PDA

View Full Version : lasercut help



Bert Kemp
11-15-2014, 8:16 PM
I Think its fixed, I redid the whole thing and now it engraves fine. Thanks for all the help.


I' was trying to engrave a key ring to give out to the guys I ride with in the pgr. but some of it engraved wrong. The Patriot Guard Riders engrave but Arizona reversed engrave and the triangle engraved and all I wanted was an outline. were did I go wrong?300339300340

Dave Sheldrake
11-15-2014, 8:28 PM
Layers Bert,

Mail me the drawing and I'll set it right for lasercut then you will be able to post it :)

cheers

Dave

ps: It's 1:26 am here or I'd write it up for you

Rich Harman
11-15-2014, 9:33 PM
It looks like the triangle is just a single triangle. Meaning it is not a triangle within a triangle - which is what you need. Remember that Lasercut does not recognize line widths.

An easy way to fix is to turn the logo into a bitmap.

Bert Kemp
11-15-2014, 11:25 PM
I tried what you said but when I imported into lasercut it didn't have a cut line just engrave.

It looks like the triangle is just a single triangle. Meaning it is not a triangle within a triangle - which is what you need. Remember that Lasercut does not recognize line widths.

An easy way to fix is to turn the logo into a bitmap.

Bert Kemp
11-15-2014, 11:43 PM
OK I made a triangle in a triangle and now that engraves but ARIZONA did not engrave how come. I mean Patriot Guard Riders engraves fine why not the word ARIZONA? weird.

Rich Harman
11-16-2014, 1:47 AM
Not sure what the exact problem is. For a workaround, assign the part that didn't engrave (Arizona) to a different color, so that it will engrave in two steps instead of all at the same time.

I use LaserWorks which is similar to LaserCut but they are different enough that I am not too sure how to address this problem. If you can convert the whole logo to a bitmap I think that would be the surest way to get it done for now.

Bert Kemp
11-16-2014, 9:39 AM
when I converted it to a bitmap then theres no option to cut its engrave only. I tried impoting the bit map as a dxf and as a bitmap either way there's no cut option, I'll try the 2 color suggestion this morning. I just don't understand why 3 words engrave and one doesn't:confused:


Not sure what the exact problem is. For a workaround, assign the part that didn't engrave (Arizona) to a different color, so that it will engrave in two steps instead of all at the same time.

I use LaserWorks which is similar to LaserCut but they are different enough that I am not too sure how to address this problem. If you can convert the whole logo to a bitmap I think that would be the surest way to get it done for now.

Pete James
11-16-2014, 11:53 AM
Bert,
Bitmaps do not vector cut (there are no vector lines to cut). Bitmaps only engrave. I am not sure what you want to cut (my guess is the shape of the arrow head). If that is so, you need to import the bitmap without the outline of the arrow head, then import the vector outline (the arrowhead) separately. Assign a different color to the vector and make sure it is assigned to cut. You should usually make your cuts last, so be sure the bitmap is first in the list and the vector is last in the list.

Dave Sheldrake
11-16-2014, 12:04 PM
Just fixing it now Bert, you have text, lines,vectors and splines all in one drawing.

"Riders" is an outline (vector)
"Arizona" is a single line text,
"Patriot" & "Guard" are all separate entries as single text letters,
The "Triangle" has a lineweight assigned to it (Lasercut ignores line weights),
The mounting hole is a circle and the outline is a spline,

I'm writing each text as a vector so you can cut,outline or engrave it, the triangle is being converted to a two line vector, the outlines has been replaced with Polylines made from Arcs and radius to make the drawing smaller and less awkward for lasercut to import.(it falls over if there are any errors in the splines or it can't read points)

Bout another hour it will be finished

cheers

dave

Dave Sheldrake
11-16-2014, 12:20 PM
sent back in DXF with everything converted to vectors and nodes reduced :)

Bill George
11-17-2014, 7:40 PM
Same thing sort of. I want to Vector cut outlines of letters, and then have the background Raster Engraved. In other words I'd like the letters not engraved just left as is, cut or Vector outline. LaserCut would need to recognize the vectors and not go past the borders.

Does that make sense and can it be done? With my router and VCarve Pro it was a piece of cake.

Bert Kemp
11-17-2014, 7:48 PM
Bill
I think if you edit the bitmap in corel photo paint by filling in the background then the background will engrave and leave the letters raised or un touched.:) but if you have vcarve why bother with the laser it takes a long time and several pass's to get any depth.


Same thing sort of. I want to Vector cut outlines of letters, and then have the background Raster Engraved. In other words I'd like the letters not engraved just left as is, cut or Vector outline. LaserCut would need to recognize the vectors and not go past the borders.

Does that make sense and can it be done? With my router and VCarve Pro it was a piece of cake.

Bert Kemp
11-17-2014, 8:20 PM
Another thought that I haven't tried is invert the image, technically that should tell the laser to engrave the background and leave foreground alone. It works in my other software but never tried it in lasercut. Maybe someone else know if that will work.

Same thing sort of. I want to Vector cut outlines of letters, and then have the background Raster Engraved. In other words I'd like the letters not engraved just left as is, cut or Vector outline. LaserCut would need to recognize the vectors and not go past the borders.

Does that make sense and can it be done? With my router and VCarve Pro it was a piece of cake.

Bill George
11-17-2014, 8:50 PM
That might work, invert and raster engrave the background. Then to clean it up bit vector cut the outline of the letters. Sold the CNC router, running out of room for the Toys.