Nesting, spacing and material guides
Practical guides to comparing nesting tools, setting clearances and checking material use.
DXF nesting online: from drawing to cutting layout
Nest DXF and SVG parts in your browser. Follow the import, sizing, spacing and export steps, or start with a complete eight-part example.
Eight acrylic parts: compare two sheet sizes
A complete project with DXFs, layouts and export files.
Compare sheet sizes for the same job
Keep quantities and clearances fixed while comparing stock.
Free nesting software for SVG and DXF parts
Compare SVGnest, Deepnest-next and NestForge for laser and CNC layouts. NestForge calculates jobs of any size for free and exports up to 10 parts on one sheet.
Deepnest not working? Check the job and try an alternative
Troubleshoot a stalled Deepnest job, then try the same DXF or SVG in NestForge with visible progress, local processing and free layout export.
Deepnest-next vs NestForge: DXF and SVG nesting
Compare Deepnest-next and NestForge: desktop or browser, DXF handling, common-line cutting, free limits and a downloadable nesting example.
LightBurn nesting: Quick Nest, SVGnest and DXF layouts
Use LightBurn Quick Nest or an SVGnest round trip, or prepare DXF/SVG layouts in NestForge. Follow the import, nesting and return-to-LightBurn steps.
Part spacing: separate kerf, remaining material and sheet margin
Set spacing from a tested cutting process and the material that must remain between cuts. A single universal distance cannot account for every tool, thickness, fixture and cutting strategy.
Kerf: measure the cut width before setting compensation
Kerf is the width of material removed by a cut. It affects finished dimensions and the space between neighbouring cuts, but it is not a reason to scale the whole drawing.
Measure nesting savings using complete jobs
Compare the material needed to produce the same accepted parts. A smaller bounding rectangle or a high utilisation percentage may not reduce the number of sheets you buy.
Fusion nesting: export sketch contours and check your licence
A sketch-DXF round trip can separate part design from nesting. Whether it fits your workflow depends on your Fusion licence, the source geometry and the manufacturing operations you need.
Plasma nesting: leave room for the cutting process
A compact arrangement must still accommodate pierces, lead-ins and a stable remaining sheet. Review the geometry layout together with the plasma CAM preview.