How to create shapes

Hi there

How do I create shapes in Lightburn, for example for hanging wardrobe clothes dividers?

Thanks!

If you’re trying to replicate that shape, put that image into lightburn and then use the trace option? Otherwise, probably be best using Adobe or something similar to design your desired shape and then importing it into lightburn.

There are a bunch of ways you could do this. The simplest is probably to make a box, then add a few extra points for the indents to get the rough shape, then use the ‘Round Corners’ tool:

Draw a rectangle the size you want. Select it, then right-click and choose ‘Convert to Path’.

Then click the Edit Nodes button (above the ‘A’ on the left toolbar). Hover the mouse over the left line on the rectangle and press the i key to insert a point or two. Pull those inward to make the inside hook shape, and add more points as you need them. (see the middle image above for what I had when I finished this step)

image

When you get the shape mostly right, then use the Rounded Corners tool. Set the radius to something to try it out, and click the two bottom corners one at a time to round them. If the rounding is too small (or too large), undo it and change the radius value and try again:

image

Adjust the radius to be bigger or larger, depending on how round the various parts need to be, and round all the points on the shape.

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Nice… i’m continuously learning new techniques on here!

Thank you so much!!! :smiley:

I can’t seem to get a perfectly rounded inner part (that would hang on the wardrobe rail… is there a tool to round it or is it a bit of trial and error on my part?

Cheers!

Oh ignore me… I did it. Just made the radius bigger for those nodes :slight_smile:

It looks like you’re using the same radius amount on all the corners - I changed mine and kept undoing and playing with numbers until it looked right.

Use the grid to help judge the size (in my case, the middle part was 40mm wide, so 20mm radius was a perfect half-circle)

First let me start by saying that I LOVE Lightburn. I’m also a veteran graphic designer. What I love about Lighburn is that it has the tools I need to control, cut and engrave what I have already designed in Illustrator, Corel, Inkscape or Fusion 360. My point being that there are already a lot of very well established and industry standard design applications out there. They’re dedicated to graphics and design and Lighburn cannot and should not compete with them. It can’t. They’re too established and that’s not the best use of their dev dollars. As laser owners, we need to own and understand design software to get the best out of our machines. I love that I can make almost anything that I can dream up. What I rely on Lighburn for is to help me organize, repeat, and cut my designs as efficiently and accurately As possible. There are hundred of great tutorials out there in YouTube and Lynda.com design software. I’m not being difficult or elitist, but I promise you’ll thank me once you can design anything you can think of with a tool that’s created specifically to do that in the most effective way possible.

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LightBurn isn’t intended to replace those tools, and never will, providing a decent subset of the functionality allows people to learn without getting overwhelmed before moving up to a more professional design program.

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