I am trying to sort out a problem that appeared after manual camera calibration/alignment of my Thunder Nova Plus 35 in Lightburn 2.1.03. While the workspace center & y-axis alignment are dead on, the alignment progressively drifts as the laser moves outward along the x-axis (off by ~16mm at ~29.5cm (left or right) from center. While I have redone the procedure several times with similar results, I am hopeful that I am missing something in the setup or procedure. Question: In “Workspace Alignment”/ “Pattern Placement”/ “Pattern Size Parameters”, are the “Pattern Width” & “Pattern Height” measurements associated with the outer boundary or the center of the “Features” (4 corner targets)? Thanks in advance.
I assume you mean workplace alignment, that is the “only” thing that can be done in “auto or manual mode”.
This could indicate that your lens calibration has not been completed correctly.
When calibrating your lens, do you get all targets registered?, how many pictures do you make extra?, is your “target plate” printed or engraved on a stable, even surface?. Which of the lens models do you choose in the end and how high is your target rate?
I will say it this way, distance and size are linked to each other. If you change the dimensions of the outermost dimensions, the positioning for the targets will also change.
I choose to use a size that covers as much of my working area of my machine as possible, i.e. I choose 390x590mm (for 400x600mm bed) and I use 30mm for April targets, it fits (here) best.
The most important thing is that the “template” must be made in one go and must not be moved. 4 pieces of material can be used but they must be attached to the machine bed in a way that they cannot move.
(if you do not have 100% repeatable alignment options for a given plate, it cannot actually be reused!)
It is also important to adhere to your material thickness throughout the process.
There have just been 2 very nice videos from LB that demonstrate the process very well, try to find/watch them.
Thank you for your thoughts Bernd. Lightburn Support has patiently been working with me over the last week to sort out my issue. They advised me to check the “camera adjustment” drop down which, as a relatively new user, I had been unaware of. I discovered that the Width(%) had a value of -5.50. I don’t know how/when this was entered, but I must have unknowingly done it somehow/sometime. Everything appears to be aligned & back to normal. Again, thanks for your suggestions and insight. Best regards.
Hi Scott, it’s great to hear that you got the help you needed and that it’s working for you now.
I hope you’ll be as happy with the camera as a tool as I am.
Regards
Bernd