Nesting Planner

A single-file, browser-based tool for planning raw material when machining parts from plate stock and round bar. Built for shops that profile-cut sections from a plate (plasma / waterjet / wire), wire-cut those sections into slices, and profile-cut the slices again, the tool nests in all three operations, tells you how many plates and bars to buy, what it costs, and exports an engineering DXF.

No installation. Open index.html in any modern browser. The 3D view loads three.js from cdnjs, so it needs an internet connection; everything else works offline.

Features

• Editable part list with original dimensions plus per-axis machining margins (RM = dimension + margin)
• Stock catalog with multiple plate and bar types, each with material and cost per kg. Parts are routed automatically to the cheapest stock they fit
• Three-operation 3D nesting: profile cut (OP1), wire-cut slicing with configurable slice spacing and face skin (OP2), and 2D nesting of multiple parts inside each slice (OP3)
• Serial mode (sets manufactured one after another, stacking never mixes sets) or Optimized mode (everything pooled for best material use)
• Summary with plates/bars to buy, volume utilization, mass and cost totals and per set
• 2D plan views, per-section elevation and slice cutting plans, and an interactive 3D view with an explode-slices slider
• DXF export (opens in AutoCAD): dimensioned plate layouts with balloon callouts, parts list, slicing details and title block
• Save Project / Open Project as a .json file that restores every input exactly

Quick start

1. Open index.html in a browser.
2. Enter your purchase options under Stock Catalog (plate sizes, bar diameters, cost per kg).
3. Enter your parts under Part List, finished dimensions, margin per axis, quantity per set. Toggle Stack for parts that may share a footprint and be sliced apart in the thickness (the switch in the column header toggles all parts at once).
4. Set spacing, margins, number of sets and set order at the top. Results update as you type.
5. Read the Summary, inspect the 3D View and plate layouts, then Export DXF for the shop and Save Project to keep the dataset.

All dimensions are millimeters; costs are per kg in the currency of your choice (labeled INR by default).

Notes

• The default data is a generic sample; replace it with your own.
• Circles are nested on their bounding square (conservative for profile cutting).
• Parts stacked in a section must fit completely inside the section footprint; the largest part sits at the bottom.