Optimization Tailored to Your Workshop
Every workshop cuts differently. MaxCut lets you configure the optimization engine — cut direction, multistage levels, and wastage placement — so your layouts match the way you actually work.
Why one-size-fits-all optimization falls short
Most panel optimizers generate layouts without considering how your saw actually moves through the sheet. The result? Layouts that look efficient on screen but are awkward or even impossible to cut on your workshop floor. You end up re-arranging panels by hand, wasting time and material in the process.
MaxCut takes a different approach. It gives you direct control over how the optimization engine arranges cuts, so the layouts it produces are ones you can follow from first cut to last — no guesswork, no workarounds.
What is a guillotine cut?
A guillotine cut is a straight, edge-to-edge cut across the full length or width of a sheet — the same motion a panel saw or beam saw makes. Unlike a freeform cut that can start anywhere, a guillotine cut always runs from one edge of the remaining sheet piece to the opposite edge. This is how real saws work, and MaxCut’s optimization respects that constraint so every layout is physically cuttable on your equipment.
Choose your optimization method
MaxCut offers three optimization methods so you can match the engine to your preferred cutting workflow:
- Normal — The optimizer arranges panels for maximum material yield without enforcing a specific first-cut direction or number of turns. Ideal when your priority is minimizing waste above all else.
- Multistage — First cut follows sheet length — The first guillotine cut runs along the length of the sheet, then subsequent cuts break those strips down further. This suits workshops where long rip cuts are the natural starting point.
- Multistage — First cut follows sheet width — The first cut runs along the width of the sheet instead, creating cross-cut strips first. Choose this when your saw setup or sheet orientation makes cross-cuts the more practical opening move.
You can also set the number of multistage levels to control how many times the optimizer turns the cut direction on each sheet. This gives you fine-grained control over layout complexity and cutting sequence.
Control where wastage lands on your layouts
Where offcuts end up on a sheet affects how easily you can identify and reuse them. MaxCut gives you two wastage placement options:
- Maximize — The optimizer spreads panels to make the most efficient use of every sheet, distributing leftover space wherever it results in the highest yield.
- Group at Bottom — Offcuts are consolidated at the bottom of each layout. This makes it easy to spot reusable remnants at a glance and keeps your cutting sequence straightforward from top to bottom.
Choosing the right wastage strategy depends on your priorities. If yield is everything, Maximize is the way to go. If you prefer cleaner layouts that are faster to read on the shop floor, Group at Bottom keeps things tidy.
How to configure optimization settings in MaxCut
- Open the Optimization Method dialog from the File — Settings — Layout menu.
- Select your preferred cutting method — Normal or one of the two Multistage options — and set the number of multistage levels.
- Then open the Wastage Placement dialog from the same menu to choose between Maximize and Group at Bottom.
Your choices are saved and applied every time you run the optimizer, though you can change them at any point to suit different jobs or materials.S_
MaxCut is more than a powerful panel optimiser. By utilising advanced algorithms, in a matter of seconds, it works out precisely the amount of materials, the cost analysis, job breakdown and produces all the paperwork you need to successfully make and sell your job. Subscribe now to the Business Edition to get the most for your cabinetry business!