A plywood cut list starts with finished parts, not just an area total. Give each rectangular part a length, width, and quantity. Keep one list for each material and thickness. An 18 mm cabinet side cannot come from the same physical sheet as a 6 mm back panel.
Enter the dimensions you intend to cut
Decide whether parts are final sizes or oversized blanks. If a part needs 5 mm extra for later fitting, enter that larger blank. The optimizer does not infer an allowance from the project.
Check stock sizes too. A metric 2440 × 1220 mm sheet is close to a 4 × 8 ft sheet, but the latter is exactly 2438.4 × 1219.2 mm. A small difference can matter in a tightly packed layout.
Set kerf and edge trim
Kerf is the width removed by a cut. Measure a test cut or consult the blade specification. Edge trim is the amount removed to square or clean each sheet edge. A 5 mm trim on every edge reduces usable length and width by 10 mm each.
Make grain direction intentional
With rotation off, the part’s entered length follows the sheet’s length. Check the actual grain and keep this convention consistent. Allow rotation only if swapping length and width is acceptable for every part in the run.
The interface uses one rotation choice for the entire list. If some parts have grain requirements and others do not, use the conservative no-rotation plan or separate the groups.
Check the plan before cutting
The solver compares guillotine-style layouts: every subdivision is a straight cut across the current rectangle. It includes blade spacing but does not model clamps, saw reach, safe minimum offcut size, or panel handling.
Material use counts finished part area. The remaining percentage includes kerf, edge trim, and reusable offcuts. A large leftover rectangle can be more useful than the same area split into narrow strips.
Use the plywood cut optimizer, inspect every sheet, and print the plan. The result is the best arrangement found by a heuristic, not proof of the least possible waste.