Free Nesting or Guillotine Cutting?

Choose the layout mode before judging material yield. Free nesting and guillotine cutting answer different workshop questions, so the result with the highest area utilization is not automatically the most practical cutting plan.

Use free nesting when

• You need a compact general two-dimensional arrangement.
• Parts may be cut with a CNC router, track saw, or another flexible sequence.
• You understand that the image is not necessarily an executable through-cut order.

Use guillotine cutting when

• Every cut must cross the remaining sheet or panel section.
• You want a slicing layout with an explicit cut sequence.
• You accept that the stricter constraint may use more material.

Inputs that matter in either mode

Enter the real blade kerf and outside margin. Enable rotation only when grain, pattern, or print direction allows it. Confirm units before importing a part list, and inspect narrow remnants before treating them as reusable stock.

CutListEngine lets woodworkers compare both modes in the browser. It is intended for rectangular sheet goods, not linear stock or CNC toolpaths, and a heuristic layout should not be described as a guaranteed global optimum.