lasercut 5.3 layout question

[bpoulin]

I'm working on this learning curve lol. I'm trying to figure out how to layout an item for engraving in the center? I tried setting the laser start point to the center and when I tell it to engrave I get a soft stop warning. I'm assuming it is trying to use the 0,0 point as the center, so I tried to calculate the material width and height, image width and height, and tell it to start in the top right corner and hope for center, and I was off a little bit. But I'm thinking there has to be an easier (more accurate) way to center an engraving. I tried using the manual X-Y controls to move the laser head to the center of the piece and setting engraving start from the center, but again it gave me a soft stop warning. I read through the whole manual twice and I don't see anything about layout in it.

[bpoulin]

Wow no responses? What do you do if you have a 1 of a kind item, or an engraving you have to get right the first time? How to you lay it out so it's perfect?

[metalbend99]

Originally Posted by bpoulin Wow no responses? What do you do if you have a 1 of a kind item, or an engraving you have to get right the first time? How to you lay it out so it's perfect?

Create a facsimile of it - scrap or something similar. I have even used thick card stock for checking my layout. You can also create a border or box around your layout use a corner for origin and change it to a different color selection , it will show up in the speed and power screen on the right, as another operation, un-check it in the output box so it wont try to cut the box you created.
I usually use an x and y stop - squared up from the rails, taped down so they dont move - L shaped.

[SkipW]

Originally Posted by bpoulin Wow no responses? What do you do if you have a 1 of a kind item, or an engraving you have to get right the first time? How to you lay it out so it's perfect?

bpoulin,

This is what I do on my machine with LaserCut 5.0 and no autofocus, and working directly from LaserCut, not using the Corel plug in, so your mileage may vary, as they say. I do use Corel Draw but vector drawings are saved as .AI files and photos are saved as .bmp files for import into LC.

I have LaserCut set to "Center To Table" (under Edit at top of screen) so that every drawing or photo I import puts it dead center on the work area screen. Lets say I import a 5" x 5" drawing that I want to put on a 6" x 6" piece of material. When I import the drawing into LC it puts it dead center in the work area with a red X origin mark centered on the drawing.

I mark the center of my 6" x 6" material with a small dot, put it in the laser and move the laser head over the material and focus it, with the red pointer directly over the dot on the material. The material can be placed anywhere in the laser's work area. As long as you are centered on the material when you start, it's going to come out right.

I send the file to the laser and hit the Test button and it moves the laser head (without the laser beam coming on) in a square around the perimeter of the drawing. This just lets you verify that you are centered on the material.

Hit the go button and when finished you have a perfectly centered engraving.

I also have the "Auto Datum" box unchecked in the machine setup in LC. That way the laser head stops where it starts from and doesn't go to the back corner when finished. I like it like that.

Hope that helps.

[mosign]

Does anyone have the plug in for Corel draw, or where to get it? Thank you

[KPBadger]

Hi All

i've come to love Lasercut 5.whatever over the years! once you learn the strange jargon it sometimes uses, and learn what it can and cant do , i think its a fantastic little piece of software.......

Two things to consider

1. Menu, Set laser origin. top left. centre, user defined point , etc etc. this is fairly self explanatory.

2. "Immediate" tick box on the laser control panel ( next to run box, start, pause etc) . With UNTICKED the program will run ABSOLUTE coords. ie if you draw something at 100,100 it will print at 100,100 regardless of where on the table the laser head is. With TICKED the program will run RELATIVE coords. ie if you draw something at 100,100 , the laser head is currently 300,300 then the item will print at 400,400 ( assuming you set laser origin to top left) ie relative to the heads current position.
Does that make sense?
if my laser head is at 850,550 on a 900,600 machine , and i run the above theoretical program 100,100, Immediate ( relative ) i get a soft stop.( since it cannot go to 950,650)
i would not get soft stop if i set the same but laser origin bottom left.(it would run to 750,450)

sometimes if you import a file from another software there can be rogue ' points, zero length lines,etc that you cant see in lasercut but they will be enough to cause a soft-stop if they are outwith the limits of the table boundary. i get these alot from customers Illustrator /autocad files. took me ages to work out this problem!

hope this makes sense - for the record i use laser cut on "immediate" for most jobs, since i can position the laser head using the red dot to desired point on the material.



:O)

peace
regards
KPD

[felice]

You have been a great help to me. I don't have a red dot pointer on my laser and have been going nuts trying to get exact coords, as i engrave glass/acrylic plaques. It has been a guessing experience and sometimes a few stuff ups. Did not even think to uncheck immediate box, but did try nearly everything else (as we know manual doesn't tell much) Thanks again big big help.
Felice

[MaryB]

I make templates from white poster board to use for setup on repeat items. Makes things easy. Lay it on the material where you want to start.

[bpoulin]

I use templates for repeat stuff too, it's single items I'm worried they may not be perfectly lined up. I'd hate to have to replace someone's laptop because an etching isn't perfectly lined up.