Cut Optimizer FAQ
Answers to common questions about how Cut Optimizer works, plans and pricing, your account and data, and troubleshooting. Search below, or browse by category.
General
What is Cut Optimizer?
Cut Optimizer is a web-based linear cutlist optimizer. Give it your material lengths and the pieces you need to cut, and it works out the layout that wastes the least stock.
Do I need an account to use Cut Optimizer?
No. The free Starter tier works without an account, limited to 10 pieces per material. Creating a free account keeps you on Starter but adds the ability to save projects and access them later.
Can I try it before creating an account or subscribing?
Yes, two ways. You can build your own project on the free Starter tier with no login. Or open one of the fully functional demos, which unlock every Pro feature and show real optimization results immediately, the only thing locked in a demo is editing the piece list itself.
Which types of materials can I optimize?
Any one-dimensional stock: metal bars, tubes and pipes, timber, PVC and other extrusions, anything where length and quantity are what matters.
Can I use Cut Optimizer on mobile devices?
Yes, it's fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and phone.
Do I need to install anything?
No, it runs entirely in your browser. No downloads, no local software.
Is there a limit on how many projects or pieces I can work with?
Yes, limits depend on your plan. See the Limits & Usage section below for the specifics.
Where can I get help?
Check this FAQ, or contact support directly through the site.
Features
Does Cut Optimizer support multiple stock lengths?
Yes, on the Pro plan. Enter multiple standard lengths in the format 214/252/288, and the optimizer nests parts across all of them to find the best yield.
Is miter cutting supported?
Yes. You can set independent angles from 0° to 70° on each end of a piece for precise angled cuts. If you prefer, a setting lets you display straight cuts as 90° instead of 0°, shifting the whole range to read as 90° down to 20°, purely a display preference, the underlying math doesn't change.
Is material rotation supported?
Yes. If a material is symmetrical, the optimizer rotates and nests pieces to reduce waste and the number of cuts needed.
What is Saw Blade Kerf?
The width of your saw blade. It's subtracted automatically during waste calculations, adjusted for the cutting angle.
What is Front & Tail Offcut?
The amount trimmed off both ends of a bar before optimization, to account for machine limitations or end damage.
What is Miter Tip Offset?
For miter cuts that need two separate cuts, this is the extra length the second cut requires. It's included in the waste calculation.
How is waste between pieces calculated?
Single cuts: kerf width, adjusted for angle. Double cuts: 2x kerf width (angle-adjusted) plus the miter tip offset.
Why does material need a Width setting?
It's used to calculate the correct overlap between pieces on miter cuts, so nesting stays accurate.
What counts as a reusable remnant?
On the Pro plan, leftover material long enough to be used in a future project can be marked reusable. It's factored into effective yield and price, separately from true scrap.
Can I track material weight?
Yes, on the Pro plan, for the stock material itself, either as a fixed weight per bar or as weight per unit length. The optimizer totals it across your project.
Can I calculate material cost?
Yes, on the Pro plan. Priced per stock bar, per unit length, or per unit weight of the raw material. You'll get Total Price (all material as if none is reusable) and Effective Price (excluding reusable leftovers), plus the option to set a price effective date.
What symmetry options are there?
Lengthwise, side-to-side, or top-to-bottom. The optimizer uses these to rotate pieces for better yield.
What units are supported?
Metric (millimeters) and imperial (inches, feet), including mixing them between input and output, with automatic conversion. Imperial supports decimal or fractional formats; metric is decimal with configurable rounding.
How do I add a piece to cut?
Enter a length and quantity. A description is optional, useful for matching pieces back to a drawing. When importing from Excel or CSV, a blank angle is treated as a square cut; when entering pieces manually with miter cutting enabled, you choose the angle for each piece.
Can I specify two pieces with the same length but different descriptions?
Yes, they're tracked independently, and each keeps its own description in the drawing.
How are cutting angles oriented?
Picture the bar against the saw fence. 0° is a straight, perpendicular cut. Moving the saw right increases the angle, left decreases it. The interface shows angles as positive values with the direction shown graphically.
Can I set up preset materials?
Yes. Define commonly used materials once on the materials page, then select them instead of re-entering the configuration each time.
Can I import materials or pieces from Excel?
Pieces, yes, on the Pro plan, directly via Excel or CSV upload, or by pasting Excel cells straight into the import dialog. Sample files show the expected format. For bulk material list imports, contact support and we'll handle it for you.
What does "Import All" do?
A Pro-plan feature that imports multiple materials at once from Excel or CSV, grouping pieces by material name. If a name matches a saved preset, it's paired automatically; otherwise you assign the configuration manually after import.
What does "out of sync" mean?
Your input changed after you last ran the optimization. Run it again to get results that match the current data.
What's the difference between Total and Effective Yield/Waste/Price?
Total treats all leftover material as scrap. Effective (Pro only) excludes leftovers marked Reusable, since those can go toward future projects.
What's Cutting Complexity?
A Pro-plan feature that limits how many different piece lengths can appear on a single bar. Lower complexity is easier to cut and sort on the shop floor, usually at some cost to material yield.
