# Cutlist Plus Woodworking Software: Indispensible!



## sbryan55

This is a nice review. I have used the silver version for several years and have found Cutlist to be an indispensable part of my woodworking routine. I have thought about upgrading to the gold version but so far I have been able to work around the limitations of the silver version. As you said it not only is a nice program to produce project cut lists but it also is an inventory management program.


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## Rileysdad

I use CutListPlus too. It's a great tool. I wish they had a Mac version. I have to run mine through a PC emulation and it's a little quirky.


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## FoggyGarage

RileysDad,

At one point I was running it both on my XP laptop and through WINE emulation on a linux workstation. I had to set up something to sync the materials database between the two, but it worked well- although I could not print from linux.

OK. Sorry for that guys. This is a woodworking site and there are more than enough places on the web to discuss software on linux machines.


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## Karson

I've used CutlMaster and love it. Also a happy user.


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## Karson

This is not a PC woodworking site,or a Linux woodworking site, or a Mac woodworking site, but a woodworking site. So discuss away about software for woodworkers.


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## Jimi_C

I second Karson, I run Linux at home as well, so it's good to know it runs through WINE. I haven't tried Sketch-Up on my main desktop, and my Windows laptop is work-owned, so I don't like to install too much on it in case they complain. I really loved all those labels on parts for your cherry kitchen project, so I may look into using this when I do my own kitchen.


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## hooky

cool that sounds pretty good to me

it sounds like it would beat trying to work it out in my head

I will have to look into seeing if i can by it here in Oz

Thanks

Hooky


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## Wingstress

This question might be a little off topic, but… I'm an Engineer who by day designs aerospace landing gear components using Unigraphics and or CATIA (Both very powerful programs that run about $20,000 a seat) I'm a woodworking hobbyist who loves to come home and design/build. I'm primarily a box maker, but my Engi-nerd side can't help but want to model everything, draft it and optimize it in 3D and 2D. Because, I'm used to very powerful software where I can simulate "engine out" failures or missile strikes, I find that drawing stuff on Google sketch up to be so frustrating, because I feel like I'm just drawing free hand and I have no spacial reference or scale.

It appears that you guys use this software as a cut list and/or inventory calculator as you would in production management. I make Christmas and Birthday presents with wood (not money or business). Would you recommend that I research this product, or do you have any other (inexpensive) ideas? Please don't say sketch-up. I'm just generally interested in being able to design stuff on my laptop, when my wife is forcing me to watch dancing with the stars with her.

Thanks for the help!
Tom


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## FoggyGarage

Hi Tom,

You can download a trial from the website, but it's not a modeling program. It's really designed for optimizing your cuts from lumber to minimize waste. You enter rectangular dimensions for each part into a spreadsheet-like interface.

I don't do any CAD, so I am just starting with Sketchup- but I can see what you are talking about in regards to scale.


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## RvK

I've been using this awhile myself, its a great program, I didn't know it was compatible with Sketch Up (which I haven't used much but its definetly more incentive to play with now!) My favorite feature is being able to define different Primary and Secondary materials so you can easily check costs with different types of materials. Its also great that you can plug in stock on hand and see not just what you need total but how much you actually need to buy. I was a little hesitant to get it because of the price, but definetly a worthwhile investment.


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## ultradianguy

I've purchased the Silver Edition recently and I'm pretty happy with it. It is aimed at the hobbyist, while the Gold edition ($250) is aimed at professionals, with a variety of features related to multiple users, complex projects, pricing, proposals, etc.
However, they've chosen to put edge banding in the Gold Edition. As a hobbyist, no matter how helpful that feature might be, there is no way I could justify that price jump just to add on Edge Banding. I wrote to them about this odd bundling decision and their response was simply "we consider this an advanced feature" (fair enough) but they refused to discuss that you need to buy expensive business features to get it. 
It's not unreasonable to charge a bit more for additional features - but to require a non-professional to pay almost triple to get one single feature makes no sense to me. They have a right to do what they want of course -but I find decisions like this off putting. It creates a bad feeling about a business.


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## Loder

I too am looking at this software. I think for the beginner (such as myself) the silver edition for $89.00 is not a bad deal and I am considering that one to start. I am assuming this version lacks a few features to get you into the basic program and then for you to upgrade to the next level. I for one have no issue with this. To get such a professional program for a reasonable price is a good thing.

That being said, i recently miss-cut an expensive piece of plywood that caused me to have to buy a second sheet. Do this more than once and the cost of $$89.00 or $249.00 really doesn't matter. I've already spent more than the $89.00 on the second sheet of ply due to my own oversight (old age)!

So my only question now is, $89.00 or $249.00. But I am leaning to the $89.00 to start an more than likely will upgrade it down the road.

Thanks for the Review Foggy!


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## ultradianguy

Just an update based on some recent experience - I noted that a section of the original review here was mistaken:

. And, if you have a sheet of ply in your stock, and you commit a project that cuts off half, CLP will automatically update your stock to reflect the change.

This is actually incorrect. CLP does not enter the off cut it calculates from your project. I assumed it would, but it didn't, and I just confirmed with their support folks that this is not a feature. So if you commit a project, and half a sheet is left, CLP will remove the half-used sheet from your stock as if you'd used all of it. You will then have to manually enter the off cut.


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