Panel Optimizer

The Panel Optimizer is another valuable tool that you get with your Cabinet Solutions program. This tool will give you a printed layout of how to cut your sheet stock to get the best yield from it.

To setup and start the Panel Optimizer:

  1. In the menu bar, find and click on the menu marked Tools.
  2. In the drop down menu click on the Panel Optimizer menu item.
  3. In the entry field provided, enter the thickness of your saw blade, (kerf size).
  4. If you would like the door parts to be included in the optimization, click the check box Include Door Parts. This will include Rails, Stiles, Mullions, French-Lites, and Door Panels.
  5. If you haven't already specified the properties for each of your materials in Job Costing, you'll need to do so before you run the optimization. Also, if you added a new material to your list of materials for this particular job and if that material is some kind of panel stock you want optimized, you need to be sure you have given that material a panel size or the optimization won't work.

Edit Material Properties

Note: This panel Optimizer assumes the grain direction of a panel goes parallel with the given length of the panel.

  1. You may choose to run Panel Optimization only on select cabinets in your job. To do this, click the Select Cabs button. Then, select only the cabinets you want to optimize and click Continue. The next time you come into Panel Optimization, you will have to select the cabinets again. All cabinets in the job will be optimized by default unless you select otherwise.


To print the optimized sheet layout:

  1. Click on the Optimize and Print Layout button to start the optimization.
  2. In the window that appears, select the materials that you want sheet layouts for at this time.
  3. When the optimizer report prints out, the parts list below the sheet image will reflect the optimized sheet image and not the Master Cut-List. If you would like it to reflect the Master Cut-List instead, click the check box Match Parts List to Cut List Instead of Optimized Sheet. This can be helpful when boards are rotated and their widths and lengths get reversed in the optimized image.
  4. You can also print out labels for each and every part in a job. This option can be found in the menu bar File under Print.
  5. To print labels that are in the same order as the panel optimizer, click the check box "Also print matching labels". The labels will be printed after the optimizer. A message box will ask you when you are reading to start printing the labels to give you time to insert the label paper into your printer.

Attention: A final word about optimization in Cabinet Solutions. A basic premise that Cabinet Solutions uses when optimizing is: once you start a cut into a sheet of panel stock, you will continue cutting all the way through. The program also assumes you will cut length wise first (rip), and width wise second (crosscut). If you happen to do this process in reverse order, (crosscut and then rip), check the box "Cross Cuts First (Rotatable Only)" in the Material Properties section for each material needed.