Preview Frame With Laser

Resources Getting Started With LightBurn
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I’m a really new user with a C3D board in a K40 machine.

I am really liking LightBurn and have no doubt it is a keeper. Just need a while to really explore all of the
available features.
I want to limit any reference to the old software and controller I was using, because I dont want to suggest LightBurn is missing a feature that the old crud provided.

I have a lot to learn as it really puts everything in one place compared to my previous workflow.

One thing I was able to do with the old cutting software was engrave a preview frame on the target material with one click on a " Preview " button in the interface.

While I don’t see anything similar in the LightBurn interface, can someone verify if I have this right?

I looks like I need to create a frame on a separate layer then send this to the laser to see precisely where my design will appear in my material before cutting, but I do not want to cut out the frame.

FWIW, my need to do this because my cutting platform is not fixed inside the machine and I move it around.
I cut out very small pieces on various wood veneers, and I want to be sure of positioning to minimize material waste.

Let me know if I have missed an easier way to do this…

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There is a way to do this with LightBurn, but I’m actually not going to tell you how, because the way you’re doing it now, creating the rectangle yourself and marking it, is the safe and sane way to do it.

The mechanism we have for this is intended for diode users to be able to focus their jobs, and it could, if you weren’t careful, leave the beam enabled. Since the K40 doesn’t have safety interlocks, and CO2 beams are invisible, it’s quite possible that you could start a fire or blind yourself if you use the “diode way”, so I suggest that what you’re doing now is the best option.

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Great! Good to know I am on the right track, and that LB usage is proving to be intuitive.

I did not have software power adjust with my old software , and had to manually lower the power for making the frame, then increase it for the cut.

With LB, it will be easy to reduce power for the frame layer without walking back and forth to the machine…

Thanks!
Gregory

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Wen you’re ready to run the job you can also just toggle the ‘Output’ button in the layer list for the frame itself to turn it off. You can also use ‘Cut Selected Graphics’ and then select just the frame to only run that, or right-click the column header for ‘Output’ and turn on/off/toggle all layers. Any of these work - it will just come down to your preference.

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