From CAD parts
to a better layout.

Open your model or STEP file in FreeCAD. Select the bodies or solids in the model tree or 3D view; use Ctrl to select several objects. Open Nesting Tool and click Add Selected. Selected source objects may be added automatically when the tool opens.

Working copies appear in Nesting_Preview. Inspect the face facing upward, especially when drilling or grooves are present on only one side.

Use Import DXF… or Import SVG… to load part profiles. DXF import can accept several files in one operation. Inspect the preview after import and check inner contours and scale.

For a DXF that represents stock rather than a part, use the material Add button later in the workflow.

The row number identifies each part or saved texture group. Click a row to select its preview geometry. Double-click Qty to enter a positive whole number, and double-click Rotations to edit permitted angles.

Use Remove Selected to remove unwanted rows. Row selection is different from the Select for rotation checkbox, which chooses targets for the preparation Rotate command.

Click Add in the material section. Enter the sheet dimensions and the number of available sheets. Set the Sheet margin and Part spacing in the main window.

Select a material row and click Edit to revise it. Select and remove a row when that stock is no longer available for this job.

Add stock using a DXF outline when the available material is not rectangular. Inspect its contour, available quantity, grain direction and excluded inner regions.

Use the stock Edit action to review or change an imported outline before nesting.

Select the parts with Select for rotation, choose X or Y as the horizontal rotation axis, choose the angle and press Rotate. These preparation rotations change which face points upward; they are separate from the allowed nesting angles in the Rotations column.

180° — Flip over: turn a 3D part over when you want to drill holes or mill pockets on its opposite side. Check that the intended machining face is now facing upward.

90° — Correct the upward-facing side: 1stNesting initially aligns the largest face upward. Some parts have a side face larger than their intended top face. Rotate such a part by 90° around the appropriate X or Y axis to place the intended face upward, then check the preview.

Edit the Rotations value for a part to control which in-plane orientations the nesting engine may use. Standard options include a single orientation, four quarter-turn orientations, 45° increments and a custom list such as [0, 180].

Restrict rotations when grain or another directional constraint matters.

Enable Texture direction and choose the part’s local X or Y direction. The preview rotates the part and its direction arrow so that the arrow stays horizontal. Direction-constrained parts use [0, 180].

For another direction, also enable Custom angle and use Set custom angle. Inspect the preview arrow after making the selection.

Select a part row and use Mark selected part holes. Choose the appropriate through holes that the nesting geometry should consider. Review the highlighted inner contours before continuing.

Select the related parts and open Match texture. Drag their transparent outlines into position; inner holes remain visible. The invisible grid aligns neighbouring parts, while collision checks preserve the configured minimum spacing.

Select a part and press Rotate to turn it 90° clockwise. Press Save group when the arrangement is ready.

A saved Texture matched parts group appears as a numbered table row. It nests as one arranged perimeter, preserving the displayed positions of its members.

Open the matching editor and press Remove matching to release the selected group’s parts back into the table. Check texture direction and rotation constraints again if you change the arrangement.

Choose First (fast) to stop after an initial valid solution. Choose Continuous to keep searching for improvements; set a time limit when you want a bounded run.

A zero Continuous deadline means unlimited search. Cancel can stop a run while leaving an already published valid layout available.

The main window exposes the processor controls used for the nesting job. CPU processing is available; OpenCL GPU processing is optional. Use Show GPUs to inspect detected devices before selecting one.

GPU availability depends on a compatible installed driver and OpenCL support.

Click Run nesting when the part list, stock, spacing, margins and rotation rules are ready. Follow the progress display while the engine searches.

Use Cancel if you want to stop. When a valid result has already been published, it can remain available for inspection.

The Nesting_Result document opens the completed arrangement and fits the result into view. Review the used sheets, part positions, orientations and texture-group relationships.

The workbench reconstructs original geometry, so curved edges and machining details remain available for inspection.

Bridges join neighbouring parts into one connected outline. In CAM, that outline can be cut as one continuous cut across several parts, reducing separate starts and unnecessary laser-head retracts or travel moves. Hole cuts and machine-specific cutting paths are still configured in CAM.

Run nesting, then click Create bridges beside Match texture. Choose the sheet and enter the bridge width in the selected mm or inch units. Click an outer edge of the first part, then an outer edge of the second part to add a bridge. The editor checks that the full bridge width does not cross another part or a hole.

Use the mouse wheel to zoom, drag with the left mouse button to pan and press Fit all to see the sheet. Select an incorrect bridge in the list and press Delete selected. Press OK to create Nesting_Bridges. Each connected group becomes one joined 3D solid or 2D cutting profile, ready to export to CAM.

Press Export nesting result to SVG after obtaining a result. Choose the output file location. The report gives parts individual colours and includes legends, positions, angles, areas, placed/unplaced information and sheet utilisation.

The SVG is a layout report. Create and verify machine-specific toolpaths separately in your manufacturing workflow.