# DuckWorks > Drafting without limits ## Posts - [The Stigma of Outsourcing and Its Impact on Success](https://duckworksmw.com/the-stigma-of-outsourcing-and-its-impact-on-success/): There is a very real stigma surrounding outsourcing shop drawings in our industry. If you’ve spent any time in the millwork world, you already know what I’m talking about. And as CEO of a company that provides these services, I get that many of you are already tuning me out or rolling your eyes—and honestly, I don’t blame you. There was a time when I was vehemently opposed to outsourcing shop drawings. As an engineering manager for a $30mm/year shop at the time, I actually wrote a letter to the president of the company outlining why we shouldn’t outsource. So […] - [Avoiding ADA Compliance Pitfalls in Millwork: Correct Toe and Knee Clearance Detailing](https://duckworksmw.com/avoiding-ada-compliance-pitfalls-in-millwork-correct-toe-and-knee-clearance-detailing/): Ensuring ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance in millwork design—especially at sinks—is crucial for accessibility and functionality. A frequent oversight involves improper detailing of toe and knee clearances, which can result in code violations, costly rework, or impractical installations. The Common Mistake One of the most common errors is misinterpreting the 6-inch maximum toe clearance requirement. This dimension does not refer to the distance from the wall. Instead, it defines how far an angled plumbing panel may project into the required 17 inches of clear toe space, as measured from the front edge of the countertop or enclosure. In other […] - [How to Set Up a New Microvellum Configuration from an Export](https://duckworksmw.com/how-to-set-up-a-new-microvellum-configuration-from-an-export/): Get Our Starter Configuration Here!Subscribe to download the DuckWorks Starter Config used in this guide:👉 Subscribe & Download If you’ve received exported files from a client or team and need to set up a new Microvellum configuration, this tutorial outlines every step. You’ll learn how to configure a clean environment, copy over files, adjust link IDs, and verify the setup—all based on DuckWorks’ internal standards. What You’ll Need 1. Check the Link ID of Your Base Library Before importing anything, you need to check and update the Link ID of your starter configuration to avoid conflicts when importing a new […] - [Crafting the Future: Supporting the Next Generation of Millworkers](https://duckworksmw.com/crafting-the-future-supporting-the-next-generation-of-millworkers/): Last month, the SkillsUSA California State Cabinetmaking Competition brought together some of the brightest young woodworking talent in the state. And for the second year in a row, DuckWorks was honored to contribute—this time through the incredible work of our very own Yeny. Designing for the Next Generation A dedicated member of the DuckWorks team for four years, Yeny volunteered once again to create the detailed 2D and 3D shop drawings used by students in the competition. Collaborating closely with Saul Martin, SkillsUSA sponsor and competition coordinator, she translated his vision into a complete drawing set—including plans, elevations, sections, and […] - [Scaling Without Bottlenecks: How Dedicated Drafting from DuckWorks Powers Millwork Growth](https://duckworksmw.com/scaling-without-bottlenecks-how-dedicated-drafting-from-duckworks-powers-millwork-growth/): By assigning dedicated drafting experts who plug directly into your systems and team, DuckWorks helps your company streamline workflows, reduce costs, and scale without stress. Here’s how five industry leaders are transforming their operations with our help. - [The Future of Drafting: Insights on Innergy's Microvellum Acquisition](https://duckworksmw.com/the-future-of-drafting-insights-on-innergys-microvellum-acquisition/): The woodworking and millwork industry recently received major news: Innergy is acquiring Microvellum. This announcement has sparked both excitement and concern among industry professionals, and many have asked for my thoughts on what this means for the future. While I have no insider information and am not compensated in any way for sharing my perspective, I have years of experience as a paying Microvellum customer and strong connections with both Innergy and Microvellum users. With that in mind, here’s why I believe this acquisition is a positive step forward. A Strategic Industry-Focused Merger One of the biggest concerns when software […] - [Embracing New Horizons: How DuckWorks Mastered Cabinet Vision](https://duckworksmw.com/embracing-new-horizons-how-duckworks-mastered-cabinet-vision/): At DuckWorks, we pride ourselves on delivering precision and quality without compromise. When we decided to expand our capabilities and offer Cabinet Vision as part of our drafting services, it marked the beginning of an exciting chapter in our journey. Bringing Cabinet Vision into the fold was no small task. The software, designed to streamline and optimize drafting for millwork, presented a learning curve that our team eagerly embraced. Guided by experienced mentors and a culture of collaboration, we started small, taking on simpler projects that allowed us to familiarize ourselves with the platform and its capabilities. These early steps […] - [How to Export Your Microvellum Configuration for Sandbox Creation ](https://duckworksmw.com/how-to-export-your-microvellum-configuration-for-sandbox-creation/): This blog post will guide you through the simple steps required to export the necessary data to send to us during onboarding as a new Microvellum client. This ensures that we can accurately replicate your configuration for effective shop drawings.   