Length Optimization

The optimization allows length optimization of bars, profile bars, or plates. Specifically for plates, it should be emphasized that this is a length optimization and not a classical plate optimization. One plate is placed behind another into a raw plate, as is done for the 1.25 m wide solid wood plates. In general, however, the optimization is used for bars or profile bars.

Optimization settings

After invoking the optimization function, a dialog box opens in which all necessary settings can be made:

Save setting

Using the drop-down list at the top and the two buttons next to it, you can save the setting under any name. This allows you to store different settings for different customers or situations and to reselect the required setting with a single click. The setting stores all values of the fields below the drop-down list. The state in the tree is also saved, whether part of the tree is expanded or not.

Cut settings

Directly under the save drop-down list in the middle of the dialog box you enter the cut settings.

The cut width can account for the thickness of the saw blade.

The trimming allowance permits ignoring a piece at the beginning and end of the raw bar as waste. The raw bar available for the actual length optimization is shortened by this measure twice.

With the minimum residual length you determine from which length a remaining piece of raw bar should be considered a remainder. Shorter pieces are considered offcut. Both offcuts and leftover wood are shown in the result list. If desired, there is a separate list for the leftover wood.

Material tree

The material tree displays various materials and cross-sections in a tree structure. Notable are the colored icons, which provide various information at a glance:

• Red cross-section icon: This material or this cross-section exists in the currently selected material list, but no length for optimization has yet been entered. If a length has not been entered for one cross-section but has been entered for other cross-sections of the same material, the material receives a red icon until a length has been entered for all cross-sections. A red icon is not an error or problem, but simply a notice.

• Blue cross-section icon: This material or this cross-section exists in the currently selected material list, and a length for optimization has been entered. Only when a length has been entered for all cross-sections of a material will the icon for the material also turn blue.

• Gray cross-section icon: This material or cross-section does not exist in the currently selected material list, but it was saved in the chosen setting.

The gray materials and cross-sections are not relevant at this moment and can therefore be made invisible with the large button above the tree.

• Icon with numbers: The icon with the numbers 1,2,3 indicates that for this cross-section or for at least one cross-section of this material a quantity of available bars has been entered. This quantity influences the optimization and therefore it is important to see that quantities have been entered. The meaning of the quantity is described in the Length Blocks paragraph.

There is a checkbox before every material and every cross-section. This allows you to enable or disable the respective material or just a cross-section for optimization. Clicking a parent checkbox (e.g., at the material) also toggles all checkboxes underneath it. Clicking a child checkbox (e.g., at the cross-section) toggles only the checkbox of that cross-section. This way you can make settings very quickly but also very detailed.

Length blocks: For each cross-section, you can enter the desired length blocks in the table next to the tree. Each row of the table contains a length and possibly a price. If you enter prices, the program optimizes by price and attempts to find the overall lowest price.

With the checkbox in front of each row you can disable the respective block for optimization; it will then not be considered.

The quantity of bars plays an important role. If there is a length block with a quantity for a cross-section, an optimization is first performed with that length and the entered number of bars. If there are multiple length blocks with quantities, the program starts with the shortest length block, then the next longer one, and so on. For each length a separate optimization is performed with the remaining bars, and only after these optimizations (with quantities) are completed is an optimization performed with all remaining lengths without quantities. From this you can see that an entered quantity has a large influence on the optimization. If there are unlimited raw bars available for a length, you should therefore leave the field empty and NOT enter a large quantity into the field.

Below the table the maximum length of all components with this material and cross-section from the current material list is displayed. As long as the longest length block is shorter than this maximum length it is shown in red, otherwise in black. This way you always have control over whether all bars from the current material list fit into the raw bars.

Since the same length blocks are often required for different cross-sections, you can copy the contents of the table to the clipboard with a click on the left icon below the table. With the icon next to it you can paste them into the table of another cross-section.

Output filter: On the right side of the dialog box there is an output filter with which you can set which components should be considered in the optimization. The filter offers several options from which you can select one:

• Package / Element: This filter offers all packages or elements from the current material list and you can choose which packages or elements should be optimized.

• Building element: This filter provides the entire building structure of the current material list. This allows you to set for which building elements the optimization should be carried out.

• Identification number: This filter provides all identification numbers of the current material list. Since these identification numbers also appear as materials in the material tree and can also be toggled there, the filter is almost redundant. Sometimes, however, it is easier/faster to disable a material here than via the tree.

• Description: This filter shows all descriptions from the current material list.

Output of the length optimization

After clicking 'Output' in the settings dialog box, the output dialog box opens:

The output dialog box contains the usual fields for setting template, addresses, and pre/post text. In addition, there are special settings for the optimization list:

Bar designation: Behind each bar in the optimization list there is a bar designation. This consists at minimum of the running number and therefore this field is deactivated and cannot be changed. With the next three drop-down lists you can optionally enable additional options. For better separation of this information you can enter arbitrary separators in the input fields between them. In the example above a space, hyphen, space is entered for each.

List setting: In the right area of the dialog box you can configure the individual lists of the optimization.

• With the checkboxes to the left of the list names you can enable or disable the respective list.

• As soon as you click a list, the button with the arrow under the table becomes active. With it you can move the selected list upward and thus influence the order of the lists in the output.