introduce
Before we start looking at the techniques and issues involved, we need to understand the basics of how far Lightburn sets' origin points move, what they do, and how to use them.
What are the origins of laser engraver for hobbyist LightBurn?
In the software, the "origin point" is the reference point at which the laser module starts firing the laser and starts cutting or engraving. You can set this origin point at different corners of the bench laser-cutting machine. It can be located in the top left, bottom left, top right, etc., depending on your preference or the layout of the material placed on the workbench. This feature of customizing the origin gives you more freedom and is crucial for preventing errors, especially the common problem of cutting outside the surface boundary.
Set the origin of the project.
Each laser engraver for hobbyists has its origin and can be configured and changed in design software compatible with your hardware. To configure this feature for your project on LightBurn, follow these steps:
1. Open LightBurn and load the design you want to cut or carve on a specific material. When starting a new project, always make sure that your design is suitable for the work area specified for the laser cutter.
2. Use the "Point control" in LightBurn to move the laser head to where you want the origin of the project to be. Normally, this origin is in the bottom left corner of the material, but you can change it at any time.
3. After completing the above operations, click the "Set origin" button to communicate with the software, the point you have selected is the ideal starting point for the cutting or engraving process.
What is the travel distance in laser engraver for hobbyist LightBurn?
As the name suggests, this distance shows how far the laser head will travel when manual controls are used to tap or move the laser head during operation. The value of this distance is used to manually adjust the position of the laser, often to ensure the accuracy of the alignment and origin setting of the laser module for a particular project. This is useful when you need to make fine adjustments, accurately position the material, or test the laser without starting the cut.
Sets the movement distance of the item
Lightburn's two features for setting the origin travel distance are very simple to implement, but many DIY enthusiasts make mistakes. Here are the common steps:
1. First go to the Control panel and find the Move Distance setting in Lightburn, which allows you to control how far the laser head of your hardware moves each time you press the button.
2. Now, set this "moving distance" depending on your project, ranging from a small range of 1 mm to a larger distance of 10 mm or even 100 mm. The greater distance will enable faster positioning on a larger surface in the laser engraver for the hobbyist's working area.
3. To fine-tune before actually starting laser engraving/cutting, test the motion by jogging the laser head in LightBurn.
Common errors of origin and travel distance
1. The most common error is the wrong position associated with the wrong coordinates. We recommend using the absolute coordinate function to ensure that your laser cutter starts cutting or engraving at the location you want.
2. Another common mistake is not using the preview feature in LightBurn, which allows you to check that your design is aligned with the origin you set and that the move distance is correct.
3. Do not use "custom move distance", but manually move new items each time, which may lead to execution errors. We recommend always presetting such a custom distance for each project to reduce the chance of error.
LightBurn is an excellent piece of software, but not paying attention to the above errors can lead to errors in final cutting and engraving. To avoid this, the Ortur LM3 laser engraver for hobbyists is equipped with its own Inspiresth software, which has been designed and optimized to help users with such configurations, with an interface that is friendly to both novices and professionals. You also get a powerful hardware package that is accurate and has a next-generation air assist system that keeps laser operations ventilated and safe.
conclusion
Before we summarize two common laser engravers for hobbyist light burn set origin move distance commands, it's worth mentioning that both of these commands are very important for getting the desired results when working on DIY projects. When starting a new project, always save the preset values and pre-test your Settings on the scrap surface.