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Joseph Shawa
04-28-2017, 10:06 AM
I'm playing with as many variables as I can trying to get rid of the scaling issue that I am having.

Checking with Gap compensation settings. Gap Optimize doesn't seem to do anything. Anyone?

To compensate for beam width is a setting at the very bottom of the Cut Options. There is a Gap On XY axis setting. There are 2 boxes defaulted to 0.000. When I change both to say, 2, the nested boxes are bigger by 2mm on the left and top.

So that seems to work all the time whether or not Gap Optimize is checked or not.

If I cut a circle with that 2mm compensation I get an odd 4 bladed fanlike circle. Odd.


Also What does the setting in Settings-Machine Options- Worktable-Laser Space Length do? I set it as high as 10 with no effect. I have cut the same exact lines in nested squares.

Anyone know about it?

Kev Williams
04-28-2017, 11:30 AM
best guess I have about gap optimize is-- because you can enter virtually any number as a gap distance, and those distances likely won't divide equally into lines-per-inch the stepper can move... so, what typically *may* happen (best guess ;) ) is that the stepper will move to the next-best postion as it travels, meaning, for example, the stepper moves .003" for 4 or 5 lines, then has to move a bit less or more for the next line to compensate for the mathematical difference. So the result may be all scan lines aren't equally spaced. So I would assume 'gap optimize' would take your gap distance figure, and round it up or down to a pulse-step distance that would make all lines equally spaced...

Best guess :D

correct or not, one thing for certain is that 'gap optimize' ONLY pertains to raster engraving, it will have nothing to do with vector cutting...

Bill George
04-28-2017, 1:05 PM
A google brought up this and LightObject dot com was on the results (this morning on page two ) with a PDF manual of their software. > https://www.google.com/search?q=laser+engraver+optimize+gap&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=&oe=#spf=1

Bill George
04-28-2017, 8:50 PM
Joseph, I guess I would just start all over starting with the gearing on the motors and see if they are both the same. Its also possible you have a pulley slipping or a belt jumping a cog or so after it Homes. The Gecko link above is where I learned about gearing and setting my steps for the Milling machine I updated the controls on. It did work when I got it done.

Joseph Shawa
04-29-2017, 4:10 AM
It's iind of like studying cryptic ancient manuscripts. Sad, because these manuals are not ancient at all....just cryptic.

I even started to rewrite the NiceCut 5.1 manual but it takes SOOOO much time to figure out the crazy stuff. Maybe I'll finish about the time the next version comes out.

Joseph Shawa
04-29-2017, 4:23 AM
"gap optimize' ONLY pertains to raster engraving, it will have nothing to do with vector cutting..."


Well dang them guys for putting it in a cutting options dialogue box. I did see a video where the outer pieces were cut a "kerfs width" bigger and the inner pieces were cut a bit smaller to accommodate the kerf width. Didn't happen for me. Maybe a different software version....sad state of affairs. Can't wait to get the non Chinglish version of the software made in USA

Joseph Shawa
04-30-2017, 10:34 PM
This is what i thought it would do ....http://www.optiscout.com/main.dml?sprache=eng but automatically. Cut on inside of inner pieces and outside of outer pieces.

No such magic. Each piece just has to be adjusted manually or in groups using the offset tool.

Kev Williams
05-04-2017, 10:20 AM
sorry if my statements were off the mark concerning the 'raster only' thing. I researched a few instruction manuals, what I have and some online I found, and the words "gap optimize" didn't appear together anywhere. The main definition of 'gap" as I've understood it refers to the space between raster sweeps. But there various other 'gaps'. But try to find some info--

This is a screenshot of my Triumph's download dialog box. Note there's an "automatic gap" option to check...
359551

but my software's owners manual has zero explanation for it. The ONLY reference to 'gap' other than scan gap or vague 'spacing' gaps is this...
359550
--I listed both lines as they seem to go together, but what exactly either option does, or why...? Not a clue!

Joseph Shawa
05-05-2017, 8:51 AM
Thanks, Kev. I did more searching as well wit the same result....nada.