Some observations of the 4 programs. Cut List 4.1 is pretty bare bones with few options to customize the layout. The cut list diagram printout has no dimensions, those are on a separate report. It also couldn’t differentiate between the 6mm 1/4″ plywood for door panels vs. regular 1/4″ plywood for cabinet and bookcase backs. OpenCutList has some nice features and an intuitive interface, but it’s very picky about part dimensions. For example, a couple of pieces ended up being .750364″ thick (not sure how) which meant they couldn’t be grouped with the other 3/4″ pieces. My only recourse was to redraw the pieces. Taking advantage of OpenCutlist’s export to .CSV, I modified that file in Excel to import into cutlistoptimizer.com, saving the hassle of manually entering all the pieces. Visually, this is the best of the four in how the information is presented to the user. One nice feature of the printout is the parts are clearly labeled with dimensions and the order of cuts is identified. However, there are few customizable options, the free version is limited to only 5 saved projects and you can only calculate your cut list 5 times per day. Monthly subscriptions are available or a one-time payment will allow unlimited calculations for 3 days. I also imported a modified .CSV file into MaxCut, which is by far the most powerful of the four programs I tested. I barely scratched the surface of all the options for customizing projects and/or pieces, tracking jobs and costs by client, adding hardware or edging, etc. The printout is clear and well organized with one sheet of plywood per page. It had the lowest wastage %, which means my cuts better be precise. Unfortunately for Mac users, it is Windows only. Features aimed at larger businesses are available via subscription. Let me know if you have any questions on these 4 programs.
Discussion Forum
Given the price of sheet goods today I thought others might benefit from my recent tests of 4 cut list programs: Cut List 4.1 and OpenCutList (add-ons to Sketchup);
MaxCut Community Edition (PC program); cutlistoptimizer.com (website). I had a couple of cabinet, bookcase and other projects in Sketchup that I combined into one project which resulted in a total of 91 separate sheet goods pieces. All 4 programs came up with the same number of 1/4″ sheets (13 pieces in 6 sheets). For the 3/4″ sheets (77 pieces) the totals were, MaxCut: 10 sheets; Cut List 4.1 11; OpenCutList and cutlistoptimizer 12. That may not sound like a big difference, but at $133 for a sheet of 3/4″ red oak A1 PS plywood it adds up fast.
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
Based on a recent blog post here, I tried optiCutter, a free, basic, easy-to-use program that more than met my needs on a recent small shop cabinet made of birch plywood. It left me with very little waste.
I use a Mac with the OSX operating system. The program accounts for kerf, allows for labels, and accommodates imperial or metric units.
I have great difficulty figuring out the most efficient use of a sheet of plywood and this is a very useful tool. I'm bad at Tetris also.
Would love to get your opinion on the tool I’ve been developing
https://workshop-buddy.com/
It’s a web based tool and also has an app - let me know if you’d like access to any of the pro tiers. Alternatively if you send me your cut list I’ll see how efficient I can make it
I took a look at your website - I can't enter all 91 parts (20 appears to be the max), so, yes, I would need an upgrade to adequately try out your software. I see in your privacy policy that you have an Outlook email account - I'll shoot you an email with my information. Just so you know, I was an IT developer and manager for over 30 years so I may offer some web design comments in addition to woodworking thoughts, if that's ok.
Hi Iwk69,
I know that it an old topic, but if you can give me the parts CSV, I would try why OpenCutList give you 2 panel more than other softwares.
Regards,
Boris
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled