ProNest 8 Quick Start Guide

COPYRIGHTS Copyright © 2006 MTC Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of those agreements. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use without the written permission of MTC Software Incorporated. MTC Software, Inc. 22 West Main Street Lockport, NY 14094 U.S.A. www.mtc-software.com TRADEMARKS ProNest is a registered trademark of MTC Software Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Adobe and Adobe Reader are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. 8 Rev-10/06. called “ProNest Quick Start Guide. The second half of the guide starts in the last chapter. It also provides information about system requirements. _______________________________________________________________ 9 ProNest Quick Start Guide __________________________________________________________________ 11 The main ProNest window_______________________________________________________________ 11 Starting a new job ____________________________________________________________________ 12 Adding parts to your part list ____________________________________________________________ 13 Automatic and interactive nesting ________________________________________________________ 17 Modifying the nest ____________________________________________________________________ 18 Creating clusters of parts _______________________________________________________________ 20 Moving and rotating selected parts________________________________________________________ 21 Creating a new nest ___________________________________________________________________ 22 Deleting a nest _______________________________________________________________________ 22 Cut simulation________________________________________________________________________ 23 Saving and opening jobs________________________________________________________________ 24 Output______________________________________________________________________________ 25 Reports _____________________________________________________________________________ 25 Index __________________________________________________________________________________ 26 This guide performs two functions. 1 . By following the steps presented in this guide. Inc.. The first half is an installation guide. you will get a basic understanding of how to use ProNest. program authorization. Inc.ProNest Installation and Quick Start Guide In this guide.” The purpose of the quick start guide is to walk you through many of the important tasks in ProNest. It describes what’s new and updated in this release and helps you install and start the latest version of ProNest.. and how to contact MTC Software. What’s new in this release ___________________________________________________________________ 2 System requirements_______________________________________________________________________ 4 Installing ProNest__________________________________________________________________________ 5 Opening and closing ProNest _________________________________________________________________ 6 Authorizing ProNest ________________________________________________________________________ 7 Obtaining your authorization code _____________________________________________________________ 8 Contacting MTC Software. you can define the sequencing of individual actions. the leads can be trimmed automatically if placed in conflict with other parts. Also. scribes. Common Line Cutting (CLC): In addition to regular bumping. the other defines the exterior. vertical cuts. you can specify two grids: One that defines the interior skeleton lines. the available processes are presented to you. you can specify the number of rows and columns to create. ProNest can give preferential treatment to placing leads on corners. Also. prepiercing has been enhanced to provide the ability to pre-pierce all profiles in a part before it is cut. The Work Zones module allows you to define the size and distance between repositions. you can create partial skeleton lines called bridge lines to cut the skeleton between specific parts on the nest. from adding parts to nesting to generating output. Cut Sequence Rules also provide control over exactly when interior and exterior skeleton lines will be cut. Cut Sequence Rules: Take full control over the cut sequence order. Output: A new advanced cutting technique allows you to convert sharp corners into rounded corners. With this feature. Settings have been reorganized and simplified to better match the general flow of the application. As CAD parts are selected. When you have selected the appropriate post processor. When leads are automatically moved for collision avoidance. the settings have been reorganized slightly to simplify the experience of editing settings.ProNest Installation Guide What’s new in this release The latest version of ProNest includes powerful new features and enhancements that improve the quality and efficiency of your output. Common Line Cutting has been expanded with a new module that allows any combination of parts to share common lines. Also. more intuitive way of identifying and assigning CAD layers to a machine process. With this feature. Collision Avoidance: Lead placement has been greatly improved for collision avoidance. while simplifying the user interface at the same time. Settings enhancements General layout: The layout and flow of the settings pages have been modified to better match the general flow of the application: Importing Parts is first. By creating a cut sequence rule. The cut sequencing of pre-pierces