Sheet cutting plans
The Sheets tab packs rectangular panels into new sheets and compatible offcuts. It creates guillotine layouts, where every cut runs right across the current rectangular workpiece.
What is a guillotine cut?
A guillotine cut travels in one straight line from one edge to the opposite edge of the current rectangular workpiece. After an earlier cut divides a sheet, either resulting rectangle can become the current workpiece for a later cut.
Therefore, a later edge-to-edge cut does not always cross the original whole sheet. It crosses the smaller rectangle available at that step. The 2D progress view separates these workpieces as cuts are completed.
This differs from:
- Arbitrary nesting of curved or irregular outlines.
- CNC toolpaths that enter and leave material anywhere.
- Non-guillotine layouts where a cut stops inside the current rectangle.
Guillotine plans suit common workshop tools, give you a sequence that is easy to follow, and work well for rectangular furniture panels.
Read the plan
The sheet summary shows panel count, sheet kerf, existing inventory, and sheets to buy. Each sheet or offcut then shows:
- Its number, source, and physical dimensions.
- Parts, reusable area, discard area, and kerf area.
- A 2D or 3D view of the same underlying plan.
- Current rectangular workpieces.
- Numbered, dependency-aware cuts.
The 3D view is another way to inspect the plan, not a different layout. Printing always shows the panel plans in 2D, regardless of the on-screen view.
The interactive 3D view can separate the planned panels while keeping the numbered cut lines visible.
The cabinet example begins with one full rectangular workpiece. Only the first dependency-aware cut is available.
Cut order and progress
Cuts are numbered. Only cuts whose containing workpiece already exists are available. Completing a cut can reveal one or more later cuts. If you undo an earlier cut, dependent progress is also removed.
Use Complete sheet n / cut n as you work through the real cuts. Reset progress starts the displayed sheet again. Progress on an inventory offcut can be remembered locally; progress on new sheets starts fresh after a reload.
How coordinates work: Cut positions use the original blank's X/Y datum, even after an earlier cut creates a smaller piece. For example, X = 1706 mm is still measured from the original X edge. Identify the current rectangle, then turn that coordinate into a measurement for your setup.
Rotation and orientation
SawWise normally allows a panel to rotate 90 degrees. This can improve fit. A rotated marker means the panel has changed orientation within the layout, not that the material has no direction.
Use Keep panel orientation in Parts, or the bulk Lock orientation action, when grain, face pattern, printing, or another design detail must run a particular way. SawWise does not detect grain direction automatically.
Full and half sheets
Use Sheet size to choose Full sheet, a half sheet across the length, or a half sheet across the width. Half-sheet choices work with linked built-in sheet families.
SawWise uses a full purchase sheet and displays Full sheets required when:
- No linked entry exists for the selected half-sheet variant.
- A panel still cannot be placed on the selected half sheet after compatible inventory and allowed rotation are considered.
Custom sheets are standalone sizes. A part explicitly assigned to an exact sheet stock can also take priority over the general project preference.
Unplaced panels
An unplaced panel did not fit the selected sheet or offcuts. It may be too large or locked in an orientation that prevents it fitting.
Try larger stock, corrected panel dimensions, or unlocked rotation, then check the recalculated plan.
Material-saving analysis
Could a tiny change save a whole sheet? tests one sheet-part dimension at a time, reducing it in small steps up to the selected maximum. It reports changes that reduce the number of purchased sheets in the tested packing result.
Think of this as an idea generator rather than an automatic design edit. If a suggestion still works with your joinery, clearances, hardware, strength, appearance, and connected parts, make the change in SketchUp and import the new model.
Kerf and real cutting
Sheet blade kerf reserves the width removed by each planned cut. A test cut gives you a useful real-world value for your blade, material, and setup.
Before each cut:
- Find the current workpiece and its datum edges.
- Compare its real size with the plan.
- Translate the next coordinate into your tool setup and choose the blade side.
- Check grain or face direction and support both resulting pieces.
- Follow the normal guidance for your saw, track, guards, and workholding.
Existing material can be included through the offcut inventory.