Maintain the Object position when used in Artwork Library

LightBurn Software Questions
1

Hello,

I am looking for solution or possibly a feature request on this.

  • I have a file with a 60mm x 60mm object. I want to keep it in the centre (or at certain coordinates) on the canvas as it is in the original file, when i insert it from the “Art Library”. This will help me quickly design artwork before sending it to the customer.
  • The expectation is when i click it in “Art Library” on a blank canvas, should be inserted exactly on the canvas at the same coordinates.

What is the issue

  • The issue i have is that if i open the file, the co-ordinates are maintained and no issue.
  • However, if i use it from the art library, it just randomly inserts this at any location.

The fix i have is that every time i want to design a particular artwork, i have keep on opening the files and that is a very painful exercise when you have to make 20 each day, save the file, send to customer for review.

A solution that will hold the coordinates from the original will be a great fix.

Any help or comment from others ?

2

It’s not quite random, per the doc:

Dragging a thumbnail from the Art Library into a project adds it to the project wherever the mouse is released.
Clicking the Add Graphic to Project button adds the selected artwork into the center of the current field-of-view in the Workspace.

Would it be feasible to make a tool layer template with a target at the desired position, so that you could use Snap to Object positioning while dragging from the Art Library? After it’s positioned, turn off the tool layer and nobody will know how you put it there with such precision. :grin:

I use that technique to position Print and Cut targets from the library at specific spots, usually on the corners of other objects: click-n-drag from the library, get close enough to the destination object to activate the snapping, release the mouse button, done.

If you’re positioning to a specific coordinate, you can use Snap to Grid positioning if you have the grid laid out with the proper resolution.

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3

Yes, I have tested this and agree with your comment and it puts everything to the centre of the canvas.

yes, I do have a tool layer today in a file which is locked at the position where i want it to be. That ways i can snap the design from the “Art library” to the position i want.

The issue (inconvenience) is when you have to do it 50 times in a day.

  • Open the lbrn2 file
  • Snap the design from “Art Library”
  • Update the text received from the customer (different from every client)
  • Take a screenshot and send to customer
  • Save the lbrn2 file ready for engraving

I know this is not an easy fix (after doing all the tests last few days) , as the “import” is not only for lbrn2 files but all other files too, so they may not have a coordinates in the imported file hence the LB team decided to keep it simple and into centre position.

I have requested a feature to be considered here that could be a solution.

Regards and thanks for your suggestion.

4

If I understand this correctly, you have a large number of fixed designs, each with a place for text that varies from job to job.

Perhaps this can be streamlined by merging the text from a CSV file into the designs?

You’d prepare one lbrn2 file for each design, with the artwork positioned / formatted exactly where you want it and a Variable Text field for the customer text. There’s no need for the Art Library or manual arrangement, because you do that once for each design, long before the jobs arrive.

When you get the text for a job:

  • Save the text into a CSV file
  • Load the lbrn2 file with the design
  • Merge the CSV file into the design
  • Screenshot
  • Save the filled-out file in a to-be-run directory

The CSV file is nothing fancy, because it has only one “field” with the text on one line.

The design can have multiple pieces of text in different places, in which case the file would have a single line with a comma separating each piece (hence, Comma Separated Values).

If you have several jobs for the same design with different text, you could save the text on different lines in the CSV file, then generate / screenshot / save all of those jobs without repositioning anything.

This will take some initial setup for the layout & CSV merge, but after that it’s just clicking the mouse without moving anything around.

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5

Thank you @ednisley for taking the time to reply. :saluting_face:

I have finally tested this, while this may not be the exact replacement as my text has “,” coming from the personalised message from the customers, I have learnt something new today that will help me in another problem when i do something in bulk

I have a few automations that extract and build data for engraving and your solution could help if i possibly fine tune that to make csv. If i am successful i will share with you all here.

Thanks again for all the help.

6

I have not tested this and it may not work, but I think LightBurn will process a quoted string from the CSV file as a single entity, so that this line would have only one field:

“Jack, Jill, and Humpty Dumpty”

Without the quotes, that line would have three fields.

I’d definitely want to experiment with how quotes interact with everything else and I’m certain there’s jank lurking in the corners, but it might be close enough to help …

7

Perfecto.

Yes, if i put a " (double quote) in the csv it works. I am not sure why it was giving me an error in the first try, but i have done the file again from scratch and it worked.

LightBurn_Merge-Sample

Now my biggest issue is “how to word wrap” a text inside the merge text that is coming from the csv :slight_smile:

Please see this gif for what i mean.

LightBurn_Wrap Test

8

Perhaps it’s the differences among quotation marks:

I think only ASCII double quotes work properly. :slightly_smiling_face:

It’s not quite line wrapping, but you can set up the text formatting to compress longer text into a fixed-length box:

If that’s not enough, then IMO dividing text for presentation is best done manually to split the lines in “good looking” spots.

If the text don’t already require multiple fields, perhaps you can (manually) split the text into two fields:

“Presenting Jack and Jill Sprat feat. Humpty Dumpty”

becomes:

“Presenting Jack and Jill Sprat”,“feat. Humpty Dumpty”

Then:

  • Stack those fields in a text box with a newline between them
  • Turn on Ignore empty variables
  • Enable Squeeze if needed

The first field goes into %0, the second in %1, and LightBurn won’t kvetch about not getting a second field if it’s not there.

Most text will require no intervention at all, with each CSV line containing whatever text the customer carries through your door.

You manually tweak text containing:

  • Embedded commas → wrap with quotes
  • Absurdly long lines → break into multiple lines = fields

I am absolutely certain that won’t work the first time you try it, but it might come close. :grin:

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9

I have tested this and looks like it will make lot of my process smooth (after a few tweaking as you mentioned)

I just did 10 of my regular work using your solutions (lot was manual setup that i will fix in coming time) but the whole LB process once setup with just %0 and %1 kills the “click->open->format” problem in some scenarios. Not just use “Test” validate and engrave.

@ednisley , You are nothing but Genius and good person at heart. I cant thank you enough on the time, detailed comments and the solutions you have provided.

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10

I’m glad everything worked out!

Now you can concentrate on improving your designs, rather than getting Repetitive Stress Injury from all that mousing around. :grin:

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