I’ve used the laser engraver several times to cut and engrave but over the last two days I’ve been trying to cut a pattern which in the past took me all of 10 minutes but now every time I preview after creating a toolpath the image disappears and when I generate and load the gcode all I get is a diagonal line from (0,0). Can someone please help out, I need this pattern done like yesterday.
I don’t have a lot of experience with the laser.
Nevertheless, without providing more info, nobody will be able to help you.
What file are you using? Which software? Luban? What version? What settings are you using for cutting? Is it a new file, have you done this exact file before? Or just files like it? What has changed since previous jobs that worked. New software version? Etc.
All software is up to date, I’ve used the same exact process multiple times for different designs, I turn a JPEG to an svg with inkscape then open it with luban to resize to where it needs to be, create tool path, and usually preview, generate gcode, import gcode into workspace then hit play. As far as I know nothing has changed and no new software versions have come through since yesterday morning when I cut the last design. I worked all day yesterday trying everything I could think of to get it to work with zero success.
Best Regards,
Ryan Bowden
Can you share the file? Then I can try.
And you have the same problem with a file that worked before yesterday?
So Luban isn’t generating the gcode correctly for this particular file? Presumably, if you have a saved gcode file, you could load that and it would print just fine. Does this happen with any SVG (e.g. a simple square), or just this particular one?
Some thoughts:
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Previous gcode files might be saved still on the snapmaker, and if so you might be able to find and print one from a previous job
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Are you calibrating with the camera before starting the job, and if so are there any problems doing that?
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Ensure that scale and position are sane values. It sounds like Luban is trying to plot an impossible path and given up.
If I were having this problem, I would start with the simplest possible pattern (a line or square) and get that to generate gcode. If that won’t generate, something is messed up; perhaps need to reinstall Luban. If that does generate, then try more complex patterns until it fails. If it fails only on this particular pattern, well, you may have to tweak the pattern.
I’m new to all of this so I’ll try to figure out how to share the file, it’s literally just a small pattern for camo my friend wanted to paint his game camera with. The laser cut the last stencil just fine even though I can’t figure out why it won’t cut a solid line and only does dashes or dots so I have to go in with an exacto and cut some.
Best Regards,
Ryan Bowden
It seems like it doesn’t generate the code at all, but I’m probably doing something wrong. After I create the tool path and hit preview the design disappears. I’m thinking that it might be taking the background of as the design and not the design itself? I tried to load just the design but it always has a background when it comes into luban. I’m going to try what you suggested with the line then box to see and also recalibrate the laser. Every time I try to use the camera capture it never looks right, the images never stitch together so it’s always 9 pictures with separations in-between.
Best Regards,
Ryan Bowden
When I scale the image I bring it down to 80mm wide and 65.2mm high so I don’t think it’s trying to plot an impossible path.
Best Regards,
Ryan Bowden
Need to share the original file and perhaps some screen grabs of your settings in Luban.
Otherwise it’s all just conjecture.
-S
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The dashed-line problem is definitely unexpected. Need to determine whether the software is telling the laser to do that (probably) or the laser is somwhow losing power during the cut. If you scaled the image down, it should have thicker lines and a more complete path, so as you say there shouldn’t be any interrupted lines.
With the camera capture, you should spend a small amount of time tweaking this as it makes a big difference. The initial capture is always about 9 versions of the same corner, but when you go press the calibrate or configure (I forget what it’s labelled) button, you get a sort of puzzle-piece version of the image an you can quickly correct it, even if it is a bit tedious. I found that once I did this the first time, the settings were retained so that pressing the calibrate-or-configure button would be sufficient (no puzzle-solving). Not an intuitive process to be sure but once done it seems to just work.
I can clearly see raster lines in your photo. Are you absolutely certain that you are using “Processing Mode: Vector”, and “Toolpath Method: On the Path”?
I received the newest update yesterday, that’s the first time I’ve had the option to select “on the path” before yesterday I could only choose lines or dots.
Best Regards,
Ryan Bowden
Multiple people have already asked you for the original file and screenshots of the settings you are using in Luban (maybe include the generated gcode as well). Without that info the best someone can do is to guess what’s happening.
Please provide the necessary info or we can’t help you. (we’re just users like you)
I think I figured out what was happening, for some reason the system was taking the background as the design instead of the design itself, after the newest update it corrected.
Best Regards,
Ryan Bowden
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Definitely user error, I didn’t realize the camo pattern had a background other than the base color so even after removing the base the system was still reading the background and not picking up the image at all. I appreciate all the help, I’m still learning all of this stuff and obviously struggling a bit.