How to organize a two material project like an ornament?

[ednisley]

@misken

drag around the objects in the workspace

Rather than dragging, align a Tool Layer rectangle at the fixture position on the platform, then:

• Select the objects (with a similar rectangle around them)
• Shift-click the rectangle over the fixture
• Click Align Centers
• Fire The Laser

I Duplicate the selected objects and just Delete whatever’s at the fixture, with Undo saving my bacon when I forget the Duplicate step.

Eliminating the dragging reduces the number of things I get wrong …

This layered paper design used Print and Cut to align the template on the Tool Layer with the fixture, so the fixture can be anywhere on the platform:

Each pattern in the blocks along the top is grouped, so burning each one requires only four clicks.

Although it’s all paper, the black sheets require a bit more power, thus the orange & red layers:

Works for me …

[onhiatus (Tony Jones)]

I use a similar approach using absolute coordinates. I have a tool path that represents my print area (or jig location, etc). I repeat it for as many burns as I’m going to have to do (either multiple sheets / materials, or larger prints via print and cut).

Each tool path is filled as appropriate and then grouped together. When it is time to cut, I duplicate all the groups, and move them below the cut area for each burn I move the group to 0,0 and delete it when the burn is complete (that’s why I duplicate the groupings). It works very well because it’s easy to keep my place (what’s left below the workspace), and it supports letting me set up additional passes on specific areas or elements (I can ungroup and delete the parts that cleanly cut).

In any complexish project I end up having three copies in the project - the working copy (where I’ve got parts grouped together where they go, or with similar parts), I’ve got my cut optimized copies (grouped together in my tool path workspace representation) - optimized to fit the most pieces together in the smallest amount of material, or to minimize burns. And the ‘to burn’ copies of these.

[bernd.dk (Bernd)]

It sounds very complicated in the first place, but it is the same procedure I’ve used for some years, on all machines.
Absolute coordinates, with a fixed null point, also do all work on the same workpiece repeatable, just as there is one straight line on the material.
All fine tuning is in LB, … material plate into the machine with top left corner placed in 0: 0 and start.
For the recycling of material that is left over, I use my LB camera which does it with its sub mm accuracy, super easy.

[tbeaulieu (Todd)]

You guys are blowing me away with all these options that I hadn’t thought of, or was (and still am!) unaware of. I can use my camera for placement??? What?!

[bernd.dk (Bernd)]

@tbeaulieu

I can use my camera for placement?

It is one that the most important features for me to use my material as efficient as possible and yes, I love this feature.

[tbeaulieu (Todd)]

I’m still trying to wrap my head around LB’s various positioning functionality. I’m so used to Vectric Aspire with the CNC, so this is a shift that’s new to me. I’m only used to having to be exact in physical and vector positioning, especially when re-running “fixes” (partial machining). So much to learn!