Cutly User Manual

Getting Started

Cutly is a web-based cut list planner for woodworkers. It helps you:

• Import 3D models (STL/OBJ) or enter parts manually
• Optimize layouts across sheets, boards, and slabs to minimize waste
• Generate professional cut lists, shopping lists, and export packages
• Step through cuts in rehearsal mode before touching the saw
• Track offcuts, costs, and tool requirements

Visit cutly.codingandmore.net to get started.

Creating an Account

An account is required to use Cutly. Your projects are stored securely in the cloud.

1. Click Create free account on the landing page
2. Sign up with email and password
3. After signing in, you're taken to the project workspace

To sign out, click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Sign out.

Projects

Creating a Project

1. From the Welcome page, enter a project name
2. Choose your unit system (Imperial or Metric)
3. Click Create Project

Switching Projects

Use the project picker dropdown in the header to switch between saved projects.

Project Overview Tab

The Overview tab is your project dashboard:

• Project name & description — editable inline
• Start date & deadline — for planning
• Todo checklist — track tasks with checkboxes
• Stats summary — parts count, waste %, material cost, active tools
• Labor estimates — set hourly rate; Cutly estimates total labor based on cut count and setup changes
• Branding — add company name, logo, and colors for branded PDF exports
• Mark as finished — locks the project and enables offcut tracking

Parts Management

Adding Parts Manually

In the Parts tab:

1. Click the + row at the bottom of the parts table
2. Enter: name, length, width, thickness, quantity, material
3. Set grain direction (Along Length, Along Width, or Any)
4. Press Enter to add

Importing from 3D Models

1. Click Import in the Parts tab
2. Drag & drop an STL or OBJ file (or click to browse)
3. Cutly extracts bounding boxes from each solid body
4. Parts are created automatically in a new part group

Supported formats:

• STL — binary and ASCII, multi-solid support
• OBJ — named groups and objects
• CSV/TSV — tab or comma-separated parts lists

Part Groups

Parts are organized into groups (Manual, STL Import, OBJ Import, CSV Import). You can:

• Rename groups
• Enable/disable groups — disabled groups are excluded from layout optimization
• Delete a group and all its parts

Editing Parts

Click any field in the parts table to edit inline. Or select a part and use the side panel for:

• All dimension fields
• Material assignment
• Grain direction
• Edge banding configuration
• Notes

Bulk Material Assignment

Select multiple parts using the checkboxes, then use the bulk toolbar to assign a material to all selected parts at once.

3D Preview

When a single imported part is selected, a 3D preview appears showing the original geometry with bounding box overlay. Use mouse to orbit, zoom, and pan.

Materials & Stock

Materials

Each part has an assigned material. Materials have:

• Name — e.g., "3/4 Baltic Birch"
• Type — Sheet, Dimensional, Board-Foot, or Slab
• Thickness — nominal thickness
• Species — for lumber (e.g., Walnut, Maple, Cherry)
• Grain sensitivity — whether grain direction matters for this material
• Cost — per sheet, per board foot, per linear foot, or per slab

Stock Types

Stock Inventory (My Shop)

Track your existing stock in the Stock Inventory tab under My Shop:

• Sheets — plywood, MDF panels you own
• LBF (Lumber by Board Foot) — rough lumber inventory
• Slabs — live-edge pieces
• Offcuts — reusable leftover pieces (visible after project is marked finished)

Quantities you own are deducted from the shopping list's "To Buy" column.

Auto-Generated Stock

When no matching stock exists for a material, Cutly auto-suggests stock based on your preferences:

• Sheets: picks smallest standard size that fits all parts
• Boards: suggests widths based on part dimensions (capped at 7" — wider boards are expensive at lumber yards)
• Slabs: generated from part dimensions plus squaring trim

Layout Optimization

How It Works

Cutly uses multiple packing algorithms optimized for each stock type:

• Sheets — Guillotine cut tree packing (every cut goes edge-to-edge, just like a real table saw)
• Boards — Linear packing (1D) or strip packing (2D rip-first or crosscut-first)
• Slabs — Same as sheets, with squaring trim for irregular edges

Cut Strategies

Optimization Goals

Layout Editor

The interactive canvas shows your optimized layout:

• Drag & drop parts to adjust placement manually
• Rotate parts (respects grain constraints)
• Snap to grid for precise alignment
• Zoom in/out for detail
• Sheet tabs switch between multiple sheets/boards/slabs
• Parts palette — drag unplaced parts onto the canvas

Auto-Reoptimize

When you add, edit, or remove parts, the layout automatically re-optimizes in the background using a Web Worker (no UI freezing).

