I love this software but something borked to high hell in the last couple updates!
When trying to use the Boolean tool, it is just erratic as all hell. Union and subtract on the side panel does something completely different than within the assistant. This is not new.
When using the offset tool it will randomly ignore some objects.
I will try to gather some evidence going forward. I have had it and chose to write this rant rather than punch a hole through my screen.
Ya’ll have GOT to have seen this fa’cokney behavior recently? I can’t be the only one, I’m not doing anything special.
Thinking about rolling back a few versions. Probably need to erase ALL data and start fresh, I’m getting more and more gremlins popping up.
It feels like rushed, crap updates but it could be a corrupt install I guess?
Here is an example of some strangeness. I duplicated the tracks layer, made it, and the outline the same fill layer.
It wants to fill some of the tracks. I had to convert to bitmap and trace to correct this.
But It’s related somehow, because when I was designing this layout the software is doing weird things with the objects. Sometimes I can boolean together dozens of items and other times I cannot combine two (I verified the path is closed, they weren’t grouped - but sometimes grouped items can be boolean’d). IDFK I’m at my wits end.
I find myself either tracing objects with new squares or using the modify segment tool to correct this nonsense but it’s way more effort than it’s worth.
These small parts I had to completely redraw because one would accept changes (boolean operations) and the other wouldn’t.
I tried moving the other shape away and “docking” it so I knew it was aligned right on the edge. BTW the “close path” and “auto-join selected shapes” are quite a mystery. Perhaps I could understand them better, but they seem to never work when they should.
Also… Trying to undo a radius could be easier, but that’s not nearly as important.
And, IDK what is up with this tiny reply box? Ya’ll… Holy cow I’m starting to hate this platform.
We can help you better if you post your file, not just your picture.
I did not renew my crystal ball subscription this month. Slow down, go step by step and maybe we can help you. I did not update to 1.5, where many issues have occured, so I may not have the same issues you are having.
This is supposed to be a reply to bernd.dk. But this new forum format is weird… It’s not showing up as a reply publicly, but it is on my end.
Those small parts are a type of hinge. The rotation is off from the before and after, but I wanted to add a triangle to one, and a cutout to the other. The cutout was EZ. The triangle I made by drawing lines. Then used auto-join selected shapes to make sure it was one object.
It was not allowing a boolean so I zoomed in and found the edges weren’t touching. So I moved it away, aligned the side and “docked” the triangle to the hinge.
Still would not allow a boolean operation - I made sure to ungroup the hole in the middle there, only working with the outer shape and the triangle addition.
I had to use the modify segments tool, add an intersection and drag the points to the other object essentially as a template.
The above reply is not showing up as a reply…
“This is supposed to be a reply to bernd.dk. But this new forum format is weird… It’s not showing up as a reply publicly, but it is on my end.”
This is a bracket I was trying to modify. I need to move the notches up, and trim the top. But it’s not co-operating. I’ve got some squares drawn up to move the node lines.
But it would be so much better if I could use one set of squares to fill the old hole and the other squares to cut a new hole - Like one should be able to do. This works 50% of the time.
Just tried to draw a triangle and use Boolean operations with another Shape, no problems here.
Either some of your Shapes are not closed or do not touch each other.
I just need to start some machines but report back in a little while you can try to upload those files again.
One method to use when drawing shapes by hand, is to set that layer to FILL. When the shape is closed, you will be rewarded with a solid shape. Instant feedback about what is closed and what is not closed.
From the top, working down. Trying to fill these notches.
One filled, one did not.
Checked alignment.
Boolean assistant not available.
The exact same thing happens if I try to work with the main shape and one square at a time. The one on the right fills in, and the one on the left disappears. However, individually, the assistant is available, and the union(weld) DOES work with the assistant, one at a time.
select the outline
Enter node edit
Hover over the node that you want to delete
Press D, node is gone.
Repeat as needed
Press ESC to deselect node edit mode.
Use your layers to temporarily identify different parts.
I’ve never had success trying to apply Boolean or join/close operations to more than two shapes at a time. Offset has generally been OK other than an occasional truncation when a pair of lines form an acute angle that pushes the resulting offset well beyond the offset value at the vertex. It seems to truncate so the entire offset shape in within the offset value rather than respecting the geometry. That’s a tough call, though. In my perfect world, I think I would disallow adding/subtracting nodes when corner mode is selected for offset. As a workaround, I either do that kind of work in CAD or manually edit the nodes.
In general, I avoid doing heavier technical design inside Lightburn. I save that for CAD and import DXF. The vast majority of the design work I do inside LB is “artistic” so I don’t care as much about (or may not even notice) some oddities.
Long story short, do you have better luck if you limit modifiers to a single entity/ shape-pair?
I have traced your drawing and constructed the new one from your measurement. Then I have put the layer to Fill just to make visible that they are closed Shapes. (I use for it “alt+cmd+o” the higlighter all not closed Shapes)
Now I group the squares and use Boolean operations. In one picture you can see that the lower one is not subtracted, the reason you look at the next image, which is a distance that is not visible without zooming.
I almost always use the assistant for Boolean Operations for they are nice to see the effect before execution.
But as I have said before, the shapene should be closed and (preferably) overlap a tiny little … a hair’s wide
This is what I tried to do, but it would not work. I tried “docking” the items to make sure they are perfectly touching, no overlap and no space.
IDK. I don’t think it’s worth trying to chase down any more evidence of this, it seems like it’s not happening to most people - Ya’ll have Macs for one, and I’m on a PC.
I’m just going to purge everything and reinstall version 1.4.x back when it worked.
The only problem with working in another program is that my smooth-brain can only understand tinkercad. I tried fusion, opencad, what’s that one that’s only online, starts with an S?
I can’t. Lightburn is absolutely AMAZING (or it was, in version 1.4.x) for the way my brain comprehends things. I don’t think there is a tool I haven’t used. Eh, “set shape start point” haven’t needed that.
I’m on a PC. I haven’t used an Apple product since before cell phones became pocket-sized. I’m also hanging back at 1.4.05 since 1.5.x seems to have some issues I’d rather not risk while I’ve got due dates looming.
