MuebleLab Manual
Everything you need to design furniture, get the cut list, and export plans. If you're in a hurry, jump to Quick Start.
What is MuebleLab?
MuebleLab is a web application for designing custom furniture from any browser. It's designed for carpenters, workshops, and professionals who need to quickly generate the cut list, CNC plans, and a presentable budget for the client.
What's Included:
- Visual 2D + 3D editor with front, side, and perspective views.
- Integrated catalogs of boards (Egger, Finsa, Kronospan) and hardware (Blum, Hettich, Häfele).
- Automatic cutting optimizer per board (bin packing).
- Professional exports: dimensioned PDF, multi-layer DXF, STL/GLB, hardware list.
- Three DSL languages to automate (MFL, PLANK, CLF).
Quick Start (5 Steps)
- Create Your Account Go to app.php, sign up with your email, and choose a password. It's free, no credit card.
- Create a Project Press New Project in the top left and give it a descriptive name (for example Kitchen for Mrs. Smith).
- Add Your First Furniture Click + Furniture. Define width · height · depth in mm. The editor draws it instantly in 2D and 3D.
- Configure the Interior Divide the furniture into columns and rows, assign each cell a type (door · drawer · shelf · open).
- Export Export button in the top right. Choose PDF for a budget, DXF if you're cutting on CNC, STL to view the 3D.
Shortcut
If you don't want to start from scratch, open the furniture wizard: you pick a type (wardrobe, kitchen, cabinet, etc.) and fill in just the gaps. The wizard is in the main editor menu.
Access
MuebleLab is free for everyone, no credit card required. You can design furniture, use catalogs, and view in 3D without limits.
For now, the cut list and cutting optimization are not available. If we introduce paid plans in the future, we will give you clear notice before any charges.
Create a Furniture
Each project contains one or more pieces of furniture. Press + Furniture to add a new one. It appears to the right of the last one, aligned to the ground.
- Move: drag the furniture from its header. The X at its corner shows you the coordinate.
- Duplicate: Ctrl+D on a selected furniture.
- Delete: Del on a selected furniture.
- Rename: double-click on the name.
Dimensions and Plinth
Three mandatory dimensions: width, height, depth. All in millimeters. You can edit them at any time from the right side panel.
| Property | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Board Thickness | 16-19 mm for furniture, 22 mm for long shelves |
| Plinth | 80-100 mm on base units; not on tall suspended |
| Plinth Setback | 60 mm (standard front) |
Suspended or Panel-Less Case
For tall kitchen modules mark without floor. For furniture sharing a side panel with another module, mark without left/right side.
Cell Layout
The furniture interior is divided into a grid of columns and rows. Each cell receives a type of content. Cells are named A1, A2, B1, etc. (column in letters, row in numbers).
- To change the number of columns/rows, click the Layout button in the left panel.
- Each column/row can have a fixed size in mm or remainder (occupies what's left).
- Click on a cell to open its properties panel on the right.
Doors, Drawers, Shelves
| Type | Key Properties |
|---|---|
| Door | Hinge (left/right/top/bottom), handle, leaves (1 or 2), glass yes/no, soft close. |
| Drawer | Quantity (stacked), handle or push, spacing between fronts, soft close. |
| Shelf | Quantity and whether they are adjustable (32mm system) or fixed. |
| Rail | Clothing rail: height, material (aluminum/steel/wood). |
| Open / False Front / Blind | For open spaces, decorative panels, or plugs. |
Boards, Fronts, and Hardware
MuebleLab integrates real manufacturer catalogs. Real-time search, filters by color, finish, and thickness.
Boards (Carcass, Shelves, Back Panels)
- Egger, Finsa, Kronospan: melamine, lacquered, veneered.
- Visual selector with texture preview on the furniture.
- Price €/m² automatic in the budget.
Hardware
- Hinges (Blum, Hettich, Häfele): 35 mm cup, piano, concealed.
- Drawer slides: full extension, partial, with hydraulic brake.
- Handles: bar, knob, integrated profile, push-to-open.
- Fasteners: confirmat, minifix, dowel, brackets.
Appliances and Countertops
In kitchens you can insert appliances from the catalog (refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, cooktop, etc.) which automatically occupy the cell where you place them. The countertop is added from the furniture panel:
- Countertop: yes/no, thickness, material (granite, silestone, melamine).
- Overhang: left, right, front, back — in mm.
- Decorative cap: trim board over the countertop with its own overhangs.
Interior Lighting
Each cell can have a 2700K LED strip (warm) under the top shelf and/or above the cell floor, recessed 30 mm from the front. The strip is short (~50% of cell width, centered) so the effect is directional, like a spotlight. The shelf itself acts as a natural visor: the observer doesn't see the source directly, only the light projected on the contents.
