True shape nesting
Parts are placed by their real outlines, not as rectangles; small parts fit into the holes of larger ones.
For laser cutting workshops
True shape nesting software for laser cutting
ZekNest rotates the parts in your DXF drawings by their real outline instead of their bounding box, places small parts inside holes and fits everything on as few sheets as possible. No installation; the first 20 nesting runs are free and full-featured.
Latest version: 0.4.1 · Windows 10/11
Campaign · Early supporter price
29,99 TL
149,99 TL
Left at this price: 5 · Then: 59,99 TL
0 of 50 spots taken · Campaign ends: Oct 31, 2026
Campaign tiers
- Buyers 1–5 29,99 TL Now
- Buyers 6–15 59,99 TL Next
- Buyers 16–30 89,99 TL Next
- Buyers 31–50 99,99 TL Next
ZekNest in short
- What does it do? Places DXF parts on sheets with minimal waste and saves the result as a new DXF.
- Who is it for? Workshops cutting wood, MDF, acrylic or card with laser cutters, CNC routers and plotters.
- How is it different? Parts are nested by their real outlines, not as rectangles; small parts go into the gaps of larger ones.
- What do I need? Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). No installation, a single file.
- Price? One-time payment, lifetime use and one year of updates: 29,99 TL.
What is nesting and why does it save material?
Nesting is arranging the parts to be cut on a sheet with as little empty space as possible. In laser cutting, material is usually the most expensive part of a job; cutting the same order with one sheet less goes straight to your profit.
Manual layout is slow and depends on experience. Simple nesting programs treat parts as rectangles, so the space around L, U or round parts is wasted. True shape nesting uses the actual outline of each part, slides parts into each other's recesses and uses the inside of frame-like parts.
How does ZekNest work?
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1
Open your DXF files
Drag and drop DXF files saved from CorelDRAW, Illustrator, AutoCAD or Inkscape. You can add several products to the same job.
-
2
Enter quantities and the sheet
Enter the number of sets for each product, the sheet size, edge margin and part spacing. You can restrict rotation for grained material.
-
3
Click Nest
ZekNest places the parts in seconds and keeps searching for a better layout. Stop whenever the result is good enough.
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4
Save as DXF
The result is saved as a clean DXF with arcs preserved and goes straight to cutting in LightBurn, RDWorks or CorelDRAW.
Features
Free rotation
Besides 90-degree steps, each part is tried at the angle of its tightest bounding box plus a few degrees of fine tuning.
Multiple products
Add different DXF files to the same job and set the number of sets for each product.
Part rules
No rotation for wood grain, priority parts and flipping for double-sided material.
Clean DXF output
Arcs and circles are preserved; every laser program reads the AutoCAD R12 output.
Engravings stay with the part
Letters, patterns and engraving layers inside a part are bound to it and never scattered.
Portable and light
A single file, no .NET installation needed; it even runs from a USB stick.
Works offline
Once the license is verified, the program works without a connection for up to 10 days.
Field test: results on real workshop drawings
ZekNest is tested with real product drawings cut in our workshop in Karaman, Turkey: hinged boxes, heart boxes, slot-together pen holders, name plates and desk organisers.
- On parts drawn at an angle, free rotation raised the fill of the used area from 62.8% to 68.7% compared with 90-degree steps only.
- After every layout an independent check measures spacing and edge margin violations between the real geometries. Violations in tests: zero.
- The saved DXF is read back and its area compared; the difference for arc and mirror transformations is 0%.
Comparison of layout methods
| Feature | Manual layout | Rectangle nesting | True shape (ZekNest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Slow, minutes to hours | Fast | Fast, seconds |
| Use of recesses and holes | Depends on the user | None | Yes, automatic |
| Rotation | Manual | Usually 90° | 90°, part-specific angle and fine tuning |
| Spacing and margin check | By eye | By rectangle | By real shape, measured |
Which programs does it work with?
ZekNest reads and writes DXF, so you keep your drawing and cutting software.
- Drawing source
- CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, Inkscape, LibreCAD and any program that saves DXF.
- Sending to the cutter
- LightBurn, RDWorks, LaserCAD, CorelDRAW (CorelLaser) and any laser software that opens AutoCAD R12 DXF.
- Units
- The unit inside the DXF is read; cm or inch drawings are converted to millimetres automatically.
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB recommended for jobs with many parts |
| Processor | Calculation runs in parallel on multi-core processors |
| Installation | None; a single exe file (about 70 MB) |
| Internet | Needed for activation, then offline for up to 10 days |
Pricing
One-time payment. No subscription.
Campaign · Early supporter price
29,99 TL
149,99 TL
Left at this price: 5 · Then: 59,99 TL
0 of 50 spots taken · Campaign ends: Oct 31, 2026
Campaign tiers
- Buyers 1–5 29,99 TL Now
- Buyers 6–15 59,99 TL Next
- Buyers 16–30 89,99 TL Next
- Buyers 31–50 99,99 TL Next
Payment is taken in Turkish lira (TRY); your card issuer converts it at its own rate.
Included in the license
- Lifetime use (one computer)
- All new versions for one year
- Move to a new computer yourself 3 times a year
- Works offline for up to 10 days
- Lost keys can be recovered on the My License page
Frequently asked questions
Is ZekNest free?
The first 20 nesting runs are free and full-featured. After that the program keeps opening in limited mode; DXF export and all features need a one-time license.
Which file types does it open?
It opens DXF files: lines, arcs, circles, polylines with bulges, ellipses and splines. Just save your CorelDRAW, Illustrator or AutoCAD drawings as DXF.
On how many computers does one license work?
One license works on one computer at a time. When you change computers you move the license yourself with a code sent to your e-mail; you have 3 transfers per year.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. Once the license is verified, the program works offline for up to 10 days and re-verifies automatically when a connection is available.
How long are updates free?
All versions released within one year of purchase are free. After that the program keeps working; you can extend the period for new versions.
Are my drawings sent to the server?
No. All calculation happens on your computer. Only license verification, device details and anonymous usage counts such as the number of nesting runs are sent.
Use your sheets more efficiently on your next job
Download it, try it with your own drawings and buy a license if you like the result.