Deepnest — The Complete Guide: Nesting Parts on a Sheet With Minimum Waste
Deepnest solves the nesting problem: how to arrange parts on a sheet so that as little material as possible is wasted. It is hard to do well by eye, and commercial nesting software is expensive. Deepnest arranges the parts automatically and keeps searching for a better layout for as long as it runs.
Deepnest — Part Nesting for Cutting
Deepnest Project
Arranges parts on a sheet with minimum waste, for laser, plasma and CNC cutting.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Input — DXF, SVG and CorelDRAW CDR.
- Iterative nesting — improvement continues until you stop it.
- Part-in-part — small parts placed inside holes in larger ones.
- Common-line merging — the machine does not cut the same line twice.
- Output — DXF or SVG, ready for the next step.
How to work with it
Import the parts file, mark which rectangle is the sheet, set a quantity for each part and the spacing between parts, and start. When the utilisation is good enough, stop and export. Check that the units in the file are correct before importing, and watch the grain direction in wood when it matters.
Related tools
To generate G-code from the nested file — DXF2GCODE. To edit SVG files — Inkscape. To draw the parts — LibreCAD.
DXF2GCODE
DXF2GCODE Project
Converts DXF drawings into G-code for milling, plasma or laser cutting.
Get it from the vendor
Inkscape
Inkscape project
Vector graphics editor — schematics, technical illustrations, report figures and SVG, PDF and DXF editing.
Get it from the vendor
LibreCAD
LibreCAD Project
Lightweight 2D drafting with layers, blocks and dimensions, built around the DXF format.
Get it from the vendor
CAMotics
CAMotics Project
Simulates the cutting path before you start the machine.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
For a student or a small workshop, Deepnest is a direct saving in material and machine time — without paying for commercial nesting software.