Pegas Nesting Bridge – User Guide

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Pegas Nesting Bridge is a professional Autodesk Fusion 360 add-in that bridges the gap between your 3D design workspace and external nesting applications. If you find you are losing component coordinates or rotation angles when transferring parts to nested sheets, this utility automates the entire sync loop.

By embedding specialized layout markers inside exported boundaries, the add-in automatically repositions your 3D parts into their nested configuration upon re-importing the nested sheet layout. This eliminates manual placement bottlenecks and speeds up woodworking and CNC flat-pack sheet production.

2. Typical Workflow

The nesting synchronization pipeline is completed in three simple steps:

            1. Export parts from Fusion 360 Design workspace (Dual-Marker V2 embedded)

                ↓

            2. Run external nesting software (DeepNest, NestFab, etc.) to pack parts

                ↓

            3. Import the nested sheet DXF/SVG back — add-in automatically snaps 3D components to place

Pegas Nesting Aligned 3D Parts

Figure 1: Aligned 3D model components after importing external nesting sheet layout (Click to zoom/pan)

3. System Requirements

Fusion 360: Current active version (Commercial or Personal).
OS: Windows 10/11 or macOS 12+.
Nesting Tool: DeepNest, NestFab, SVGnest, or any software reading and outputting standard DXF/SVG formats.

4. Parameter Reference

The following parameters control files and layers settings inside the palette tabs:

Prefix
String

Base file prefix for exported component DXF/SVG profiles (e.g. JOB001_part_1.dxf).

Output Format
Option List

Determines whether to write DXF, SVG, or both vector formats during batch export.

Group Mode
Option List

Exports parts as individual files (Separate Files) or merges all shapes onto a single output sheet.

Geometry Style
Option List

Determines segment styling: raw unlinked segments, merged closed polylines, or grouped blocks.

Holes / Slots Layer
Layer Names

Configures target DXF/SVG layer names for internal circles and routing pockets (e.g. HOLES, CUTOUTS).

5. Step-by-Step Guide

Tab 1 — Export Nesting

Use this tab to prepare parts with dual-markers and save them for the nesting engine.

Pegas Nesting Export Tab

Figure 2: Export Nesting panel settings and configurations (Click to zoom/pan)

Select Components & Folder

Click Select Components and select the bodies or subassemblies in the viewport. Choose an output directory to store the vectors.

Export Archive

Set Group Mode and Geometry Style. Click Export. The plugin writes DXF/SVG files and saves the layout mapping file (_EXPORT_MAP.json).

Exported Parts Layout Map

Figure 3: Layout sheet showing parts with nested boundaries and marker sets (Click to zoom/pan)

Tab 2 — Import Nesting

Use this tab to read the nested layout vector sheet and align original 3D components automatically.

Pegas Nesting Import Tab

Figure 4: Import Nesting settings panel (Click to zoom/pan)

Select Sheet & Manifest

Click **Browse** next to the Sheet field and load the nested DXF/SVG sheet generated by your nesting engine. Then browse and load the _EXPORT_MAP.json manifest file.

Perform Alignment Snapping

Click Import. The plugin parses the Dual-Marker V2 alignments, matching coordinates and rotation angles. Your 3D components snap onto the nested coordinates in 5 minutes.

Tab 3 — Export DXF / SVG (Without Markers)

Use this utility for simple shapes export directly for laser cutting or manual nested CAM setups where markers are not needed.

Pegas Nesting Direct Export Tab

Figure 5: Direct export panel configuration for layout vector sheets (Click to zoom/pan)

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Clean Exports

Exporting via Tab 3 creates vectors free of alignment markers, ready to be read by laser cutter interfaces or G-code generators.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Which nesting software is compatible?

Any nesting tool that accepts standard DXF/SVG files and exports the completed nested sheets as DXF/SVG is compatible. DeepNest (free) is highly recommended.

Do the markers affect my final cutting paths?

No. The markers are exported on a dedicated separate layer. For completely clean cuts without any markers, use the direct export utility in Tab 3.

Can I run the import if I rotate parts during nesting?

Yes. The Dual-Marker V2 algorithm evaluates both the displacement vector and rotation angle of each component, adjusting the 3D position in Fusion 360 accordingly.