EDIT: There’s a much easier way to do what I was trying to do, and that would be properly configure Lightburn, ha. Leaving the post up for posterity with the newer instructions
A new Lightburn device needs to be created using the Snapmaker language variant.
When I originally set it up I chose “Marlin” instead of “Snapmaker”.
Lightburn correctly generates the required S and P parameters when using a “Snapmaker” type device.
Excellent! Nice job Brent. I have posted a link to this post on Lightburn’s forum in the Getting Started category. There could be several Snapmaker users who have struggled with this issue.
What issues were you having? I’ve been struggling with the “run boundary” on the touchscreen when working with files made in lightburn.
I was having issues with Lightburn generating S parameters instead of P parameters for M3, which is a snapmaker specific quirk that is dealt with in the Snapmaker specific Lightburn device.
Run boundary will always fail because Lightburn generates relative moves in G91 mode, which is incorrectly calculated by run boundary in the touchscreen. You’ll just have to double check you’ve sized everything correctly and have faith.
I suspect the reason this happens is the touchscreen assumes G90 mode, and the boundary for moves in G90 is the single largest and smallest X and Y coordinate. So you simply look through all the gcode, find the min and max, and that’s your boundary. But that doesn’t work with G91 moves and you get the wrong boundary.
There are a couple run boundary functions in Lightburn I’ve gotten to work over USB, but I rarely use them.
Another fun quirk - if for any reason the laser print pauses (ie, you open the enclosure) the job will permanently fail. There’s no way to unpause successfully. The touchscreen will put the machine into G90 mode, which will ruin the gcode file being executed. The only way around this is to
So for example the “frame” function using lightburn over USB connection may work properly?
I’m pretty poor at aligning my work to the file even when I can see the true boundary. With no measurements on the laser bed itself, it’s even more difficult for me.
Hoping there’s at least a passable workaround out there with how many people swear by lightburn. Because I love the capability of the software (especially for creating test patterns for new materials) but if I can’t get the project aligned properly it doesn’t do me much good unfortunately.
What’s your process for alignment?
So many parallel threads.
Yea, that’s right, the frame button is what they call that. I think that works.
Just started today with some testing, and as Brent mentiones the run boundary doesn’t work.
However - I control it by setting a local job origin in Lightburn and save Gcode.
The Gcode is then uploaded to Luban which in turn is sent to the printer. Then I can either start from the computer or go to the machine and start it. Depending on where i set the Job Origin, I can place the work piece accordingly before i hit start.
Not sure exactly what you mean by setting a local job in Lightburn before saving the gcode. Do you do this with the snapmaker hooked up to the computer via USB? Or are you just setting it in the lightburn workspace by clicking?
I didn’t think about loading the gcode into Luban workspace, I was concerned it might edit the file to remove some of the specific settings created in Lightburn. But I wasn’t thinking about the workspace, I was thinking about the laser editor!
See image - I usually set the origin to one of the corners, then I can align the workpiece accordingly, knowing how long and wide the graphic I am engraving is. (save Gcode with .nc ending btw).
Then, if you go straight to workspace you are able to load gcode. This in turn is sent over wifi. It is possible to run directly as well, but I have to check the machine to set the height and origin of the work so i find it just as easy (and safe) to start it from the machine and not from the computer.
Thanks for the info!
For some reason I always get an “out of bounds” warning when I use User Origin in Lightburn, but maybe I’ll just try ignoring it?
I also do - I also just ignore it. I haven’t bothered to fully test it to understand it but I believe that warning is tied to overscanning - it’s just trying to communicate the idea that the head will be travelling slightly farther than is shown on the drawing. The preview function, when show travel moves is enabled, will also show that.
What do you use for kerf offset in lightburn when cutting? Also, which setting is the equivalent to “Pass Depth” in Luban as it relates to lightburn? Is it “Z Offset” or “Z step per pass”?
The Lightburn documentation is good, I’ll just link that for you: https://lightburnsoftware.github.io/NewDocs/CutSettings-Line.html#kerf-offset
Only use kerf offset for dimensional parts that need tight dimensional accuracy.
Your Z questions are here: https://lightburnsoftware.github.io/NewDocs/CutSettings-Line.html#z-offset
Normally I use a z offset of 0, and use a combination of numbers of passes with steps per pass.
Hello…I am finding that when I try to print on a tile in a dithering mode other than greyscale or half tone in lightburn, SM prints as if it is an inverted picture and I am not sure what setting may be causing this. There are other threads that show it may be the S-Value which is set to 255 but I have tried other settings and still have the same issue. I am using the Snapmaker device with the same settings as below. Does anyone have any thoughts as to settings I can try?
Please and thank you.
You probably disabled the Z Axis: Go to “Edit”/“Device Settings”. On the upper right corner of the Device settings window, you should see “Z Axis Control”. Ensure that “Enable Z axis” is enabled (the switch is green). Then the “Z offset” settings should be enabled.
I’m a noob. I save code in Lightburn to a USB stick. Then opened Luban and I see no way to use it to upload code. Luban generates .nc files. Lightburn generates .gc files.
?
Change the file ending to .nc
-S
I was wondering about that. Thanks!
Have you found a solution to the dithering/inverted picture issue that you were having using Lightburn with the Snapmaker? I am having the same issue.