Can I hide angle labels in the results to reduce clutter?
Yes, common angles like 0° and 45° can be hidden from the diagram.
How are results organized?
As graphical bars, longest first. Each bar shows its pieces with lengths, angles, and descriptions, plus stats like used length, waste, and offcut.
Why might yield show above 100% or waste show negative?
With symmetrical materials that allow overlapping nests, this reflects unusually efficient nesting, not an error.
What export formats are supported?
PDF, Excel, CSV, and plain text.
Can I export a single material, or the whole project at once?
Single-material export is available on Core and Pro. Exporting the whole project at once is a Pro feature. Starter doesn't include exporting.
What PDF layout options are there?
Three: a graphical layout matching the on-screen results (A4 or A3), an A3 layout you can scale down to A4 for printing when there are a lot of pieces, and a tabular format listing pieces one after another.
What's included when I export all materials at once?
The material specifications come first, followed by the optimization results for each material on its own page.
Can I export just the material specification, without the optimization results?
Yes.
What does an Excel export look like?
Your choice, either everything (specs and results) combined into one sheet, or split into a separate sheet per material.
Why is exporting the whole project sometimes disabled?
Every material in the project needs to be in sync (i.e., optimization run with current inputs) before a full export is allowed. If anything's out of sync, run the optimization again first.
What is Material Joining?
A Pro-plan feature: for materials that can be joined before cutting, this lets you set how many joins are allowed and the minimum length a joined piece can end up at.
What is Reverse Optimization?
A Pro-plan feature: for cases where you can order custom bar lengths instead of using fixed stock, this finds the ideal lengths to order for the least waste. It ignores stock and join settings but respects everything else about the material.
How is price calculated in Reverse Optimization?
By linear interpolation, based on the closest configured bar length and its price.
What does the Review Stock Quantities section do?
A Pro-plan feature that shows all your stock items with their quantities. You can quickly exclude specific stock from an optimization, or set a quantity to unlimited if raw material supply isn't a constraint.
What is the Material Inventory module?
A Pro-plan feature that connects your optimization results to your actual warehouse stock. When you apply a finished optimization, stock quantities are reduced accordingly, and any qualifying leftover pieces are automatically added back into inventory as reusable remnants.
Do I have to use warehouse inventory tracking?
No, it's optional. You can run projects with manually entered stock counts, or ignore inventory tracking entirely.
How does the optimizer use inventory when it's enabled?
It nests against your actual live stock quantities and lengths. If there isn't enough on hand, it optimizes using only what's actually available rather than assuming unlimited stock.
When exactly does inventory get updated?
Only when you click "Apply Optimization." That's what commits the run, updates stock counts, and logs new remnants.
What happens to leftover pieces after a run?
Anything meeting your minimum reusable length is added to inventory as new stock. Anything shorter is counted as waste.
Are saved remnants used automatically in future projects?
Yes, they're treated as available stock alongside your standard lengths, and older remnants are prioritized first.
What if inventory changes while I'm working on a project?
If stock levels change elsewhere while you're mid-calculation, committing your results is blocked until you re-sync and re-run the optimization, to avoid conflicting updates.
Can I apply the same optimization run twice?
No, once applied, a run's inventory changes are locked in, so stock isn't accidentally deducted twice.
What are Traceability Codes?
A Pro-plan feature: custom tags you can assign to an optimization run, useful for cross-referencing heat numbers, mill certs, or specific project zones. They appear automatically on PDF, Excel, and CSV exports.
Can identical material profiles be tracked as separate items?
Yes, by tracking tag, so the same cross-section can be processed and reported on separately when different production runs or certifications need to stay distinct.
Does the software track welds or spliced joins?
Yes, a Pro-plan feature. Each joint gets its own tracking code, and the documentation lists the adjacent piece lengths so assembly is unambiguous on the shop floor.
What does the "Group Identical" setting do?
Controls how repeated cut layouts are displayed. Off shows every bar separately, All combines identical ones into a single row with a total quantity, and a number like "Max 3" groups them in smaller batches, useful for counting on the shop floor.
Does grouping display affect the actual optimization?
No, purely visual. The underlying calculation and material yield are identical either way.
What do the colored status indicators on optimization tabs mean?
Gray: new, not yet run. Green: successfully optimized. Yellow: inputs changed since the last run, out of sync. Red: a processing error. Blinking blue: currently calculating.
What does the asterisk next to a tab label mean?
It marks that Stock Control, Material Joining, or Reverse Optimization has been changed from its default settings. On Stock Control, a Reset button clears those changes back to default; Material Joining and Reverse Optimization each have their own control to disable that tab's settings instead.
Can I hide miter cutting entirely if I don't need it?
Yes, a checkbox in the configuration panel hides all angle inputs, tooltips, and export columns. It's remembered as your default for future projects.
Pricing & Billing
What subscription plans does Cut Optimizer offer?
Three: Starter (free), Core, and Pro. They differ in project/item limits and available features, Pro includes everything.
