GaugeQuote

DXF instant quote

Plan: Cutting

Needs GaugeQuote Pro with an active Cutting or Cutting Plus licence.

1. Shop settings

In WooCommerce > GaugeQuote, add your materials and machine rates (see Getting started).

In WooCommerce > GaugeQuote Pro > Drawings, choose what happens to items on paper-space layouts (title blocks, borders):

  • send the drawing to a manual quote; or
  • ignore them and price the model space.

The same tab shows the limits for one drawing: 8 MB of DXF text, 40,000 entities, 100,000 segments and 20,000 shapes.

2. Machines (optional)

In WooCommerce > GaugeQuote Pro > Machines, click Add a machine. Set a name, priced per metre or per minute, rate, pierce charge, pierce seconds and feed speeds (mm/min). A machine priced per minute needs a feed speed for each material: its own here, or the material's feed speed.

3. The product

  1. In Product data > GaugeQuote, choose Price from: Cut to size. Tick the Materials offered.
  2. Add a File upload option whose accepted files include DXF.
  3. Open the GaugeQuote Pro tab:
    • Machine: the main machine or one of yours.
    • DXF instant quote: "Price the drawing uploaded in" your file option.
    • Customers give the part: as a drawing or a quick shape, or as a drawing only (the drawing option becomes required).
  4. Click Update.

What the customer sees

The customer picks a material and uploads a DXF. The page shows a preview of the drawing and a live price. It also shows the drawing's unit, or asks for one.

What is measured

  • material area (or the bounding rectangle, as set in WooCommerce > GaugeQuote);
  • cut length of every outline and hole;
  • pierces: closed outlines plus open paths;
  • width and height.

Which drawings work

ASCII DXF with LINE, LWPOLYLINE, POLYLINE, ARC, CIRCLE, ELLIPSE, SPLINE and INSERT (blocks, including MINSERT grids and nested blocks). Binary DXF is refused.

Units

  • The drawing names its unit: that unit is used. The customer is not asked.
  • The drawing names no unit: the customer picks mm, cm, m, in or ft, and the server measures again in that unit.

When a drawing goes to a manual quote

  • it cannot be read, or it is over the limits;
  • it needs a check: open outlines, crossing lines, hidden or switched-off items, fills, an unusual unit;
  • the part is bigger than the sheet, as drawn or turned 90 degrees;
  • the part is smaller than Smallest part;
  • there is nothing to cut.

A manual-quote job is not added to the cart. With saved quotes switched on, logged-in customers send it as a request (see Saved quotes and PDF).

Worked example

Settings: Acrylic 3 mm at 40 per m². Machine "Laser" at 2.50 per metre of cut and 0.20 per pierce. Formula "Handling", per order line: 2 + pierces * 0.1.

Drawing: a 200 x 100 mm plate with four 10 mm holes.

  • Material: 0.02 m² x 40 = 0.80
  • Cutting: 0.7257 m x 2.50 = 1.81
  • Pierces: 5 x 0.20 = 1.00
  • Handling: 2 + 5 x 0.1 = 2.50
  • Total: 6.11

The server decides

When the customer adds to cart, the server measures the stored file itself and prices it. Measurements, shapes or prices sent with the form are refused or ignored. Results are kept per file and unit, so the same drawing is not measured twice.

On the order

The cart, the order and the job sheet show the drawing size, cut length, pierces and unit. The job sheet also shows the drawing, the machine and the price list.