Hi. I would just like to say I am new to laser cutters, as well as the software necessary. I started using 2 HP5598’s at my job, and I’m getting some weird text importing problems on LightBurn that is not repeatable in other programs.
To paint the picture, I have 3 identical designs, 2 facing vertical, 1 horizontal. The horizontal design has the text exactly where it should be, while the 2 vertical designs have the text rotated 180 and are not centered where they should be.
I am exporting a .dxf from a program called CIMPack, and importing to LightBurn obviously. This is not repeated on Boss’ provided laser software, LaserCAD. Are there any settings I should be looking for that would be causing this? Being new to CAD software and the sorts, I don’t really know where to look. I can manually adjust everything back to normal fairly easily, but any time saved is more production, as thats what the job requires.
This would be the example in particular that I referred to on my first post. When CIMPack makes a filter design, the text is automatically added, as they themselves have designed the template, I am just inserting the dimensions. I will have to talk with them about the specifics of the font and text settings.
I did try your other suggestions. Importing the PLT turns it into a jumbled mess and the AI worked, it just didn’t actually add the text, just the arrow on the corner of each frame. For LaserCAD, it gives me these options on import, whereas I haven’t found an equivalent on LightBurn.
Is this in particular what is allowing LaserCAD to import the text correctly? I will also show a difference in the import in LaserCAD vs. LightBurn.
So my current process is to make it a layout, and the initial screen before you “plot” the file to the xy cutter, I just save that layout. While doing this, it makes the text into a perforation / glue assist line, and I just make that layer color a “cut” in LaserCAD / LightBurn just with low power. I don’t want a full cut through the paperboard, basically just a engrave, but done fast. I did try to explode the the subroutines, and it said it did its magic, but still imported with the same error. (I will say at this point that most things like that are out of my league, I basically just know the basics of frame making.) I don’t mind doing it though, as it comes fairly easy to me, I just don’t know the terminology, as I have no CAD background.
If I am in fact doing this incorrectly, ie. making a layout when I shouldn’t, you can say so. This process is just something I whipped up with my limited knowledge of the software really. I use the layout because it just easily snaps in the right places really quick. I will email you the .CIM to see if you can replicate it / figure out what is causing it.
Can you email one of the DXF files with the flipped text to developer@lightburnsoftware.com ? I can take a look. The AI format won’t import text, because we don’t support it there yet (or in PDF or SVG).
I did want to note; after I import it to LightBurn, I manually fix the text error by highlighting the affected text, then use the align drop down and use the middle setting on both x and y and rotating 180. This isn’t 100% equal to the horizontal frame design, but it does get the job done.
Note: I also forgot to add, I rotate the entire file 90 degree when I import, so you may be confused for a second as to which ones I’m referring to when saying horizontal and vertical. Sorry if it caused confusion.
With Ralph’s help, I was able to determine that I had a setting incorrect. After a couple reinstall’s and finally deleting my prefs.ini, I had somewhere along the lines changed the “Auto-close Tolerance” to 0, instead of the default .010. Guess I shouldn’t mess with settings if I don’t know what they do. Thank you both for your help!
