Engraving layer doesn't work - laser cutter

[Michele Panegrossi]

Hello,

I am trying to cut/engrave the attached design. The problem I have is that I cannot engrave the skyline with the hole in the middle.

The laser moves but nothing happens, the wood is untouched. I can do the cutting no problem.

Is that because there are several holes inside the engraving  area?

All the holes (like those is the wheels) have been assigned to a separate layer.

Also the external circle and the internal one have been assigned to a separate layer.

There are two internal circles, nearly the same, one for cutting and one added to the engraving layer.

Engraving settings where 800 speed and 30 power.

Any idea why this is not working?

Many Thanks,

Michele

[Paddy Duncan]

Lasercut does not play very nice with dxf layers, I would recommend trying reducing it all to the layer that works, then re-assign it within lasercut.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Michele Panegrossi]

Thanks Paddy, do you mean exporting a dxf with only one layer and then redo the assign in the laser cutter software?

Michele

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

[Paddy Duncan]

Yes.

But I’ve found the blurb I remembered, you might like to read this:

https://wiki.nottinghack.org.uk/wiki/Laser_cutter/Inkscape

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.

[Alexander Baxevanis]

Not sure if you've done this already (as I'm writing this from a machine without software to open DXFs) but you need to make sure that all the bits that you want to have engraved are in a single layer. 

So if you want to engrave a square but not engrave a circle that's inside the square, then you need to make sure that both the square and the circle are in the same layer, so that the lasercutter can calculate what area you'd actually like to have engraved.

Hope this helps,

Alex 

On Friday, 9 December 2016 12:21:10 UTC, Michele Panegrossi wrote:

Thanks Paddy, do you mean exporting a dxf with only one layer and then redo the assign in the laser cutter software?

Michele

On 9 Dec 2016 12:18 pm, "Paddy Duncan" <pad...@padski.co.uk> wrote:

Lasercut does not play very nice with dxf layers, I would recommend trying reducing it all to the layer that works, then re-assign it within lasercut.

 

 

From: london-h...@googlegroups.com [mailto:london-h...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Michele Panegrossi
Sent: 09 December 2016 12:03
To: london-h...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [london-hack-space] Engraving layer doesn't work - laser cutter

 

Hello,

 

I am trying to cut/engrave the attached design. The problem I have is that I cannot engrave the skyline with the hole in the middle.

 

The laser moves but nothing happens, the wood is untouched. I can do the cutting no problem.

 

Is that because there are several holes inside the engraving  area?

 

All the holes (like those is the wheels) have been assigned to a separate layer.

 

Also the external circle and the internal one have been assigned to a separate layer.

 

There are two internal circles, nearly the same, one for cutting and one added to the engraving layer.

 

Engraving settings where 800 speed and 30 power.

 

Any idea why this is not working?

 

Many Thanks,

Michele

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.

[Michele Panegrossi]

Great thanks! I'll read it properly as soon as I have a minute!

M

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

[Michele Panegrossi]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the advice. I was actually wondering how to engrave something with a hole in the middle. I will definitely have to to then reassign some bits to the same engraving layer as I want to do exactly what you mentioned.

If you had a chance to have look at the dxf file that would be great!

Many thanks,

Michele

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

[Billy]

Also, if it's a dxf file, try opening the file in LibreCAD that's on the lasercuter computer, and then saving it using the "Save as" function. This sometimes cleans up any inconsistencies between the forms of dxf file that are produced by the different graphics software out there.

[Pingless]

On Friday, 9 December 2016 15:29:18 UTC, Billy wrote:

Also, if it's a dxf file, try opening the file in LibreCAD that's on the lasercuter computer, and then saving it using the "Save as" function. This sometimes cleans up any inconsistencies between the forms of dxf file that are produced by the different graphics software out there.

To be specific, "Save as" -> "DXF 12" if I recall correctly (or whatever is the oldest version LibreCad supports).

[MSRaynsford]

Don't forget that there is a print preview/simulate button along the top so you can see exactly what lasercut thinks it's going to engrave before you download it to the laser cutter. Pressing escape stops the simulation.

[Alexander Baxevanis]

Which button is that? I've never actually noticed it and it sounds really useful!

[MSRaynsford]

[Connor Shearwood]

You've just saved me so much time and material. I have perennial issues with unclosed lines and usually have to have two or three attempts to complex engravings to work properly. Thank you.