can be controlled further through the use of Cut Sequence Rules. Feature enhancements Importing parts: Advanced CAD layer support provides a richer. together with the ability to name each strategy. Simply specify an angle and all corners sharper than that angle will be rounded using a radius that you define. Automatic nesting strategies: Simplified editing capability. In addition. These settings can be specified in a settings table (XLS) to allow different values for different conditions. Basic machine configuration: Adding or removing processes from your machine has been greatly simplified. This release also provides support for machines with repositioning capability. For example. a Favorites button has been added for importing CAD files. Other improvements to Skeleton Cut-Up include control over plate edge extensions and the cut direction of horizontal cuts. Together with Cut Sequence Rules. interior profiles and many more. capability for a zero separation bump has been added. 2 . Additionally. This feature allows a part to be bumped in contact with another part or with the plate edge. such as pre-pierces. allows you to fully customize your nesting strategies. This ability is very useful when building advanced CLC clusters or for placing parts that will have an edge common with the plate edge. A brand new online help system has been created for settings in ProNest 8. exterior profiles. you can define exactly how a nest should be cut with a high degree of control. ProNest automatically discovers and presents the layers found. Output is last. control over the creation of CLC Arrays is now possible through interactive CLC array. It has been designed to provide you with a better understanding of each setting and to help you get the most out of ProNest. You can even assign process settings from one existing process to another. Also. All you have to do is select the layers that need processing. punches. and cuts that touch the plate edge. you can maintain a list of commonly used CAD folders for quick navigation. Skeleton Cut-Up: Instead of a single grid that defines skeleton lines. all the settings that act as defaults for importing parts are now located on the Importing Parts settings page. Simply select the ones you need and deselect the ones you don’t. users are not limited to only pairs. and the maximum number of repositions allowed. simply take a digital picture of a plate and assign that image to a nest. For example: the speed of pattern array has improved by as much as 80% . Pattern Array and CLC Array (when used as part of an automatic nesting strategy) now recognize remnants and skeletons to nest and fill efficiently on them. Speed enhancements: Optimizations have been made to improve the speed of automatic nesting.ProNest Installation Guide Reports: New and improved standard reports have been added to minimize the need for custom reports. Parts can now be nested into each zone. but some parts produce better 3-part patterns. more than one report file (. This is ideal for applications where the source material has surface defects. Nesting improvements Pattern Array: Combinations of different patterns are now used to effectively fill the nesting region. the reposition distance. Pattern Array can now identify parts that produce better patterns when used in groups of three.benefiting any nesting strategy that makes use of it. Nesting on remnants and skeletons: Rectangular Nesting now makes efficient use of the available space on remnants and skeletons instead of nesting on their rectangular region. Work Zones: This module was designed for machines with repositioning capability. cut sequencing occurs by zone to reduce the need for manual sequencing. Having the ability to see the superimposed material image while you are nesting eliminates guesswork and saves programming time. In addition. This makes it easier to separate custom reports from ProNest’s list of standard reports. Highly efficient nests with drastically reduced cutting times may be developed quickly and easily. Consequently.rav) can now be used. Also. New modules Advanced Common Line Cutting: In addition to the features offered by the Common Line Cutting (CLC) module. To use this feature. quads and arrays. 3 . you can control the work zone length. making it less likely that profiles have to be split. This can result in improved material utilization. It allows users to segment the available work area into smaller work zones of a desired dimension. When using work zones. If custom reports are needed. the ability to reposition backwards. Nest Background Image: Superimpose an image of your plate onto the ProNest work area. Most parts create their best pattern when used in pairs. Advanced CLC adds the ability to create complete common line nests using unlimited quantities of unique parts. Cut path editing for these common line clusters is also available. Part filling: Pattern Array and Common Line Cut Array can be used to fill available regions during automatic nesting. If Microsoft Excel is not available. 4 . then the XLS editor provided in the installation can be used.ProNest Installation Guide System requirements Software Windows 2000 (with service pack 4) or later Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later Microsoft Excel* Hardware 1 GHz processor or faster (3 GHz recommended) 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended) VGA display with at least 256 colors and a resolution of 1024 x 768 200 MB available disk space * Microsoft Excel 2000 or later is recommended for editing ProNest settings spreadsheets (.xls). select Run. