Sometimes you’ve got the perfect part in mind — a display, sensor, or breakout board — but you don’t have it in hand yet. Maybe it’s still in the mail, or maybe you just want to test-fit it in a 3D design before you click “Add to Cart.”

Good news: you don’t need calipers, a datasheet, or even the real part to start modeling.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to measure and model Adafruit parts using only their product photos and the dimensions listed on the product page by bringing those images into FreeCAD. You can scale them to real-world size and use them as reference blueprints to sketch accurate outlines, mounting holes, and features.

This technique is perfect for:

• Checking fit and alignment in mechanical assemblies
• Designing 3D-printed enclosures or laser-cut panels
• Mocking up projects before parts arrive

You’ll go from a flat photo to a scaled sketch ready for modeling — all in a few quick steps. Once you know the trick, you can do it for any product photo in minutes.