Vero Software's release of the 2018 R1 Alphacam includes enhancements to automation and nesting functions. Automation Manager now has the ability to form a connection between ‘parent-child’ parts as job files can now be added to another job file as a sub-component and users can preview these without having to process the job. Drawings and fittings can now be added to specified datum points and the new tolerance collision check allows the manager to avoid machine table collisions with the ability to check Z levels on toolpaths. Along with 13 additional nesting-extension options, a new feature allows the nesting engine to automatically use the best available user-selected sheets. The TimeStudy function has been reinstated as a 64-bit add-in, and the cylindrical parallel strategy for 3D machining has been improved with a new geometry option that creates the minimum 3D bounding rectangle to enclose solids and surfaces. Two major enhancements for stone companies include an increased support for the guard visualization, and a new option for including extra passes at profile walls when roughing in the cut with disk operation. Also, two items of enhanced functionality which are specifically for Alphacam’s lathe module are an update to machining dialogs and new cycles added to C/L Drilling and Tapping.