FREE · PLANNING & SCHEDULING TOOLS
Cut List Optimizer (1D and 2D).
Optimize cutting of bars, tubes and boards (1D) or sheets and panels (2D): fewest stock pieces, kerf, edge trim, grain and guillotine cuts, with diagrams.
Your data stays in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
Decimals with a point or a comma.
Material lost in each saw cut.
Removed from every edge of the sheet before cutting (factory edges).
Steps to use Cut List Optimizer (1D and 2D)
Choose bars (1D) or sheets (2D) and the unit, enter the stock sizes and the pieces with their quantities, the blade kerf and, for sheets, the edge trim, grain and guillotine option. Press Optimize to get the layout of every bar or sheet, the waste, reusable offcuts and a PDF or CSV cut list.
How Cut List Optimizer (1D and 2D) processes your input
1D: first-fit and best-fit decreasing with several stock-choice rules, then a local search that empties the least-filled bar and shortens bars. 2D: guillotine packing (shorter/longer leftover axis) or MaxRects, three placement rules, five sort orders, seeded restarts and repacking of the weakest sheet. Lengths are exact integers (0.01 mm or 1/64 inch).
Cut List Optimizer (1D and 2D): worked example
Twenty-eight pieces of 400 to 2,350 mm cut from 6 m bars with a 3 mm kerf; the example cabinet (17 parts) on 2,440 × 1,220 mm sheets with 10 mm edge trim, keeping the grain of sides and doors.
Plan the cuts of bars or sheets
- Choose bars, tubes and boards (1D) or sheets and panels (2D), and the unit: millimetres, centimetres, metres or inches with fractions such as 23 3/4.
- Enter the stock: bar lengths, or sheet length and width, with the quantity available (empty for unlimited) and an optional price.
- Enter the pieces with a label, their size and their quantity, or paste a list. For sheets, untick “May rotate” on parts whose grain must run along the sheet.
- Set the blade kerf, the edge trim of the sheets, the smallest offcut worth keeping, and keep “Guillotine cuts only” for a panel saw. Press Optimize.
Example: 28 pieces from 400 to 2,350 mm fit in 5 bars of 6 m with a 3 mm kerf, which is the lower bound, with 6.3 % waste and two reusable offcuts of 1,117 and 335 mm. The example cabinet (17 parts) fits on 3 sheets of 2,440 × 1,220 mm.
Read the layout
Each bar or sheet is drawn to scale with the label and size of every piece. Hatched areas on sheets are reusable offcuts; red dashed lines are the guillotine cuts, numbered in the order to make them. A rotated piece is marked ↻.
The summary compares the result with a lower bound: total length ÷ bar length for bars, total area ÷ sheet area for sheets. When the result equals the bound it cannot be improved; above it, the true minimum may still be lower or the bound may simply be unreachable. When several stock sizes have prices, the cheapest combination is preferred.
Take the list to the workshop
Download a PDF with one page per sheet (or a page of bars), a CSV cut list for a spreadsheet, or a PNG of the first diagram, and print directly. Save the job as a .json file or share a link to reopen it on another device. To estimate how many sheets a project needs before listing parts, see the Plywood Calculator; for timber volume, the Board Foot Calculator.
Questions about Cut List Optimizer (1D and 2D)
How is the saw kerf taken into account?
Every cut removes the kerf width. In 1D, n pieces in a bar need their lengths plus n − 1 kerfs, because the last piece can end at the end of the bar. In 2D, pieces are kept at least one kerf apart.
What does “Guillotine cuts only” change?
Each cut then goes straight from one edge of the panel to the other, as on a panel or table saw, and the tool gives the cut order. Untick it for CNC routers, which can follow any layout and sometimes save a sheet.
Is the result the best possible?
It is the best of many fast strategies. On small bar lists it matched the exact optimum in every test; on sheets, check the gap to the area bound shown in the summary.
Are my measurements uploaded?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, and the lists are saved only in this browser unless you save a file or copy a share link yourself.
Is Cut List Optimizer (1D and 2D) free, and do I need an account?
Yes. This tool is free to use in your browser without an account. Processing takes place on your device.
What are the limits and what should I check?
Up to 5,000 pieces in 1D and 2,000 in 2D. Results are the best found by fast heuristics, not a proof of optimality; on small 1D lists they matched the exact optimum in tests. Nothing you type is uploaded. Review the result before using it in your work.
Is my input sent to a server?
Your input is processed in your browser and is not uploaded by this tool. Files and pasted text are cleared when the page is refreshed. Normal website requests are still required to load the page and its libraries. Read the privacy explanation.