True-shape nesting software for CNC and profile cutting.
Bring your DXF outlines, curves, angles and cut-outs included. Choose your sheet, spacing and rotations, and Bolt Nest finds a place for every piece it can. Every layout is audited before you see it.
The Bolt Nest app is in English.
| Part | Qty | Turn |
|---|---|---|
| Rounded plate | 4 | Locked |
| Flange | 3 | Any |
| Curved rib | 4 | Any |
| Leaf | 5 | Any |
| Gusset | 6 | Any |
| L bracket | 3 | Any |
Your outlines on the left, the real layout Bolt Nest found for an example job on the right.
From a drawing to a nested sheet in four steps.
Everything between your DXF and the cutter's machine, in one workspace.
Start from the drawing you already have
Drop DXF files in or browse for them. Each closed outline becomes a part, and a contour strictly inside another becomes its cut-out. Choose the units, review the result, then add it. Anything that cannot be nested, such as lines, splines or open paths, is skipped and listed with its layer and handle, so you can fix it in CAD. No drawing yet? Add a rectangle, or try the built-in sample.
Tell it how you cut
Pick a sheet (2440 × 1220, 2800 × 2070, 3050 × 1220, 1220 × 1220 or your own size), then set the spacing between parts and the margin at the sheet edge. Choose which rotations are allowed, from none to every 15°, and lock the orientation of any single part. Quick, Balanced and Thorough set how hard it searches. Switch on nesting inside openings when your parts have through-cut holes.
Review the layout before you use it
Press Optimize and the engine places the parts. You see the sheets used, the parts placed and the unused area, and you can zoom, pan and click any part to inspect it. If a part cannot fit, Bolt Nest says so and lists it. You can cancel a running job, and save the job to open it again later.
Take the result with you
Export the layout as DXF or SVG, the full result as JSON, a part schedule as CSV, or print it to PDF. Outlines are exported as they are, with no cutter compensation, and the files hold geometry only: they are not a CNC program, so review them in your CAM software before machining.
Geometry you can check.
Bolt Nest returns real outlines, not estimates, and it tells you when something does not fit.
Every layout is audited
Before you see a layout, the app rejects any result the engine did not validate, or that does not account for every requested part exactly once.
Nothing disappears
If a part cannot fit on the sheet, Bolt Nest says so and lists it, instead of leaving it out of the result. A layout with missing parts has to be acknowledged before you export it.
Your outlines, placed as drawn
The engine places your original outlines; the simplified shapes it uses while searching never reach the result. Curves are imported as short straight segments, within 0.1 mm by default.
The drawing at the top is a real result for an example job, made by the Bolt Nest engine. It shows how a layout looks, not how much material you will save: that depends on your parts and sheets.
Nesting software built around the details of a CNC and profile-cutting job.
The settings you need, and the checks you want.
DXF in, outlines out
Import closed polylines and circles from DXF, in the units you choose. Shapes that cannot be nested are listed so you can fix them.
Holes stay holes
A contour inside a part becomes its cut-out and moves with it. Optionally, smaller parts can be nested inside large through-cut openings.
Your sheet, your gaps
Choose a preset or your own sheet size, the spacing between parts and the margin at the edge.
Rotation under your control
Allow no rotation, 0° and 180°, or steps down to every 15°, and lock any single part to its orientation.
Three search levels
Quick, Balanced and Thorough set how hard the engine searches for a layout.
Take the geometry anywhere
Export DXF, SVG, JSON, a part-schedule CSV, or print to PDF. Save the job and open it again later.
An API when you need one
Send outlines from your own system and read back exact placements. The API is documented for ERP, MES and CNC pipelines.
English interface
The Bolt Nest app is in English today.
For workshops that cut free-form parts on CNC and profile-cutting machines, and the software teams that serve them.
The same nesting engine, from your own code.
A REST/JSON API for ERP, MES and CNC pipelines. Submit outlines, poll for the result, and receive the exact placed geometry of every part.
- API-key auth
- Asynchronous jobs
- Outlines with holes
- Millimetres, origin bottom-left
BASE=https://www.bolt-optimizations.com/api/v1
# Submit a true-shape nesting job
curl -X POST $BASE/nest/jobs \
-H "x-api-key: $BOLT_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"sheet": { "width": 1200, "height": 800, "margin": 10 },
"kerf": 4,
"rotationSteps": 4,
"parts": [{ "id": 1, "quantity": 3,
"vertices": [{"x":0,"y":0}, {"x":300,"y":0},
{"x":300,"y":200}, {"x":0,"y":200}] }]
}'
# → 202 Accepted
{ "jobId": "b9f04a1e-…", "status": "queued" }# Poll for the placements
curl $BASE/nest/jobs/$JOB_ID \
-H "x-api-key: $BOLT_API_KEY"# Cancel a job that is queued or running
curl -X DELETE $BASE/nest/jobs/$JOB_ID \
-H "x-api-key: $BOLT_API_KEY"What people ask first.
What is true-shape nesting software?
True-shape nesting software places parts by their real outlines, curves, angles and cut-outs included, instead of by their bounding rectangles. It lets irregular shapes fit together on a sheet, for CNC routing and profile cutting.
What files can I import?
DXF files with closed outlines: closed polylines and circles. You can also add rectangles by hand. Lines, arcs, splines, open paths and blocks are skipped and listed with their layer and handle, so you can fix them in your CAD program.
What units does it use?
You choose the units of each DXF when you import it: millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches or feet. A DXF without units needs a choice from you. Nesting and the API work in millimetres.
Can I stop parts from turning?
Yes. Set the allowed rotations for the whole job, from none to every 15°, and lock the current orientation of any single part. Turning a part by 180° keeps its grain axis; it does not keep a directional finish.
Does it handle parts with holes?
Yes. A contour strictly inside a part's outline is kept as its cut-out and moves with the part. An optional setting nests smaller parts inside large through-cut openings; it is off by default.
Is the DXF a CNC program?
No. The files hold geometry only. The outlines are not offset for the cutter, and there are no tabs, lead-ins, tool settings, feeds, speeds, cutting order or G-code. Review them in your CAM software before machining.
Can I use several sheet sizes or materials in one job?
Not today. One job is one material, one thickness and one sheet size. Run a separate job for each.
Does Bolt Nest have an Arabic interface?
Not yet. The Bolt Nest app is in English today. This page is available in Arabic.
Is there an API?
Yes. A REST/JSON API with an API key: submit a job with polygon outlines in millimetres, poll for the result, and receive the placed geometry of every part. API access depends on your plan. See the API documentation.
What is the difference between Bolt Cut and Bolt Nest?
Bolt Cut optimizes rectangular parts from a cutlist for panel saws, with edge banding and grooves. Bolt Nest nests free-form outlines from a drawing for CNC and profile cutting. Use Bolt Cut for rectangles and Bolt Nest for shapes.
Open your DXF in Bolt Nest.
Import your outlines, set your sheet and rotations, and review the audited layout.