Treating top-level elements of imported SVG as separate layers

[TPReal (Tom)]

The main file type I’m using is SVG, because that’s the output of another program. Elements in the SVG are grouped into layers - each layers is a top-level element containing some elements. When I import it to LightBurn, it’s nice that each of the top-level elements is treated as a single object, but I would like to have all these objects on different layers by default. Right now I need to select each one of them and change its layer. That’s not a lot of work, but I was wondering, maybe there’s some magic attribute that I can put on each of the elements, so that they will end up on different layers in LightBurn? Right now they have id set, but that doesn’t help. Ideally I’d like the id to become the name of the layer, sounds to me like it would be a nice feature.

[berainlb (PY)]

This can be done by changing the color of the shapes. LightBurn will attempt to map the color defined in the SVG to the closest layer in LightBurn. Matching the RGB color from LightBurn precisely is your best bet.

You can get a reference for the layers between these two posts:

How to export the color palette from Lightburn into my drawing program?

For most users, the exact details of the colors used in the color palette are unimportant, but some of our users have asked about the colors used to simplify developing templates for external design software. To export, make a simple shape of each color (Grid Array can speed creation) and then export it as an SVG - all the shapes would have their colors set. This is the color table used: Layer Color Hex Layer Color Hex [Layer 00] rgb ( 0, 0, 0) #000000 [Layer 16] rgb (128, 128, 128) #…

RGB Values for T1 and T2 Layers

I found the RGB values for layers 00 thru 29, but not T1 and T2. Knowing these would be very helpful when importing a file with multiple layers from my CAD program.

[TPReal (Tom)]

Thank you, this is certainly an option. I was hoping for something that doesn’t interfere with what the image actually looks like, especially for engrave layers where the color is related to the laser power.

[berainlb (PY)]

I’m confused. What’s your end goal? I thought you were describing a process that would allow you to assign each shape to a layer.

This would do that.

What’s your end goal?

[TPReal (Tom)]

Yes, this is the goal, and the solution you proposed is correct, thanks for that. However if the shape in that element is some figure I want to engrave, e.g. with some gradient, then giving it a color at the level of the element might just interfere with the colors of the actual figures. I guess there’s a way to get around this, but that’s why I thought maybe a different attribute than color could be better for assigning elements to layers. But I understand there isn’t any. I can live without it.

[berainlb (PY)]

@TPReal

However if the shape in that element is some figure I want to engrave, e.g. with some gradient, then giving it a color at the level of the element might just interfere with the colors of the actual figures

Can you elaborate on the types of engravings you’d be doing? Typical gradients wouldn’t carryover into LightBurn. However, if you were creating lines to approximate some sort of shading that could work. But in that case, the color to layer method should still work in that case.