Slab Layout: View Options & Settings
Knowledge Base Article | Stone & Tile Desktop
Applies to: Stone (Stone Only) and Stone & Tile | Last reviewed: June 2026
Overview
The Slab Layout module contains two distinct configuration areas that control how the layout view displays and how the module behaves during piece placement. These are accessed from the Slab Layout toolbar:
• View Options — a dropdown menu on the toolbar that toggles which visual elements are shown on the slab layout canvas. Each option is independently checkable. Settings here affect visibility only; they do not change the underlying layout data.
• Setting — a dialog opened via the Setting button on the toolbar. Contains four controls that affect slab numbering, blade width, and piece placement behaviour. These are the most operationally significant settings in the module.
Both are accessible from the Slab Layout tab in the main toolbar. This article covers every option in both controls exactly as they appear in the interface.
View Options
View Options is accessed by clicking the View Options dropdown button in the Slab Layout toolbar. It presents a checklist of toggleable display elements. A checkmark next to an option means it is currently visible on the canvas. Clicking any option toggles it on or off without closing the menu.
Display only: View Options controls what is visible on screen and in the layout canvas. Turning an option off does not remove the underlying data — it only hides it. Slab quantities, piece positions, and all other layout data remain unchanged regardless of which View Options are enabled. |
View Options Reference
Option | What It Shows / Hides |
Grid | Overlays a measurement grid on the slab canvas. Helps with spatial reference and approximate piece positioning. Turn off for a cleaner view when the grid creates visual clutter on dense layouts. |
Object Label | Displays labels on each placed piece identifying the piece by name or ID. Essential for cross-referencing the layout with the parts list and the worksheet. Turn off only when labels overlap to the point of illegibility. |
Tag | Displays the tag(s) applied to each piece on the canvas. Has a submenu arrow indicating that specific tag groups can be selected. Useful on commercial projects where multiple tags are in use and the layout needs to show which tag each piece belongs to. |
Area Size | Shows the area dimensions of each piece on the canvas. Useful for verifying that individual piece sizes are correct without switching back to the drawing view. |
Angle | Displays the rotation angle of each piece on the canvas. Relevant for pieces that have been rotated in the layout — helps verify that directional pieces are oriented correctly before saving. |
Dimension | Shows dimension lines on the slab canvas reflecting each piece’s measurements. Enables quick visual verification that piece sizes are accurate as placed. Turn off if the canvas is too cluttered for a clean view. |
Markup | Shows any markup annotations that have been added to the layout. Turn off to see the layout without annotation overlays. |
Walls on Right Side | Controls the orientation of wall references displayed alongside the layout. On by default to match standard drawing conventions. |
Ceilings as Top View | Renders ceiling elements as viewed from above rather than in elevation. Off by default. Relevant primarily for Room Takeoff jobs that include ceiling areas. |
Image | Displays the background plan image (the imported PDF or plan) on the canvas. Turn off to see the layout without the underlying plan, which can reduce visual clutter on complex projects. |
Piece Orientation | Shows an orientation indicator on each piece, visually communicating the grain or pattern direction. Particularly useful for directional materials (marble, travertine, VM quartz) to confirm that Rotatable was unchecked and pieces maintain the intended orientation. |
Linear Product as Line | Renders linear products (edge profiles, splash, laminate) as simple lines rather than as filled elements. Reduces visual weight on the canvas when linear elements are not the focus of the layout review. |
Linear Product as Symbol | Renders linear products as symbols rather than lines. An alternative to the line view for distinguishing linear product types visually. |
Count Product | Displays count-based products (items priced per unit rather than per area or linear foot) on the canvas. |
Underlay Product | Shows underlay product layers on the canvas. On by default. |
Slab Random Texture | Applies a randomised texture to slab pieces on the canvas rather than the specific slab image configured for the product. Useful for visual variety in presentations when the actual slab image is not the focus, or when no slab image is configured. |
Slab Layout Texture | Displays the actual configured slab image texture on each piece as placed on the canvas. This is the cut-to-size texture view for the Slab Layout module. On by default and should remain on for any vein-match or pattern-verification work. Turn off only if canvas performance is slow on a large layout. |
