Setting up tool on/off gcodes

Trak · February 22, 2021, 7:16pm

I’d like to convince my boss to fork out some cash on some more capable software (lightburn) for the self built plasma I made for work, but I need to get it working with the trial first.

The issue I’m having is I can’t find where the tool on/tool off gcodes are configured. I found the start and end gcodes and set those.

The plasma itself is set up to work with just gcode commands, no need for two way communications or anything, just a couple of non standard gcodes I added to handle torch height control and probing (M10/M11 and M100/M101). I just need to find out where to set them up.

Currently I’m using laserweb which has a text box where you can configure the gcode used for tool on and tool off.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Rick · February 22, 2021, 9:36pm

There are two locations to enter GCode commands directly, the ‘Console’ by typing into the edit window and hitting Return / Enter or place that into a macro. These are used to change the firmware setup for use.

The second is designed to provide pre and post, per job GCode as you request.

Trak · February 22, 2021, 10:40pm

Not quite what I meant. I’m not talking about manually entering gcode, I’m looking to change the block of code lightburn uses to turn the tool on and off.

Rick · February 23, 2021, 12:54am

Not there just yet.

Trak · February 23, 2021, 1:20am

So theres no way to do this in lightburn as of yet? Thats a bit of a shame, but thanks anyway for your help.

Rick · February 23, 2021, 1:40am

LB recently added the Start and End GCode additions I shared, but we do not provide a way for specifying how the GCode is created past that currently.

You could use LightBurn to design and save using GRBL-M3 or whichever device gets you the closest GCode you need, then post process it externally.

LightBurn · February 23, 2021, 1:52am

LightBurn does not have a generic / editable post processor at this point, largely because it expects you to be connected “live” to the machine, and that requires significantly deeper knowledge than just which commands to send.

We will be creating a generic GCode profile with a fully editable output, but that has not even been designed yet, much less implemented, so it’s going to take some time.