How to watch a part's fabrication with Show me how
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Open a step-by-step 3D tool walkthrough from the part inspector to see every rip, bevel, and miter setup that shapes a workpiece.
When a part has compound miters, ripped bevels, or cuts on multiple faces, a static drawing only shows the finished shape. Show me how replays the exact sequence of shop-tool operations that turned raw stock into that specific piece.
Before continuing, review How to inspect part geometry and dimensions in Sawdust if you have not used the part inspector.
Open and step through the walkthrough
- Click the part in the 3D workshop to open its inspector card in the top-right corner.
- Click Show me how at the bottom of the inspector card.
- Read the step banner at the top of the modal before pressing Play. It lists the step number, tool, fence or stop measurement, and blade angles (for example,
Step 1 of 4 · Table saw: Rip board along length at 2 3/16" with 18.69° bevel). - Press Play to watch the board feed through the tool, or use Prev and Next to step through each tool setup at your own pace.
Embed a walkthrough in a shared guide
Pay close attention to which face rests against the saw table and which edge rides the fence before each cut. When an earlier operation rips or crosscuts a shared blank for several parts, Show me how focuses the replay on the cuts that produce the piece you selected.
When authoring a project guide in Publish -> Guide, you can embed a Show me how figure right beside the written instructions for a tricky part so readers can play the tool setups directly on the shared page.
Continue with How to inspect part geometry and dimensions in Sawdust and How to write and share a woodworking guide in Sawdust.