VOLUME

Design a climbing volume without CAD

You do not need Rhino, Fusion, or SketchUp to design a usable climbing volume. A frustum-style plywood volume is a closed shell of flat faces: choose the bottom outline, top height, and slopes, and the edge lengths and mitres follow. VOLUME is a browser tool built for that workflow — for routesetters and home-wall builders who want plans, not a CAD degree.

What “design without CAD” means here

Instead of drawing every panel in 2D from scratch, you set parameters:

  • Number of sides and each bottom edge length
  • Global or per-side slope
  • Overall height and wall thickness
  • Optional stack inset for multi-level volumes
  • T-nut pattern and mounting screw layout

The 3D preview updates live so you can judge size against a climbing wall before you buy plywood.

A practical workflow in VOLUME

  1. Go to /design and pick units (mm or inches).
  2. Start from New, Random, or a simple four-sided shape; adjust scale so the longest edge fits your wall and sheet.
  3. Tune wall thickness (often 18 mm), height, and slope until the feature looks right in orbit view.
  4. Click faces or side controls to refine individual lengths — keep the top smaller than the bottom so the shell closes.
  5. Enable T-nuts and mounting holes when you want set-ready faces.
  6. Save locally in the browser, then use Order files for the exports you need.

Shapes routesetters actually use

  • Roof / low pyramid — short height, wide base; good for footholds and compression
  • Steep wedge — aggressive slopes for hard moves
  • Hex or custom N-gon — more faces for variety
  • Stackables — a second volume nested on the first (stackable guide)

From design to dimensions

Designing is only useful if you can cut. VOLUME unfolds panels into 2D with edge lengths and mitre information. For DIY, grab a print pattern and cut list; for a shop, DXF/STEP and nest layouts. Full detail: climbing volume dimensions and cut lists.

Units: mm vs inches

Work in whichever unit your tape and saw blades use. Switch in the designer; geometry stays consistent. Mixing units on the shop floor is the usual source of bad cuts — pick one system for the whole project.

What CAD is still good for

Complex organic shells, steel frames, or full-gym BIM still belong in CAD. For planar plywood volumes, a parametric browser tool is faster and less error-prone than reinventing mitres by hand.

FAQ

Is there a free climbing volume designer online?

Yes — VOLUME on volora.eu lets you model in the browser. Manufacturing file packages are ordered when you need exports beyond free plan-oriented outputs.

Can I design for CNC without learning CAD?

Yes. Generate STEP/DXF from your browser design and send those to a CNC shop. See which files to choose.

Try it: Open the free designer and sketch your first volume in a few minutes. For the full build path, read how to make a climbing volume.