Edit Material Properties
  • Choose Material: At the top of this dialog box there is a scroll list of all the materials in your material list. Click on the down arrow to see what is in the list, then click on the name of each material to set the properties for that material.


Panel Optimization Properties for All Panels: 

  • Rotatable: Place a check in the check box if the parts placed on this sheet can be rotated in either direction. Obviously this is only true of non-grained material such as melamine.
  • Cross Cuts First (Rotatable Only): Place a check in the check box if you will be doing Cross Cuts first on these parts instead of Rip Cuts first (can be used for CNC operations). If you have not already checked "Rotatable", it will be checked automatically for you.


Job Costing Properties for All Panels:

  • This sets the cost that you pay for the selected material per square foot.
  • The Percentage Waste is how much waste you anticipate per sheet of material. Most people set this value to be about 10% to 12% waste factor.


The Standard Panel is the panel you carry in stock on a regular basis.

    • Include in Panel Optimization: By putting a check mark in the BLUE section, this indicates if you want the standard panels to be run through the Optimizer.
    • Include in Job Costing: If you want to include these panels in your job costing, click on the check box in the Dark Red section.
    • Panel Size: Enter the panel size you order each material in, and enter the size of trim you cut off each sheet before you start cutting parts.


  • Random Sized Panels are panels that you may have laying around the shop that have been previously cut, but are still usable. These may also be called "Scrap Sheets".
  • Include in Panel Optimization: In the check box to the left of each Random Sized Panel, indicate if you want the those panels to be run through the Optimizer.
  • QTY: Enter the quantity of each set of Random Sized Panels that all have the same sizes.
  • Panel Size: Enter the panel sizes of any random sized panels you may have laying around the shop. Then, enter the size of the trim you cut off for that sheet before you start cutting the parts.
  • Include in Job Costing: If you want to include these panels in your job costing, click on the check box to the right.


  • NOTE: HARDWOOD IS NOT A STANDARD SIZE MATERIAL SO YOU CAN REMOVE THE CHECKMARK IN THE SECTION FOR STANDARD PANELS. DO NOT SELECT TO INCLUDE HARDWOOD IN FOR PANEL OPTIMIZING.