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. ProNest is installed in the following location: C:\Program Files\MTC\ProNest 8\Program 5 .ProNest Installation Guide Installing ProNest Important: Before installing ProNest. the installation starts automatically and you can skip steps 3 and 4. ProNest cannot install properly. To install ProNest: 1 2 3 4 5 Close all programs. If Autorun is enabled on your system. be sure that you have logged in as the system administrator. Otherwise. Type D:\setup (substitute the appropriate letter of your CD-ROM drive for D). From the Start menu. Insert the CD labeled ProNest into your CD-ROM drive. By default. From the Start menu. the ProNest icon is displayed on your desktop. point to ProNest 8 Nesting System. and then click ProNest 8. To open ProNest: From your desktop. 6 . double-click the ProNest icon OR . in the upper-right corner of the main ProNest window. Note: If this is your first time opening the program. you will need to authorize the product (for more information.ProNest Installation Guide Opening and closing ProNest After you install the program. click Exit. see “Authorizing ProNest” in the next section). To close ProNest: Click OR On the File menu. point to All Programs. point to MTC Products. which will read: This product is not authorized. Network installation: This type of installation can be completed only if network licenses have been purchased. Depending on the type of installation you need. ProNest can be installed on any number of clients. To authorize ProNest: 1 2 When you open ProNest for the first time. If you select the second option. Type the path to the license file (pn8. Anyone else who wants to run ProNest will then have to wait for one of the others to close. The License Configuration dialog will appear. Local installation: The local installation is typically done when a single license equates to a single computer. a network computer is selected to perform the task of authorizing computers that run ProNest (clients). type it in the box and click OK. Anyone can use ProNest on that computer. ProNest will be licensed on my local network. You can also click on to browse for the license file. 3 When your selection is complete. Follow the process below to authorize your copy of ProNest. ProNest will be licensed for this computer only. Note: There are two types of installations: Local and Network. click OK. or the second option. This process involves obtaining a valid authorization code from MTC Software. In this case you may skip steps 2 and 3.ProNest Installation Guide Authorizing ProNest As soon as you install ProNest. For more information about obtaining an authorization code. see “Obtaining your authorization code” in the next section. you should launch the application and authorize the product. 5 7 . the dialog will not appear. It will display your current license status.lic) in the Location of the network license file box. This sort of installation is common for single-user licenses and trials. Inc. you will also need to specify the location of the network license file. 4 Click Request Authorization Code. the ProNest License dialog will appear. The network installation provides more flexibility for multiple users than the local installation. For these installations. Clients are authorized until a certain number of licenses are in use. Once this is done. select either the first option. If you have already completed this dialog and clicked OK. When you have obtained an authorization code. Authorization not present. Phone: 1-716-434-3755 FAX: 1-716-434-3711 When requesting an authorization code by fax. Note: When you click Submit on the Authorization Code Request web page. it may take up to an hour to process your request if it is received during our normal business hours. address. Since our response is not automated. You will then receive an email containing your authorization code. Inc. you can call or fax the site code shown in the License Configuration dialog. and telephone number 8 . Click Submit. your default internet browser will open to the Authorization Code Request web page. you must first request an authorization code. concerning your request for authorization. To do so. On the Authorization Code Request web page: 1 2 Fill in all required fields: these are marked with an asterisk (*). you can still obtain an authorization code without an internet connection. Users without an internet connection While obtaining an authorization code by email is recommended. This code can be obtained from MTC Software. an email is sent to MTC Software. It is based on the modules you have purchased (including whether or not it is a network license) and on the site code from the License Configuration dialog. The procedure for requesting an authorization code is partly automated for users with an internet connection. please include the following information to ensure a prompt response: The site code The product name (in this case: ProNest) Your full name Your company name.ProNest Installation Guide Obtaining your authorization code To authorize ProNest. Users with an internet connection When you click Request Authorization Code on the License Configuration dialog. Inc. mtc-software. Address: MTC Software. This includes intuitive technical products and flexible options to fit your support needs. NY 14094 U. Eastern Time Telephone: Fax: World Wide Web : Office hours: Technical Support MTC Software.M. Inc. Inc. but we