Importing a spreadsheet

Pasting rows or importing CSV and Excel files, mapping columns, and fixing problems.

In Cuts, choose Import. Paste rows copied from a spreadsheet, or choose a CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file of up to 10 MB.

Mapping the columns

NestSmart proposes what each column means — label, width, length, quantity, material, grain and so on — from its heading. Every column is shown, including the ones it did not recognise, so a column is never dropped without you seeing it. Correct any mapping that is wrong; nothing is added until you confirm.

Units in the file

Values are read in the job’s units, as written: 24 1/8 and 24.125 both work. Check the Units setting before you import a metric file into an inch job.

What happens to each row

Required columns — a cut list needs at least a length and a quantity column; the import says so if one is missing.
Incomplete rows are skipped, and the import tells you how many, so you can check the file for them.
New materials — a material named in the file that the job does not have yet is added for you, with no thickness. Check its stock type before you optimize.
Grain — a grain column with h or v values turns grain on for that material.

If a file cannot be read at all, the import says why. A file that is too large can be split, or trimmed of columns you do not need.

Materials and stock can be imported the same way, with Import materials and Import stock.