I have used Lighburn now for a couple of years and almost exclusively with Start From: Absolute Coords. I have a few times dabbled with the other two (Current Position and User Origin) with limited success but now I want to start understanding and using the other two. I am using Lightburn version 2.1.03 driving a Longer B1 diode laser (30 watt). I just started experimenting and I am getting no acceptable results.
Absolute Coords works perfectly.
The following tests are performed after homing the laser then selecting a Saved Position in the center of the lasers work area and I get the same results if I manually move the laser (not jogging in Lightburn) . . .
When I try User Origin, Job Origin set to center, the square frame goes to a Set Origin Coordinate but the rubber band frame () doesn’t move at all. If I click Start I get a warning this will possibly take the laser out of bounds.
When I try Current Position, Job Origin set to center, neither frame button causes the laser to move at all and clicking Start yields the same error, out of bounds.
Is it possible I have a Device or Machine setting that is interfering with these positionings?
First, DO NOT move the laser by hand. When you do this Lightburn has no way of knowing where your laser head is now in relation to your work area. Since your laser has limit switches and homes properly, only move it using the jog arrows in the move window or the “set laser position” icon.
Now to your issue. When you use User Origin, you need to move the laser head to position using the above methods, then press the “set origin” button in the move window. That gives Lightburn the laser origin location. The 9 dot origin is to set where on your project you want to align with that set position.
Using current position works the same, only you don’t have to set the origin, you move the laser to where you want it to start from.
Your out of bounds message is very likely coming from the fact that you have items on your lightburn screen out of the work area. The preview pane will verify this. The way around this is to use the cut selected graphics and use selection origin switches in the laser window. Otherwise Lightburn wants to cut everything on your screen, not just what’s in the work area. This is not an issue when using absolute coordinates because the ignore out of bounds objects switch is set by default.
These require a SOLID understanding of coordinate systems and incremental positioning. There is no interference from Lightburn or your machine via a setting.
The only time I do not use Absolute Coords is when using the rotary.
Like @thelmuth said, never move the laser module by hand because Lightburn does not know where it is after that. This is because your controller board gets no signal that it has moved, making it unable to update Lightburn. It also invalidates the position reference established by the limit switches at the Home position.
Thanks for the responses. Not sure what I did to get things working but now they are and I’m getting the process down.
Furthermore, the only reason I was manually moving the laser head was because I thought maybe the Lightburn software would use the Current Position and User Origin settings to move the laser in a relative positioning manner. I understand now that It does not.
MikeyH, I am not sure what would make me use anything other than Abalolute Coords but I want to know how in case that is something that would work when it would be an easier setup. I am a retiree hobbiest and I am using some of my leisure time to learn as much as I can to avoid rusting brain syndrome. I remember using one of the other two Start From selections when I first got my rotary and it worked well. Like I stated earlier for some reason they were not working for me but now they are, weird. I appreciate your response.
thelmuth, Thanks for the response and the video. I had watched a couple of similar videos including the one put out by Lightburn. It’s good to see instructions from multiple sources. As stated above my laser is responding appropriately now and for whatever reason I know not. Thanks again.
I would select both as the solution but it would not allow multiple selections. I’d settle on one for anyone that sends me a ComMarker Omni X UV laser.
I love it! Can I use the Rusting Brain Syndrome phrase on others I know?
Retired hobbyist here too, and soon to be 80 (presents welcome, PM me for shipping address).
You selected the right one.
Coordinates summary:
If you Home the machine, that is your Origin.
User Origin allows you to move that 0,0 corner to any place in your machine travel space. If you have a drawing corner at 50,50 and set the new Origin at 50,50, then your corner will now be at 100,100. Easy with nice round numbers, right? Think offsets here.
Current Position is basically a “start here” setting. Wherever the start point in your design is located, that will be where the laser begins it motion, but starting physically where the module is sitting when you light it up. Yhis is the one you use if you have a Rotary device.
Absolute Coordinates means everything is referenced to the Home position (or startup position if no limit switches). Your Origin is always 0,0 and at the Home position. If your drawing corner is at 50,50 then that is where the laser will go. If you move it to 100,100 it will go there instead. Always referenced to that Home corner.
Homework:
The best way to understand is to print out a graph and start drawing boxes. I snap shotted the LB grid if you want to do it.
