Fill of nested curves

[KBill (Kevin Warner)]

I’m trying to understand how vectors are treated regarding fill operations. When I used to use lasercad, I would always convert vector to bmp before sending to lasercad for running a job. Seems that many are using fill with vector in lightburn and that seems better, but not sure how to layer/nest to get right output.

Here is a customer’s image that I’m trying to engrave. First in coreldraw:

Then in lightburn:

With the fill created and layered in corel, it almost works in the second from left. The eyes and nostrils are missed. When I send a nostril alone, it is understood. The eyes don’t work alone or with whole head.

Is there a strategy that makes this straightforward?

[Rick (Technical Evangelist)]

A little difficult to tell from the images you posted, but looks like you have duplicate shapes, sitting on top of each other, which will cancel the fill. Fills use shape boundaries to define and toggle the fills for the shapes on that layer. You have things on several layers, which will change the way fills are calculated.

Additionally, LightBurn uses wireframe for shapes, and does not use Stroke or Fills set from an external editor.

This post should help with understanding how LightBurn chooses what to fill and when.

How do I invert (negate) a vector engraving?

If you want to invert a vector engraving (Fill layer) you need to add an outline to it. Think about what happens when you scan a circle, compared to the letter ‘O’. The inner ring of the O toggles the fill. If you add another shape (like a square) outside it, it negates the whole thing: [image] And a slightly different example, this time done by changing the outer line around the design to a ‘Line’, instead of leaving it as part of the Fill layer: [image] In the case above, the design alr…

[Stroonzo (Jeff)]

And some additional info / discussion / examples on the topic (that may help you with your design approach):

All of the file wants to fill

And if I use that same layer as an offset around the text: [image] [image] Here is more info below (and searching or reading the docs provided by LightBurn will also help out)

Engraving or making raised text using LightBurn Text

Create your text on a fill layer: [image] This will engrave the lettering: [image] BUT Add a closed path surrounding your lettering on that same fill layer: [image] This will engrave / fill around your lettering: [image] No need to convert to a bitmap, jpg, etc. You have more control keeping the objects as paths. Have a look at the reference @Rick suggested to understand more about fill logic. (It looks like he and I were writing responses at the same time).

Guidance please

From the information / picture provided, it appears you have made the design with multiple fill layers. For example, take this design: [image] [image] To correct this is to understand the logic on a fill layer. I need to put the text on the same layer: [image] [image]

[KBill (Kevin Warner)]

Thanks for links. I did have duplicate objects, must have screwed up when I did a line trace.
That fixed it.