At Duckworks, this process is quite common, especially for new clients.   Introduction   Microvellum configurations are critical for your operations, and transferring them correctly is essential. This guide provides a comprehensive process for exporting your entire configuration. This process applies if your configuration is hosted on a SQL server.   Microvellum’s Default Process and Limitations  First, it’s worth noting that Microvellum offers […] - [Revolutionizing Drafting: The Journey Behind the DuckWorks Microvellum CAD Template](https://duckworksmw.com/revolutionizing-drafting-the-journey-behind-the-duckworks-microvellum-cad-template/): At DuckWorks, we pride ourselves on designing solutions that meet the real needs of millwork professionals. Innovation often stems from necessity. The DuckWorks Microvellum CAD Template is no exception, born out of the need to streamline processes and enhance drafting workflows. The Need for a Better Template Many clients either lacked templates or had ones riddled with inefficiencies that increased workloads and slowed down projects. For example, a title block without attributes requires updates on every individual sheet—a time-consuming process. In contrast, our template uses block attributes to automate changes across the entire project, saving hours of work and reducing […] - [What Does a Duckworks Team Leader Do?](https://duckworksmw.com/what-does-a-duckworks-team-leader-do/): Our Team Leaders at Duckworks are the heart of the design process, guiding a team of talented drafters to create detailed, accurate drawings for woodworking projects. They ensure that our team’s work runs smoothly, delivering final designs that align with client expectations. Here’s a closer look at their vital role: Main Responsibilities: In short, Team Leaders are essential in transforming great ideas into precise, beautiful millwork designs while ensuring every project succeeds from start to finish. A Day as a Team Lead Team Leads focus on fostering collaboration, guiding the team, and maintaining project momentum. Here’s what their day typically […] - [Mastering AutoCAD: Annotative and Dynamic Blocks](https://duckworksmw.com/mastering-autocad-annotative-and-dynamic-blocks/): Welcome to another blog about enhancing your drafting process using key tools in AutoCAD. This blog will guide you through the essential features like annotative and dynamic blocks, among others, to streamline your work in AutoCAD. Understanding Annotative Annotations Before diving into specific features, it’s crucial to understand the difference between non-Annotative and Annotative annotations. This concept is key for efficient work in AutoCAD, especially when handling multiple viewports and scales. Non-Annotative annotations such as dimensions or text are static, maintaining a fixed size regardless of your viewport scale. This can lead to issues where text becomes too large or […] - [Quality Control Process](https://duckworksmw.com/quality-control-process/): Quality control in millwork drafting and design is essential to ensure that final products meet design specifications, safety standards and functional requirements. This process involves several key components that help maintain a high level of quality during the design and manufacturing phases. Importance of Quality Control DuckWorks Quality Control Process At DuckWorks, we have developed a quality control process to minimize errors in attention to detail. Through analysis this also provides us with valuable statistical information that allows us to make changes and improvements in the drawing process itself and complements the ongoing development of the skills and experience of […] - [Creating Dynamic Blocks in AutoCAD: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://duckworksmw.com/creating-dynamic-blocks-in-autocad-a-step-by-step-guide/): Welcome Ducks! In this blog, we’ll explore the intricacies of creating dynamic blocks from scratch in AutoCAD. We’ll cover adding editable attributes and working with the most common block parameters. To help you follow along, I’ll break down the steps and provide guidance on how to create a versatile 24 by 48 panel block that includes stretchable features and a finished tag. Starting with the Basics To kick things off, let’s create a simple 24 by 48 rectangle and convert it into a