From a parts list to the pieces you keep.

Your first job

1. Enter parts and finite stock

   In Parts & stock, choose your units. Enter each part's width, height, quantity, material, thickness and required grain. Enter the actual dimensions, quantity and grain of the source pieces you have.

   Material names and thickness must match exactly. An available quantity of zero means exhausted stock. Width follows the horizontal x direction; height follows the vertical y direction. Review the kerf, edge trim and permitted rotation for your job.

   For inches, use supported fractions such as 1/8 or 20 1/2. A permitted 90° turn must still satisfy grain. Correct highlighted measurements before planning.

2. Create a plan and review what remains

   Choose Create cutting plan. In Cutting plan, inspect the placed and unplaced counts, switch between source sheets and select regions to review their dimensions.

   Unplaced instances are still required. A checked plan can be partial, and a high area percentage does not establish that the whole job fits. The search finds a practical best-found layout, not a guaranteed global optimum.

3. Prepare the job packet

   Choose Export verified packet & labels… or open Export & print. Select Job packet and A4 or US Letter, then choose Prepare PDF.

   Review the preview for part IDs, dimensions, material, source stock, the proposed cut sequence and missing demand. Use Save PDF, Share PDF or Print as appropriate. Prepare a fresh PDF after changing its options or the workspace.

   Planning and PDF export do not consume stock. A packet is a report, not an editable backup.

4. Choose the remnants you intend to keep

   Return to Cutting plan → Review remnants & update stock. Check only the qualifying rectangles you intend to retain. Unchecked pieces will not be added to the library.

   A proposed rectangle has a plan-node ID. It receives an inventory stock ID only after commitment. Review the source pieces represented by the whole plan before proceeding.

5. Explicitly record used stock

   Choose Back up workspace first. When the record should reflect use of every source piece represented by this plan, choose Review stock commitment…, review its confirmation and select Commit stock & checked remnants. Wait for the saved confirmation.

   This applies to all used sheets in the plan, including sheets other than the one currently displayed. If only part of a physical job is complete, do not record every source piece as consumed. Commitment changes the software record; it does not detect physical cutting.

6. Label the actual kept pieces

   In Export & print, select Committed-remnant labels. Use Review available stock IDs to choose available committed pieces, then select Prepare PDF.

   Check the actual piece's measurements, material, thickness and grain, then match its plain-paper label by inventory stock ID. Keep that label with the retained piece. A proposed rectangle or an exhausted row is not automatically eligible for a committed stock label. Printing another copy creates no additional stock.

   Check the actual piece before reuse. Labels do not certify measurements or condition, and they are not aligned to a particular adhesive-sheet product.

7. Reuse current stock on the next job

   Back up the finished job before clearing its inputs. Choose Workspace actions → New project… and confirm New Project. The job and layout are cleared; the library and its history remain.

   In Remnant library, search the stock ID from the physical label. Check the piece against its record, select the available rows and choose Use selected stock for next plan…, then Use selected stock. This selects a stock snapshot without consuming it.

   Enter the next part list and review Stock grain and Required grain in row details before creating a fresh plan. After the later job is explicitly recorded, a consumed remnant becomes exhausted.

8. Keep a portable backup

   Use Back up workspace after recording the job and save the editable native backup outside the app. On Mac, use File → Export Project Backup…. The backup preserves the project, stock history, archived checkpoints and unfinished drafts.

   Save on this device, Mac Save and autosave update the local working copy. They leave a selected backup file unchanged. Export again to keep a current portable backup. Keep one current stock record. Copies on another device are separate records; they do not synchronize or prevent duplicate stock use.

New project or empty library?

New project

Start another job in the current library. The current job, layout and drafts are cleared; existing stock and archived history remain. Back up the finished job first.

Start a separate empty library…

Begin a separate blank record, for example after practicing with sample stock. Review the confirmation and keep a portable backup of your old work. Sample and real quantities are never merged.

Open project backup…

Import a saved workspace as a local working copy, replacing the active workspace. The selected file is unchanged. An older record may predate physical cuts or quantity changes, so reconcile it with actual stock before another commitment.

Open a backup as a local working copy

1. Export your current work first if you need an independent portable copy. Choose Workspace actions → Open project backup…, or on Mac File → Open Project or Backup….

2. Choose the actual exported file outside the app's managed storage. Internal working, recovery and library files cannot be opened directly. If an alias or symbolic link is refused, choose an actual copy outside that storage.

3. In Open this workspace?, check the incoming filename before choosing Open Selected File. Choose Cancel to keep the current workspace. Finish or cancel a pending opening before opening another file.

4. The incoming copy is checked before replacement. The full current workspace, including edits and unfinished drafts, is retained locally first. This local checkpoint does not replace a portable backup. If opening cannot be confirmed, keep the workspace open and follow its recovery notice.

5. After opening, Save and autosave update this device only. Use Back up workspace or Mac Export Project Backup… for an updated portable copy. If an existing or older stock copy opens at a new checkpoint, its prior history is preserved read-only and its current layout and input drafts are cleared. Keep the original backup for those details. Review the notice, reconcile physical stock and create a fresh plan before commitment.

When something needs attention

Stock commitment is unavailable

Repair highlighted measurements, finish active operations and check that the plan uses current inventory. Changed inputs or stock require a fresh plan. A plan already recorded cannot consume stock a second time, and a plan with no placed parts cannot consume stock.

Stock quantities look old

The job can retain its original stock snapshot after a commitment or undo. Select current available stock from the library before planning again. Editing that older snapshot does not silently adjust the library; use a recorded stock adjustment when a correction is needed.

A stock record needs correction

Use Remnant library → Review latest stock undo… to inspect the latest applied action. Undo changes records, not physical material. Later dependent actions must be reversed first. Reconcile actual stock before using restored quantities.

Saving or reopening fails

Preserve the open work and export a backup if possible. Use Recover previous local save… or Open a verified backup… when offered. Successful previous-save recovery restores a local working copy. Selected source files stay unchanged; export a new portable backup rather than expecting Save to update an earlier file.

If a save cannot be confirmed, keep the workspace open and follow its recovery notice. Check recovered quantities against physical stock before committing another plan.

The history checkpoint is approaching

Back up the full workspace, then choose Review archive & carry forward… and confirm Archive & carry exact stock forward. Complete old history is retained, and current quantities carry into a new record. Undo stops at that checkpoint. Create a fresh plan and back up again; archived quantities are not extra stock.

For help with inputs, a plan or a record, use the support page. Review privacy information before sharing project files.