Documentation

Get up and running with GB Nest

Install, activate, run your first nest, and troubleshoot the common things that come up.

Install

GB Nest is distributed as a single Windows executable inside a ZIP file. There's no installer.

  1. Download GBNest.zip from the download page.
  2. Right-click the ZIP → Extract All → choose a folder (Desktop, Documents, anywhere you have write access). A USB stick is fine if you're moving between PCs.
  3. Open the extracted folder. Double-click GBNest.exe.

To uninstall, delete the folder.

First launch

The first time you run GBNest.exe, Windows may show a SmartScreen "unrecognised app" dialog. See SmartScreen warning for what to do.

Once the app opens, you'll see the main window with three panels:

  • Left: material settings, parts list, layers
  • Right: sheet preview (this is where the nest result appears)
  • Top: toolbar with Add Parts, Quick Nest, Contour Nest, Optimise, Export

Activation

On first run, if the app isn't activated, the activation form opens automatically.

  1. Enter your licence key (from the welcome email you received after checkout).
  2. Click Activate.
  3. Done. The app is unlocked.

If you ever need to re-open the activation form later (for example to move to a new machine), go to Options > Activate.

Activation requires a working internet connection (one-time check). After that the app works offline.

Run your first nest

  1. Add parts. Click Add Parts in the toolbar (or drag a DXF file straight into the window).
  2. Set quantity. In the parts list, edit the Qty column for each part.
  3. Pick a sheet. Use the Material dropdown to pick a saved stock sheet, or type your own Width / Height.
  4. Pick an engine. Click Quick Nest, Contour Nest (Pro), or Optimise (Pro) in the toolbar.
  5. Review. The result fills the sheet preview on the right. Stats appear at the top (Total parts, Placed, Used metres, Cost, Efficiency).

Importing DXF files

GB Nest reads industry-standard DXF including LINE, CIRCLE, ARC, POLYLINE, LWPOLYLINE, ELLIPSE, SPLINE and INSERT (block references). Most files exported from AutoCAD, LibreCAD, Fusion 360, Inkscape, or any common CAD tool will work.

If parts come in oddly grouped or missing, check that your source CAD file has each part on a closed contour (single polyline outline). GB Nest groups DXF entities into discrete parts automatically based on connectivity.

Importing DWG files (Pro)

The Pro tier reads AutoCAD .dwg files directly. Same workflow as DXF: drag in or use Add Parts.

Setting quantities

Each row in the parts list has a Qty field. GB Nest treats every instance as identical — no need to duplicate the part in the source DXF. Quantities can be edited at any time before nesting.

Material library

Open Options > Materials (or the Materials tab in Settings) to save stock sheets with a default size and price per m². Drop them into any project from the Material dropdown — no retyping dimensions or costs each time.

Choosing an engine

Rule of thumb: try Quick Nest first to see roughly how it'll fit. If parts are irregular, use Contour Nest. If you need to squeeze every percent out, run the Optimiser.
  • Quick Nest — bin-packing on the part's bounding box. Best for rectangular or near-rectangular parts. Runs in seconds.
  • Contour Nest (Pro) — true NFP packing using the exact polygon outline. Concave shapes pack flush against each other. Best for sheet metal, signage, gaskets, complex cuts.
  • Genetic Optimiser (Pro) — runs Contour Nest hundreds of times with different orderings and rotations, evolving toward the most efficient layout. Set a time budget; get a result inside it.

Genetic Optimiser (Pro)

Click Optimise on the toolbar. A dialog asks for:

  • Time budget — how long you're willing to wait (30s, 60s, 5 min, etc.)
  • Threads — how many CPU cores to use. Default uses all available with a 70/30 split between GA evaluations and NFP cache build.
  • Rotation step — coarsest starting rotation. Adaptive refinement automatically reduces this as the search converges.

While running, the dialog shows a live mini-preview, per-worker thread status, time elapsed and remaining, and a list of best-so-far snapshots. Click any snapshot to apply it, or wait for the time budget to finish.

Hole nesting (Pro)

When a placed part has a closed interior contour (a washer ring, a window cut-out, a perforation), GB Nest's hole-nesting engine finds small parts that fit inside it and places them there. Increases utilisation 5-30% on jobs with holey parts. Enable it in the Optimiser settings.

Multi-sheet jobs

When a job has more parts than fit on one sheet, GB Nest auto-fans across sheet 2, 3, and beyond. Each sheet is shown separately in the preview. Total job cost is calculated across every sheet.

Exporting DXF

Click Export DXF in the toolbar. You'll get a DXF per sheet with each part rotated and offset to its placed position. Layer information from the source DXF is preserved so your downstream CAM software sees clean geometry.

PDF reports (Pro)

Click Export Report in the toolbar. The PDF includes a sheet visualisation, parts list with placement coordinates, material utilisation %, and total cost. Suitable for handing to a customer, an operator, or filing for traceability.

Move licence to a new PC

  1. On the old PC: open GB Nest → Options > Activate → click Deactivate.
  2. On the new PC: install GB Nest, open it, go to Options > Activate, and paste the same licence key.

If the old PC has died and you can't deactivate from inside the app, email [email protected] with your licence key and we'll release the activation on our end.

Cancel a subscription

Open the customer portal link in your most recent payment receipt email (from Stripe). Click Cancel subscription. The licence stays active until the end of the period you've already paid for, then deactivates.

Lost licence key

Email [email protected] from the same address you used at checkout and we'll resend it.

SmartScreen "unrecognised app" warning

Windows shows this for any executable it hasn't seen before. To run anyway:

  1. Click the small More info link in the warning dialog.
  2. Click Run anyway.

You'll only need to do this on the first run; Windows remembers your choice after that.

Activation fails

  • "Could not reach activation server" — check your internet connection. A firewall or corporate proxy may be blocking outbound HTTPS. If you're on a corporate network, try a quick test from a phone hotspot to confirm.
  • "Licence already activated on another machine" — you've used your seat already. Deactivate the old machine first, or email support.
  • "Invalid licence key" — double-check you've copied the whole key including the GBN- prefix and all four dash-separated groups.

App crashes or hangs

Most crashes we've seen come from one of two sources:

  • Corrupted DXF file — try opening the file in another CAD tool. If it doesn't open there either, re-export from the source.
  • Running out of memory on huge jobs — the Genetic Optimiser with full hole-nesting on a 500-part job can chew through a lot of RAM. Reduce thread count or run Contour Nest instead.

Either way, email [email protected] with the DXF file and we'll investigate.

Can't find what you're looking for? Email [email protected] — we read every message and we'll add to these docs as common questions come up.