Frustration Included!

LightBurn Hardware Compatibility
1

Do you know WHY people like MAC computers? It is because you pull the device out of the box, plug it in, and IT WORKS!

I am not computer illiterate, but it is so frustrating to have a $2,000.00+ machine sitting next to this laptop, and no matter WHAT I try to do, I cannot get the $%^& thing to work! :crazy_face: Help is ONLY available via email contacts, or chats. I am from a generation where you pick up a phone, and you SPEAK to someone, and THEY SPEAK ENGLISH! No such help is available. I have to send emails out, try to decipher cryptic messages in chat windows and text messages. It is maddening!

Silly me … I thought I could download LIGHTBURN, plug in the X-Tool D1 PRO and start using the software. NOPE!

First you have to update firmware. Then you need to download some program, then change a thousand settings, then load another program and install drivers … and answer a lot of technical questions that I have NO CLUE what they are talking about. (insert loud and vulgar cussing here)

The GEEKS who make these machines … they have a language all their own. They throw out terms like “GRBL” and they just assume that “everyone KNOWS what that means!” No, everyone DOESN’T know what that means.

The software does not ask me to enter the make and model of the laser. NO! It asks me if it is a GRBL, or a GRBL-LPC, or a GRBL-M3 (1.1e or earlier) or a dozen other choices that I am somehow supposed to JUST KNOW!

I have sent out emails, trying to get answers, but of course, I cannot talk to a real human being.

The laser works with the X-Tool “Creative Space” software, but it is limited. So it is not a matter of the laptop not “seeing” the laser. But in Lightburn, all I get is a magical display of useless error messages that all boil down to two words …“Y**'** F*****!”

What happened to customer service?

Joe

2

Did you follow the guide provided by xTool to setup the D1 Pro for LightBurn? It includes a .lbdev (device confguration) file that would eliminate the need for some of the choices you’re concerned about.

Use LightBurn to Operate xTool D1 Pro – xTool

If so, at what point do the instructions diverge from what you’re experiencing?

Also, to temper your expectations, I think you may be coming into to this with a skewed expectation. I would advise that you’re getting into a largely industrial set of machinery and software. This is closer to controlling an industrial robot than it is working an inkjet printer. Although in many ways the state of the art has advanced quite a bit in this area to bring costs down so that hobbyist can now get involved that doesn’t change the nature of it. There are companies that tried to make products closer to craft machines like Cricut but they do so at a cost in terms of $ value, flexibility, and power. Glowforge is the most well known one. However, if you search these forums you can find the downsides to that model.

Just good to be aware or else your frustration will not end with getting the laser connected.

1 Like
3

UGH! I finally figured this thing out! I don’t know why it had to become a witch hunt for step by step instructions, but so be it. Now to see if I can set my house on fire! :rofl:

Joe

4

Hi, thanks for your reply. I did follow the pictograph assembly instructions to the letter. As for that file, I must have missed it somewhere. I started looking at online “home hobby laser” forums and stumbled onto a post that had that same link you just provided. I found another site that stepped me through the process, and now it is working!

Forgive me. I am “old school.” I am not “old,” but I am getting older (64 now) and technology is outpacing me. I also have one thing that always makes things difficult … I have almost no short term memory. I can learn something and be almost awesome at it, and six months later, it will be as if I had never seen the thing before, and I have to begin again at square one. I live with it. The tools, machines and software I have are quite capable, but I occasionally have to re-learn how to USE them, if I have been away from them for too long.

This laser is a simple attempt to try before you buy. At the FabTech show in Chicago, I had pen in hand and checkbook out to buy a KERN OptiPlex laser for $179,000.00. I suppose divine intervention happened, because while seated at the table where the friendly KERN LASER rep was already counting his commission, I was abruptly called away to handle a family emergency, and I had to bolt out of the convention center BEFORE I bought the table.

Now, several years later, I am once again interested in diving into a nice laser, and I am also looking at a nice 3D printer that I may add to my bag-o-tricks in early 2023.

I have a cnc plasma table and a cnc router table, and other machines in my home hobby shop. I will experiment with this X-Tool laser until I surpass its capabilities. Then I will look into moving up to a SERIOUS laser table.

Joe

5

Don’t go ‘off’ until you read the whole thing… :thinking:

One reason you have to search is when someone, like you, gets it to work and posts

And doesn’t bother telling us (or anyone else) how they fixed it… maybe you are your own worst enemy? :crazy_face:

If these machines are anything, it’s not ‘plug and play’ it’s ‘plug and pray’

Glad it’s up…

You’ve just been bamboozled by these people and it makes you a happy camper…

I paid $3k for my G5, then they changed to an Intel processor.

