HideNestAt the workbench
Start with Try the offcut study to explore a batch without photographing your own leather. For a real remnant, choose Plan my remnant on the Projects screen.
- Prepare a flat reference. Flatten the leather inside a measured rectangle no larger than 600 × 600 mm. Keep the leather and reference in the same plane. Use even lighting and the main 1× camera.
- Calibrate the photograph. Mark all four reference corners and enter the measured width and height. Independently measure two spans of at least 100 mm inside the reference: one horizontal and one vertical.
- Trace usable leather. Confirm the outer edge, mark holes and damaged regions, and choose three physical landmarks you can find again. Material quality, stretch and grain suitability need your judgment.
- Add final cutting outlines. Match dimensions to your physical templates. Include any seam or cutting allowance in those outlines. Choose quantities, gaps, edge margins and allowed rotations.
- Find a layout. Review the placements, any unplaced pieces and available alternatives. Recheck the layout after changing inputs.
HideNest does not shrink patterns to make them fit. A photograph and computed layout cannot establish the condition or strength of the leather.
Patterns and layouts
What sizes and batch limits are supported?
The launch version supports a measured reference up to 600 × 600 mm and a batch of up to 10 pattern types and 30 total copies. These batch limits also apply to Pro.
Can I import an existing pattern?
Use Library → Import SVG. SVG files must be 5 MB or smaller, and a template supports up to 256 outline points. Check the imported physical dimensions against your real template; an SVG is not automatically proof of scale. You can also create a pattern with Draw by size.
Why are some pieces marked “Not placed”?
The bounded search did not find a position for those copies in that run. This does not prove they cannot fit, or that the displayed layout is mathematically optimal. Check quantities, allowable rotations, gaps, edge margins and the usable outline. You may need another remnant or a different batch.
What does “Prioritize” do?
It asks the local search to favor those pieces when space is limited. Priority is a preference, not a guarantee that a piece will fit.
Does changing inches to millimeters change my pattern size?
No. Settings → Measurements changes the displayed units. Geometry is stored in millimeters, so the physical size stays the same.
Print at the right scale
- Export a fresh guide after the layout has passed its checks. If the batch is only partly placed, read and acknowledge the partial-layout warning.
- Choose A4 or US Letter to match the paper you will use. Print at 100% / Actual size. Disable Fit to page and other automatic scaling.
- Measure both 100 mm check bars on the printed pages. Check the assembled spans as well. If either direction is the wrong size, correct the printer settings and reprint before continuing.
- Join the numbered sheets at their registration marks. Trim the guide to its outside outline and align it with the remnant using the three physical landmarks.
- Use tracing paper or inspection windows where needed. Check every placement against your actual template, the usable leather and your intended grain direction before marking or cutting.
A successful PDF export confirms a digital file was created. Your printer, paper handling and physical alignment still need the checks above.
Optional AI assistant
What can the AI assistant change?
Open a project and choose Describe this batch with AI. Describe quantities, permitted rotations or priorities for the measured patterns already in the batch. The assistant proposes editable settings and short notes. It cannot change pattern dimensions, draw cutting outlines, place pieces or bypass the local geometry checks.
Review the draft, make any corrections and explicitly apply it. Applying a draft clears the previous layout and pins; choose Find a layout again. A quantity of zero removes that pattern from the current batch, not from your library.
Do I need an account? What is sent?
No account or Apple sign-in is needed. Enter your request, allow it to be sent and choose Create draft. Before each request, you choose whether to send your message and the listed pattern metadata to HideNest’s service and a third-party AI provider.
The request includes pattern IDs, names, dimensions, quantities, rotation rules, priorities and, when valid, current result counts and coverage. It does not include remnant photographs, outline points or cutting coordinates. Avoid putting personal or confidential information into your message or pattern names. See the privacy policy.
How many AI requests can I make?
Each installation can make up to 10 requests per UTC calendar day. The allowance resets at midnight UTC, which may be a different local time. A random identifier stored securely on the iPhone tracks the installation’s allowance without an account. Pro Lifetime does not provide unlimited AI or increase this allowance.
A request can count once accepted by the service, even if the provider fails, times out or returns an unusable draft. Shared network and service-wide limits can also temporarily stop requests; people using the same internet connection may share a network allowance. You can always edit the batch manually.
The assistant is unavailable. What should I do?
Check your internet connection and the message shown in the assistant. If a daily limit has been reached, wait for the next UTC day. If the service is temporarily unavailable, try again later or use the normal quantity, rotation and priority controls. A failed request does not change your project, and signing in is not required.
What if I used an earlier build with an AI account?
Earlier builds offered separate Sign out and Delete AI account controls. The current assistant works without that account, but upgrading or removing the app does not automatically delete earlier online account records. See the privacy policy’s earlier-build controls for the retained data and deletion behavior.
Free and Pro Lifetime
What is included for free?
You can edit one project and keep three library patterns. The same layout validation and PDF tools are included for projects allowed by the free tier. The sample is available for trying the workflow.
If an imported backup contains more than the free allowance, the data remains readable. Choose one project and three patterns for editing; you do not have to delete the rest.
What does Pro Lifetime unlock?
A one-time, non-consumable purchase expands the local limits to 500 saved projects and 2,000 library templates, subject to device storage. It is not a subscription. Batch limits remain 10 pattern types and 30 copies. The optional AI daily allowance remains separate.
The price displayed by Apple in the app’s purchase sheet is authoritative for your storefront, currency and applicable taxes. There is no automatic recurring charge for Pro Lifetime.
I already purchased Pro. How do I restore it?
Use the Apple Account that made the purchase, connect to the internet, then open Settings → Restore Purchases. Restore is also available on the Pro Lifetime screen. Wait for the purchase status to update. Restoring a purchase restores the entitlement; it does not transfer local project files from another iPhone.
My purchase is pending, cancelled or unavailable.
A pending transaction may require Apple approval or completion. Do not keep purchasing the same unlock; check the status with Apple and use Restore Purchases after it completes. Closing the purchase screen or cancelling does not discard your saved draft.
For Apple billing and purchase assistance, use Apple billing support. For a refund request, use Apple’s Report a Problem. Refund eligibility and processing are determined by Apple.
Backups and data controls
Where are my projects saved?
Your projects, photographs, traced outlines, pattern library and layouts are stored on your iPhone. Apple device backups may include them, depending on your backup settings. HideNest does not provide its own project cloud-sync service.
How do I keep a copy or move to another iPhone?
Choose Settings → Export complete workshop backup and save the exported file somewhere you control. Use Projects → Restore a workshop backup on the receiving device. Keep the original backup until you have checked the imported projects and patterns. A workshop backup can contain remnant photographs; choose where you share it carefully.
How do I delete local content?
Use the project menu to delete an individual project, or Settings → Delete all local projects and patterns to remove the local workshop. Removing the app also removes its local app data. Copies you exported, shared or retained in device backups are managed separately where you saved them.
Local deletion does not erase Apple purchase records, the Keychain identifier used for the AI allowance or any online AI account created in an earlier build. The current assistant needs no account; its daily service counters expire automatically. See the privacy policy for earlier-build account controls.
A save or backup fails. What should I try?
Check available iPhone storage and the destination’s available space. Keep the app and any existing backup files while you resolve the error. Read the on-screen message before retrying; avoid deleting your only copy. If the local workshop opens in a recovery state, use the recovery controls shown in the app before trying to edit.