SheetNest

SheetNest 2026 · Free for Windows

Nesting + CAM for sheet metal

Nest your parts, tool them, watch every cut before it happens, and give your machine its program. One app, from the DXF to the machine.

Get SheetNest See the CAM
  • Free account
  • Windows 10/11 · 64-bit
  • Runs offline
  • 6 languages
SheetNest 2026 · Verify

Verify replaying a whole nested sheet: rapids in blue, pierces in red, finished cuts in green.

  1. 1 Import

    DXF, STEP or IGES. The colours in your drawing say what is cut, engraved or named.

  2. 2 Nest

    True-shape nesting packs the sheet in seconds. Fine-tune it by hand if you want.

  3. 3 Tool & order

    Lead-ins, kerf and the cutting order, on every part, in one click.

  4. 4 Verify & post

    Replay the whole sheet, then Compile writes your machine's program.

CAM built in: from the nest to the machine's program

The sheet you nested goes straight to the CAM modes: Profiling, Order, Verify, Compile and Blocks. No second program, no exporting and importing again.

Lead-ins on every hole and contour of the nested parts in Profiling

Automatic tooling

  • Lead-ins on every contour and every hole, from your machine's technology tables
  • Kerf on the right side: outside the part, inside its holes
  • Micro-joints where you click, and engraved marks that travel with their part
The cutting order numbered on the parts, with the rapids between them

Cutting order

  • Holes first, then the outside of their part
  • Pick the start corner, and cut in columns or in rows
  • Every cut numbered on the sheet; click one to see its operation
Verify part way through a sheet: finished cuts in green, pierces in red, rapids in blue

Verify

  • Replay the whole sheet at the machine's feed rates, or up to 10 times faster
  • Rapids, pierces and every finished cut, as the machine will do them
  • The run time of the sheet, before it goes to the machine
The machine's program for the sheet, line by line in Blocks

Your machine's program

  • Compile writes one program per sheet, through your machine's post
  • Read every line in Blocks before you save it
  • Save it straight to the folder your machine reads from
Configure, Machines: a TRUMPF TruLaser 2030 fiber with its post processor

All your machines

  • Each machine with its post, its file extension and its encoding
  • One is the default, the one every new job starts with
  • Posts are free in your account
Panels sharing their edges in a common-line group, tooled for the machine

Common line, on the machine

  • Parts nested on a common line share their edges
  • Each shared edge is cut once, with fewer pierces
  • Tooled and replayed like every other part

A post for your machine

The post processor turns SheetNest's toolpaths into the program your machine runs. Posts are free, and you download them from your account.

Ready

TRUMPF TruLaser 2030 fiber

  • Machine code L72, Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl control
  • Writes the machine's own .LST program
  • Comes with an example tool list
Get it in your account
Next

Your machine

  • Send us a few programs your machine already runs
  • Tell us its brand, model and control
  • We make its post and add it to your account
Ask for a post
Always

Your CAM software

  • Prefer the CAM you use today? Keep it
  • SheetNest hands it one clean, parts-only DXF per sheet
  • Your machine setup stays exactly as it is
How it fits in

Check every program before it runs on your machine: replay it in Verify, and cut the first ones dry or on scrap.

The most parts out of every sheet

True-shape nesting packs your parts tightly by their real outline, so you waste less material and buy fewer sheets. Real 800-part jobs nest in seconds.

Parts nested by their real outline on a stock sheet in SheetNest

True-shape nesting

  • Parts are packed by their real outline, not bounding boxes
  • Holes get filled with smaller parts automatically
  • One click, and your parts are packed tight on the sheet, ready to cut
Rectangular panels sharing their cut edges in a common-line nest

Common-line cutting

  • Matching parts go on a shared line, so a single pass cuts both edges
  • Less cutting time, tighter sheets
  • Snap matching parts onto a shared common line by hand, too
The sheet list with three sheet sizes and the saved sheet presets

Your stock, your rules

  • Enter quantities, including mirrored copies
  • List the sheet sizes you actually have, and save presets so they're one click next time
  • SheetNest picks the sheet size that packs densest and puts leftovers where they waste least

Everything a cutting shop needs

From DXF import to cut-ready output, in a simple, one-toolbar app.

Imported DXF parts listed with their quantities and sizes under the nest

DXF in, DXF out

  • Drop in the DXF drawings you already have
  • Export one clean, parts-only DXF per layout for any other CAM software
  • Inches or millimeters
Unfolding a STEP sheet-metal bracket, with its thickness and K-factor

3D import & unfold

  • Bring in a STEP or IGES sheet-metal part and SheetNest flattens it for you
  • Built in and fully offline
  • Per-part K-factor and a Measure tool
Engraved part marks travelling with their parts on the nested sheet

Your colours, your rules

  • Yellow in your drawing is engraved and travels with its part onto the sheet
  • Blue text names the part and its quantity
  • Every other colour is cut

Automatic first, manual when you want it

Let SheetNest lay everything out, then take over.

Editing a nest by hand: rotate, mirror and move parts

Fine-tune by hand

  • Select, drag, rotate, and mirror parts freely
  • Drop-to-contact keeps your spacing exact
  • Full undo/redo, so you can experiment without fear
A page of the PDF nest report: settings, parts list and the sheet drawn to scale

One-click PDF report

  • One page per layout, one click after the nest
  • The settings, how many sheets to cut and the parts on that sheet
  • The sheet drawn to scale with every part numbered, so a cut piece can be matched to its row and marked
  • Black and white with parts as outlines, so it prints clearly on any shop printer
The File menu with its list of recent projects

Your work is safe

  • Autosave and crash recovery
  • A backup on every save, and recent projects one click away
  • Project files that remember their stock and finished nest

Works with the machine you already have

With a post, SheetNest writes your machine's program itself. Without one, it hands your CAM software one clean, parts-only DXF per sheet, so it fits in front of virtually every CNC laser, plasma and waterjet.

