I have already made a similar request… But I am making it again in the hope that you will take my request into consideration!
It is very important that you make sure to give the possibility of adding commands to modify some parameters for each cutting/engraving level!!! I will give you an example: If I engrave an image I need a low air flow…just to prevent fumes from entering the lens! If instead I have to perform a cut I need all the power of the air assistance! If there was the possibility of adding $ or M commands to each level, I could do it automatically!!! While now I have to do it with a macro button, and I cannot perform all the processes continuously in automatic mode!! I could make many more similar examples to explain the need for this request of mine… I do not understand why you do not take these requests into consideration!!! There are others from other users who ask for this functionality!!!
The Feature Suggestions link at the top of the page is the place for this request. First, search if something similar exists, and if so upvote it. If nothing similar exists, place your request there for others to vote on.
I have already written twice in faeture sugesttions!!
but unfortunately I have not had any response from ligtburn!!! I am not the only one, there are also other users who ask for this type of upgrade!!
I’m back to writing here too in the hope that some developer of lightburn will see my posts and take them into consideration! Or at least tell me something about it!!
If I understand correctly, they base their response to feature requests on the number of users that upvote the request. Those with higher vote count get addressed first. If there are only a few people requesting a feature it is less likely to be implemented as other requests have generated more interest.
I think writing the same feature request multiple times actually hurts your chances since other users may only vote for one or the other, not both. Place a link to your feature request in this post and it may increase your chances of getting votes.
From what I understand, they typically do not respond to the requests with a timeline or even if they plan to implement until they have developed it.
To have any idea if something could be implemented, you have to know the internal workings of Lightburn. Most of us, do not.
Many things seem easy to add in, but in reality some are not even feasible to attempt to implement because of how the architecture of the software is built.
One that has been suggested is implementing a parameter based system, like many of the autocad type pieces of software use. This would be nice, but I think this is where Oz advised it would take a full re-write of the software.
As @thelmuth advised, post to the feature suggestions along with a link in your text to the suggestion.
The first link is my request!
The second is from another user, who made a similar request to mine!
The name of each level is already inserted on the gcode generated by ligtburn… only that they put the " ; " in front so that the grbl firmware doesn’t read it… so half the work is already done!! They just need to insert a window and report it on the gcode without the " ; " in front… I’m a programmer, I know something about it too…
It’s clear that it then needs to be implemented correctly for all machines, but I assure you that it’s something that can be done!
I think they are overwhelmed by an avalanche of “Stupid” requests and unfortunately the requests that make sense go unnoticed!!! I saw a request for a pause at the beginning of the processing!!! The person who made it doesn’t even know how to use G commands!!! To perform a pause just pass the command G4 P… at the beginning of the processing cycle!!!
You know what I’m talking about!! Too many useless and silly requests!!
But I don’t want to create unnecessary controversy…I just hope they take my request into consideration, because it would really increase productivity!!
As I advised, I have no idea how this works internally. So it may not be so simple to just put something somewhere, again, I have no idea about the internal structure of the software.
You might have great arguments, but if you want argue with someone, it’s not me, I’m just advising you what I’ve seen over the past 5 or 6 years using Lightburn. I am in no way connected to any part of Lightburn operations.
Even if you’d like to code this for them, for free, it might not be an easy task. I don’t know.
Good luck
I know this is not directly what you were asking about, but in this case, there is a simple solution:
Modern lasers have constant (low) airflow all the time, and the M8/M9 commands just switch from low power to full power. You can also run your compressor at normal power all the time and use M8 to switch a valve from half to full (or similar).
Best answer yet… 
The air example was the simplest…There are other parameters that I would need to change in the various stages of the work… I use grblhal which has many plugins and M.. parameters more than the normal grbl. There are parameters that I could activate when I engrave photos at 500mm/S and deactivate them when I have to cut, where I do not need accelerations and high speeds!!
Now I use the beta version and I made some macros for the various functions and parameters that I want to enable or disable, the problem is that I can’t do all the jobs automatically…
Like you, I have been using Lightburn for many years and I find it to be an excellent software!
I wouldn’t change it for any other!!
I cross my fingers and hope that sooner or later they will be able to do the upgrade that I suggested!
You could give Meerk40t a try. That tool has an extensive command line interface and you can nearly control everything via scripts. For automations, this is really nice 
No I have no interest in using other software…as I said, I have been using lightburn for many years, practically since it came out! If in my small way I can give some advice to improve productivity I will be happy…so I cross my fingers, and at this point I hope that they increase the votes on my request, to make it more visible in the eyes of the developers!!
Maybe give me a hand, and share the link, to increase the votes!!
Thanks!
Version 2 has the ability to turn air on or off, so you can control it by layer, duplicate layer then one with Air on and other with Air off, or am I not understanding what you are asking for ?
No that’s not what I need!!
The air assistance example was just to make an easy example!! With my firmware I can adjust the air intensity(Pwm), I have the ability to activate and deactivate three auxiliary outputs, I can dynamically adjust the max G0 speed without affecting the max speeds with the G1 commands, I can interact with a sort of dynamic jerk, which could be changed based on the engraving or cutting speeds… and I could make more examples!
All parameters that could be changed if necessary based on the needs of the various cutting/engraving levels!!
Now I do it manually with the macro buttons…but if I have to do an engraving at maximum speed (which requires specific parameters) and then a cutting (which does not require those parameters or dedicated aux outputs), I cannot do it in sequence automatically, because between one level and the other I have to press the macro button…
Believe me when I tell you that the more firmware evolves, giving the possibility to implement new features, the world of laser will get closer to the very complex world of 3D printers…where certain parameters can be changed at each layer! This is to give you an example…
Please share my request link and vote!!!
Thank you so much if you do!!
Ok, yeah I thought you were wanting something more complex but wasn’t sure, I think what you are requesting to use the 3d printer analogy is create a file and expecting it to print correctly without specifying which printer the job is going to print on, The controller boards may be basically generic but there are as many different firmware to justify the are versions as there are 3d printers and models, not all software can or will work for every printer/model. I guess Lightburn has to draw the line in the sand as to what functionality they will cater to, otherwise they will end up with the same support issues that led to the discontinuation of the Linux version. I basically asked Vetric for similar functionality for my CNC, when they asked what controller and firmware I was using I was told that not enough people used that configuration to justify the effort it would take, which as an ex-programmer I concidered an easy patch.
No, this is not the case… it doesn’t matter what firmware you use or what board you have! There is already the possibility on lightburn to add custom code at the beginning and end of the entire processing cycle!! They should extend the same thing but for each level!! Then it is the user who adds the specific code that interests him! I already use this feature! And it is very efficient… they just need to extend it to each cutting/engraving level!!
With the existing Gcode start/end processing function, for example I activate the suction, a buzzer sound for the start of processing, I inserted a small delay to give the air assistance time to come under pressure, before the laser processing starts, etc…! For me it is now a function that has become fundamental to be more efficient in processing!! I repeat, if there was the possibility of extending this function to every level it would be fantastic!!
Having the ability to add a few lines of custom gcode at each level would simplify the work on many occasions!
Let me give another example that could be useful to many!I use the rotary, and I use the Z axis to make it rotate. At the end of the machining operations, it is my habit to send the laser to the X-Y zero position … to free up the work area. Using the rotary, I have to use a macro to reposition the laser at the restart in the Y position perpendicular to the center of the rotary!!
If I had the ability to add gcode to each layer, I could dedicate some engraving layers just for when I use the rotary and add the command lines to position the laser at the beginning of those layers!!!
This seems like a feature that could be useful to everyone!!
Regardless of the type of firmware used!!!
What do you think???