Abstract: A method, and in particular an automatic method, of cutting parts out from sheet or plate material, the method comprising the steps of: placing templates (1, 2) having the shapes and sizes of the said parts upon said sheet or plate of material; recognizing the respective shapes, sizes, orientations, and positions of the templates on the material by means of distinctive signs characteristic of the shapes and sizes of the respective templates; and cutting out parts from said sheet or plate material along outlines defined by said templates; the method including the improvement of a further step in which any overlaps (3) between templates are detected and the lines of cut where the templates overlap are modified either by cutting along a straight line (6) interconnecting the points of intersection (4, 5) between the outlines of the overlapping templates, or by cutting along an average line (9) equidistant from the outlines of the templates between the points of intersection of the outlines of the overlapping temp