understand that issues do arise from time to time that need the backing of our support resources. Inc.com/support 9 . and a knowledge base. to 5:00 P. please visit our website: www. 22 West Main Street Lockport. details about all support offerings.A. 1-716-434-3755 1-716-434-3711 www. For current hours of operation.M. is committed to providing you with the best overall product experience.ProNest Installation Guide Contacting MTC Software. Our products are designed with superior quality and ease of use in mind.S.com Monday to Friday 8:00 A.mtc-software. Ascot Vale 3032 Ascot Vale 3032 Victoria.com The United Kingdom.ProNest Installation Guide Sales Contact your account representative for information about the latest MTC Software. If you have a technical question or problem. Ltd. please contact Technical Support. Ireland. Arizona Phone: 1-716-434-3755 x208 Email:* oliverg@mtc-software. PO Box 92.com USA Regional Offices: Asia Pacific: Layton. Australia Phone: +61 (3) 93751455 Fax: +61 (3) 93751499 Email:* mtcAU@mtc-software. 32 D-64625 Bensheim Germany Phone: +49 (0) 6251 7 70 69 30 Fax: +49 (0) 6251 7 70 69 39 Email:* mtcDE@mtc-software. Wisconsin Phone: 1-716-434-3755 x209 Email:* [email protected] 10 . please include your company name and address to ensure prompt handling of your request.7 Clarendon Place Leamington Spa. the Subscription Services program. and more.com Mainland Europe and Middle East: MTC Software GmbH Robert Bosch-Stra. and Africa: MTC Software Limited No. 22 West Main Street Lockport.com Phoenix. NY 14094 USA Phone: 1-716-434-3755 Fax: 1-716-434-3711 Email:* [email protected] Sun Prairie. upgrade options and prices. Worldwide Headquarters: MTC Software.com * When sending an email. CV32 5QL United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 87 0803 1297 Fax: +44 (0) 87 0803 1298 Email:* mtcUK@mtc-software. MTC Software Pty. Warwickshire. products. Inc. Inc. Utah Phone: 1-716-434-3755 x207 Email:* bruceg@mtc-software. The status bar along the bottom of the main window is also considered part of the menus and toolbars. Note: Discussion of ProNest settings is beyond the scope of this guide. Edit. Adding parts to your part list Nesting (interactive and automatic) Cut simulation Generating output and reports The main ProNest window When you launch ProNest. it can still be intimidating at first glance. 11 . When ProNest is started normally. The top section of the main window contains the main menu (File. ProNest will automatically select a machine (settings file) and open a new job.ProNest Quick Start Guide ProNest Quick Start Guide Even though ProNest was designed with ease of use in mind. the main window will appear. and starting new jobs. This guide will walk you through the following tasks: Opening. On startup. this document is placed in the following location: ProNest 8\Help\ProNest 8 Manual. the Part List will not contain any parts. consult the ProNest 8 Manual. The left-hand side of the main window is occupied by tool windows: the Part List and the Color Legend. saving. In the nesting area will be the image of an empty nest. This guide should give you a good understanding of the basic functions of ProNest. and the nesting area. For more information about ProNest settings. The remaining area of the main window is devoted to nesting.pdf * To open this document. View…) and several toolbars. Part List and Color Legend. These menus and toolbars will be used throughout this guide to perform specific tasks. It is divided into three sections: menus and toolbars. The empty nest displayed will have the dimensions of the machine’s default plate. you will need Adobe Reader. During installation. click Return to Nesting. To create a new job: 1 On the File Menu. Select Demo Plasma Machine from the Use this machine combo box. close this window. click New Job. At this point. Notice that the Part List toolbar is still empty. 12 . Click OK. Adding parts to your part list will usually be the first step after creating a new job. the Edit Part List window will automatically appear. Closing the Edit Part List window will cause ProNest to return to the main window. we will discard this job and create a new one. The machine displayed here contains all the settings that are used for the current job. The status bar at the bottom of the screen will indicate the name of the current machine. The New Job dialog will appear.ProNest Quick Start Guide Starting a new job When ProNest is started. a new job is automatically created for you. To close the Edit Part List window: In the upper-right corner of the window. we are ready to add parts to our part list. Note: When you click OK to create a new job. The machine displayed in the status bar will match with the machine you selected in the New Job dialog. For the purposes of this guide. 