Question for the group since I haven’t been able to find an answer on the FAQ.
I’m very familiar with Lightburn and it’s cuts/layers and the duplicate feature. The problem I’m having on MillMage is as follows:
I have a 4-operation project (whiskey smoker) that previews and cuts fine, after some adjustments, for a single piece.
If I try to “duplicate” the grouped original and distribute it around the workpiece to fit as many as possible, the preview window still only shows the original to output.
If I go to the 1st duplicate and individually select layers, I’m able to get them to output, but it takes a while.
Is there a quicker way to duplicate an item and have it automatically output without manual intervention? Lightburn works this way as long as the cuts/operations are all on previously-selected layers that actually output.
Side-note, this is a beginner project and using only 1 bit for all of the operations, until I figure out tool changes and learn how to make things more detailed.
I believe you need to select the shapes for a given operation, then select the operation on the right and click the add button above operations to assign the shape to the operation.
Yep. That’s what I did when I did it manually. I was just hoping that since the duplicates all had the same exact shapes/operations, they’d already be assigned after each duplication. If not, no big deal, but with 4 shapes per object, it’s just a bunch of clicking and assigning. LOL
Made a little progress on this one. There are 2 options that I can find.
Grid Array works if you check the “copy assigned operations” box.
The Ctrl-D “Duplicate” has an extended version. Ctrl-Shift-D “Duplicate with Operations”.
Both options show up in the preview window. Now, the only thing I’d like to fix is having the file complete each item (4 operations) before moving on to the next. As of now, it does each operation on every instance, then cycles to the next operation on all instances, and so-on. What I’m looking for would be similar to the Lightburn layer feature where you tell it to operate by groups, individually, or by shapes. As it stands, there’s just a lot more moving across the entire piece of stock than if it worked on each item before moving to the next.
That’s basically what it’s doing now. First circle on all 8, then the 2nd circle on all 8, etc…. And then I’d have to create 4 gc files. I have a LongMill so I just use MillMage to design, then export to be run by GSender since it’s easier to move the gantry and zero with the touchplate than using MM for CAM, right now. Hoping that changes, but no big deal since I like Lightburn from my laser experiences with design.
as each circle is a different layer colour, turn on use auto layer under each operation and select the corresponding colour, that will automatically assign operation to all with that colour
there is a post early on in the forum explaining the reason behind it only doing one operation at a time. its along the lines of each operation is thought of as a different tool so it completes that operation all at once, than moves on to the next , i don’t know if you can change this if using the same tool for all operations.
altering clearance and retraction height and ramp angle if using zig zag can reduce time dramatically
Thanks for the input. I can understand why the software would think each operation is a different tool, but then what’s the point behind being able to export all operations with the same tool into a single GCode file? Hopefully this will be a future enhancement.
The idea for that was that if you have multiple operations with the same tool (i.e. pocket, then rest pocket, then face, then a profile with tabs), you can export a single gcode to avoid having to re-zero your machine if it’s not controlled directly from MM. If you control from MM directly, you can use the operation output toggles like you would in LightBurn.
Note that it will only group sequential operations with the same tool in the same file - if you change tools, you’ll get as many files as you have tool changes, unless your machine is configured as having an automatic tool changer.
Oh, that’s a preference you can change during export…Not all operations have to have their own file, you can export by sequence where it groups by bit…But it still takes the operation order on the window into account.
