How to make a woodworking build-guide video in Sawdust

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Generate an editable step-by-step Build Guide film in Publish -> Video, refine clip narration and camera angles, and export an MP4.

Sawdust's Publish -> Video workspace composes narrated build videos directly from your project's operation timeline. A Build Guide walks viewers through cutting stock at the saw and assembling the pieces step by step.

1. Open Publish -> Video and choose Build Guide

  1. Select Publish in the left rail and open the Video tab.
  2. Pick your aspect ratio: Horizontal · 16:9 for YouTube and desktop guides, or Vertical · 9:16 for Shorts and Reels.
  3. Click Build Guide to generate an editable timeline from your project's cuts and placements.
Make a film chooser in Publish -> Video showing Horizontal 16:9 and Vertical 9:16 format buttons alongside Build Guide and Build Tour cards.

2. Review the timeline and refine narration

When the draft finishes composing, the timeline at the bottom lists every generated clip. Select any clip to edit its spoken narration, change the lighting backdrop, or click Open in Shot Composer to adjust how the camera moves during the take.

Publish -> Video editor showing the Platform Bed Build Guide draft, clip inspector with narration text, and Open in Shot Composer button.

3. Add titles, tool scenes, or dimensioned part stills

Use the add clip controls (+ shot, + tool scene, + title, and + still) in the bottom-right inspector to insert title cards, saw cutting animations, or dimensioned orthographic part drawings into your sequence. Click Export mp4 in the top-right corner when you are ready to download the rendered video.

Publish -> Video editor showing a three-clip sequence (Title, Shot, and a 74-inch by 5 1/2-inch piece plan Still) with + shot, + tool scene, + title, and + still buttons.

Continue with How to make a short tour of your woodworking design and How to save a project's opening camera view.