2 3 4 Type My first job in the Description box. For now. Editing of the job’s part list is done in the Edit Part List window. Feel free to use these files as you learn ProNest. example CAD (. click Edit Part List. The Edit Part List window will open. the properties reflect the actual properties of the part. then this preview is showing a pre-processed view of the selected part file. the Edit Part List window has menus and toolbars along the top and a status bar along the bottom. The rest of the window is split into four sections: The upper-left contains ProNest part sources. Sample CAD files During installation of ProNest. All parts that have been added will appear here. Other tabs will also appear here. Properties for the currently selected part are displayed here. To open the Edit Part List window: On the Job menu. depending on which modules you have purchased. the part properties reflect the values that will be used to add the part.ProNest Quick Start Guide Adding parts to your part list This section of the guide will show how to add parts to your part list. If the selected part is from the part list. When the selected part is from one of the part sources.dxf) files were placed into the following folder: C:\Program Files\MTC\ProNest 8\Examples This guide will use these files to help showcase the features of ProNest. Like the main window. Each part source appears as a different tab. The currently selected part is displayed here. If the selected part is in the part list. then the preview displays the part exactly as it would nest on a plate. The CAD and VSP tabs are standard part sources. The lower-right contains a tool window called Properties. Changing these values directly affects the selected part. This guide will focus only on using the CAD source. however. The lower-left contains the job’s part list. Changing these values will affect any subsequent parts that are added to the part list. The upper-right contains a tool window called Preview. 13 . If the selected part is from one of the part sources. The CAD tab works like Windows Explorer.*. Using the properties for a selected CAD part. assigning layers to the proper machine processes is critical to correct output. punching. the Files of type box will be set to AutoCAD files (*. Using layers in this way allows ProNest to distinguish between the different aspects of a drawing when the part is added. allowing you to browse the folders and files on your system. or dimension information. Each layer name defines a different attribute such as profiles for cutting. Important: The CAD files installed into the Examples folder were drawn using specific layer names.dxf).dwg. The selection in this box will filter the contents of the current folder. 2 In the CAD tab. browse to the following folder: C:\Program Files\MTC\ProNest 8\Examples 3 Find and click MF2. By default. When selected.ProNest Quick Start Guide To select a CAD part: 1 Select the CAD tab in the Part Sources section. 14 . the name of the part will appear highlighted. The Preview tool window will display the selected CAD file and the Properties tool window will display the properties that will be used to add the part. you can match each CAD layer with a machine process. scribing. Use the Look in box to help navigate. only showing the files that match.DXF once to select it. When adding parts. This means that if you were to click OK and then add the part. PUNCH. 15 .DXF to the part list (be sure that MF2. you are instructing ProNest to ignore the contents of that layer. In the Standard toolbar at the top of the window. 4 Select the SCRIBE check box and click OK.[Scribe-P] 0. This will display a list of the CAD layers found in the selected part and in the machine settings for Scribe-P. the information on the part’s SCRIBE layer would not be imported into ProNest. In the illustration above. and SCRIBE. Change the value for Required to 5.DXF is first selected. Other layer names may appear simply because they have been assigned to the process as a default layer mapping. Notice that as you clear the SCRIBE check box. This image indicates that the layer was found in the part.DXF selected.CUT SCRIBE Also notice that preview color used for each process is displayed to the left of the process name. 2. select the Nesting tab. you will need to change the quantity and material for the part (although these can be changed after the part is added). Notice that each of these layer names has a small image of a part next to it ( ).DXF is selected): 1 2 3 In the Properties tool window. By not mapping a layer name to a process. Default layer mappings are defined in your machine settings. To add MF2.[Plasma] Scribe . the layers found for MF2. the following process-layer mappings will already exist: Cut . In the illustration above. SCRIBE is the only layer mapped to the Scribe-P process because it is the only layer name that is found both in the part and in the machine settings for Scribe-P. Prior to adding a part to the part list. click on the CAD Import tab in the Properties tool window. the SCRIBE.DXF are 0. and Mark layers have been specified in the default layer mapping setting for Scribe-P.DXF will be added to the Part List in the lower-left. In the CAD Layers section. These layer names have a small settings image next to it ( ). click Add Part. When MF2.ProNest Quick Start Guide To modify CAD Layer information prior to adding a part: 1 With MF2. 2 Click on the word SCRIBE in the right column and then click the down-arrow. Typically. MF2. it is common to edit the property values in the Nesting and CAD Import tabs. the blue scribe lines in the preview disappear. Also notice that you cannot select 2 or Mark because neither layer was found in the part. 3 Clear the SCRIBE check box (but do not click OK or Cancel). CUT. DXF to the part list: 1 2 3 4 In the CAD tab. return to the main window. you can select multiple part files and then add them. select the first part and then hold SHIFT as you select the last part in the range. Similar to Windows Explorer.DXF will be added to the Part List in the lower-left. select BLADE. select the Nesting tab. 16 .DXF.ProNest Quick Start Guide To add BLADE. Change the value for Required to 12. You can also hold CTRL as you individually select multiple parts in the list. In the Properties tool window. To select a range of parts. click Return to Nesting. To close the Edit Part List window: In the upper-right corner of the window. Now that you have a simple part list developed. click Add Part. you can: Double-click a part Drag a part from the CAD source down into the Part List. On the Edit menu. In addition to using the menu and toolbars. BLADE. Tip: There are several ways to add parts from the CAD source. 