Why recessed and under shelf: a visible LED strip bothers the eye. The shelf (16-19 mm thick) acts as a natural front visor — an observer standing would have to bend down a lot to see the source. The cable runs through a 5 mm routed channel on the shelf until the back panel, and from there drops to the transformer at the base.
How to Activate It
- Select a cell → Lighting section → mark Light above and/or Light below.
- In the furniture properties → Interior Lighting section → turn on Lit in 3D to preview the strips lit.
What Goes in the Hardware List
- 2700K LED strip — meters rounded to half-meter.
- Aluminum profile with opal diffuser — custom cut.
- Screws 3.5×16 mm — 4 per profile.
- Bipolar cable 2×0.5 mm² — calculated per run from base to each strip.
- LED transformer 12 V — 30 W, 60 W, or 100 W based on consumption, with 25% margin.
- Quick connectors 2 pin — one per strip (parallel connection).
- 12 V push switch — to turn on/off.
Not included in the board cut list: strips and all electrical go on the hardware list, not as wood parts.
Budget PDF
Generates a presentable PDF for your client with:
- Front and side views with dimensions.
- Cut list with dimensions and materials.
- Grouped hardware list.
- Optional price table (you can hide it if you prefer to deliver separately).
Button: Export → Budget PDF.
DXF for CNC
Multi-layer cutting plan ready to send to your CNC or external service. Each part in its layer with dimensions and name.
- Compatible with AutoCAD, SolidWorks, BobCAD, VCarve, Aspire.
- Automatic optimization to minimize board waste.
Button: Export → DXF (general) or DXF for CNC (with kerf included).
STL / GLB 3D
3D model to view the furniture in render software, present to the client, or upload to web configurators.
- STL: for 3D printing, technical render.
- GLB: with textures and materials — for 3D web and AR.
Optimized Cut List
Press Cutting Optimizer so MuebleLab calculates the optimal layout of parts on the boards you've defined.
- It takes into account the kerf (blade thickness).
- Respects the wood grain if marked.
- Generates printable SVG and CSV with all parts and their origin.
- If you want even more control, export to CLF and use it in the CLF editor.
Hardware List
Table grouped by type and model: hinges, slides, handles, fasteners. With exact quantities and optionally manufacturer references and prices. Ready to send to your supplier.
Languages to Automate — MFL · PLANK · CLF
If you like to automate and work with several similar pieces of furniture, MuebleLab includes three domain-specific languages (DSL) that allow you to describe furniture in text:
| Language | For What | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| MFL | Parametric furniture: you define a piece with dimensions and cells, and it compiles to the editor. | Manual → · Cheat Sheet → |
| PLANK | Piece-by-piece constructions with frame and components (doors, drawers). | Open → |
| CLF | Cut lists and optimization from boards and raw parts. | Open → |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+S | Save Project |
| Ctrl+Z · Ctrl+Y | Undo · Redo |
| Ctrl+D | Duplicate Selected Furniture |
| Supr | Delete Selection |
| + · − | Zoom |
| F | Fit All |
| 3 | 3D / 2D View |
Your Account
Access your account from the user menu in the top right. There you can:
- Change your password or request a password reset.
- Edit your public profile.
- Log out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does MuebleLab cost?
For now it's free for everyone, no credit card required. The cut list and cutting optimization are not available at this time. If we introduce paid plans in the future, we will give clear notice before any charges.
Does it work offline?
You need internet connection to open and save projects on the server. But exports (PDF, DXF, STL) are generated locally in your browser, nothing is sent to third parties.
Can I use it from tablet or mobile?
The editor is optimized for screens >1024 px. On horizontal tablet it works reasonably; on mobile it is very limited. The usual way: you design in the office, open the generated PDF at the job site on your phone.
Does the cutting optimizer respect the grain?
Yes. If you mark grain = yes on the board, the optimizer won't rotate parts 90° even if they fit better — it respects the fiber direction.
Can I add my own boards and hardware to the catalog?
For now the catalog comes preloaded with Egger, Finsa, Kronospan, Blum, Hettich, and Häfele. The option to add your own workshop materials is on the roadmap. In the meantime you can choose the closest match and edit its name and price in the furniture panel.
Is the DXF output ready for my CNC?
The DXF respects standard layers and kerf that you define. Most CAM machines (BobCAD, VCarve, Aspire, AutoCAD CAM) import it as-is. If your CNC needs another format, write to us to add it.
What if I find a bug?
Write to us at info@mueblelab.com with a description and, if possible, a screenshot. We respond within 24 business hours.
Contact and Support
If your question isn't answered above:
- Email: info@mueblelab.com
- Form: contact
Response time: < 24 business hours.