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Thread: EZCAD2: Won't Outline Some Shapes with Preview/Red Laser

  1. #1

    EZCAD2: Won't Outline Some Shapes with Preview/Red Laser

    So I was setting up to mark the slide on my 9mm pistol last night, but the design was a bit complex to line up how I wanted using the red preview laser. In EZCAD2, I went in and made a quick rectangle around the important part of the design I wanted lined up on the slide (then "hid" the complicated design line color so it wouldn't preview) and hit F1 to see where things were lined up. Nothing-- the red light stayed steady and motionless. I tried changing the line color of the temporary rectangle to another (and still visible) color and hit F1. Nothing, no preview. I made the complicated design line color visible again and hit F1 and the laser dutifully traced the complicated outline. Odd.

    What's weird is that I decided to try making a circle in EZCAD2 to see if that'd preview (I figured maybe it didn't like my rectangle)-- and with the circle present, the laser traced the outline of the temporary rectangle AND circle. I deleted the circle (and left the rectangle), hit F1 and it refused to trace my rectangle. So weird.

    Any guesses on what's up with this quirk? I ended up putting the circle back in so it'd trace the circle and my temporary rectangle to line up the gun slide, then I went on to engrave the more complex design and it did great. I'm already bald, but I was pulling out my few remaining hairs to try and figure why it not only wouldn't trace my rectangle, but then would trace the rectangle AND circle if they were both present.
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  2. #2
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    on my versions, it appears you have the box checked on SHOW CONTOUR at the very bottom of the screen. Uncheck it and the program should highlight ALL the designs on the screen with a rectangle. Check the box MARK SELECT and whatever part of your designs are selected will be highlighted with rectangle (or the design itself if SHOW CONTOUR is selected)
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  3. #3
    Is your 'show contour' option ON or OFF?
    Is the color you're trying to redlight ON or OFF?

    If 'show contour' is ON, the color you're redlighting must also be ON-

    Why you had square not redlight but then redlight when adding the circle, no clue-- but maybe there's a bug in the hide function? Just guessing, but I've tried the 'hide' function on my newer fibers, I DON'T LIKE it, does some weird things, don't remember what exactly but I didn't like what happened so I don't use it. If I want to 'hide' anything I just jog it off the screen --I put in a .1mm 'nudge' distance for tiny adjustments and 1016 for the 'big nudge', then shift+arrow moves everything in 4" increments off screen. Always visible but out of the way...
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  4. #4
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    Interesting, I never have cut off a color, (knew it was there, but just didn't use it.) Most of my stuff is relatively simple, never needed more than 3 colors/powers.
    I just mainly use selected button. But thanks for reminding me.
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
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    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Is your 'show contour' option ON or OFF?
    Is the color you're trying to redlight ON or OFF?

    If 'show contour' is ON, the color you're redlighting must also be ON-

    Why you had square not redlight but then redlight when adding the circle, no clue-- but maybe there's a bug in the hide function? Just guessing, but I've tried the 'hide' function on my newer fibers, I DON'T LIKE it, does some weird things, don't remember what exactly but I didn't like what happened so I don't use it. If I want to 'hide' anything I just jog it off the screen --I put in a .1mm 'nudge' distance for tiny adjustments and 1016 for the 'big nudge', then shift+arrow moves everything in 4" increments off screen. Always visible but out of the way...
    John and Kev,
    Thanks for the quick replies-- I'll look at to see if the contour option was checked and see if I can duplicate the problem tonight or this weekend. The line color was certainly redlight ON (both the circle and rectangle were the same line color), which is what I found so perplexing. Kev, the alternative of just jogging it off screen out of the work area may be the way to go-- I'll keep that in mind. If I get a chance to play with it this weekend, I'll post what I find.
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  6. #6
    Alright, more specifics-- I found out a few more details tonight and the problem is slightly different from what I described in the original post.
    "Show contour" at the bottom of the screen is definitely checked. I have the following vectors patterns and line colors:
    -Complex pattern (black)
    -Complex pattern (blue)
    -Rectangle (red)
    -Circle (green)

    Variable combinations:
    For the four colors, I have the Mark On only for black: Red laser quickly and immediately traces everything that is black
    Mark On only for blue: Red laser quickly and immediately traces everything that is blue
    Mark On only for green: Red laser waits second, then traces about 1/4 of the circle, pauses for 0.5 seconds, traces the next quarter of the circle, and so on. Weird. Didn't notice that before
    Mark on only for red: Red laser waits about a second, then traces the whole rectangle nicely for a second, then pauses for a second, then traces, etc. It may have been doing this last time and I was too impatient for it to start the trace trace and never saw this.
    Mark on for red and green: Traces the both patterns for a second, pauses half a second, traces for a second, pauses, etc. It sort of did this last night

    All I can figure is that there is some parameter that won't let it start tracing twice in x seconds. That is, the complex patterns take so long to trace that by the time it gets back to the beginning the timer has reset and it can immediately trace again. On the simpler objects with a shorter path, it quickly traces them, then has to wait to start again? I'm really grasping at straws on this explanation.

    Under the Parameters, Other, Red light pointer menu I have Show Contour checked, Continue mode unchecked, Enable always show unchecked, then a speed of 7000, with my offset and scale factors. Do you guys have anything way different on these settings?

    Again, this is more of a nuisance than anything-- but I always hate it when I can't explain things.
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    Unlicensed Semi Professional Tinkerer

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