In BySoft CAD: Use Repair Geometry → Find Gaps → Close Open Contours. For laser cutting, ensure all cut paths are continuous.
Never send code to the machine without simulating.
It was 4:00 PM on a Friday. Most of the shop floor at Precision Metals was winding down, but Marco, the lead programmer, just received a frantic call. A long-time agricultural client needed fifty replacement headlight brackets for their tractor fleet by Saturday morning—and they had only sent a complex 3D CAD file that looked like origami.
Marco didn’t sweat. He opened BySoft 7 and began his proven "File to Part" workflow. Step 1: The Unfolding bysoft cam tutorial
Marco imported the 3D file directly into the BySoft CAM interface. Instead of manually calculating bend allowances, he used the unfolding feature. With a few clicks, the complex 3D shape flattened into a perfect 2D geometry, accounting for the exact material thickness and K-factors of the shop's steel stock. Step 2: Cleaning the Lines
The imported file had some "dirty" geometry—overlapping lines that would confuse a laser cutter. Marco used the cleanup tools highlighted in many BySoft tutorials to snap endpoints together and remove double lines in seconds. He then verified the part geometry to ensure the laser would follow a continuous path. Step 3: Technology & Nesting
This was the "magic" moment. Marco assigned the laser cutting technology for 5mm mild steel. He then moved to the nesting module. To save material, he didn't just place them in rows; he let the software's Production Scheduling algorithm nest the brackets into the "skeleton" of a previous job's leftover sheet. Step 4: The Final Cut In BySoft CAD : Use Repair Geometry →
By 5:30 PM, the program was sent to the ByStar Fiber laser. Marco watched as the machine executed the precise cuts he’d just programmed. While the laser worked, he used the Robot Manager feature to pre-program the bending sequence for the press brake, ensuring that when the parts came off the laser, they were ready for the final fold.
The Result:The brackets were finished, bent, and boxed by 8:00 PM. As the Bystronic promotional story goes: "The headlight brackets are finished... now all I need is the tractor!".
In the world of modern sheet metal fabrication, precision and efficiency are paramount. As the successor to the legacy BySoft family, BySoft CAM (often referred to as BySoft 7 or the new BySoft CAM module within the BySoft Suite) has become the industry standard for programming Bystronic laser cutting, punching, and bending machines. It was 4:00 PM on a Friday
Whether you are migrating from BySoft 6 or stepping into CNC programming for the first time, this BySoft CAM tutorial will guide you through the interface, nesting strategies, technology assignment, and post-processing.
Note: This tutorial focuses on the CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) module for laser/punching. Bending (BySoft Bend) is a separate but integrated module.
Bysoft (now often referred to as BySoft or BySoft CAM within the Bystronic ecosystem) is the proprietary CAD/CAM software used to program Bystronic laser cutting, plasma, and waterjet machines. Whether you are using an older Bysoft 7 or the newer BySoft 7 (or transitioning to BySoft Cell), mastering the core workflow is essential for efficient sheet metal cutting.
This tutorial covers the standard workflow for taking a 2D DXF/DWG file, nesting it onto a sheet, assigning cutting parameters, and generating the NC code (CNC program).