To move a SketchUp cabinet model into CutPacket, export the Parts List from OpenCutList as CSV, rename its columns to CutPacket’s headers (an ID, length, width, quantity, material and grain), hide the groups that are not sheet goods, and import the file with a stock CSV. CutPacket then produces cut diagrams, labels and, when the client changes the design after cutting has started, a recut list that says what to cut, recut or leave alone.
This guide walks through the export settings that matter and the mistakes that stop an import.
Turn a SketchUp parts list into cut diagrams, labels and a recut list.
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Why go from OpenCutList to CutPacket at all?
OpenCutList is a free, open source SketchUp extension that generates cut lists for woodworking projects. Its documentation and README describe parts lists, cutting diagrams, labels and cost and weight reports, all from the model. If its diagrams do everything your shop needs, keep using them.
CutPacket is a Windows desktop app built around a different moment: a client revision arriving after some sheets are already cut. It compares the revised parts list with the previous revision by part ID and tells you which pieces are new, changed, up or down in quantity, removed or unchanged. Pieces already cut and unchanged are kept and use no new stock. Changed pieces are recut, with the old one marked as scrap. Labels for kept pieces are not reprinted, so old and new labels do not get mixed up on the floor.
So the combination is: design in SketchUp, list parts with OpenCutList, and run the shop packet and revisions through CutPacket.
How do you export a CSV from OpenCutList?
OpenCutList’s Export to CSV documentation describes the options:
| Setting | Choice for CutPacket | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Parts List | One row per part with a quantity, as shown on screen. List of Instances exports each instance on its own row. |
| Visible groups | Sheet goods only | Only visible groups are exported, so hide solid wood, hardware and edge banding groups first. |
| Separator | Comma, semicolon or tab | CutPacket accepts all three. |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | CutPacket tolerates a UTF-8 BOM. |
| Units | Plain numbers, one unit for the file | OpenCutList exports units with dimensions when they are shown; CutPacket refuses mixed units in one file. |
The documentation also notes that you can export to XLSX or copy to the clipboard. CutPacket reads CSV, so choose a CSV file.
Why hide some groups?
CutPacket lays out rectangular parts on sheets of plywood, melamine and MDF. OpenCutList knows other material types too. Its formula reference lists solid wood, sheet good, dimensional, hardware, edge and veneer. A drawer runner or a solid face frame part in a sheet goods file will either fail validation as an unknown material or end up on a sheet where it does not belong. Hiding those groups before export keeps the file to what goes on the panel saw.
How do you map OpenCutList columns to CutPacket headers?
OpenCutList’s customization lets you rename, hide, show, add and reorder columns, and save the setup as a preset. CutPacket’s header names are flexible: it looks for id or part, name, length, width, qty, material, grain, unit and notes.
A workable mapping:
| CutPacket header | Fill it with |
|---|---|
| id | A part identifier that stays the same between revisions |
| name | The part name or designation |
| length, width | The cut dimensions |
| qty | The part count |
| material | The sheet material name, spelled exactly as in your stock CSV |
| grain | length, width or none |
| notes | Anything the shop should see on the label, such as edge banding |
Rename the columns in OpenCutList to these headers, hide the rest, and save it as a preset so every export from the same template comes out the same way. Columns can also hold Ruby formulas. The documentation’s example puts a prefix in front of each designation, for instance "ABC-" + @Designation, which is one way to build a readable ID.
Import the revised CSV and see exactly what to cut, recut or keep.
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Why does the part ID matter so much?
CutPacket matches parts across revisions by ID. If the ID for the left end panel is P07 in revision A and P07 in revision B, CutPacket can tell whether its size, material or grain changed. If the ID changes between exports, the same part looks like one removed part and one new part, and CutPacket schedules a recut you may not need.
Before you rely on an ID column, export twice from a copy of the model, add a part the second time, and check that the existing parts keep their IDs. If they do not, build the ID from something stable, such as a name you assign in the model.
What will stop the import?
CutPacket validates before it optimizes, and each message says what to fix:
- Mixed units. Millimetres and inches in one file are refused, never silently converted. Inches with fractions such as
24 1/2are accepted. - Unknown material. The message lists the stock materials it knows. Match the spelling in the stock CSV.
- Blank grain on grained stock. Fill grain for every part on a grained material.
- Parts that cannot fit. If a part is larger than any sheet after edge trim, the message gives the usable sheet size.
- Duplicate IDs and bad numbers, reported with row numbers.
- A stock shortfall, when the stock area is not enough.
Your source CSVs are read and never modified. For the vocabulary behind these checks, see our guide to cut list terms: kerf, edge trim and grain. If you are building lists by hand instead, see making a cabinet cut list from a spreadsheet.
What do you get after the import?
- Cut diagrams as PDF, one landscape page per sheet with a numbered cut sequence. The layouts are guillotine, so every cut runs edge to edge, and they respect blade kerf, edge trim and grain.
- Labels as PDF on an Avery 5163-compatible 4 x 2 inch grid, plus a CSV for label printers.
- A recut list for each revision, as PDF and CSV.
- A project file that stores parts, stock, settings, the plan, pinned sheets, approvals and the already-cut list.
The optimizer is deterministic, so the same input gives the same layout. It runs several heuristics and keeps the best plan it finds, but it does not claim mathematical optimality. You approve each sheet before export, and you can pin a sheet to keep its layout on the next run. Always check layouts and dimensions before you cut.
How does a revision work with SketchUp in the loop?
- Cut from the first packet and mark sheets or pieces as already cut in CutPacket.
- When the client asks for changes, edit the SketchUp model.
- Export the Parts List again with the same OpenCutList preset.
- Import the revised CSV into the same CutPacket project.
- Print the recut list and only the new labels.
The revision cut list page explains the recut statuses in more detail, and our checklist for cabinet orders that change after cutting covers the shop side.
Frequently asked questions
Does CutPacket read SketchUp files directly?
No. It reads two CSV files, parts and stock. OpenCutList is one way to produce the parts CSV from a model.
Is OpenCutList free?
Yes. It is open source under the GPL 3.0 license.
Can I use the List of Instances export?
The Parts List with quantities is simpler. A row per instance gives every piece its own row, which you would then need to give unique IDs.
Does my data leave my PC?
Not with CutPacket. It is a local desktop app with no account, no cloud and no telemetry.
Try CutPacket
CutPacket is a one-time purchase with a free trial in the Microsoft Store; the listing shows the current price and system requirements. Export your next OpenCutList parts list and run it through CutPacket before the first sheet goes on the saw. More detail is on the CutPacket product page.
Keep revisions straight from SketchUp model to labelled parts.
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SketchUp is a trademark of Trimble Inc. Automata Labs is not affiliated with Trimble or the OpenCutList project.
Last updated 23 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.