Cutting Guides
Linear Cutting Plans: Stock Length, Kerf and Reusable Offcuts
Published · Updated
A linear plan arranges required lengths along bars, strips or profiles. It does not machine cross-sections or certify a saw setup. Reliable plans start with physical stock dimensions and explicit blade kerf.
Enter physical lengths
Enter stock length, required cuts and quantities. Millimeters and inches use the same physical representation. Bare fractions such as 3/4 and mixed fractions such as 18 1/2 are accepted in inch mode. Switching display units never changes physical geometry.
CutNavi compares deterministic first-fit and best-fit decreasing plans. This is a bounded heuristic, not a guarantee of the global optimum. A cut exceeding usable stock is reported unplaced; the application does not invent longer stock.
Separate pieces with the actual blade kerf
Kerf is consumed between consecutive cuts. If a tail remains after the last requested piece, an additional separation cut is necessary and its kerf is subtracted from that tail. A piece reaching the original stock end exactly needs no final separation. A blade overhanging the end consumes only remaining material.
End Trim is cut first at the far end of each stock piece. Positions are measured from the original start face. The reserved length includes the blade loss: solid trim waste is the reserve minus that loss. Neither belongs to reusable length. Check end quality, clamping, blade clearance and orientation independently before cutting.
Reuse stock without double consumption
Select an owned linear material variant before choosing saved offcuts. Matching length alone is insufficient: remnants must belong to the same material family and have available quantity. Birch and oak are never substituted based on their dimensions.
Preview does not change inventory. Explicitly saving a production run locks used stock and decreases quantity transactionally. Save reusable tails from the stored run; repeated saves of the same candidate do not create duplicate inventory. Sheet Layout Mode uses MaxRects; separate Saw Mode derives its sequence from a real rectangular split tree.
Preserve production and pricing evidence
Optional user pricing can be per purchased piece, meter or foot. New purchase cost uses full purchased stock. Existing remnants add no additional purchase cost, without claiming that their economic value is zero. No market pricing, taxes, markup or FX conversion is supplied.
Saved runs retain the old price snapshot after today’s library price changes. CSV and print plans use actual cut positions and units. Production Mode provides local Previous and Mark Done / Next navigation; it is not factory execution tracking or a machine-certified toolpath.