aj
3bdefb1d1c
Adds docs/nesting-engines.md: which engine suits which jobs, the old plug-in names the registry maps, retired engines, and the rule that an engine change lands only when it beats that engine's current benchmark result with every layout valid. README, release and automatic-nesting docs drop the bundled plug-in wording; AGENTS.md now places built-in engines in OpenNest.Engine/NestingEngines and keeps only external plug-ins out of the solution.
124 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
124 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
# OpenNest
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A Windows desktop application for CNC nesting — imports DXF drawings, arranges parts on material plates, and exports layouts as DXF or G-code for cutting.
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<p>
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<a href="screenshots/screenshot-nest-1.png"><img src="screenshots/screenshot-nest-1.png" width="420" alt="OpenNest - parts nested on a 36x36 plate"></a>
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<a href="screenshots/screenshot-nest-2.png"><img src="screenshots/screenshot-nest-2.png" width="420" alt="OpenNest - 44 parts nested on a 60x120 plate"></a>
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</p>
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## Features
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- **Import / export** — DXF & DWG parts (ACadSharp), Excel BOMs, bend-line detection, built-in parametric shapes; export DXF or post-processed G-code.
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- **Nesting** — pluggable whole-job engines (Default, Strip, Vertical/Horizontal Remnant, StockLadder, plus DLL plugins), NFP-based interlocking pair evaluation, gravity compaction, rotation sweeps, multi-plate/multi-material jobs.
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- **Plate operations** — manual sheet cut-offs, [plate- or nest-wide automatic scrap cutoffs with a minimum tail-to-keep setting](docs/automatic-scrap-cutoffs.md), oversized-part splitting (straight, weld-gap tabs, spike-groove), interactive editing, and spacing-aware pushes that can slide along or away from touching parts.
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- **Visual overlap check** — highlight shared material on the active plate, rechecked automatically after edits, including containment and cutouts, with area shading, pair centroids, and hover details through View > Overlap Check. [Usage and limitations](docs/geometry/visual-overlap-check.md).
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- **CNC output** — configurable lead-ins/outs and tabs, contour editing, user-defined G-code variables (`$name` → `#200+` machine variables), plugin post-processors (Cincinnati CL-707/800/900/940/CLX included). [Pre-post verification](docs/post-verification.md) checks overlaps, missing lead-ins, and rapid crossings, with explicit risk acknowledgment required to bypass warnings.
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## Requirements
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- Windows 10+ for the desktop app; the console, API, and most test projects build on Linux/macOS too.
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- [.NET 8 SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0) to build from source.
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Windows release ZIPs are self-contained: extract the entire archive into a new folder and run `OpenNest.exe`; no separate .NET installation is needed. The Rectangles and Irregular nesting engines are built in; see [nesting engines](docs/nesting-engines.md). Use the ZIP and SHA-256 checksum from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/ajisaacs/OpenNest/releases), not the source-code archives.
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## Build, Test, Run
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```bash
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git clone https://git.thecozycat.net/aj/OpenNest.git
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cd OpenNest
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dotnet build OpenNest.sln # full solution (Windows)
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dotnet test OpenNest.Engine.Tests/OpenNest.Engine.Tests.csproj # cross-platform engine tests
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dotnet test OpenNest.Tests/OpenNest.Tests.csproj # core/engine/IO/API tests
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dotnet test OpenNest.FrontEnd.Tests/OpenNest.FrontEnd.Tests.csproj # console/MCP/API integration
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dotnet run --project OpenNest/OpenNest.csproj # desktop app (Windows)
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```
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`OpenNest.WinForms.Tests` (desktop-assembly tests) runs on Windows only. Format changed files with `dotnet format OpenNest.sln --include <path>`.
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Shared coding-agent guidance lives in [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md). [CLAUDE.md](CLAUDE.md) imports it for Claude Code compatibility; make shared instruction changes in AGENTS.md, not in duplicate agent-specific copies.
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### Quick start
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1. File > New Nest
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2. Import DXFs via the CAD Converter (layer/color filtering, bend detection, G-code preview) or create built-in shapes
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3. Define plate size, material, quadrant, spacing
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4. Fill — the engine arranges parts
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5. Optionally add cut-off lines, apply Part Sequencing to order crossing cut-offs before their parts, then save `.nest`, export DXF, or post-process to G-code
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Review part spacing before cutting, especially for interlocking pairs. See [pair-spacing checks and current limitations](docs/geometry/pair-spacing.md).
