Algorithm to optimize saw cut placement for woodworking.

I would like to create a simple Python-based application to generate what is known as a "cut list." A cut list is used in woodworking to determine the most efficient way to cut up various boards when building something. The goal is to minimize wasted wood. I intend to make a web application for my own personal use, plus members of my woodworking club. While I am able to do the front-end development, the mathematics behind the actual calculations are beyond my skills. I've written a few class definitions to get started, but I've now reached the limits of my expertise. I need a capable programmer to write the search/sort algorithm in a function that I can just copy-and-paste into my source. ## Deliverables Attached is what I've written so far, feel free to alter any code as you see fit. What I envision is that the [login to view URL]() function will return a list of all the Parts. Included with each Part's attributes will be which Board it is cut from, and the coordinates of each cut. I will take this output and use it to generate a PDF for display on the website. There are a couple of existing applications that might be useful for you to examine. The most popular program ([login to view URL]), even includes the Delphi source code. However it's interface is difficult to use and it's expensive (in terms of CPU power). Since this application will run on a shared web server, I cannot have it taking more than a few seconds to process each job. CutList Plus ([login to view URL]) is a commercial, Windows app that quickly generates cut lists and has a lot of other features I don't use. You can download a time-limited demo from their website. Misc points: * Please use Python 2.x and not Python 3000. * "kerf" refers to the width of the saw blade and is the amount of wood removed (turned to sawdust) with each cut. This has to be taken into consideration when making the cut list. * The "width" of a part is always perpendicular to the wood grain of the board and "length" is parallel to it. Hence, parts cannot be rotated 90 degrees to increase material efficiency. * Both CutList and CutList Plus have the option to select a perference for rip cuts, crosscuts, or a combination. I would like to have the same flexibility in this application. Rip cuts are done along the length of a board (parallel to the grain) and cross cuts are done across the width of the board (perpendicular to the grain). Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reviewing my project!