There’s a very limited number of lasers that have Z control for the galvo head accessible to software - we do have a Focus Test tool - but it does not currently work with Galvo devices.
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Hello Colin , I’ve already found it. If it wanted to try to try tomorrow, so then can adjust the optimal height, or check the autofocus . Actually, I wanted to engrave curved surfaces , at least I get out when I have to lower the Z axis further to stay in the optimal area. During the engraving, the rider " Movement" is available with another surface. This means that the adjustment must then be done by hand. Galco - mirror head ? L.G. Wool
When you say currently does not work, is it on the cards that it may work at some stage :)..
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What a read through all of this. I was wondering the same thing, as I already have a motorized z axis and just was able to plug and play to the rotary port, and man would it be nice if there was an option. i did some test runs and obviould it just makes straight lines in rotary mode, but it even just testing it follows contours so well, and when doing a lot of glass would save so much time and headache if there was something available for this to be an option, or adapt the rotary option, or just something else that doesnt require a 2.5 or 3d galvo. or even a setting in cylinder correction where you can set heights and have it associated with the movement of the “rotary” that is now the z axis over the designated work curve. hopefully something comes out!
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I’m also interested in this, but I have significantly lower demands for its speed and difficulty. All I need is the height to be programmable. I program it for a part 2” off the table and another part 10” off the table and as long as an operator opens the correct program the z stage will move to the correct height. A focus stick is outside the abilities of some of the people who will load parts into the machine. The trumpf laser that this replaced worked like that as have the rofin and telesis lasers I’ve used in the past. Preferably it would let me pick 3 unused output pins from the controller to be the step, dir, and enable pins and an input to be the endstop and define the end stop position and the min and max axis positions, steps/mm, etc. I’d settle with it using the rotary axis pins.
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What I do is run the Z with macros, for instance 100x100 lens, part is 2mm so macro 100 over table, waits for input, then moves from previous position to just below and then upwards to 2mm focus point. (I always write my macros to finish moving up due to backlash on the Z screw). I have macros for 3 different lenses, with or without XY table height added in. Wouldn’t even need the varible if your parts were always the same sizes. Just macro for part A, macro for part B. Etc. No focus stick. Using Universal GCode Sender and a UNO.
Now that LB stores the rotary info in the file you could do it that way even easier as you suggest. (Maybe)
FINS did you ever follow up with the H2D laser addon bambulab?
Oh perfect. I didn’t realize you could use macros like that. I think I need to sit down with the light burn manual and read it cover to cover so I can realize more features that are less than obvious from the ui.
Maybe you misunderstand. Running the macros through Universal G-Code Sender, not lightburn. Z axis independent of LB.
Oh interesting. What software is that?
I was thinking about this more, what would probably be the easiest way to implement and most powerful would be if LightBurn would let us have multiple lasers within a project and be able to assign layers to each laser. The. I could switch all the axis to run off of a gcode controller and have light burn just send x,y,z moves and for when the stage needs to move or the z does.
Universal GCode Sender
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Yes. UGS.
I have a basic setup, arduino IDE to flash grbl to a uno, then splurged on a CNC Shield. Got the Protoneer so the pins are in the right place, but I have set up the 2 for $8.00 brand cnc shields just fine.
UGS seems to work well for the macros.
I also have my XY table tied in to the Protoneer / Uno as well although switch the X to the rotary output for most usages. Probably mentioned all this before…
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Just a post to keep the topic alive for a while 
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‘Steve Makes Everything’ just released a video about the upcoming ‘Commarker Omni X’, a UV laser that is able to do 3D engravings inside glass using their own software ‘Commarker Studio’. It also works with LightBurn. I wonder if other laserbrands might be able to run the Commarker Studio software to make use of its 3D capabilities.
EDIT: ‘It also works with LightBurn’ is not regarding the 3D engraving, just that the machine itself can work with lightburn. The 3D engraving only works with the Commarker software.
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Hi everyone,
It has been quite some time since I posted on this thread about my supplier who promised working Z control in LightBurn. I have had the machines for a few months by now but hadn’t found the time to try it out.
Long story short; it really works in lightburn! Using the ‘Repeat Mark’ menu I am able to cut material, do a cleaning pass etc., after that the galvo head lowers down and the cycle repeats.
I still have to figure out how to finetune it, but I used it to cut stainless steel a lot quicker then without the Z control
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Can’t argue with success!
So the “Repeat Marking” setting would have to be a very small angle, I’m guessing if your Z leadscrew has a 5mm pitch, maybe a 1.8 degree step to advance 0.025mm.
Yes, a small angle is what I used. But in the repeat marking settings menu you can change the speed of the movement (steps per second if I’m right) so I guess that if you lower that value than a higher angle input could give similar results.
I’m planning to do more tinkering in the coming week. If anyone has suggestions as for what more to test than I’d be happy to do so
I first tried the Z control in EasyCad2 using the Splitmark2 plugin. The menu in Easycad allows to enter a Z value which makes it a lot easier to use. I’m not an software developer by any means, but it would be my guess that it wouldn’t be too hard to implement this into LightBurn.
When using it in Lightburn I can use the ‘jog’ function in the Repeat Mark menu and if I set it to 5mm the head moves 5mm, so it can handle the movement distance information correctly.
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The speed won’t affect the angle just make it smoother or jerky
I agree. But lowering the steps per second will give (the feeling) of more control in finetuning. So in stead of needing to go down from 1.8 degree to say 1.79 degree you would go for example from 25 to 20 degrees, if that makes sense