--

[Peter "Sci" Turpin]

Maybe increase the tolerance on UniteLines then.

the engraving logic is pretty simple. Within the bounding box it scans
back and forth, toggling the laser on or off when it meets a design
boundary. So it gets funny if there's an uneven number of boundaries.

On 09/12/2016 23:57, Connor Shearwood wrote:
> You've just saved me so much time and material. I have perennial issues
> with unclosed lines and usually have to have two or three attempts to
> complex engravings to work properly. Thank you.
>
>
> On Fri, 9 Dec 2016, 22:25 'MSRaynsford' via London Hackspace,
> <london-h...@googlegroups.com

> <mailto:london-h...@googlegroups.com>> wrote:
>
> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iYj9ocUNaRU/WEsvbgu32GI/AAAAAAAAP0Y/aeRDY1bkjCApcjBYnAycK0pG_I4cM9bLACLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-12-09%2B22.23.44.png>

>
>
>
> On Friday, 9 December 2016 20:40:22 UTC, Alexander Baxevanis wrote:
>
> Which button is that? I've never actually noticed it and it
> sounds really useful!
>
> On Friday, 9 December 2016 20:03:40 UTC, MSRaynsford wrote:
>
> Don't forget that there is a print preview/simulate button
> along the top so you can see exactly what lasercut thinks
> it's going to engrave before you download it to the laser
> cutter. Pressing escape stops the simulation.
>
>
> On Friday, 9 December 2016 16:21:28 UTC, Pingless wrote:
>
> On Friday, 9 December 2016 15:29:18 UTC, Billy wrote:
>
>
> Also, if it's a dxf file, try opening the file in
> LibreCAD that's on the lasercuter computer, and then
> saving it using the "Save as" function. This
> sometimes cleans up any inconsistencies between the
> forms of dxf file that are produced by the different
> graphics software out there.
>
>
> To be specific, "Save as" -> "DXF 12" if I recall
> correctly (or whatever is the oldest version LibreCad
> supports).
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "London Hackspace" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com

> <mailto:london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com>.

> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
>

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "London Hackspace" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com

> <mailto:london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com>.

[Michele Panegrossi]

Hi all,

thanks so much for all your help, I've learnt a lot throught this process!

Unfortunately I think the problem is different. I just found out that each line in my design was made out of two different lines, extremely close to each other and impossible to see unless you zoomed in to the extreme. I didn't notice it at all during editing.

Discovered it by coincidence. I'm remaking it and I will let you know if this works!

Many thanks to all,

Michele

On 10 Dec 2016 5:11 pm, "Peter "Sci" Turpin" <s...@sci-fi-fox.com> wrote:

Maybe increase the tolerance on UniteLines then.

the engraving logic is pretty simple. Within the bounding box it scans back and forth, toggling the laser on or off when it meets a design boundary. So it gets funny if there's an uneven number of boundaries.

On 09/12/2016 23:57, Connor Shearwood wrote:

You've just saved me so much time and material. I have perennial issues
with unclosed lines and usually have to have two or three attempts to
complex engravings to work properly. Thank you.


On Fri, 9 Dec 2016, 22:25 'MSRaynsford' via London Hackspace,

<london-hack-space@googlegroups.com

    send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
    <mailto:london-hack-space+unsubsc...@googlegroups.com>.

    For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "London Hackspace" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send

an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
<mailto:london-hack-space+unsubsc...@googlegroups.com>.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

[Connor Shearwood]

The usual problem is too high a tolerance on UniteLines. The main bit is whilst it will warn you if it won't engrave part of the design, it won't tell you which bit. The simulation option means I'll be able to see which part won't engrave/will engrave wrong and be able to see which part I need to fix sooner.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-sp...@googlegroups.com.

[Alex McConnachie]

Having seen the issue occur in person today, I can say I actually had the same problem 9 months or so back. It arose from exploded text drawn in Qcad. It made one out of the 20 or so words perfectly, one badly, then the rest were basically tiny little dots of burning instead of engraved text.

[Michele Panegrossi]

Hi all,

the problem was indeed the annoying tiny double line all around my engraving layer. Re-exported form illustrator and that worked!

Thank you for all the advice!

Michele

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "London Hackspace" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to london-hack-space+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

[Laurin OS]

Hi, in illustrator you can swap to a mode in which you only see the actual vectors and no strokes. I forgot what it is called but this helps to see double lines as they are super thin.

Hope this helps next time to catch these rogue ones.

Laurin

[Alex Downey]

Preview/outline Command + Y