Grain Matching in Nest

[Nat Wheatley]

Fairly certain I'm asking for the impossible here, but...I have a job to cut that has grain matched, slab, doors and drawer fronts, all of which will be cut from 4'x8' sheet stock. Is there any way to have these parts nest in the right orientation so that the grain will, in fact, line up on the doors and drawer fronts of their respective cabinets? Grain runs vertically, cabinets don't have to match the one next to them, just matching the parts within the individual cabinets.

In the past, I've nested one piece for each cabinet which was the combined size of the doors/drawer fronts for that cabinet, plus a saw kerf at the inner reveals. I'd then cut them individual pieces from these at the panel saw. This works, but isn't very inviting when you factor in machining for concealed hinges, pull holes, machining on the backside of the drawer fronts for a metal drawer system, all of which I'd like to be able to do on the router. Open to suggestions. Thanks.

[Jason Gooch]

Hey Nat - super easy - in cabinet editor for each cabinet, in the main screen. Right click and select "group parts". Click on each part, you'll see it listed in the dialogue window. Click done - save changes to the cabinet, you're all set.

Limitations - you can only group parts within one cabinet - if you have an assembly built out of two cabinets (like a tall pantry cab), you can't group the fronts of the cabinets together. You also can't group any display parts.

Hope this helps - Jason

[Nat Wheatley]

That make things a whole lot easier! Thanks Jason.

[Nat Wheatley]

I'm noticing that the parts are being grouped together in the nest, but that on the several cabinets I nested, the drawer front is placed at the bottom of the doors. Anyway to keep them in the correct orientation?

[Jason Gooch]

er.... are you talking about 1 drawer over 2 doors? I've never had it nest incorrectly, once I group them. I hate to ask, but are you looking at the nest diagram sideways? I guess a visual would help.

[Nat Wheatley]

Nevermind, my error. I had redone the drawer front and not gone back and re-grouped it with the doors.