Can I change plans later?
Yes, upgrade or downgrade anytime. Billing adjusts automatically for your new plan.
Do I need to enter payment details for the free trial?
Yes, a card is required to start a trial, since it sets up the subscription with our payment processor. You're only actually charged if you don't cancel before the trial period ends.
What payment methods are accepted?
Payments are processed through Paddle: credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal where available.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, no commitment. You keep access until the end of your current billing period.
How is tax handled?
Paddle calculates tax automatically based on your billing location, shown clearly at checkout. Listed prices are before tax.
Can I get an invoice?
Invoices are available depending on your payment method, contact us if you need help locating one.
Are there hidden fees?
No, the subscription price and any applicable tax are the full cost, shown clearly at checkout.
Are there limits on projects per plan?
Yes, Starter and Core have project limits, Pro is unlimited. See Limits & Usage for specifics.
How do I update payment details?
Contact us and we'll help you update billing information.
Is there a referral program?
Yes. Invite others to Cut Optimizer, and when someone you referred subscribes to a paid plan, you both get a free month.
Account & Access
How do I create an account?
Click Sign Up and follow the registration steps. You'll need an email and password, or you can sign up with Google or Microsoft.
Can I log in from multiple devices?
Yes, your projects and settings stay synced across all of them.
What if I forget my password?
Click "Forgotten Password?" on the login page for a reset link by email.
Can multiple people share one account?
No, each person needs their own account and subscription.
Can I use Google or Microsoft to sign in?
Yes, standard "Sign in with Google" or "Sign in with Microsoft" options are available to anyone, alongside regular email/password.
How do I update my email or account details?
Contact support, this isn't currently self-serve in the app.
How do I delete my account?
Contact support and we'll take care of it.
What if I lose access to the email on my account?
Contact support and we'll help verify who you are and get access restored.
Technical / Troubleshooting
Why isn't the app loading correctly?
Try refreshing or clearing your browser cache. Make sure JavaScript is enabled and you're using an up-to-date, modern browser.
Why does my browser show a security warning?
Make sure you're on the official site over HTTPS, and that your browser is current. If your work network filters or intercepts secure traffic, that can also trigger warnings, check with your IT if that might apply.
The app is slow or freezing, what can I do?
Performance depends on your device and project size. Closing other tabs and using an up-to-date browser usually helps, especially for large multi-thousand-piece projects.
Why can't I save my project?
Check that you're logged in, your plan's limits haven't been exceeded, and your internet connection is working.
I'm seeing an unexpected error, what should I do?
Refresh the page and clear your cache first. If it continues, use the feedback dialog to describe what happened, it automatically includes basic anonymous system info and your currently open project, which helps us track down the specific issue faster than a description alone.
Can I use Cut Optimizer offline?
No, it needs an internet connection, all calculations and storage happen in the cloud.
Why aren't my projects syncing across devices?
Make sure you're logged into the same account on both, with an active connection on each.
How do I report a bug?
Use the feedback dialog in the app. Describe what went wrong, it'll include anonymous system info and your current project automatically. You can also contact support directly if you prefer.
Limits & Usage
Is there a limit on projects I can create?
Yes, by plan: Starter allows 1, Core allows 5, Pro is unlimited.
Are there limits on materials per project?
Yes, Starter and Core have limits, Pro is unlimited.
How many stock lengths can I use per material?
Starter and Core: one standard length. Pro: up to 9 standard lengths plus 50 remnant lengths, and this can be increased on request for specific users.
Is there a limit on pieces per material?
Yes: 10 on Starter, 100 on Core, 10,000 on Pro, with the possibility to extend further for specific users on request.
What happens if a project exceeds my plan's limits?
Projects always save, but if they exceed your plan (usually after a downgrade), optimization won't run until the project is trimmed down or you upgrade again.
Can I reuse leftover material across projects?
Yes, on Pro. You can manually enter leftover pieces as available stock for a specific optimization, or use the Material Inventory module (covered in Features above) to track and reuse remnants automatically.
Is miter cutting limited by plan?
Yes, Pro only. No limit on the number of distinct angles once it's available.
Are usage limits per user or per account?
Per user, each person needs their own subscription.
Data & Security
Is my data stored securely?
Yes, encrypted, with regular backups.
Who can access my projects and data?
Only you. Support staff can only access a workspace with your explicit permission, to help troubleshoot something specific.
What happens if there's a hardware failure?
Data is backed up across separate locations so it can be recovered without loss.
Is data encrypted in transit?
Yes, all traffic between your device and our servers uses HTTPS.
Can other users see my data?
No, your account and data are private.
Does Cut Optimizer comply with data privacy regulations?
Yes, standard data privacy practices are followed.
Can I request my data be deleted?
Yes, contact support and we'll permanently delete your account and associated data.
How are passwords stored?
Securely hashed, never stored or visible as plain text.
How long is my data kept?
As long as your account stays active. If you delete your account or request removal, everything tied to it is permanently deleted.
Where is my data hosted?
In a data center in San Francisco, United States.