Hi, I would like to know if LightBurn can be used to control my CNC router.
I have a Workbee from Ooznest with a Spark Concept xPro V3 (GRBL v1.1) controller.
Looking forward to hear from you
/Torben
Don’t know what you want to do, so I can’t answer you.
Most of these CNC machines do the same thing. If you have a laser, milling or ice cream head the concept is the same. So yes you can and I have, however, there are tradeoffs.
I did very little Z mods with Lightburn, as far as doing a milling operation. Made < a ton of PCBs, which is pretty different at the head end, so there are differences there. Lightburn is designed for laser type equipment or probably any 2d operations, such as pattern making using a pen or knife. It has options that I used for my cnc in the Z mode. It was VERY handy leaning about my first real LED laser.
So it boils down to what you need to do. Even with the power of lightburn, sometimes it’s easier for me to design something in Freecad, that’s parametric and generate a dxf file useful in Lightburn. This allows slight adjustments that are difficult to do in Lightburn after you have designed something.
Everything in life is a tradeoff…
Good luck…
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Lightburn generates GCode for GRBL based machines so in theory you can do it but your CNC has a Z axis you generally want to also use and Lightburn has Z control but not like normal CAM software would.
Have a look at Kiri:Moto( http://grid.space ) as it can take as input DXF, grayscale and 3D/STL files and generate the many different “toolpaths”(another name for gcode files) like roughing, finish etc and you can setup different tool sizes.
I think I meed to add some more information to give a more clear picture of my situation.
I am using Universal Gcode Sender Version 2.0 to control my CNC machine. I have now brought a Neje 40 watt Laser machine.
It would be nice if I can use the same program to control both machines. That why I ask if LightBurn can be used for controlling my CNC router.
I think pretty much it’s natively a 2d application, although it does have lots of flexibility in the z motion control.
Although you’ve given me more information, it’s scope is now even wider.
If I do PCBs using one of the cad programs, it generally produces tool paths that don’t directly relate well to reading into Lightburn.
If you wish to drill a hole with a bit or end mill, I can program types of steps for types of holes. This is not easy to do in Lightburn. How do you program it to mill a helical ramping cut in lightburn?
I couldn’t conceive of actually drawing a pcb in lightburn.
Simply put, programs work substantially better in their designed field than outside their designed field.
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Hi, thanks for your reply. I have decided to use LightBurn for my new Neje Laser and keep using the Universal Gcode Sender for my CNC Router.
I’m pretty familiar with the current CNC software options and there is room for more companies in this area. Offering it with an optional and high quality controller would be a plus.
What’s not addressed much is software for routers that also have laser diode engravers.
I wouldn’t have one but people ask about it all the time.
what people don’t get is that a CNC is not designed to move like a laser engraver but in certain situations the CNC motion system can still be usable with a laser. For example, you would not want a CNC motion system to do lots of engraving as the speed would be too slow and the machine would be unusable for CNC work for many hours. But for cutting, which would be a slow process for a diode laser anyways or for vector engraving the CNC motion system could be adequate.
Right now you will only find systems like LinuxCNC based systems where the system can be customized to do either or both CNC and laser engraving. Otherwise, the controller firmware of buffered systems( GRBL, Marlin, Smoothieware, etc ) are still configured for single use. It will get there eventually.
Smoothstepper does have laser capabilities but I don’t think it compares to a typical DSP laser controller. Neither does anything else you listed.
I agree with most of your points but you never know what companies will come up with. Possibly like the 3d printer explosion after key patents expired.
I just noticed that my local craft store is offering Glowforge laser cutters. I wasn’t aware that they mount the tube on the X axis. I’m amazed that they can sling a water filled tube around including the various lines it requires, with a belt drive system. Crazy but it must work. So I wouldn’t say something is not possible as long as a market exists.
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