Minimize waste. Maximize every board, bar, and panel.
CutStock is a desktop application for cut optimization (Verschnittoptimierung) that helps woodworkers, makers, and small workshops get the most out of their material. Whether you're cutting panels for a bookshelf or bars for a frame -- CutStock calculates the optimal cutting layout, tracks your stock, and exports print-ready cut plans as PDF.
- 1D + 2D Optimization -- bars (1D bin-packing) and panels (2D guillotine packing) with saw blade kerf
- Three Algorithms -- Fast (Greedy), Nested Guillotine (smart split direction), Thorough (Genetic Algorithm, ~95% utilization)
- Grain Direction -- respects wood grain per material and part (lengthwise, crosswise, or any)
- Edge Trimming -- configurable trim margin for damaged board edges
- Stock Management -- track inventory, auto-deduct used pieces, auto-add usable remnants
- Project Management -- organize parts by project, import/export as JSON
- Visual Cut Plans -- color-coded cutting diagrams with labels and dimensions
- PDF Export -- compact multi-page layout (2-column for bars, proportional for panels)
- Print Preview -- opens PDF in your system viewer before saving
- Statistics -- detailed waste analysis per stock piece and totals
- Backup/Restore -- full database + settings as ZIP
- Multi-language -- English, Deutsch, Francais, Italiano
- 5 Color Themes -- Standard, Dark, Light, Blue-Grey, Warm
- Cross-platform -- macOS (.app), Windows (.exe), Linux
- iCloud Sync -- database and settings sync between Macs automatically
Manage materials (panels, bars) with thickness, cross-section, grain direction, edge trim, and minimum remnant thresholds. Stock pieces are shown for the selected material.
Organize parts by project. Each part has a label, type, material, dimensions, quantity, and grain direction. Import/export projects as JSON.
Select a project, material, saw blade, and algorithm. The optimizer calculates the best cutting layout and displays color-coded cut plans with statistics.
2D guillotine packing for panels. All cuts go edge-to-edge, keeping every remnant rectangular and reusable.
Configure language, color theme, unit (mm/cm), saw blades, and backup/restore.
CutStock solves the classic Cutting Stock Problem using three approaches:
All CutStock algorithms use guillotine cuts -- every cut goes completely from edge to edge. This is a deliberate choice:
| Approach | Material Utilization | Remnants | Required Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guillotine (CutStock) | ~85-95% | Always rectangular | Table saw, circular saw |
| Free-Cut | ~93-98% | L-shaped, T-shaped | CNC router required |
Guillotine cuts can be made with any standard saw. The remnants are always clean rectangles that can be stored and reused. The 5-10% better utilization of free-cut algorithms requires a CNC router and produces irregular remnants that are difficult to reuse -- not practical for most workshops.
- Fast (Greedy FFD): First-Fit-Decreasing -- sorts parts by length, places each on the first bar that fits. Instant results.
- Thorough (GA): Genetic Algorithm -- evolves 80 permutations over 200 generations to find better combinations.
- Fast (Greedy): Best-Area-Fit guillotine packing. Always splits horizontally first (right + below).
- Nested Guillotine: Same as Greedy but tests both split directions (horizontal and vertical) at each cut and picks the one that creates the largest usable remnant. Better results on complex layouts with asymmetric parts.
- Thorough (GA): Genetic Algorithm -- optimizes both placement order and rotation decisions across 200 generations. Best results but takes 2-5 seconds.
- Saw blade kerf -- subtracted at every cut
- Edge trimming -- damaged edges removed before cutting
- Grain direction -- parts placed only in orientations that match the wood grain
- Finite stock -- uses smallest/remnant pieces first, reports parts that don't fit
Pre-built binaries for macOS and Windows are available on the Releases page.
Important: Unsigned builds
The releases are not code-signed (no paid Apple/Microsoft developer certificate). Your operating system will show a security warning on first launch:
- macOS: Right-click the app, select "Open", then click "Open" again to bypass Gatekeeper
- Windows: Click "More info", then "Run anyway" to bypass SmartScreen
This is normal for open-source software. The source code is fully available for review.
- Python 3.12+
- macOS, Windows, or Linux
git clone <repository-url>
cd CutStock
./setup.sh # Creates venv, installs dependencies./run.shmacOS:
./build.sh # Creates dist/CutStock.appWindows:
build_windows.bat # Creates dist\CutStock\CutStock.exe| File | macOS | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Database | iCloud Drive/CutStock/cutstock.db |
%APPDATA%\CutStock\cutstock.db |
| Settings | iCloud Drive/CutStock/settings.json |
%APPDATA%\CutStock\settings.json |
On macOS, the database and settings sync automatically via iCloud Drive between Macs. A heartbeat-based lock mechanism prevents concurrent access.
- Python 3.12+ -- application logic
- PySide6 (Qt 6) -- cross-platform GUI
- SQLite -- local database (no server needed)
- reportlab -- PDF generation
- PyInstaller -- standalone app packaging
CutStock/
core/
db.py -- SQLite schema + repository pattern
models.py -- dataclasses (Material, Stock, Project, Part, ...)
optimize.py -- 1D/2D optimization algorithms (Greedy + GA)
pdf.py -- PDF export with cut plan drawings
lock.py -- iCloud-safe file locking
settings.py -- JSON-based settings
ui/
main_window.py -- main window with tabs
tab_material_lager.py -- material + stock management
tab_projekt.py -- project + parts management
tab_optimierung.py -- optimization + visualization
tab_einstellungen.py -- settings + saw blades + backup
i18n.py -- translations (EN/DE/FR/IT)
units.py -- mm/cm unit conversion
tests/
test_optimize.py -- algorithm tests
assets/
icon.jpg/icns/ico -- app icon
run.py -- entry point
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 -- free for personal use, no commercial use, attribution required.
See LICENSE for details.
Contributions welcome! Please open an issue first to discuss what you'd like to change.
When adding a new language, see ui/i18n.py -- just add your language code to LANGUAGES and a translation for each key in TRANSLATIONS.