17 . Parts can be nested in two different ways: Interactive nesting: Parts are added one at a time from the Part List. Nested parts are positioned manually by moving and rotating them. The green button will simply begin automatic nesting using the machine’s default nesting strategy and plate size.ProNest Quick Start Guide Automatic and interactive nesting At this point you have learned how to start a new job and then how to add parts to your part list. you are now ready for nesting. or new nest) The types and sizes of plates to use When the settings in the AutoNest Setup dialog are ready. click OK to begin automatic nesting. Green The yellow AutoNest button is slightly different from the green button. Note: The Start AutoNest button: Yellow vs. current. Usually. OR Double-click a part in the Part List. Automatic nesting: ProNest calculates the position of all parts in the Part List and nests them. all quantities in the part list will be nested when automatic nesting is complete. Start AutoNest button in the Nest toolbar. The yellow button opens the AutoNest Setup dialog. With a couple of parts in the Part List and an empty nest in the nesting area. To automatically add parts to the nest: Click the green OR Click the yellow Start AutoNest button in the Nest toolbar. Using this dialog. To interactively add parts to the nest: Drag a part from the Part List onto the nest. you can make last-minute changes to things like: The selected nesting strategy Where automatic nesting should begin (first. To select a single part: Click anywhere inside the part. When a part (or group of parts) is selected. To select all parts on the nest: On the Edit menu. add more parts. The selection box surrounds the entire selection and features bump and rotate handles. you are free to modify the nest in any way. These handles provide specialized ways to move and rotate the selection. This section of the guide will showcase several ways of working with parts on a nest. and perform more advanced functions such as clustering. 18 . You can delete parts from the nest. then parts will be selected only if they are fully contained by the selection area. Tip: The direction of an area-select drag changes how parts are selected. it will turn blue and will be surrounded by a selection box. the selection area will be drawn as a box with dotted lines. Selecting parts Nested parts cannot be moved or rotated until they are selected. As you drag. rotate and move parts around. If the selection area is created by dragging to the right. If the selection area is created by dragging to the left.ProNest Quick Start Guide Modifying the nest Once you have added parts to the nest. click Select All. See the section called “Moving and rotating selected parts” for more information about using the selection box handles. To select multiple parts: Hold SHIFT as you select each part. To area-select multiple parts: Right-click and drag a rectangular area to surround the parts that should be selected. then parts will be selected if they are fully contained by selection area or if they come in contact with the border of the selection area. click Delete. you may have noticed changes in the Part List. If the selected part were then unselected. click Unselect All. unselect it. they are not truly nested. Note: As you select and unselect nested parts. To nest a selection. OR On the Edit menu. It is more correct to think of selected parts as a floating group of parts. 19 . To remove a single part from the selection: Hold SHIFT and select the part you want to unselect. Sometimes the reported nested quantity appears like this: 2 of 5 nested [1] This means that 2 out of 5 parts are nested and that 1 part is selected. returning it to the part list. This causes the part’s available quantity to rise as its nested quantity decreases. OR Drag the part from the nesting area into the Part List tool window. To unselect all parts: Click anywhere in the nesting area that is not inside any part. the quantities would appear like this: 3 of 5 nested Removing a part from the nest A nested part can be removed from the nest.ProNest Quick Start Guide Unselecting parts When parts are selected. To remove a selected part from the nest: Press DELETE. All other parts in the selection will remain selected. OR On the Edit menu. Note: Notice that the two selected (and clustered) parts on the nest act as if they are a single part. they both move together. To uncluster parts: 1 2 Select parts on the nest that are clustered. 