block.Important tip: always ensure that the “specify on the screen” option is checked. Select your base block. […] - [How to Structure Your Engineering Department: For Companies with $0M - $5M Revenue](https://duckworksmw.com/how-to-structure-your-engineering-department-for-companies-with-0m-5m-revenue/): Introduction Your millwork engineering department is the backbone of your business. It’s not just about producing submittal drawings that mirror the client’s design intent. It’s about detailing the materials, fabrication, and assembly methods you’ll employ. Beyond these primary tasks, they generate detailed cutlists, CNC machine programming, and other pivotal documents to streamline production. Yet, in many millwork organizations, these departments often shoulder additional roles like IT support, material takeoffs, and project management tasks. Having managed engineering departments ranging from 3 to 85 engineers, I’ve garnered insights and strategies. In this four-part series, I’ll share my blueprint for structuring an engineering […] - [DuckWorks Training Program](https://duckworksmw.com/duckworks-training-program/): Elevating Millwork Drafting: Our Training Excellence In the millwork design and construction world, the quality of your drafting team can truly make or break a project. Unfortunately, there often aren’t enough skilled drafters to meet the high demand, which puts immense pressure on current staff and can lead to burnout. This situation not only risks project timelines but also creates a talent gap that’s difficult to fill. In this article, we’ll explain our training process designed to equip DuckWorks new drafters with the skills they need to be productive from day one. When clients choose to outsource their drafting to […] - [How to Structure Your Engineering Department: For Companies with $5M - $15M Revenue](https://duckworksmw.com/how-to-structure-your-engineering-department-for-companies-with-5m-15m-revenue/): Introduction Your millwork engineering department is the backbone of your business. It’s not just about producing submittal drawings that mirror the client’s design intent. It’s about detailing the materials, fabrication, and assembly methods you’ll employ. Beyond these primary tasks, they generate detailed cutlists, CNC machine programming, and other pivotal documents to streamline production. Yet, in many millwork organizations, these departments often shoulder additional roles like IT support, material takeoffs, and project management tasks. Having managed engineering departments ranging from 3 to 85 engineers, I’ve garnered insights and strategies. In this four-part series, I’ll share my blueprint for structuring an engineering […] - [Recruitment at DuckWorks: Finding the Best Talent for Success](https://duckworksmw.com/recruitment-at-duckworks-finding-the-best-talent-for-success/): At DuckWorks, we are committed to providing exceptional value to our clients, and one key way we achieve this is through our proactive talent recruitment strategy. By continuously recruiting and training top drafting professionals, we ensure that we have a pool of highly skilled and qualified drafters ready to step in when our clients need them. This approach helps streamline the process for our clients, reducing the time, effort, and cost typically associated with sourcing, hiring, and training specialized talent. A Broad and Diverse Reach We adopt a holistic approach to recruitment, utilizing a diverse mix of platforms such as […] - [How to Structure Your Engineering Department: For Companies with $30M+ in Revenue](https://duckworksmw.com/how-to-structure-your-engineering-department-for-companies-with-30m-in-revenue/): Introduction Your millwork engineering department is the backbone of your business. It’s not just about producing submittal drawings that mirror the client’s design intent. It’s about detailing the materials, fabrication, and assembly methods you’ll employ. Beyond these primary tasks, they generate detailed cutlists, CNC machine programming, and other pivotal documents to streamline production. Yet, in many millwork organizations, these departments often shoulder additional roles like IT support, material takeoffs, and project management tasks. Having managed engineering departments ranging from 3 to 85 engineers, I’ve garnered insights and strategies. In this four-part series, I’ll share my blueprint for structuring an engineering […] - [How to Structure Your Engineering Department: For Companies with $15M - $30M Revenue](https://duckworksmw.com/how-to-structure-your-engineering-department-for-companies-with-15m-30m-revenue/): Introduction Your millwork engineering department is the backbone of your business. It’s not just about producing submittal drawings that mirror the client’s design intent. It’s about detailing the materials, fabrication, and assembly methods you’ll employ. Beyond these primary tasks, they generate detailed cutlists, CNC machine programming, and other pivotal documents to streamline production. Yet, in many millwork