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Version history
Astra R-Nesting - Automatic nesting software for sheet materials
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21th September 2005: Version 4.2 of the Astra R-Nesting
Drag-and-drop at shifting parts between nesting plans
You can now shift parts from one nesting plan to another simply using a mouse.
New options for creation and usage of assemblies
There is a possibility to set parts material when creating assemblies. We have developed a new wizard for adding assemblies to an order. It allows adding several parts at the same time, at that material and parts edges can be changed easily.
New nesting parameters and options
New parameters, properties of material and nesting options are added:
- base point – origin of coordinates on a nesting plan;
- maximum and minimum width of cutoff;
- various values of edges trimming for standard sheets and cutoffs;
- various dimensions of rests for different materials;
- ignore sheet trimming for large parts.
New documentation format
New format of technological documentation is added. You can now print Order Specification per Part – a list of parts specifying parts properties.
Edges of Parts dialog improved
New parameters added to the dialog, allowing faster and easier describing parts edges: Along the Perimeter, Left and Right, Top and Bottom.
New cutting route algorithm
The cutting route algorithm is improved considerably. Now rests are being calculated more precisely.
One more data export/import format added
We added the possibility to export/import nesting data from *.XML files.
27th January 2003: version 4.1 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Nesting algorithm improved
A new nesting algorithm allows automatic nesting with more efficient placing of
parts.
Selection of system of units
The possibility to select system of units - Imperial or Metric - is
added. This can be done on Company Settings tab of Options dialog box.
Data format adjustment
The possibility to change data format (length, width and thickness of
parts and sheets, squares, length of cuts and parts edges) is now added. You
can set units of measure (mm, cm, m, inches, feet, yards etc) and number of
digits after a decimal point.
Changes in user interface
Dialog boxes now look different. New fields are added to New Order
dialog box: Order Status (nested, not nested, used by other user in a local
network) and Created: (date of creation). A list of orders can be sorted by
these fields.
Help system is revised and significantly enlarged
Every dialog box includes Help button now. Context Help is available for every
program element. New sections containing information about program purchasing
procedure and hot keys description are added.
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15th May 2002: version 4.0.5 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Maximum cut length
A new parameter is added - maximum cut length, allowing considering features of
technological equipment.
To set this option, perform Options command of Tools menu, and then in a dialog
box General tab press Additional... button.
16th February 2002: version 4.0 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Cutting route calculation
Cutting route calculation algorithm is developed. Cutting route is a
description of cutting-out sequence of a nesting plan. Cutting route can be
viewed as a cutting plan, on which cutting lines and distance between each of
cutting lines and a stop bar of manufacturing equipment are shown.
Commands for cutting route calculation are located in Nesting menu.
New rests calculation algorithm
Rests calculation algorithm is improved considerably. Now when rests are
calculated, information about not only parts location, but also about nesting
plan cutting route is taken into consideration. New algorithm allows
essentially decreasing correction of rests on nesting plans in a dialog mode.
Commands for rests calculation are transfered to Nesting menu.
Changes in user interface
Changes aimed at increase of productvity and functionality of the software are
made:
A unified dialog Catalogues is created to keep lists of sheet materials, edging
materials and names of parts. This dialog is accessesboth from main menu and
Create Order, Sheets and Rests dialogs. Thus one can add a new sheet or edging
material, or name of part, when editing list of order parts or list of
materials. To edit the catalogue, perform Catalogues command from File menu.
Create Order and Create Article dialogs are modified. Now one can indicate
edges to be glued over and select edging material immediately when entering
data about order parts. List of parts can be filtered by any field: number of
part, length, width etc.
List of articles in Create Order dialog box also can be sorted by fields: name
of part and quantity.
A unified interface of Sheet Material and Rests dialogs is developed,
lightening work with materials database. Lists of sheet materials and rests can
be filtered and sorted. When editing list of materials Copy, Cut, Paste
commands can be performed, alolowing to easily add new records to a list.
A unified interface of Open Nesting Plan and Delete Nesting Plan dialogs is
developed. Lists of nesting plans in both the dialogs can be sorted by any
field.
Nesting plan specification is modified.
When editing nesting plans, parts can be rotated by Alt+R keys.
A part is highlighted and context menu opens after clicking a right mouse button
on a part during nesting plan editing.
In Status of Order, Edges of Parts, Add from Articles dialogs a name of each
part is displayed when viewing order or article structure.
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27th March 2001: version 3.5 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Different options of nesting for each type of material
As a rule, when processing different materials, various nesting options are to
be set. For example, for glass width of cut is equal to zero, and for wood
chipboard it is equal to a width of a saw. At that, if an order includes parts
of various materials, it is not possible to use same nesting options.
Now in the Astra R-Nesting program different nesting options can be set for
each material.
Enter a new material and press a Properties button or do it directly
before nesting in Options dialog box of General tab.
Different types of sheet edges trimming
Now while setting nesting options it is possile to set different width value of
trimming for right, left, top and bottom sheet edges.
