Cutting optimization & nesting algorithms
Plain-English explanation of bin packing, guillotine cuts, and how a cut optimizer saves money on every project.
A cutting list optimizer answers one question: given these sheets and these parts, what is the layout that wastes the least material? It is a classic computer science problem called 2D bin packing, and it is NP-hard — there is no known way to find the absolute best answer quickly, so real-world tools use heuristics.
Guillotine vs. free nesting
A guillotine cut goes all the way across a sheet, edge to edge. This is what panel saws and table saws do. Free nesting allows parts to be tucked into any corner, which gets better yield but requires a CNC router or jigsaw to cut.
OptimalLayout produces guillotine-friendly layouts by default so you can cut them on any saw.
How the algorithm works
- Sort parts from largest to smallest area.
- Place the first part in a corner of an empty sheet.
- Split the remaining free space into rectangles (the maximal-rectangles approach).
- For each next part, find the free rectangle where it fits with the least waste.
- Try both rotations when grain allows.
- Repeat with different sort orders and pick the layout with the highest yield.
How much can you save?
On a typical kitchen project with 30–50 parts, a good optimizer cuts material use by 8–20% compared to laying parts out by hand. On large jobs that easily pays for the price of a Pro plan many times over.