organizations, these departments often shoulder additional roles like IT support, material takeoffs, and project management tasks. Having managed engineering departments ranging from 3 to 85 engineers, I’ve garnered insights and strategies. In this four-part series, I’ll share my blueprint for structuring an engineering […] - [My Top 5 Lessons in Leading a Millwork Engineering Team](https://duckworksmw.com/my-top-5-lessons-in-leading-a-millwork-engineering-team/): For over a decade, I have been at the helm of millwork drafting and engineering teams, ranging from a modest group of three to a robust squad of over 85 individuals. During this journey, I have stumbled, learned, and grown immensely. Recently, I have collaborated with numerous millwork business owners grappling with the challenge of identifying or nurturing a potent engineering leader. Additionally, I have mentored several engineering leaders.   Here are some key insights from my journey:   1. A Stellar Engineer Does Not Equate to a Great Manager:    It is a common misconception that a top-notch engineer […] - [Microvellum Library Development: Spreadsheet Best Practices](https://duckworksmw.com/microvellum-library-development-spreadsheet-best-practices/): In my journey with Microvellum Drafting, I’ve realized the importance of establishing best practices. These guidelines not only streamline our processes at DuckWorks Millwork Solutions but also prevent common pitfalls. As I reflect on these practices, I’ve decided to share them in a series of posts for those diving into Microvellum Library Development. Key Practices for Spreadsheet Work in Microvellum: Stay tuned for more insights on best practices outside the spreadsheet realm in our upcoming posts on Microvellum Drafting. - [My Top 3 New Microvellum Features](https://duckworksmw.com/my-top-3-new-microvellum-features/): Over the last couple of years, Microvellum has been rolling out updates with some great features that have improved workflows and opened up a lot of new possibilities for users. In this post, I’m going to summarize some of my favorite new features: 1. Modify Work Order Interface For many years, users have been begging for the ability to edit materials from within a work order, but instead we had been forced to go back and make our changes, and then reprocess the work order. This was a nightmare for efficiency, especially if you were anything like me, and constantly […] - [The Top Five Reasons Why I Use Microvellum Software](https://duckworksmw.com/the-top-five-reasons-why-i-use-microvellum-software/): Jacob Edmond, shares insight and the top five reasons his engineering team uses the AutoCAD-based software, see below: 1. It integrates seamlessly with AutoCAD Despite many worthy competitor’s best efforts to gain market share, Autodesk’s AutoCAD® is the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the industry. Every trade out there, ranging from the architects, interior designers, general contractors, and MEP engineers, use AutoCAD or one of Autodesk’s related products. So, being able to produce shop drawings, as well as fabrication drawings and models in one software platform, taking us from the submittal phase through to production release, is the best-case scenario. Additionally, Microvellum’s […] - [Collect Data](https://duckworksmw.com/collect-data/): Welcome to the final installment of our six-part series on managing a millwork design team. So far, we’ve discussed the five essential steps: defining your inputs, documenting the process, knowing your capacity, and estimating your demand, and scheduling your resources. Today, we round off with the sixth step, which is collecting data. Step 6: Collect Data The power of data-driven decision-making cannot be overemphasized in the context of managing a millwork design team. The previous steps have helped you set up a structured process and a clear schedule. Now, it’s time to measure, evaluate, and continuously improve your team’s performance […] - [Unleash the Power of Outstaffing](https://duckworksmw.com/unleash-the-power-of-outstaffing/): Elevate Your Drafting Resources with DuckWorks In the fast-paced world of millwork, finding skilled drafters and engineers can be a daunting challenge. The scarcity of talent and the difficulty in training and onboarding new resources create significant obstacles for millwork clients and business owners, particularly in time and cost. Below are four reasons why partnering with us at DuckWorks Millwork Solutions is the perfect solution to your millwork drafting bottleneck. The scarcity of millwork drafters and engineers poses a significant challenge for businesses in the industry. However, DuckWorks Millwork Solutions provides an affordable and effective solution through our outstaffing services. […] - [Estimate Your Demand](https://duckworksmw.com/estimate-your-demand/): Welcome to Part 4 of our six-part series on managing a millwork design team. In our previous blog posts in the series “A Simple Blueprint to Manage a Successful Millwork Design