Cut list applications for the Mac

Let me start out by saying that I don't use much computer software in my shop. I have no CNC machines and I don't use any cabinet design or CAD programs. Maybe I'm just too "old school" for that stuff but I really think it's more because my shop work is usually so "tweaky" that it's easier just to do full-scale layouts and write cut lists by hand.

Sometimes I design things using Adobe Illustrator, especially molding profiles and the like. And I use the Internet and e-mail extensively. But in general, when it comes to computers in the shop, I am not too "state of the art."

Another reason I have not gotten involved with these programs is that I have long been a Mac user and there have simply been no programs of this nature that will run on a Mac. Of course, I know how to use a Windows computer and there have always been virtualization programs that would allow Windows apps to run on Macs. And now the "new generation" of Macs are capable of running a Windows OS "natively", side by side with the Mac's own operating system, which means that you can turn your Mac into a Windows computer simply by rebooting it into an installed version of Windows, making it even more unlikely that software vendors are going to have any incentive to "port" their applications to the Mac.

Having said all that, I would like to point you to the one piece of software I am aware of, that is targeted at cabinet shops, and is actually available in a Mac version. It's called "Cabinet Cut" and you can see it here:

http://www.cabinetcut.com/index.html

This is a "panel cutting optimizer", not a "full on" layout and design program. In fact, this would be considered a component of a fully fleshed out program like Cabinet Vision. But for those who have been waiting for a decent panel cutting optimizer that will run on a Mac, this could be your big chance ...

D.D.