Within 3 years of purchase, it was unusable because it needed an update that would never come. Their affection for you is relative to the size of your pocket book. The last few updates they seem to be cracking down on where you can get software, much like Microsoft. Anything you buy that says ‘Apple’ or ‘Mac’ is 10 times the price it should be… They also ‘scan’ your photos going to iCloud for contraband and report you … Look at all the Mac problems here because they change how the usb ports work…

Nice company you are supporting :frowning:

Buy a Glowforge, it’s plug and play, it has places to call for help. It is not configurable to the user so nothing to change, the factory software/settings/help, but it’s plug and play…

If they go under or the Internet is down, nice paperweight… as the software runs over the Internet.

I’m picking on you … so don’t get more excited.

I’m sure you’ll get a handle on it in ‘time’… which is part of your complaint. Getting the finished product you want is usually very time consuming… we can only help you get along with it, but you will have to invest the time.

The real world, like ‘real’ software is configurable, allowing maximum customization for the best operation with a given machine. That’s what makes good software, a very flexible process that can be customized. Good machines are made to fit multiple applications. If everything was a single design item, no one but industry could afford them The controller in mine is $400 and 99% of the problems that occur are simply they are not configured correctly.

I’m advising you to ‘calm down’ and relax. This kind of stress over ‘nothing’ will drive you nuts then to the grave. They are machines, even your mac. Chill out and do get so excited…

Pour that frustration out, it’s poison…

You’ve left the world of plug and play - you will reap the rewards

Take care

:smile_cat:

2 Likes
6

A post was split to a new topic: Setup - BJJCZ Device - Laser Mark Control Board V4

7

2 posts were split to a new topic: 3D Printer recommendations for new users

9

Glad you got it figured out. I found that the terminology was the hard part of the learning. I couldn’t google a word I didn’t know. Keeping a list and continuously reading and reviewing helped me get familiar with things and ideas. Those error messages can contain some useful information. It takes time to build all that vocabulary as well.

Your xTool should be the most current GRBL version and yes, it does feel like a whole new language at times.

I’d appreciate any comment about your experience here that might make life easier for the next new folks going forward. We’re about 4 hours in on your post and it looks like you’ve gotten over the first couple of obstacles.

It’s nice to crack a joke and I’m glad to see things are on track. Please do take the safety part seriously and wear the glasses (or buy better ones). Leave a note to yourself if you’re likely to forget.

I’m going to take the liberty of moving the 3D printer conversation and the Galvo Laser post to their own threads to tidy this up a little.

I look forward to seeing your successes with this.

1 Like
10

I actually enjoy adding new machines and things to my shop. I guess my frustration comes from my own high expectations. I know that the X-Tool WILL become one of my fav-o-rite leisure time machines, because of the quiet nature of the machine, and the awesome results I KNOW it can produce, once my brain catches up to it’s capabilities.

I originally bought it to cut up LPs, and I have since learned that this is a BIG BOZO NO-NO. Cutting vinyl is apparently on the “deadly gasses” list. Too bad. I will return to using a router, if only I can find a nice 1/32" router bit for the detail I seek.

Whenever I get into something like this, I usually go whole hog, rather than just dipping my toe into it to check the temperature. So I expect results, and quickly. When I run into unnecessary obstacles, I get cranky. Chalk it up to old age.

The laser is working fine now with Lightburn. I had to find a file called xTool-D1ProV3.lbdev and put it into a folder on the PC prior to turning the laser on. Then Lightburn has a “DEVICE” button, and you use a window in Lightburn to IMPORT that file in order to load the correct D1 PRo driver. After that, the rest was fairly easy and stragihtforward.

I sure wish Lightburn would anticipate these issues, and set up some web pages with step-by-step instructions on how to get things up and runing, for each machine out there. Maybe they do, and I just missed them. I don’t know. They were quick to reply via email, so they get brownie points for responsiveness.

Joe

11

Check the original LightBurn Page again. I think you will find almost everything about LightBurn and using it that you will need, If you take off those doggone “Blinders”. LOL
Stick with those of us that love LightBurn and the folks who post on this forum giving problems and results.
Feerg

12

I do like the program. I had to overcome a few assumptions I had made about it, but I can see that it is good software.

13

I spent my life dealing with soft/hardware. I’ve used countless programs and Lightburn still surprises me how simply it works, intuitively. The more you use it the more you find out what it can do.

The biggest hurdle is a ‘mental’ change that the way you are used to doing it one may and find out it’s the hard way. Self infuriating when you spend a few hours trying to get something to work, post it here and someone, if not the developers, point you to the ‘one click’ solution or something much more elegant…

I was hunting for artwork and ran across a beautiful ‘clock’ that was made from an LP record. People still do it. It’s not only dangerous gas for you, but here is a laser, < year old that was used to cut vinyl… ran about $20k

vinyl-cutter-co2
vinyl-cutter-co21019×576 83.2 KB

:smile_cat:

14

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.