// Docs

Nesting on a sheet

Sheet at the top lays out copies of your part (or several parts) on a sheet and makes the toolpaths for all of them. The operations you set on the part are used on every copy; change the part and the sheet is laid out again.

The Nest window

Sheet width and height, margin from the sheet edge, and spacing between parts (at least the cutter diameter, or the kerf for plasma and laser).
Quantity per part, and Turn per part: untick it for grain or printed sheets, so that part keeps its direction.
Turning step: 90° (fast), 45° or 15° (tighter, slower).
Part in part: small parts go into the holes of bigger ones.
As many sheets as needed: what does not fit goes on another sheet, each in its own tab.
Nest on: a full sheet, or a remnant from your library.

Placement

Compact, least length and least height: where the parts go and what is left of the sheet.

Least length (the default) fills from the left and leaves one strip on the right; least height leaves one strip on top; compact keeps the parts in a block in the corner. A strip that is left can be saved to the remnant library from the message after nesting, and used for the next job.

Nine copies of the sample bracket nested on a 1000 × 600 mm sheet, each with its toolpaths. — Nine brackets on a 1000 × 600 mm sheet: Sheet shows the layout, one program for all.

Plasma and laser

With parts a kerf apart, common-line cutting cuts each shared edge once; chain cutting (plasma) keeps the torch lit from part to part through the waste when the link is short. See Plasma.

Big jobs stop trying after 8 seconds and keep the best layout found. Ctrl+Z undoes a nest.