Tile Texture | Shows tile texture on tiled elements within the layout. Off by default. Relevant when the job includes tile areas alongside stone countertop pieces. |
Recommended View Options by Task
Task | Recommended View Options State |
Vein-match or book-match layout verification | Slab Layout Texture ON, Piece Orientation ON, Object Label ON, Dimension ON. All others as needed. |
Commercial layout review for slab count and yield | Object Label ON, Dimension ON, Tag ON, Slab Layout Texture ON. Grid optional. |
Client presentation of slab layout | Slab Layout Texture ON, Object Label OFF or ON, Grid OFF, Dimension OFF. Clean canvas with material appearance visible. |
Troubleshooting piece orientation on a directional material | Piece Orientation ON, Slab Layout Texture ON, Angle ON. All other overlays as needed. |
Dense layout with many small pieces — canvas is cluttered | Turn off Dimension, Grid, Markup, and Linear Product options. Keep Object Label and Slab Layout Texture ON. |
Setting Dialog
The Setting dialog is opened by clicking the Setting button on the Slab Layout toolbar. It contains four controls that affect slab numbering and piece placement behaviour. These are module-level settings — they apply to all slab layout activity in the current session and are not piece-specific.
Apply before laying out: Configure Blade Width and the Auto settings before beginning any layout work. Blade Width affects how many pieces physically fit on a slab. Auto Docking and Auto Rotate affect piece behaviour the moment pieces are placed. Changing these after a layout is underway requires repositioning already-placed pieces. |
Slab No. Prefix
Sets the prefix character(s) prepended to each slab number in the layout. The default is S, producing slab numbers S1, S2, S3, and so on. The prefix appears on the slab canvas as each slab is labelled, and carries through to the worksheet and shop drawings wherever slab numbers are referenced.
Control | Behaviour |
Prefix field | Type any alphanumeric string. The prefix is prepended to the slab number for all slabs in the current layout. Change it before generating the layout for clean numbering from slab 1 onward. |
Renumber button | Renumbers all slabs in the current layout sequentially from 1, applying the current prefix. Use after adding, removing, or reordering slabs to restore clean sequential numbering. For example, if slab S3 was deleted and the sequence reads S1, S2, S4, clicking Renumber restores S1, S2, S3. |
• When to change the prefix: When the shop or project requires a different slab identification convention — for example, using a material code prefix (‘M’ for marble, ‘Q’ for quartz) or a project-specific identifier. This is a cosmetic setting with no effect on slab quantity calculations.
• When to use Renumber: After any session where slabs were added or deleted mid-layout, leaving gaps in the numbering sequence. Run Renumber before exporting the layout or generating shop drawings to ensure clean slab reference numbers in the output.
Blade Width
Sets the kerf — the width of material consumed by the saw blade on each cut. The default is 5/32". The Slab Layout module uses this value when calculating how many pieces fit on a slab and how much space to leave between pieces during placement.
An incorrect blade width produces a layout that cannot be faithfully executed in fabrication: pieces will either overlap physically (blade width set too narrow) or leave unnecessary waste gaps (blade width set too wide). Confirm this value with the fabrication team before any layout work begins on a new account.
Cutting Equipment | Typical Blade Width | Notes |
Bridge saw (standard diamond blade) | 3/16" – 1/4" (4–6mm) | Most common in stone shops. Confirm with the shop’s actual blade specification — blades vary by thickness. |
Bridge saw (thin blade) | 5/32" (approx. 4mm) | Matches the module default. Thinner blades reduce kerf and improve yield slightly. |
CNC router | 1/8" (3mm) | Smaller bit diameter produces a narrower kerf than a saw blade. |
Waterjet | 1/16" – 1/8" (1.5–3mm) | Narrowest kerf of the three cutting methods. Nozzle diameter determines cut width. |
Control | Behaviour |
Blade Width field | Enter the kerf value in inches (fractions accepted). The value applies to all new piece placements from this point forward in the session. |
Apply to All button | Applies the currently entered blade width to all slabs already in the layout, not just future placements. Use this after changing the blade width mid-session to ensure the entire layout reflects the correct kerf, rather than having pieces placed at different blade width values. |
Auto Docking
When Auto Docking is checked (on by default), pieces snap to the edges of adjacent pieces or to the slab boundary when dragged near them. The snap distance is determined by the configured blade width — pieces dock with a gap equal to the blade width between them, which represents the physical kerf that will be consumed on the cut.
