What is a job setup sheet, and how do I make one my operator can run from, with my logo and only the sections I want?

What the sheet is

A job sheet (Job Setup Sheet) sums up what you need to set up and run the project at the machine, so nobody has to go back to the design computer. Toolpaths > Create Job Sheet writes a self-contained HTML page that opens in any web browser and prints from there. Hold Ctrl while choosing the command and it opens automatically after saving.

It contains:

• Job Layout: a thumbnail of the vectors on the sheet inside a rectangle for the material.
• Job Notes: any notes or special instructions you added.
• Material Setup: what you need to position and datum the workpiece: the material block dimensions, the home position, and the clearance height for rapid moves. On two-sided jobs it also states which side the sheet is for and the flip direction.
• Toolpaths Summary: each toolpath name, the tool it needs, and its estimated time.
• Toolpaths List: feed rate, plunge rate and spindle speed for each toolpath.

How to create one

1. Design the project and calculate all toolpaths as usual.
2. Choose Toolpaths > Create Job Sheet.
3. Pick a file name and location. Hold Ctrl when you choose the command to open the sheet right away.
4. Print it and take it to the machine.

One sheet per setup

• A multi-sheet job produces a Job Sheet for every sheet that contains toolpaths.
• A two-sided job needs the command run once per side. Switch sides and run it again; the file names get _Top or _Bottom added automatically.

Customizing it

Open Gadgets > Setup Sheet Editor (preinstalled).

1. Change Logo: Browse to a JPG, PNG or GIF. Landscape images work best because the logo is scaled to 165 x 52 pixels.
2. Title: replace the default Job Setup Sheet title with your own, for example the shop name and Run Sheet.
3. Color options: pick the header and footer block colors with the color selector or type a hex value.
4. Add or Remove Setup Sheet Information: five sections can be switched on or off: Job Layout, Job Notes, Material Setup, Toolpaths Summary, Individual Toolpath Summaries.
5. The first time it runs, the gadget backs up the existing sheet layout, so Restore to default sheet can bring the standard version back.

Making it useful on the floor

• Treat the times on the sheet as estimates. The Estimating Machining Times form uses a Rapid Rate and a Scale Factor, so set those to match your machine before you rely on the numbers. For quoting and time estimates, see the entry on estimating machining time.
• Toolpath names are printed as written. Name them so the operator can match sheet to file, for example with the sheet number and tool.
• The sheet lists toolpaths, not saved files. If you save several toolpaths into one file, keep the list order equal to the cutting order so the sheet reads top to bottom the way the machine runs.
• Put operator instructions in Job Notes so they print on the sheet, for example "use the 1/4 inch upcut for this pass".

Where it pays off

• Repeat orders: keep one printed sheet per job in a folder so the next run is set up the same way.
• Someone else runs the machine: one person designs, the operator works from the sheet.
• Multi-tool jobs: the tool list cuts down on loading the wrong bit for a pass.
• Records: the sheet documents what was cut and how.

Pro tips

• Create the Job Sheet after the final recalculation so tools and times match what was saved.
• Read the sheet before every cut. A wrong zero or wrong bit is easier to catch on paper than in the material.
• If a time looks far too short or too long, check the feeds and speeds on that toolpath.
• For a nest map with part labels, add a PDF export of the sheets; see the entry on labeling nested parts.