Setting Up Equipment
Cabora's equipment profile tells the cut optimizer which tools your shop has and how they're configured. When you run the optimizer, it sequences cuts by station — and Shop Mode shows you exactly which machine handles each cut. If you haven't set up your equipment, the optimizer can't route cuts correctly.
Go to Equipment from the left sidebar of the dashboard.
Equipment profiles
You can create multiple equipment profiles — for example, one for your main shop and one for a satellite location or a different shift layout.
Creating a profile:
- Click + New Profile (or it may be labeled Add Profile).
- Give it a name (e.g., "Main Shop" or "Production Floor").
- Configure the tools (see below).
Switching profiles:
Use the profile dropdown at the top of the Equipment page to switch between profiles. The active profile is used for all cut optimization and Shop Mode routing.
Tools
Table Saw
Enable the table saw if your shop uses one for ripping sheet goods.
| Setting | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Fence (max rip width) | The maximum rip width your fence can handle — typically 12–60 inches |
| Sled width | The maximum width of a crosscut sled — typically 0–48 inches |
| Max area | How much of the optimization load the table saw handles, as a percentage of total cuts |
If a part's rip width is wider than your fence, the optimizer routes it to the track saw or panel saw instead.
Miter Saw
Enable the miter saw for crosscuts on smaller parts (trim, molding, and narrow components).
| Setting | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Max crosscut | The maximum crosscut length your miter saw can handle — typically 4–24 inches |
Parts wider than this limit are routed to the table saw sled, track saw, or panel saw.
Track Saw
Enable the track saw for breaking down full sheets before more precise cuts.
No additional settings beyond enabling it. The optimizer treats the track saw as a general sheet-breakdown tool for large panels.
Panel Saw
Enable the panel saw if your shop has a vertical or horizontal panel saw.
No additional settings beyond enabling it. Like the track saw, it's used for initial sheet breakdown.
Workflow preferences
These settings tell the optimizer how to sequence cuts for your shop's flow.
Cut order preference
| Option | When to use |
|---|---|
| Rip first (default) | Rip the sheet to width first, then crosscut to length. Works well for most shops — fewer fence adjustments, better use of the fence stop. |
| Crosscut first | Crosscut the sheet to length first, then rip to width. Some shops prefer this for large panels where crosscutting the full sheet first is safer. |
Preferred breakdown method
This setting only appears when both a track saw and a panel saw are enabled.
| Option | When to use |
|---|---|
| Auto-detect | Cabora picks the best tool for each sheet based on part sizes and your fence/sled limits |
| Track saw | Always start with the track saw for sheet breakdown |
| Panel saw | Always start with the panel saw for sheet breakdown |
How equipment affects Shop Mode
Once your equipment is configured and you run the optimizer on a project, the Shop Mode view in the Cut Planner organizes every cut by station:
- Only stations for tools you've enabled appear.
- If you don't have a track saw, its cuts are reassigned to the next available station.
- The sequence of stations reflects your cut order preference (rip-first vs. crosscut-first).
Each station is color-coded in Shop Mode so you can see at a glance which machine handles each cut. See the Cut List & Shop Mode guide for the full Shop Mode walkthrough.
Example setup: typical two-man shop
| Tool | Setting |
|---|---|
| Table Saw | Enabled — fence 52", sled 24", max area 70% |
| Miter Saw | Enabled — max crosscut 16" |
| Track Saw | Enabled |
| Panel Saw | Disabled |
| Cut order | Rip first |
| Breakdown method | Track saw |
With this setup, the optimizer uses the track saw for initial sheet breakdown, the table saw for primary rips and sled crosscuts, and the miter saw for small trim and molding cuts.