• Auto Docking ON (default): Pieces snap cleanly against adjacent pieces with the correct kerf gap. This is the correct setting for production layouts. It eliminates eyeballing the gap between pieces and ensures the layout is physically accurate.
• Auto Docking OFF: Pieces can be placed freely anywhere on the slab without snapping. Use when precise free positioning is required — for example, when deliberately leaving a larger gap between pieces for a specific fabrication reason, or when the snap behaviour is interfering with a specific placement on a complex layout.
Auto Rotate
When Auto Rotate is checked (on by default), the module automatically rotates pieces to their best-fit orientation as they are placed on the slab, rather than placing them in the orientation they were drawn.
• Auto Rotate ON (default): The module finds the orientation that allows the piece to fit most efficiently — for example, rotating a landscape piece to portrait if it fits the available slab space better in that orientation. Appropriate for non-directional materials where grain or vein direction is not a concern.
• Auto Rotate OFF: Pieces are placed in the orientation they were drawn in the takeoff. This is the correct setting for directional materials — marble, travertine, VM quartz, book-match panels — where the grain direction must be preserved. Auto Rotate ON for a directional material will produce a layout where pieces have been rotated for fit with no regard for pattern alignment.
Critical for directional materials: Auto Rotate must be turned OFF before placing any piece on a vein-match or book-match layout. Placing even one piece with Auto Rotate ON can silently rotate it to an orientation that breaks the pattern alignment. Check this setting every time the Setting dialog is opened for a directional material job. |
Setting Dialog: Controls at a Glance
Control | Default | Purpose |
Slab No. Prefix | S | Prefix prepended to all slab numbers in the layout (e.g., S1, S2, S3). |
Renumber | Button | Renumbers all slabs sequentially from 1 using the current prefix. Run after adding or deleting slabs. |
Blade Width | 5/32" | Kerf consumed by the saw blade per cut. Must match the shop’s actual cutting equipment. |
Apply to All | Button | Applies the current blade width to all slabs already in the session. Use after any mid-session blade width change. |
Auto Docking | On (✓) | Snaps pieces against adjacent pieces with a kerf gap equal to Blade Width. Leave on for production layouts. |
Auto Rotate | On (✓) | Rotates pieces automatically to best-fit orientation. Turn OFF for all directional/vein-match materials. |
Quick Reference
Task | How To |
Open View Options | Slab Layout toolbar → View Options dropdown |
Open Setting dialog | Slab Layout toolbar → Setting button |
Show grain/vein direction on pieces | View Options → check Piece Orientation |
Show actual slab image under placed pieces | View Options → check Slab Layout Texture |
Show piece tags on the canvas | View Options → check Tag |
Show piece area sizes on the canvas | View Options → check Area Size |
Reduce canvas clutter on a dense layout | View Options → uncheck Grid, Dimension, Markup, Linear Product options |
Set or change the slab number prefix | Setting → Slab No. Prefix field → type new prefix → OK |
Fix gaps in slab numbering | Setting → Renumber button |
Set blade width (kerf) | Setting → Blade Width field → enter value → OK |
Apply blade width to all existing pieces | Setting → Blade Width field → enter value → Apply to All |
Turn off Auto Rotate for directional material | Setting → uncheck Auto Rotate → OK |
Turn off Auto Docking for free placement | Setting → uncheck Auto Docking → OK |