Laser cutting

Tight spacing, small parts in the holes of big ones, engraved part marks, and the program for a TRUMPF TruLaser 2030 fiber.

Nesting for laser cutting →

Plasma cutting

Part spacing that covers the kerf, and common-line cutting for fewer pierces and less travel on the table.

Nesting for plasma cutting →

Waterjet

True-shape nesting packs every sheet tight, and the layout goes to your waterjet's CAM software as a plain DXF.

Your CAM software

One DXF per sheet layout, parts only, with nothing extra to trip over. Your machine setup stays exactly as it is.

Nesting guides

Get SheetNest 2026

Free. Windows 10/11, 64-bit. Installs per-user, so no admin rights are needed.

1

Create your free account: your name, company and machine, and a password. Open the link we email you to confirm it.

2

Download from your account SheetNest 2026, and the post for your machine if there is one.

3

Double-click the .msi. It installs per-user, adds Start-menu and desktop shortcuts, and asks which of its six languages SheetNest opens in. Installing a newer build over it upgrades it cleanly.

Create a free account

Already have one? Log in · License agreement · Privacy

SmartScreen note: the first time you launch, Windows may warn you because the app isn't code-signed. Click More info → Run anyway to continue.

Frequently asked questions

What is nesting software?

Nesting software arranges the parts you need to cut onto stock sheets so they fit as tightly as possible. Good nesting means less scrap, fewer sheets to buy, and shorter cutting time on your CNC laser, plasma or waterjet machine. SheetNest does this automatically using true-shape nesting: parts are packed by their real outline, not just their bounding box. Read the full explanation →

Does SheetNest write the program for my machine?

Yes, through a post processor for your machine. SheetNest's CAM puts the lead-ins and the kerf on every part, orders the cuts, replays the whole sheet in Verify, and Compile writes the program your machine runs. The post for the TRUMPF TruLaser 2030 fiber (L72) is in your account. With any other machine, SheetNest still exports one clean DXF per sheet for the CAM software you use today.

Which machines have a post?

Today, the TRUMPF TruLaser 2030 fiber (machine code L72) with its Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl control. More are on the way: send us a few programs your machine already runs and we make its post. Every machine can use SheetNest's nesting through DXF.

Is SheetNest really free?

Yes. SheetNest is free to download and use under its license agreement, and so are the posts. You create a free account to download them. There is no subscription and no license key.

Why do I need an account?

Your account is where SheetNest, its new builds and the posts for your machine are. It is free. We ask your name, company, country and machine so we know who uses SheetNest and which posts to make next. We do not sell your details, and you can delete your account at any time. Privacy Policy →

Which cutting machines does it work with?

With a post, SheetNest writes the machine's own program. Without one, it exports one clean, parts-only DXF per sheet layout, and virtually every CNC laser, plasma and waterjet has CAM software that reads DXF.

Can it import 3D parts (STEP / IGES)?

Yes. Drop in a 3D sheet-metal part as STEP or IGES and SheetNest unfolds it to a flat pattern that's ready to nest. The 3D unfolding engine is bundled inside the app and runs fully offline, with nothing else to install. You can set a per-part bend allowance (K-factor) and check dimensions with the built-in Measure tool. See how the unfold works →

How much material can nesting save?

It depends on your parts, but shops switching from manual layout or rectangular nesting to true-shape nesting commonly cut material waste noticeably. Irregular parts interlock, and smaller parts fill the holes inside bigger ones. SheetNest also picks the sheet size that packs densest when you stock several sizes, and its one-click PDF report tells you exactly how many sheets to buy.

Does it need an internet connection?

Only to download it. SheetNest runs fully offline, including the CAM and the 3D unfolding engine. The only online touches are optional: SheetNest checks sheetnest.io for a newer build, and sends a problem report or a message only when you choose to send one.

Which languages is SheetNest available in?

SheetNest is in English, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Hindi: every menu, button and message of the nesting, and the PDF report. The CAM modes are in English for now. The installer asks which language to open in, and Settings > Language changes it later. New languages come from people who use SheetNest, and adding one takes no programming. SheetNest en español → · SheetNest auf Deutsch → · SheetNest em português → · SheetNest 中文版 → · SheetNest हिन्दी में → · Want it in your language? Tell us →

How is SheetNest different from DeepNest?

SheetNest started as a fork of the open-source DeepNest project and keeps its true-shape nesting roots, but adds a CAM that writes the machine's program, a faster engine, 3D STEP/IGES import with built-in unfolding, common-line cutting, per-project sheet stock, manual nest editing with undo/redo, PDF nest reports, and a Windows installer with autosave and crash recovery. Full side-by-side →

Guides

How nesting works, and how to get a cut-ready sheet out of SheetNest.

What is nesting software?

What nesting does, why true-shape beats rectangular, and where the material savings actually come from.

How to nest DXF files

Step by step: import your drawings, set quantities and sheet stock, nest, tidy up by hand, export.

A DeepNest alternative for Windows

SheetNest is a fork of DeepNest. What carried over, what changed, and how to move your workflow.

STEP to DXF flat pattern

Unfold a 3D sheet-metal part to a flat DXF, offline, with your own K-factor.

Nesting for plasma cutting

Kerf, part spacing and common-line cutting on a plasma table, and what to hand your CAM software.

Nesting for laser cutting

Tight spacing, small parts in the holes of big ones, inner contours first, and engraved part marks.

Common-line cutting

When two parts sharing one cut saves time and pierces, when it does not, and what the DXF looks like.
↑