The two basic input requirements are Coil and Parts. Every Coil requires an ID (this has to be unique), Size (Length) and Quantity. Similarly parts require an ID (has to be unique), Size (Length) and Quantity.
The ID of the Coils and parts can be made of any alphanumeric characters. Only keep in mind that the ID's have to be unique.
You can select your preferred units using the TOOLS->Unit Settings Menu.
Check if the "Allow Offcut" setting is ON. Probably, the remaining piece is larger than the minimum offcut size. In such a case the remaining piece is NOT considered as waste.
Go to the View->Toolbar menu, and ensure that the toolbar is checked.