Team,” we covered the first three steps, defining your inputs, documenting the process, and knowing your capacity. In this post, we will discuss the fourth step, which is estimating your demand. Step 4: Estimate Your Demand Now that we have clearly defined inputs, a documented process for our department to follow, and we have evaluated and understand our team’s capacity, we need to next estimate the demand of the […] - [Know Your Capacity](https://duckworksmw.com/know-your-capacity/): Welcome to Part 3 of our six-part series on managing a millwork design team. In our previous two blog posts in the series “A Simple Blueprint to Manage a Successful Millwork Design Team,” we covered the first two steps, defining your inputs and documenting the process. In this post, we will discuss the third step, which is knowing your team’s capacity. Managing a millwork design team can be a challenging task. As a manager, you need to ensure that your team delivers high-quality work consistently, meets deadlines, and stays within the budget. Step 3: Know Your Capacity Knowing your team’s […] - [Document the Process](https://duckworksmw.com/document-the-process/): Welcome to Part 2 of our six-part series on managing a millwork design team. In the previous post, we discussed Step 1 – defining your inputs. Now, in Step 2, we’ll delve into the importance of documenting your team’s process. Step 2: Document the Process You might wonder why documenting the process comes after defining the inputs, but in reality, it all starts with the inputs. Without clear inputs, there is no process. Once you’ve defined your inputs, you’ve likely gathered the necessary information for drafting, engineering, and guiding your team through the process. That’s why Step 2 focuses on […] - [Define Your Inputs](https://duckworksmw.com/define-your-inputs/): This will be the first of a six-part series in which we will explore the path that you can take to ensure your millwork engineering team’s success. Step 1: Define your inputs Managing a millwork engineering department can be a complex task, whether you are working with a large team or just a few people. The first step on this path is to define the inputs. This means defining what information is required for you to be successful in engineering and what format you expect to receive such information in. Many companies already have some form of input standards in […] - [A Simple Blueprint](https://duckworksmw.com/a-simple-blueprint/): To Successfully Manage a Millwork Design Team Looking to manage your millwork engineering team like a pro? Look no further than these 6 steps: Define Your Inputs Read the post Document The Process Read the post Know Your Capacity Read the post Estimate Your Demand Read the post Schedule Your Resources Read the post Collect Data Read the post In this series, we share our secrets to success, covering everything from defining your inputs to collecting data. We will be posting individual blog posts on each of the steps above, and will update this post with direct links above, as […] - [Schedule Your Resources](https://duckworksmw.com/schedule-your-resources/): Welcome to Part 5 of our six-part series on managing a millwork design team. So far, we’ve covered four key steps: defining your inputs, documenting the process, knowing your capacity, and estimating your demand. In this post, we delve into the fifth step, which is scheduling your resources. Step 5: Schedule Your Resources Effective scheduling is a vital aspect of managing a millwork design team. It involves understanding three primary dates With these three dates, you can understand when the desired completion date is, communicate when you plan to complete the work, and finally, track when the task was actually […] ## Pages - [Test Form](https://duckworksmw.com/test-form/) - [Store](https://duckworksmw.com/store/): At DuckWorks, we’ve seen firsthand how many Microvellum users struggle to fully implement the software and adjust their drafting workflows. Often, outdated CAD templates and workflows are forced into Microvellum, leading to suboptimal processes and missed efficiencies. That’s why we developed our Microvellum CAD Template—designed to help millwork professionals streamline their workflow and take full advantage of Microvellum’s powerful features. Whether you’re just starting with Microvellum or looking to optimize your existing processes, our template is built to maximize efficiency and accuracy. - [My account](https://duckworksmw.com/my-account/) - [Checkout](https://duckworksmw.com/checkout/) - [Cart](https://duckworksmw.com/cart/) - [News](https://duckworksmw.com/news/): Catch up on Jacob’s latest appearances in podcasts and industry events! From cutting-edge millwork techniques to emerging trends, Jacob’s insights are shaping the field. Explore the key takeaways from his recent engagements and stay informed on the future of millwork. - [Thank You](https://duckworksmw.com/thank-you/) - [Blog](https://duckworksmw.com/blog/): At DuckWorks, we are committed to sharing