20 . click Cluster. If you drag one of the parts.ProNest Quick Start Guide Creating clusters of parts Two or more parts can be grouped together into a cluster. The custom part can then be used as if it were a regular part. The parts are now independent from each other. On the Part menu. A cluster maintains the orientation of its parts with respect to each other while allowing you to work with the cluster as if it were a single part. click Uncluster. remove the cluster from the part list (the part called Custom Part 1). Clustering a group of parts makes the cluster available in the part list as a “Custom Part”. If this is your first cluster. This does not. Clustered parts will act like a single part until they are unclustered. The thumbnail image for this part will show that the part is made from the two parts currently selected on the nest. This is typically used when parts are arranged in a way that is generally useful. however. On the Part menu. To create a cluster: 1 2 Select two adjacent parts on the nest. If you unselect them and then click on either part they both become selected. then the Part List tool window should now contain a part called Custom Part 1. One part can be selected without the other becoming selected. 90° rotations are all based on the part’s neutral orientation (not its current rotation). Using the bump handles Parts can be moved in a variety of ways using the bump handles. the pointer will change to indicate a specific rotate function. As you point to each of these handles. This moves a part until it comes in contact with either another part or the plate edge and will leave the part a normal separation distance from other parts or from the plate edge. Bump handles ( ) are located on the sides of the selection box. Like the bump handles. Rotate to Next 90 (lower-left): Click this handle to rotate the part counter-clockwise to the next 90° rotation. Using the rotate handles Rotate handles ( ) are located in the corners of the selection box. The part will move a small distance in the specified direction. Zero separation bump: While holding CTRL. they can be moved and rotated into any position. To move a selected part: Drag a part from one location on the nest to another. This works similar to normal bump except that it will leave the part in contact with the other part or with the plate edge (with no separation). Normal bump: Click a bump handle. Nudge: While holding SHIFT.ProNest Quick Start Guide Moving and rotating selected parts Once parts are selected. for example. A right-triangle part would rotate to positions that place its hypotenuse at 90°. The distance is defined in settings. click a bump handle. Incremental rotate (upper-left): Click this handle to rotate the part counter-clockwise by a fixed amount (defined in settings). This is useful if you intend to cut common lines. and 360° orientations. 270°. click a bump handle. 180°. Pressing UP. the arrow keys can be combined with SHIFT and CTRL to perform nudges and zero separation bumps. Free rotate (upper-right): Drag this handle to rotate the part freely. 21 . acts just like clicking the top bump handle. Rotate Long Side (lower-right): Click this handle to rotate the part counter-clockwise to the next 90° rotation for the part’s longest side. Tip: You can also use the arrow keys to bump parts. the pointer will change to an arrow indicating the bump direction. As you point to each bump handle. a custom rectangular plate will already be selected. you can create one and begin nesting on it. click Delete All Nests. the end result will be similar to deleting every nest past the first nest and then clearing the first nest. Similarly. Deleting a nest Deleting a nest will place all of its parts back in the part list. Notice that the preview updates as you change the plate dimensions. Your choices will be limited to the materials required by the parts in your part list. If you delete the last remaining nest in the job (referred to as Nest 1 of 1). The New Nest Setup dialog will appear. You should now see your new (and empty) nest in the main window. you can delete it. Click OK. 4 5 Select a material in the Material box. To delete all nests in the job: On the Nest menu. To delete the current nest: On the Nest menu. To create a new nest: 1 On the Nest menu. if you delete all nests.ProNest Quick Start Guide Creating a new nest With ProNest you can manage exactly which nests are used. adjusting their quantities appropriately. When you click OK in the New Nest Setup dialog. If you don’t like a particular nest. ProNest will create the new nest and make it current. To specify the dimension of your new plate. Type 50 in the Width box. 22 . Note: ProNest always has a current nest – even if you delete all nests or if you delete the only nest in the job. click New Nest. the end result will be similar to selecting all the parts on this nest and then deleting them. you can either type values in the Length and Width boxes or you can select a standard plate size from the box directly above Length. At this point. 2 3 Type 150 in the Length box. If you need another nest. click Delete Nest. cutting. To view cut simulation for the current nest: On the Nest menu. To stop the simulation: On the Cut Simulation toolbar. Also. When you enter cut simulation. Tips: The speed of the cut simulation can be controlled by moving the Speed slider. Cut simulation presents an animation that approximates how a nest would be cut by your machine. The cutting head will then move around the nest. click the Pause button. Move the slider to the right for a faster simulation. click the Play button.ProNest Quick Start Guide Cut simulation Before generating output. Move the slider to the left for a slower simulation. click Cut Simulation. it is often convenient to see how a nest will be cut. When cut simulation starts. the parts on the nest will be drawn in the Uncut color from the Color Legend tool window. scribing. click the Stop button. You can skip ahead (or back) by clicking on any profile in the nest. and punching the nest in the same order as CNC output would instruct the machine. click Close. To play the simulation: On the Cut Simulation toolbar. similar to playing a movie. To pause the simulation: On the Cut Simulation toolbar. To quit cut simulation and return to normal nesting: On the Cut Simulation toolbar. a small image of a cutting head will appear at the initialization point of the nest. ProNest allows simple control over the simulation. 