Hello all, I’m going to be getting a plasma table very soon, specifically a Langmuir Crossfire Pro. Just curious if anyone else has successfully gotten their plasma cutter working with lightburn. I’d love to get some tips from anyone who has. Lightburn is a much easier software than sheetcam.
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I’ve been using Lightburn successfully in one form or another on/in my plasma table process for over 3 years. The reference by @parsec is the early use era, which if you jump to the last post in that thread of trials and tribulations, it links you to my current process era, which nets out to using LB for CAD and Sheetcam for CAM.
You seem to imply that you’ve had a less than good experience with sheetcam, which is understandable, it took me a few attempts to get a grasp on it given it has numerous means of toolpath customization, many of which overlap each other. However, once I had my ‘ah ha’ moment, its been smooth sailing since for a couple of years now. My workflow between LB, export DXF, import to sheetcam, and toolpath gen of gcode is usually seconds first time and iteratively (when drawing/design changes dictate iteration). At most the workflow is a few minutes the first time for a new drawing.
In the meantime of using the LB / Sheetcam workflow, and especially in the past year, LB has come a long way in support of non-laser CNC toolpath gcode generation and features, aka CAD/CAM solution. The biggest new feature being Custom Gcode device profile. The best place to learn about it is in the LB doc. I have been successful in using this device type to generate ‘ready to cut’ gcode on my plasma table from LB. However, I find the solution to be very narrow and lacking easy/convenient support for a wide range of materials and gauges (thickness) for plasma process. Cut parameters such as pierce delay, pierce height, and cut height to name a few, have to be hard coded into the device profile. In a future release I believe (at least it is rumored), LB has intention to improve this, perhaps by allowing custom gcode (for use cases or parameters such as these) to be coded into the Layer component of LB. That would be very nice. But until then, I find the LB / Sheetcam workflow combo to be easy, efficient, error free, low stress, and fun for my CNC plasma process.
Admittedly though, LB is darn hard to beat as a 2D CAD and laser CAM solution, and when they bridge the gap to other jet cutting CNC processes, it will be awesome as a single seat solution.
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Thank you so much for the response. I do understand sheetcam, but it honestly feels like it came from the late 90s or early 2000’s and hasn’t been updated. I know one of the developers at lightburn, so I’m going to talk with him a bit more. I might also try and get my SprutCam software to do the necessary gcode output for the plasma. As far as designing, I usually use Alibre or Corel to do my 2d design work. I really do think that lightburn is going to be the way to go forward, and once they get more detailed support, it should be pretty good. I would think that you should be able to setup a material library tho to handle feeds and speeds since the langmuir doesn’t seem to control the actual amps needed via gcode. Feeds and speeds should be pretty easy using a material library.
Wade
You’re UI read on sheetcam is correct, the UI is 20 years old and the graphics reflect that. However I can assure you, since I know developers there, that it is actively maintained and improved. Functionally, sheetcam is quite powerful and impressive, in fact perhaps too much feature and customization to the point of being confusing for many that are in a hurry to make use of it. However, it’s purpose suits the machinist and CNC operator quite nicely, which are the origins of the software.
I get that too. I’ll probably wind up using it for a while unless I can get a post processor for my cam software. I do understand it’s actively maintained, but doesn’t change the fact that I definitely do not care for the style. They really need an update on the UI. It makes me feel like I’m taking a major step back in technology.
I was wondering tho, if you would be willing to share with me some screenshots of your custom gcode device? My plasma is using GRBL-M3 from what I can determine.
As you may be aware, Langmuir plasma tables use CrossFire proprietary controller and PC machine interface software. My understanding is that the controller gcode dialect is a superset of grbl v1.1e (GRBL-M3 in LB), specifically in cases of M and/or G words for THC and IHS control. It may be that LB’s device gcdoe blocks/templates for ‘Tool ON’ and ‘Tool OFF’ will suffice for the scope of their use once per cut. However there are some toolpath conditions (sharp corners and circles specifically) where using THC and feerdate words will improve cut quality, and I don’t believe LB device profile will have that interface.
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