valuable insights to educate our clients, team members, and everyone in the architectural millwork industry. We believe that well-informed business leaders make better decisions, and by sharing knowledge and innovation, we can elevate the entire millwork community. - [Careers](https://duckworksmw.com/careers-page/): Summary This position is for an entry-level drafter that has successfully completed the Trainee Program. Drafters are responsible for the production of high-quality and technically accurate drawings, from millwork to interior design to construction documents. As they work, drafters gain experience not only in design software such as AutoCAD, Microvellum, and Cabinet Vision, but also knowledge in the processes that take place from design to production of millwork products. Drafters communicate and coordinate closely with their team leaders and work together with the team to successfully complete projects under the quality standards of Duckworks Millwork Solutions. Job Responsibilities Required Skills […] - [Application](https://duckworksmw.com/careers-page/application/) - [FAQ](https://duckworksmw.com/faq/) - [Terms & Conditions](https://duckworksmw.com/terms-and-conditions/): Agreement between User and DuckWorksMW.com Welcome to DuckWorksMW.com. The DuckWorksMW.com website (the “Site”) is comprised of various web pages operated by DuckWorks (“DuckWorks”). DuckWorksMW.com is offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein (the “Terms”). Your use of DuckWorksMW.com constitutes your agreement to all such Terms. Please read these terms carefully and keep a copy of them for your reference. DuckWorksMW.com is a Blog Site. This website promotes DuckWorks’s companies, services, and product offerings. Privacy Your use of DuckWorksMW.com is subject to DuckWorks’s Privacy Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy, which also […] - [Sitemap](https://duckworksmw.com/sitemap/) - [Podcasts](https://duckworksmw.com/verify-in-field-podcast/): VERIFY IN FIELD The Millwork Podcast DuckWorks was born from our own experiences and challenges in the millwork industry. Our CEO, Jacob Edmond, leverages his firsthand knowledge from working in both small and large, multi-location millwork shops to bring valuable insights to the industry. - [Contact](https://duckworksmw.com/contact/): Headquarters 2948 Perimeter CircleBuford, GA, 30519, USA +1 (470) 681 4184 Drafting Office Los Gomeros Street – La Suisse Building 2nd floor, Office # 3 Santa Cruz, Bolivia contact@duckworksmw.com - [How It Works](https://duckworksmw.com/how-it-works/): We understand the pain points of drafting in the architectural millwork industry because we’ve been there. The shortage of skilled local drafters puts immense pressure on the ones you have, leading to long hours, rushed work, mistakes, and ultimately, burnout. This only exacerbates the problem as more drafters leave the industry. - [Drafting](https://duckworksmw.com/drafting/): Our talented drafters design a wide variety of millwork projects, and their work can be found across the United States, Canada, and Latin America in nearly every market sector. We continually expand our capabilities based on client feedback and requests, ensuring we meet the diverse needs of our clients. - [About](https://duckworksmw.com/about/): It all started with our frustrations with drafting when working in the millwork industry. Even with 85 drafters on his team, they couldn’t keep up, and production suffered at the 5-location millwork company where our CEO Jacob Edmond was the Vice President of Engineering. Drafting bottlenecks affect nearly every millwork company in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia because there simply aren’t enough drafters. When drafting can’t keep up with production needs, you can’t bid on new work, you can’t accept projects you won, it stifles growth, and you may end up furloughing or laying off good employees. Outsourcing […] - [Home](https://duckworksmw.com/) - [Privacy Policy](https://duckworksmw.com/privacy-policy/): Protecting your private information is our priority. This Privacy Policy applies to http://www.DuckWorksMW.com and DuckWorks and governs data collection and usage.  The DuckWorks website is a business site. By using it, you consent to the data practices described in this statement. Collection of your Personal Information We do not collect your personal information unless you voluntarily provide it to us. However, you may be required to provide us with certain personal information when you elect to use certain products or services. These may include: (a) registering for an account; (b) entering a sweepstake or contest sponsored by us or one […] ## Products - [Save time + draw more efficiently in Microvellum](https://duckworksmw.com/product/save-time-draw-more-efficiently-in-microvellum/): Save time + draw more efficiently in Microvellum And replicate the look + settings, minimalist drawing style in your studio with the AutoCAD Bundle. [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)