LightBurn Camera Network Setup

I’m sure this has been discussed at length, but I could not find similar to my setup and thought I’d just ask everyone and see what can be done. My laser is set up in my shop. Office is in the house downstairs. OMTech laser is set up on my network and the communication works quite well. I just purchased a camera so that I can hopefully line up any artwork on unused areas of sheets of ply and save on material. Obviously my question is, can I set that up over network somehow so that I can do so. I have 0 intention of watching the laser work via camera or any of that. I would just like to work in my basement in a chill environment rather than having to lug my laptop around the area of my shop that is not exactly set up that way. I have tons of other things going on in there that would not treat a laptop very well.

A camera is a fantastic tool for LightBurn and laser work, you will be happy with it. But it does not work over LAN as it is a USB solution. I do not know if there is a “converter” to get the camera signal sent over LAN, but I do not think so. I also do not see the use for it, I use my office computer for construction, send the files over LAN to my LB-laser computer and start the laser and the job from there. To see my workshop from the office, I have an IP camera installed.

FWIW, I use TightVNC to remotely monitor/work on my Garage computer. I can do everything that I do locally using TightVNC remotely. Its free and works great on a local LAN. I use Lightburn with no issues (camera and all). I set up the entire project remote and even frame to make sure everything is correct (using the lightburn camera) then go to the garage to start the actual job. BTW, TightVNC will also transfer files if needed.

Just so I’m understanding. You have a “slave computer” in the shop that you have lightburn on physically connected to your laser. Remote in from your house or wherever do the work on the computer in your house but actually on the slave machine/program and send it that way.

Yes, I actually have 3 different remotely controlled “slave” computers in my house I manage from my home office and the Lightburn computer is one of them. I use the one Windows 11 Pro system in my garage that has Lightburn to also control my Ender 3 printer (via Octoprint) and my 3040 CNC machine (via Candle/UGS). I typically run jobs on all three simultaneously from the one garage computer. I do all the setups/preliminary work from my office then go to the garage, load the material and start the job(s). I sometimes set up the material ahead of time and start the jobs from my office but I prefer not to remotely run the job on the laser for safety reasons. The other two remotely controlled computers are my electronics workbench (Arduino and PIC programming), Home Control System and my wife’s Longarm quilting system.

Amazon. Basicolor USB Extender 262ft(80m) Kit with 4 USB 2.0 Hub, USB Over Ethernet Cat5e/6/7 Extension, USB RJ45 Extender Support All Operating System, Plug&Play, Two Web Cameras Work Synchronously.

Transmits USB across Cat5-6 and back to USB, works like a charm.