A Numerical Control (NC) cutting machine for plasma cutting a metal fabric , comprising: a computer having a memory and a processor; a laser height measuring device ; an NC program stored within the memory defining a cutting path; and characterised by a fabric enabling software having machine readable instructions stored within the memory that when executed by the processor are capable of: controlling the NC cutting machine to make a first pass along the cutting path with the laser height measuring device to collect height data of the metal fabric positioned on a bed of the NC cutting machine; determining positions for stopping a plasma arc of a cutting torch of the NC cutting machine at holes of the metal fabric and restarting the plasma arc of the cutting torch of the NC cutting machine at metal edges of the metal fabric based upon the height data to operate the arc of the cutting torch only when over metal of the metal fabric; and generating an enhanced NC program based upon the NC program, the height data, and the starting and stopping positions to control the NC cutting machine to move the torch at an optimal cutting height over the metal fabric in a second pass along the cutting path to cut metal of the metal fabric. a computer having a memory and a processor; a laser height measuring device ; an NC program stored within the memory defining a cutting path; and characterised by a fabric enabling software having machine readable instructions stored within the memory that when executed by the processor are capable of: controlling the NC cutting machine to make a first pass along the cutting path with the laser height measuring device to collect height data of the metal fabric positioned on a bed of the NC cutting machine; determining positions for stopping a plasma arc of a cutting torch of the NC cutting machine at holes of the metal fabric and restarting the plasma arc of the cutting torch of the NC cutting machine at metal edges of the metal fabric based upon the height data to operate the arc of the cutting torch only when over metal of the metal fabric; and generating an enhanced NC program based upon the NC program, the height data, and the starting and stopping positions to control the NC cutting machine to move the torch at an optimal cutting height over the metal fabric in a second pass along the cutting path to cut metal of the metal fabric. controlling the NC cutting machine to make a first pass along the cutting path with the laser height measuring device to collect height data of the metal fabric positioned on a bed of the NC cutting machine; determining positions for stopping a plasma arc of a cutting torch of the NC cutting machine at holes of the metal fabric and restarting the plasma arc of the cutting torch of the NC cutting machine at metal edges of the metal fabric based upon the height data to operate the arc of the cutting torch only when over metal of the metal fabric; and generating an enhanced NC program based upon the NC program, the height data, and the starting and stopping positions to control the NC cutting machine to move the torch at an optimal cutting height over the metal fabric in a second pass along the cutting path to cut metal of the metal fabric. <EOS>