3D model import
3D nesting software for sheet and plate parts
Modelled your parts as 3D solids but cut them flat? Nestpact imports STL, OBJ, PLY and 3MF models, finds the largest flat face, projects it to a clean 2D cut profile, and reads the material thickness — so you can nest parts that live in your CAD as solids without redrawing them as DXF.
Once flattened, your 3D parts nest exactly like any other: true-shape collision detection, configurable rotation and gap, multi-sheet overflow, then export an optimized DXF or machine G-code.
It runs in the browser with nothing to install, works in millimetres or inches, and there is a free plan.
- Import STL, OBJ, PLY and 3MF solids straight into a nesting job
- Automatic flattening: the largest flat face becomes the cut profile
- Material thickness detected from the model Z extent
- True-shape nesting so irregular flattened parts interlock
- 3D toolpath viewer to preview cut order and travel before you cut
- Export an optimized DXF or laser / plasma / waterjet / router G-code
What 3D nesting means here
Nestpact nests flat parts that you happen to have authored as 3D models. It is not 3D bin-packing for additive manufacturing — it takes a solid that is meant to be cut from sheet or plate, extracts its flat cut profile, and packs those profiles onto a sheet for a 2D cutter.
That covers the common case where a sheet-metal or plate part lives in SolidWorks, Fusion or another 3D CAD as a body, and you would rather drop the solid in than export and clean a separate DXF.
How the flattening works
On import, Nestpact loads the mesh, detects the largest planar face, orients that face flat, and projects every triangle down to build a single clean silhouette. The Z extent of the model is read as the part thickness, which feeds kerf and spacing the same way a 2D job does.
Parts with a clear dominant flat face (sheet-metal blanks, plates, gussets, brackets before bending) flatten cleanly. Highly organic or fully 3D shapes have no single cut face and are not what a sheet nester is for.
Nest, preview, and cut
After flattening, set quantities and nest like any other job. Compare the layout in the canvas, fine-tune by hand if you want, and check the cut order in the 3D toolpath viewer. Then download an optimized DXF for your CAM, or generate G-code with lead-in/out and per-layer routing for laser, plasma, waterjet or router.
Recommended starting settings
Flattened 3D parts use the same settings as a DXF job. Match the gap and kerf to your cutter.
Tighter for laser, wider for plasma or a router bit; the part carries its detected thickness.
Keeps cuts off the sheet edge and any clamp zone.
Finer rotation chases density on irregular flattened profiles.
A harder search pays off on mixed, irregular parts.
Frequently asked questions
Which 3D formats can I import?
STL, OBJ, PLY and 3MF. Nestpact loads the solid, flattens the largest flat face to a 2D cut profile, and reads the thickness from the model so you can nest it like any DXF part.
Is this 3D bin-packing for 3D printing?
No. Nestpact nests flat parts for 2D cutting (laser, plasma, waterjet, router). It extracts the cut profile from a 3D solid that is meant to be cut from sheet or plate; it does not pack volumes onto a print bed.
My part has no single flat face. Will it work?
Sheet and plate parts with a clear dominant flat face flatten cleanly. Fully organic or volumetric shapes have no single cut face, so a sheet nester is not the right tool for those.
Is 3D model nesting free?
Nestpact has a free plan that includes 3D model import, nesting and DXF export. No install; try a nest without signing up, then create a free account to keep nesting.