I have a test card for my Opt 45w laser I use on new materials. But when I engrave a picture (I use Vectric) the toolpath options introduce more variables that are what I end up toying with to get a good result. Line spacing and Hatch vs Raster can completely change the result as well as power and speed.
To test these, it requires a ‘test box’ with some gradient and more than a 2 dimensional set of changes. Before I give it a try, has anyone else done this? Do you think it would be useful or does everyone just use trial and error based on experience. I am hoping if I come up with something I can test a range of outcomes with, I might get an option I would not otherwise have tried.
I did a bunch of testing with Vectric and Lightburn about a year ago. I discovered Vectric is just “ok” for laser pictures. It is very easy to use, and you can integrate the picture with other toolpaths in the project, but it doesn’t allow much control of the image itself, and it also always reinterprets images from what you load it. Another problem is that it adjust dot pitch and line spacing seperately, and not under your complete control. For example, if you do a 0.008" line spacing (125 dpi), it will probably give you something line 0.010 dot pitch in the scan direction.
Thanks Jim. Let’s just say that’s a day I’m not getting back. But lightburn did get it done. I was able to download it and google my way into adjusting the contrast of parts of the picture differently and then moving it back to vectric. It got it done pretty well and I learned a few things. I will even pay for lightburn after the trial, it was that useful. Thanks again!
I did a lot of work with Lightburn and I can say it creates very accurate Gcode, and you can control what you need to to get the best quality our of a specific laser. On the editing side, I would still rather edit a picture in something like DithX or ImageR and then just run it through LB for creating the Gcode. I like Vectric a lot better for editing graphics (vector files), but that is probably just because I have a lot more experience with it.
LB is very affordable and they’ve really been adding a lot of features to it over the years.