Perfect Graining works with all Nesting Optimization types, Microvellum Sawing Optimization and Ardis Optimization. Which optimizer you use does not change how parts are grouped into grain containers, so it is not a useful first question when grain matching is not working.
Being able to control perfect graining included in a single product, or even from product to product has been difficult in previous Microvellum releases. There is now the ability to tell the optimizer what to perfect grain inside of a product, or even what products to include in a blueprint match elevation of cabinets.
To do this, enter a # sign and number in the perfect grain info cell of the parts that will be grain matched. In this example, we will take a 2 Door 2 Drawer cabinet and perfect grain the left and right sides separately.
First, access the product properties and look at the left door and left drawer front and enter #1 in the perfect grain info cell for each part.
Fig. 01 - Setting up Perfect Grain Group #1
Second, access the right door and right drawer front and enter #2 in the perfect grain info cell for each part.
Fig. 02 - Setting up Perfect Grain Group #2
When running this cabinet through the optimizer, it will group all the parts with #1 together and the parts with #2 together. If there are multiple cabinets like this, different numbers will need to be put in for the different cabinets as it will try and group all like numbers.
You can use this same logic to do perfect grain matching across multiple cabinets as well. For instance, you can tell the optimizer to match all the doors in the following image together by putting a #1 in the perfect grain info box for each door. The problem with this is all the doors will not all fit on one sheet, so it will need to be broken up. Putting #1 in the doors for 1.03 and 1.04 and #2 in the doors for 1.05 and 1.06 will then create two separate grain containers, which will then fit on a sheet.
Fig. 03 - Line of Products to be Perfect Grained
If the optimizer cannot fit the grain container on a sheet, it will display a message indicating the size of the container and continue moving on. If you are unsure how the parts are being laid out on the sheet to create that container, increase the sheet size beyond the size of the grain container it displayed, and try again. This will at least display the patterns it is optimizing, and then adjustments can be made to your products.
All other perfect graining rules still apply to figuring out if it can be perfect grained together. They must be on the same plane, and it is best to keep the machine points either 1 or 3M. If you use others, you will get unexpected results.
This new perfect grain option will work with all Nesting Optimization types, Microvellum Sawing Optimization, and Ardis Optimization.
Troubleshooting
The optimizer reports a grain container that will not fit on the sheet
When the optimizer cannot fit a grain container, it reports the container's size and moves on without grain matching that group. The reported size is the size of all the parts in the group laid out together, not the size of any one part - so a group of doors each under 1200 mm can still produce a container over 2000 mm wide.
Work through these in order:
Confirm which parts are actually in the group. Every part carrying the same # value is in one container, across every product in the work order. A part you have forgotten - a filler, a panel, a part in another room - will enlarge the container. The program groups all like numbers, so reusing #1 in two unrelated places merges them.
See how the container is being laid out. Temporarily increase the sheet size beyond the reported container size and optimize again. This displays the pattern the optimizer is attempting, which usually makes the cause obvious. Return the sheet size to its correct value afterwards.
Split the group into smaller containers - for example doors for cabinets 1.03 and 1.04 as #1, cabinets 1.05 and 1.06 as #2. Each container must fit on one sheet.
If splitting is not acceptable, the sheet is too small for the match you have specified. A continuous grain match across a run is only possible if every part in the match fits on a single sheet together. When splitting the group would break the match you need - for example a run of uppers matched to a continuous top filler - the remaining options are to source larger sheet stock for that material, or to accept the match being broken at a point you choose rather than one the optimizer chooses.
Splitting a group that has already been split, when the container size has not changed, will not help. If step 1 confirms only the intended parts are in the group and the container is still larger than your sheet, go to step 4.
A perfect grained part is rotated incorrectly in the nest
Should a part with perfect graining applied to it be rotated incorrectly in the Nest but drawn correctly in 3D, draw the part in 2D and ensure it is oriented the same as the other members of the Perfect Graining group.
Fig. 04 – Incorrect Part Rotation in Nest
Fig. 05 – Incorrect 2D Drawing Orientation
Fig. 06 – Correct 2D Drawing Orientation
If the 2D drawing is oriented incorrectly, open Part Properties, and select the incorrect subassembly. The Width and Length parameters have likely been swapped in that particular part, and the Y-Orientation has been changed. Verify if this is the case by comparing the incorrectly nested part with the correctly nested parts. If this is the case, reverse the changes to the incorrect part.
Fig. 07 – Swap Length and Width Parameters
Fig. 08 – Change Y-Rotation to match the correct parts.
Reprocess the Nest to verify that the changes fixed the rotation of the incorrect part.
Fig. 09 – Correct Nest
For more information, see Overview: Part Material Graining.