Scope and claim boundary
CutOps uses deterministic heuristic search to arrange rectangular parts on rectangular stock under the constraints and priorities selected for a job. It reports the best result found within the available search budget. It does not prove global optimality, and an optimized layout should not be described as a mathematically proven optimum.
The method is designed for practical cut-list planning: preserve valid geometry, respect the active constraints, place as much requested work as possible, and compare useful production trade-offs. Arbitrary-shape nesting, structural design, machine control, and process-specific safety engineering remain outside this scope.
Inputs and normalization
Each run begins with enabled part rows, enabled stock rows, quantities, one unit system, and the current optimizer settings. Display and entry can use metric or imperial units; CutOps normalizes geometry for calculation before creating placements and cut instructions.
- Part quantities are expanded into the individual units that must be placed.
- Stock mode determines whether entered quantities are fixed or reusable sizes.
- Kerf reserves the material removed by each modeled cut.
- Row-level rotation locks remain binding when global settings change.
- Material matching and grain constraints are enforced only when Pro authorizes them and the corresponding controls are enabled.
Candidate search
Depending on the effective settings and search budget, a run can evaluate placement orders and orientations through guillotine-first or efficiency-oriented solver families. Available placement heuristics include automatic selection, best-fit decreasing, first-fit decreasing, and shelf-first fit. Fast, standard, and thorough depth settings control how broadly the authorized search explores alternatives.
Workload-aware limits keep large jobs responsive. For larger part counts, CutOps can narrow iterations or use a simpler effective strategy. The effective settings, workload adjustments, solver version, and deterministic flag are retained with the result so the executed method can be inspected rather than inferred from the UI selection alone.
Efficiency mode can produce a valid rectangular placement that is not separable as a guillotine cut sequence. Operators must confirm that the selected result matches the intended saw, router, or downstream cutting process before release.
Allocation and trade-off selection
Candidate selection considers allocation before cosmetic differences. A layout that leaves requested units unplaced is not treated as equivalent to a complete layout merely because its visible sheets show low waste. Depending on the chosen priority, complete candidates can then be compared using sheet count, used and wasted area, utilization, cut count, total cut length, and production-practicality signals.
Pro strategy comparison searches several policy and placement variants, removes exact duplicates and dominated outcomes, and presents distinct alternatives for material efficiency, production simplicity, or a balanced decision. See the strategy comparison guidefor the operator-facing workflow.
Reproducibility and change control
Identical effective inputs, authorized settings, workload policy, and solver version are designed to produce repeatable output. Changing a part, stock row, constraint, access level, ranking mode, or optimizer policy can invalidate an earlier comparison. CutOps records signatures and staleness reasons so a saved selection can be rerun before production when its basis changes.
Partial results and unplaced work
Fixed stock, incompatible material or grain values, dimensions that do not fit, and restrictive rotation rules can prevent a complete allocation. CutOps returns the best-effort valid placements together with every unplaced unit instead of presenting an empty success state. Unplaced work remains part of the result and must be resolved before a job is considered complete.
Pre-cut verification
- Confirm the unit system, dimensions, quantities, and enabled rows.
- Confirm real stock sizes and counts, kerf, rotation, material, and grain.
- Review every unplaced unit and repeated-pattern quantity.
- Check the first layout and ordered cuts against the intended cutting process.
- Validate exported geometry and instructions in the downstream workflow.
CutOps output is a planning aid. The operator remains responsible for material, tooling, machine, workplace, and dimensional verification before cutting.