Stock Overrides

Override the auto-suggested stock for any material in the Layout tab sidebar. Useful when you have specific boards you want to use.

Surfacing Grades

For board-foot lumber, surfacing affects usable dimensions:

Cut Rehearsal

Step through your cuts before touching the saw:

1. Click Rehearsal in the Layout tab
2. Use Play/Pause or Step buttons
3. Each cut is highlighted with:
   • Cut direction (rip or crosscut)
   • Position measurement from reference edge
   • Parts revealed by this cut
   • Assigned tool

Saw Setup List

The saw setup list groups identical cuts across all sheets and boards:

• Sorted by direction (rips first), then position
• Shows how many cuts share the same fence/stop setting
• Minimizes setup changes for efficient workflow

Shopping List

The Shopping tab generates a complete materials list:

• Stock needed — sheets, boards, slabs with dimensions
• On Hand — deducts quantities you already own (from Stock Inventory)
• To Buy — remaining quantity needed
• Cost — per-item and total cost
• Edge banding — iron-on tape and solid lipping needs
• Lipping stock — solid wood strips needed for lipping

Click Mark all purchased after buying to update your inventory.

Exports

The Export tab lets you generate professional output in multiple formats:

Export Sections

Toggle which sections to include:

Export Formats

Branded PDFs

Add your company branding in the Overview tab:

• Company name (appears in PDF header)
• Logo image (embedded in PDF)
• Brand colors

My Shop

Tool Profiles

Configure your saws and machines:

• Name — e.g., "DeWalt DWE7491RS Table Saw"
• Kerf width — blade thickness (affects layout waste)
• Max cut dimensions — rip capacity, crosscut capacity
• Supported cut types — rip, crosscut, or both
• Accuracy — measurement tolerance

Add multiple tools. Cutly assigns the best tool to each cut based on type and constraints.

Stock Inventory

Track what you own across 4 categories: Sheets, LBF, Offcuts, Slabs.

Use the Catalog Picker to browse your material library and add items to inventory.

Stock Defaults

Configure preferences for auto-generated stock:

• Preferred sheet sizes — standard sizes to suggest
• Preferred board widths — common widths at your lumber yard
• Board width strategy — minimize waste (multi-width) or uniform width
• Slab squaring trim — how much to trim irregular edges
• Max suggested board width — cap at 7" by default

Material Prices

Set default prices per material for accurate cost estimates:

• $/sheet for sheet goods
• $/board foot for lumber (by surfacing grade: rough, S2S, S3S, S4S)
• $/linear foot for edge banding
• $/slab for slabs

Edge Banding & Lipping

Iron-On Edge Banding

Thin adhesive tape applied to sheet edges:

• Configure per-edge (top, bottom, left, right)
• Select width/thickness
• Cost estimated from 2025 pricing database

Solid Wood Lipping

Thicker wood strips glued to panel edges:

• Configure per-edge with thickness (up to 1")
• Corner treatments: mitered (45-degree) or butt joints
• Lipping pieces appear in the cut list as separate parts
• Stock needs calculated automatically (strips per board)

Edge Banding Summary

The Parts tab shows aggregate edge banding needs:

• Total linear inches per type
• Material/species breakdown
• Stock strips needed

Tips & Best Practices

For Accurate Cuts

• Always set your saw's actual kerf width in Tool Profiles
• Use the cut rehearsal to verify every cut before starting
• Check the saw setup list to plan your workflow and minimize fence changes

For Less Waste

• Use "Minimize Waste" optimization goal
• Let Cutly suggest multi-width boards for board-foot stock
• Check offcuts after completing a project — they're saved for future use

For Cost Savings

• Enter material prices to get accurate cost estimates
• Track your stock inventory — the shopping list deducts what you already own
• Use surfacing grades to account for planing/jointing waste

For Safety

• Review safety warnings in the layout (trapped offcuts, minimum safe sizes)
• The safety analyzer flags cuts that exceed your tool's capacity
• Full-sheet handling warnings remind you when two-person lifts are needed

For Professional Output

• Add branding in the Overview tab for client-ready PDFs
• Use ZIP export to deliver a complete package
• The saw setup list is invaluable for shop helpers

Keyboard Shortcuts

Support

For bug reports and feature requests, visit the project repository or contact support through the app.