Making changes of data nomenclature to be printed out
Flexible options allow setting data nomenclature and its location on nesting
plans. At Print tab of options dialog box press Data Output button, and then
set information to be printed out (number of a part or a rest, edged sides
etc.) and its location.
Control of intersection of contour lines of parts and cut lines
New functions allow preventing possible mistakes in the process of nesting
plans editing. Control of intersection of contour lines of parts and cut lines
is done when saving nesting plans. If intersection of parts or rests contour
lines is detected, the corresponding warning will be shown.
Interface with other programs
Starting with the current version, a conception of interaction with other
systems is supported in the Astra R-Nesting program. It can be performed in one
of the following ways.
First of all, functions of operations with a database are gathered in a
separate dll-library and have an open specification. You can call these
functions in any program in order to operate with Astra R-Nesting software
data.
Secondly, data import to the program is possible by means of a special format
designed for these purposes - Astra Exchange File. The description of this
format is here.
Allowances for length of edging materials
As a rule, machines for cutting edging materials have some inaccuracies, as a
result of which length of a cut piece differes from the one needed according to
the drawing. In the new version of the Astra R-Nesting software a new option is
added, which allows considering these inaccuracies. To set this option, select
the corresponding material in Edging Material dialog box and press Properties
button.
Printing order edging specification
Order Specification on Edging of Parts is added to the set of technological
documentation, made on the basis of calculation results. Specification includes
necessary information for every type of edging material used (length, number of
pieces etc), and a list of parts with edges to be glued over.
Arrangement of toolbars
Now a user will be able to arrange toolbars on a screen at his discretion.
Arrangement of toolbars will be saved and restored at the next work session.
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18th December, 2000: version 3.4 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Description of articles can be made quicker
In the new version of the program a possibility to form an article on
the basis of the articles described earlier is provided. Press Add from...
button in the dialog box which describes an article, and then select articles
or parts to be added. Henceforth options of parts added from the list can be
easily changed.
Thus preparation of data for nesting takes now a very short period of time.
Preparation of list of materials
Now, when producing reports on the works being executed, a production engineer
has an opportunity to look through a list of available materials of each type.
Perform File - Print - List of Materials Available commands. The list includes
data about both standard sheets and rests.
The list of components can be printed out.
Control of differences in dimensions of parts after nesting
A new option is added, allowing control of differences in dimensions of parts
when nesting. Quite often, when cutting parts in strips, difference in
dimensions is so insignificant, that it makes impossible to further process a
part of lesser dimensions. In order to avoid this situation, set a
corresponding option in General tab of options dialog box.
21st October, 2000: version 3.3 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Functions, describing edges of parts
When generating an order, it is possible to describe edges of parts to
be glued over. The program allows setting any type of edging material. After
setting initial workpiece options, quantity in running meters of material to be
used and cost according to set price are being calculated automatically.
Information about used materials is given also in order specification. Print
options make possible displaying parts edges to be glued over directly on
nesting plans.
New options of rests nesting
In the nesting process scheme adopted earlier, one could nest rests by setting
corresponding options. At that, rests were nested first, and then, in case
other variants of placing parts on remained rests were not found, standard
sheets were nested. Now one more mode of rests nesting is added to the new
version of the program. A production engineer can set the same priority for
nesting rests and standard sheets at his discretion. In that case the best
variant of nesting will be chosen.
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1st August, 2000: version 3.1 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Multiplicity of nesting plans
If a corresponding option is set, the program considers multiplicity
of nesting plans. For example, Nesting plan No 5 - 3 pieces. All the formatting
functions (Shift, Rotate, Delete or Paste part into a nesting plan, etc)
consider multiplicity of nesting plans, the program keeps to all the conditions
automatically.
New functions of nesting plans editing
During editing of nesting plans a number of commands - shift, rotate part, etc
- is being performed. Now the Astra R-Nesting program provides a possibility to
return to the list of the commands performed. In order to cancel the last
operation, use Undo command of Edit Menu. To repeat the command cancelled
earlier, perform Redo command.
1st July, 2000: version 3.0 of the Astra R-Nesting
software
Using articles which compose an order
The program allows describing any quantity of articles, for ex.: a
drawer, a table, etc. Then, during generation of an order, one can simply input
a list of parts not belonging to any article, or add any articles made earlier.
When describing an article, a material is not mentioned. It is assumed that one
and the same article can be manufactured of different materials if necessary.
Set material when adding an article to an order. It is possible to set
arbitrary multiplicity of any article during generation of an order, for ex.:
table - 5 pieces, drawer - 3 pieces, etc.
Cost calculation of an order
After nesting is carried out, one can calculate cost of used materials. During
cost calculation, a list of used materials is being kept. Price per running
meter is shown for each material. Quantity of used material and grand total is
calculated automatically.
Moreover, total length of cuts is calculated. You can estimate cost of cutting
a part by setting cost of cutting per 1 running meter. Results of calculations
can be printed out.
Minimum space between saws
Some technological equipment has limitations as for minimum space between saws
for length and cross cuts. These technological limitations adopted in serial or
mass production can be taken into account when setting nesting options.
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