Undo
⇧⌘Z Redo
? Show all shortcuts
Scroll Zoom in/out
Shift+Drag Pan the canvas
Shift+Click Add to selection

Saving your work

Cabora auto-saves to the cloud as you work. The dot next to your project name turns amber when there are unsaved changes. Click the Save button in the top bar to save immediately.

Switching views

Use the tabs along the top to move between views:

  • Design — Plan view for editing the layout
  • 3D — Rotate and orbit the design in three dimensions
  • Drawings — Generate shop drawings and elevation PDFs
  • Methods — Configure the manufacturing method for each cabinet
  • Costing — See the quote, hardware totals, and material costs
  • Cut Planner — Run sheet optimization and generate cut diagrams

Project status

Every project moves through a lifecycle. The current status is shown on the dashboard card and in the project header — you can update it manually at any point.

Status What it means
Active Design is in progress; the project is editable
Review You've shared the design with a client and are waiting for their response
Approved Client has approved the design
Production Cabinets are being built in the shop
Install On-site installation is underway
Completed The job is finished

Moving a project to Review happens automatically when you send a client share link. All other status changes are manual.

Next steps