Nesting Software
Software that automatically optimizes the placement of parts on sheet materials to minimize waste. Used in laser cutting, plasma cutting, sheet metal fabrication, woodworking, and other flat-material cutting industries.
What is nesting software?
Nesting software automatically calculates the optimal arrangement of parts on sheet material — steel plates, plywood panels, fabric rolls, acrylic sheets, or any flat material — to minimize waste and reduce the number of sheets required.
The process is called nesting because parts are fitted together like puzzle pieces — interlocking and overlapping wherever their geometry allows, without actually overlapping (which would make cuts impossible).
What nesting software does
- Accepts part geometry — typically as DXF or SVG files from CAD tools
- Accepts sheet parameters — dimensions, quantity available, material type
- Runs the optimizer — places parts to maximize utilization
- Outputs a cutting layout — as DXF, G-code, PLT, or PDF
Types of nesting
| Type | Description | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| True-shape nesting | Places parts by actual geometry | Irregular parts, curves, complex shapes |
| Rectangular nesting | Places parts in bounding boxes | Simple rectangular parts only |
| Strip nesting | Fills strips of fixed width | Simple batch jobs |
| Linear nesting (1D) | Optimizes linear stock cuts | Pipes, bars, extrusions |
Who uses nesting software?
- Laser cutting shops — fiber, CO₂, diode lasers
- Plasma cutting services — steel plate fabrication
- Sheet metal fabricators — mixed-part production runs
- HVAC manufacturers — duct component cutting
- CNC woodworking shops — cabinet and furniture panel cutting
- Composites manufacturers — carbon fibre and fibreglass layup sheets
- Apparel and textile industry — pattern cutting for fabric and leather
How to choose nesting software in 2026
Key questions to ask:
- Browser-based or desktop? — Browser-based tools require no installation and work on any OS
- Free tier available? — Lets you evaluate with real jobs before committing
- DXF support? — Essential for any CAD-based workflow
- True-shape or rectangular? — True-shape is always better unless all parts are rectangles
- Export formats? — Do you need G-code, DXF, PLT, or PDF?
- Pricing model? — Per-job, monthly subscription, or one-time license?
Lapas is a browser-based nesting software with a free plan, DXF/SVG support, true-shape nesting, and export to DXF, G-code, PLT, and PDF.
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