I’m new to laser cutting veneer. After hours of YouTube tutorials I still haven’t figured out how to separate the complete line drawing into parts for cutting. I’m working with a line drawing of a flower with 5 petal parts and a center - two leaves with two parts each and a stem with two parts. There must be a video showing how to do this.
can you post your file here?
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I think the solution will involve using the “break” function of the “edit nodes” tool.
The file in question or a screenshot showing what you want to do would be helpful so you can receive proper assistance.
I cut veneer all the time and Kuth mentions the method I use.
I’ll edit the drawing with the “edit nodes” tool and “break” the lines such that they are all separate entities.
I keep this “master” line image on a working layer and work with duplicates as follows:
For each distinct part, say a petal, I begin by selecting, duplicating, and placing each bounding segment onto another layer (separate layer for each distinct part).
When a part shares a line, I duplicate that line again from the master layer.
This results in a layer for each part.
Then for each layer I’ll group or rejoin the segments to the part and rotate it so the veneer grain is in the correct alignment when cutting.
Thanks, Kuth and Brewster - your replies got me started in the right direction. I can now explode the image into individual pieces and group them into groups for different veneers and grain direction. I do not find Lightburn to be intuitive, or easy. Thanks again. Tom
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Excuse-me the joke.
But that’s because you still haven’t learned how to work with the software! 
For some reason, this software is considered one of, if not the best, software for laser cutting and engraving.
My advice (been there) take a few minutes and look for this docs:
Faster then you think you will achieving nice results.
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I do not doubt that. It appears to be the “Swiss Army Knife” for lasers. However, the more functions - the more complicated the learning curve will be.
Perhaps, someday, I will want to do more than cut veneer., but I doubt it. However, as the saying goes, “You bought the horse and saddle - now comes the hard part - you have to learn to ride,”
I’ll keep pecking away at it but I don’t want Lightburn and the laser to become the hobby instead of veneering and Marquetry. I’ll not be selling my scroll saws anytime soon.
I been at this awhile but haven’t learned everything in LB by a long shot.
Try this: Decide what you wish to accomplish, find the how, (either in online LB or just ask on the web). Try this first. I am sure you have a drawing of parts of your piece. load that into LightBurn as a Vector for instance. You can drop a copy of the drawing onto your open page in LightBurn. “Send” the file to your laser as a “Line”. It will automatically have it as a black line. Double click on the Layer to open “Opportunity”. You can tell laser how fast you wish to cut and how much power. Let’s consider 50 as speed and 20 as Power plus make minimum power the same as Max since you are cutting. Don’t know what your laser Wattage is or if it is CO2 or Diode. I am assuming you have a CO2. If you have a Diode Laser my directions may not help you much.
I can assure you the laser will cut your pieces for marquetry when you have the correct settings more accurately than you can saw them. I am also assuming you are quite accomplished with Marquetry and sawing the parts.
I have accomplished many fantastic things with my laser and I am astonished every day.
BTW: I do not know how thick your veneer is but have an idea it is one or two millimeters.
You would need to try a couple shapes on some scrap I hope you have then adjust speed and power accordingly.
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I pretty much have the veneer cutting figured out after the help of Kuth and Brewster. I can now explode my drawing into individual pieces and group them according to veneer type and grain direction. Most of the veneers I use are 0.5 mm thick. If I cut them myself I wind up at about 3 mm.
I’m in the process of improving laser venting before doing more cutting. Thanks for the advise. I thought I stated it earlier - I have a 5w Creality diode laser. It was on sale for a little over $100.00.
That’s true. But you can limit yourself to what you need and nothing more.
I hope I don’t get stoned and kicked out of the forum by the administration. But… you know there are much simpler software programs (including free ones) for tasks as simple as cutting or engraving only, right?
I opted for Lightburn (and haven’t regretted it to this day) when I needed to work with different layers. Besides, its ability to draw from scratch is quite advanced for my needs.
I couldn’t agree more.
You don’t have to worry about that, the people at LightBurn have plenty of self-confidence
But it would be nice and not reprehensible, to mention some examples of software within laser cutting/engraving that is “much simpler”.
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I come from a CAD background, so I am going to be a bit biased, but AutoCAD, or any AutoCAD clone programs offer drawing and editing tools that are easier for me to use. I can design faster with a CAD program, and then export a DXF file to import into LB.
CorelDraw is also easier for me to manipulate text, and their smart fill tool makes it easy to edit “sloppy” files.
Affinity Designer just came out with a free version (v3). I had been using the paid version (v2), and it has some pretty good import and export filters, along with their shape builder tool, which is similar to the CorelDraw smart fill. The OP was asking how to create shapes for veneer cutting. Corel smart fill and Affinity shape builder are the perfect tool for this type of editing.
I guess I like to dabble in different programs, and find the tools I like in each of them. Most CAD programs are terrible with text manipulation. In all, it is best to use a program that you are comfortable with, but be open minded to trying alternative programs if they can make your life easier. I still use a 17 year old version of Adobe Illustrator for certain tasks, because it works quicker for me than the other programs I mentioned. But, I don’t want to pay for the new AI subscription 
Dear Ralph, you have forgotten how long it took to learn to use CAD programs effectively. We all make that mistake who have worked for a long time with a specific type of program.
I have worked for many years with MapInfo and QGIS and was good at it, almost as soon as I retired, the work was outsourced, none of my other colleagues would or could afford to learn the two programs. For me and my GIS network colleagues it was always “just” another (nice) program…
Take LigtBurn, I have been using it for 7-8 years… I think I master the program reasonably well, but how many are there who have just started with this nice and easy program and don’t understand a thing yet?.. Everything is relative 
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I started using CAD in 1981, so not a typical LB user. I use what works best for me. If Lightburn works best for you in all situations, more power to you.
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If I get kicked out, it’s your fault!!! 
Before Lightburn, I worked with two very basic software programs.
I don’t even remember the name of the first one (but I downloaded it through a search I did) and the second was LaserGrbl. I found it interesting and worked with it a few times. Only when I started needing to work with different layers did I consider and opt for LightBurn, which is simply the best software on the planet and beyond. (Let’s see if I can avoid being expelled). 
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I went up to AutoCad 12, but never reached the “effectively” part. When I started using Bridgeport’s EZ-CAM (Mill, Turn, and EDM) product, I felt like it was written specifically for me. “Intuitive” depends on what you used in the past, me thinks.