23 . the Cut Simulation toolbar will appear. nif. The current job will be saved with the name you specified. it may or may not restore the settings that were saved in it. The Save Job As dialog will appear. this dialog will open to the following folder: Program Files\MTC\ProNest 8\Jobs 2 3 4 Browse to the appropriate folder for your job. This tells ProNest to completely restore settings to what they were when the job was saved. Clear this check box to open the job and use the machine settings as they are. ProNest jobs have the extension: . 24 . click Save Job As. Use this dialog to browse to the folder containing the job you want to open. Click Open. Click Save. Displayed in this box is the job’s description (if any). date created. The exact state of your job (including your settings) can be saved in a job file. Below the job information box is a check box called Restore settings from Job. To save a job: 1 On the File menu. When a job is opened. as it opens the job.ProNest Quick Start Guide Saving and opening jobs Often you will want to save your work so you can return to it at a later time. date modified. This is typically done when you have edited your machine settings and want to re-output a job using those new settings. type the name for your job file. Then. 2 3 Tip: Select the job file you want to open. and the version of ProNest last used to save the job. On the right-hand side of the Open Job dialog is a box containing job information. In the File name box. By default. The Open Job dialog will appear. Select this check box to restore the settings that were saved in the job. click Open Job. ProNest will first load a fresh copy of settings from the machine shown in the job information box. To open a job: 1 On the File menu. the machine settings that were saved in it. While most applications are easy to setup. ProNest is typically not ready to produce valid output code immediately after installation. When a job is ready for this step. contact Technical Support. click Reports. To open the Reports dialog: On the File menu. Important: This guide was designed to show some of the basic features of ProNest. To preview a particular report: 1 2 Select the check box for the report you want to preview. Output code produced as a result of following the steps in this guide should not be expected to work for your particular machine controller.ProNest Quick Start Guide Output Ultimately. The Reports dialog will open. There are several standard reports to choose from in the Reports dialog. The Output CNC dialog will open. Reports At any time you can view and print reports for your current job. ProNest will generate a CNC file for each nest in your job. For help with setup issues. creating a unique file name that is based on the file name you chose in step 2. Click Preview 25 . special files are sometimes required. click Output CNC. These CNC files would then be sent to your machine controller. type a name for your output file. showing a list of reports that are available. Click Save. 2 3 In the File name box. CNC output can be generated. Use this dialog to select the file name for the output file. the purpose of any ProNest job is to generate correct output for your machine controller. To create CNC output for the current job: 1 On the File menu. 7 closing. 5 opening. 22 modifying. 7–8 Automatic nesting. 24 starting new. 21 Bump handles. 18 Nesting automatic. 6 user manual. 18 unselecting. 19 ProNest authorizing. 17 J Job. 19 P Part list adding parts. 9 Sales. 18 MTC Software. 9 Cut simulation. 20 removing. See ProNest Job 26 . Inc. 24 restore settings from. 18. 13 I Installing ProNest. 7 M Manual nesting. 12 ProNest main window. 9 Sales. 10 Technical Support. 12–16 toolbar. 21 C CAD files adding to the part list. 17 L Local installation. 25 Contacting MTC Software. 2 New Job dialog. 20 CNC Output. 15 Closing ProNest. 17 interactive. 19 selecting.. 6 Clusters. See CNC Output D Deleting parts. 5 Interactive nesting. 22 deleting. 13 opening. 8 using. 7 New features. 9 B Bump. 11 ProNest Job information. 14 layer information. 7 Authorizing ProNest. contacting. See Interactive nesting Modifying the nest. 6 installing. 12 Parts area select. 22 Nudge. 17 AutoNest Setup dialog. 14 CAD Import layer information. 24 opening. 6 Output.ProNest Installation and Quick Start Guide Index A Adding parts. 21 N Nest creating new. 15 properties. See Part List Authorization code obtaining. 15 sample files. Inc. 17 Network installation. 12 New Nest Setup dialog. 23 O Opening ProNest. 15 browsing for. 18 cluster. 11 E Edit Part List window closing. 16 layout. location of. 24 saving. 13 selecting. 10 Technical Support. 21 to next 90. 24 Rotate free. 19 W What’s new in this release. 17 System requirements. 21 incremental. 4 T Technical Support. 25 Requesting an authorization code. 18 Selection box. green. 8 Restore settings from job. 17 Z Zero separation bump. 21 27 . 9 U Unselecting parts.ProNest Installation and Quick Start Guide R Removing parts. 21 yellow vs. 18. See Cut simulation Start AutoNest button. 19 Reports. 21 Rotate handles. 18 Simulation. 21 long side. 2 S Selecting parts.