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## Command-Line Interface
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```bash
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dotnet run --project OpenNest.Console -- part.dxf --size 60x120 # fill one plate
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dotnet run --project OpenNest.Console -- part1.dxf part2.dxf --size 60x120 --autonest
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dotnet run --project OpenNest.Console -- project.zip # re-fill a nest file
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```
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Key options: `--size WxL`, `--autonest` (validated single-sheet whole-job nesting), `--allow-invalid` (explicit warning override), `--engine <name>` (jobs engine or fill strategy), `--quantity`, `--spacing`, `--template <nest>`, `--output <path>`, `--check-overlaps`, `--post <name>`, `--no-save`. Run without arguments for the full list.
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## Benchmarking Engines
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`OpenNest.Benchmark` runs every registered `INestingEngine` against `.nest` files (or a JSON manifest of DXFs + quantities) and scores by salvage-credited sheet area, with a penalty per unplaced part.
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```bash
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dotnet run --project OpenNest.Benchmark -- ./benchmark-jobs \
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--sheet-sizes 48x96,60x120,72x120 --engines Default,StockLadder --csv results.csv
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```
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Layouts are validated (bounds, spacing, quantity, rotation, stock match); invalid runs place nothing and pay the penalty. `--parallel` (default 3) speeds up scoring but inflates `Time(ms)` — use `--parallel 1` when comparing speed. Pass `--sheet-sizes` for an unbiased run; otherwise only each file's original sizes are offered. `--progress` logs each solve's start, the engine's `NestJobProgress` (plate evaluations throttled to one line per 2 s, every plate commit) and its finish. Custom engines drop in as DLLs implementing `INestingEngine` (public parameterless constructor) in an `Engines/` folder next to the benchmark. Built-in engines and how to change them: [nesting engines](docs/nesting-engines.md).
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## Project Structure
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| Project | Purpose |
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|---------|---------|
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| **OpenNest** | WinForms desktop app |
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| **OpenNest.Core** | Domain model, geometry, CNC primitives; [material-overlap diagnostics](docs/geometry/visual-overlap-check.md) |
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| **OpenNest.Engine** | Nesting algorithms and whole-job contracts |
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| **OpenNest.IO** | DXF/DWG, `.nest`, G-code, BOM I/O; CAD import |
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| **OpenNest.Console** | Headless batch nesting |
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| **OpenNest.Api / .Data** | Programmatic pipeline; machine & cutting-parameter data |
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| **OpenNest.Gpu** | GPU-accelerated pair evaluation (ILGPU) |
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| **OpenNest.Benchmark** | Head-to-head engine comparison |
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| **OpenNest.Mcp** | MCP server for AI tool integration |
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| **Posts/** | Post-processor plugins (Cincinnati CL / CI Fiber lasers, Gravograph IS8000) |
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| **\*.Tests** | Cross-platform suites; WinForms tests are Windows-only |
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## Nesting Engines
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Engines implement `INestingEngine.Solve(NestJob)`. Desktop Auto Nest, console autonest, MCP autonest and the API use one independent validation pipeline for every engine, including plug-ins. Invalid layouts require an explicit decision; malformed output cannot be kept. See [automatic nesting and validation](docs/automatic-nesting.md) for caller behavior and API validation status.
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| Engine | Description |
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|--------|-------------|
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| **Rectangles** | Plain and near-rectangular plates: maximal-rectangles box packing |
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| **Irregular** | Irregular profiles: no-fit-polygon frontier packing |
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| **Default** | Multi-phase: linear fill → pairs → rect best-fit → extents |
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| **Strip** | Iterative shrink-fill for mixed-drawing layouts |
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| **Vertical / Horizontal Remnant** | Optimizes a clean remnant drop on one edge |
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| **StockLadder** | Whole-job, stock-constrained baseline with salvage-credit ranking |
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Which engine suits which jobs, renamed engine names, and the rules for changing an engine: [nesting engines](docs/nesting-engines.md).
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## File Format
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`.nest` files are ZIP archives containing drawing programs, metadata, plates, and placements. Saved nests retain each part's lead-ins, lead-outs, tab gaps, and locks, plus the plate's cutting settings. Changing a drawing's geometry removes obsolete cutting paths from its parts; name, quantity, and color edits preserve them. See the [file-format reference](docs/nest-file-format.md) for compatibility and recovery behavior.
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## Supported Formats
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| Format | Import | Export |
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|--------|--------|--------|
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| DXF | Yes | Yes |
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| DWG | Yes | No |
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| Excel BOM | Yes | No |
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| G-code | No | Yes (post-processors) |
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| `.nest` | Yes | Yes |
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## Keyboard Shortcuts
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`Ctrl+F` fill area · `F` zoom to fit · `Shift+wheel` / middle-click rotate · `X`/`Y` push · arrows nudge · `Shift+arrow` push.
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## Status & License
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Actively developed; core workflows run end-to-end from DXF import to G-code. Contributions welcome. MIT licensed — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).
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