Is there anyway to run the machine with having the computer off and still seeing the engraving boundary?
Using lightburn file exported as GRBL-M3? Not that I’m aware of. Theoretically if you swapped the machine type in Lightburn to Snapmaker and exported the gcode, then back to grbl-m3 and transplanted the comment section. That could work.
Here’s the comment section from the top of a gcode file of a simple 10x10 square at 0,0 when exported as snapmaker;
;header_type: laser
;file_total_lines:451
;max_x(mm): 11.25
;max_y(mm): 9.95
;max_z(mm): 0
;min_x(mm): -1.25
;min_y(mm): 0.05
;min_z(mm): 0
;Header End
; LightBurn 1.3.01
; SnapMaker device profile, absolute coords
; Bounds: X-1.25 Y0.05 to X11.25 Y9.95
and the same thing, just swapped back to grbl-m3;
; GRBL-M3 (1.1e or earlier) device profile, absolute coords
; Bounds: X-1.25 Y0.05 to X11.25 Y9.95
Just copy/paste everything from ;header_type: laser to ;Header End and paste it at the top and it should theoretically let the machine use the bounds. To “hot swap” between them, just click devices then right click your machine, then duplicate followed by edit on your duplicate. Change it to snapmaker, then you can just use the drop-down device selector to swap between them. Export as snapmaker, swap, export as grbl, open both, move header, load onto USB drive.
For the material test where do you set the material height so the laser knows how height to go?
Create an object and set the material height as you would on a normal project before opening the material test window.
2 Likes
Somehow I was able to produce this without being on a greyscale and now I have no idea how to replicate it. Because everytime I try to do it it’s just a very contrasted black and white.
Sorry for the late response, been very busy. Looks like different woods, which take different settings. However, a good dither setting is use Stucki with about 0.15 interval
1 Like
I know the wood is different but that is not the reason for how different these two things engravings look from each other.
Do I have to get certain firmware update for 10w laser?
Are you sure? I’d agree with @Skreelink - the “new” wood seems to transit from light to dark very steeply, and as far as I can judge from your photo the surface is somewhat uneven and strongly structured by the woodgrain. The “defects” in the image follow the woodgrain lines. One thing I’d try is to lower the laser a bit, because it looks to me that focus is good for the more elevated parts of the wood, but for the deeper parts not.
All that just looking at a photo - I may be completely wrong.
2 Likes
None that I am aware of, as long as you are on a somewhat recent firmware version.
Perfect, thanks.
For some reason, my laser is not working for current position origin and I’m not sure why? Any advice?
Not sure I understand the problem… You mean it works elsewhere, but not at a certain position? Is it completely off, or just too weak?
In general, check all cables, and the door magnets. Laser will not work properly if the Snapmaker thinks the door is open.
Sorry let me elaborate. When I select the user origin and expect the laser to move to the origin on the certain thing I’m engraving. It doesn’t. Instead it outlines in the left bottom corner for some reason.
Still not sure I fully get it… Here’s how it works for me: I start the laser job, and in the pre-job-setup process I navigate the laser to the desired origin, select “set origin” and then double check with “run boundary”. Sometimes I forget to tap on “set origin” - in this case the standard origin is used.
I thought the laser just knows to go to the origin on the engraving because user origin means the laser finds the image or whatever.
Maybe… It would really help if you would go into more detail on what exactly you’re doing… I do a lot of guesswork here…
User origin means it starts where you set the origin via the touchscreen or G92 commands. A lot of machines, especially those without limit switches, this makes it start where the laser head is currently sitting. It’s always more accurate to use absolute coordinates with a repeatable location, as you may have set your origin and forgotten exactly where, thus it’ll travel to wherever work 0,0 is from your last project.