[trichard3000]

I recently picked up an ebay 40W cutter and am having a problem with CorelDraw/CorelLaser. The cuts don't accurately reflect the placement of objects in the drawing I'm trying to cut. Furthermore, object/cut positioning seems to vary based on what other objects are also trying to cut. It's as if CorelLaser is misinterpreting the drawing as it heads to the cutter.

Here is my specific example that may help explain:

I'm trying to cut slots and holes in to a base (of 1/4" plywood). The slots mate with other pieces using t-slot construction and the holes match standard, perforated 1.5" angle iron. My workflow starts in FreeCAD and then I export the face as a SVG and open in CorelDraw/Laser. I confirm that all the measurements are accurate in Corel, along with line widths and black color.

When I go to cut, the holes don't match the angle iron holes and can be significantly off on both the X and Y axis, The slots are also improperly cut with the distances changing from the drawing.

These cuts are consistent from run to run, seemingly eliminating hardware issues of the X and Y axis. However, if I change parts of the drawing, say by deleting the slots while leaving the holes as-is, the unchanged objects will now cut in different positions than before.

I've tried including some reference objects, such as small boxes in the upper-left and lower-right corners but so far, the deviations from the accurate drawing are not predictable, even though consistent from run to run.

I've searched the forum but I haven't seen anyone with a similar issue. Can anyone help point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

I'm using:

CorelLaser: 2013.02.08.00289
CorelDraw 12 (Included with cutter)

[gjw]

Another newbie here with the same problem.

I have the following setup:
this machine
Corellaser 2013.02.08.00289
CorelDRAW X6 (evaluation version)
Board: not sure... pic:
Attachment 269812

I am trying to engrave / cut this simple example key tag:
Attachment 269814

The 3 elements are on 3 different layers. The cut shapes are set to hairline width in black color. Engraving this with all 3 layers turned on for printing results in a correctly aligned (but obviously only engraved) result:

Attachment 269816


It fails when I engrave or cut only selected layers, e.g. the round cut-out in the tag or the outer cut. Then the result of this will not be aligned to the previously engraved result. Here's the round cut-out misaligned:

Attachment 269818


My settings:
Attachment 269820
Attachment 269822


Any hints are much appreciated!

thanks+regards,
gj

[BrianJenkins]

Try this - I was having trouble trying to get it to align between doing a raster and a vector. I think it has to do with how the data is sent from Corel to the encoding process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR7967VHKnI

[gjw]

Hi Brian,
I watched your video already and found it very helpful - thanks for taking the time. I use your process now, but each job is still incorrectly aligned. All items that are grouped together in one task are OK (relative to one another). But the origin of each separate task is always aligned to the position chosen in the engraving manager under "Refer"/"Refer-X"/"Refer-Y".

Attachment 269922

How can I set a common output reference point for all tasks?

Thank you!
gj

[BrianJenkins]

I had that problem when I would first run the job you saw in the video. Again I think it has something to do with the way laserDRW takes the data and sends it to the engraver. Mine by default only sends the selected objects - which would lose any sort of reference point being in Corel. Maybe try designing your Corel page to mimic the output of the laser (200x300) and send the entire document through laserDRW (making the layers you do not want - off (either invisible or turn off the printing setting.) That way it's getting ALL the reference.

I don't know the answer, only guessing really. It's a learning curve!

[gjw]

Thanks again. I'm sure that i'll find a work-around but i fear that won't be pretty. I'll see if i can find something different than the corellaser/coreldraw combination. (i hear the gurus mumble: good luck!...)

cheers,
gj

[miketola]

Maybe try put focusing mark on right corner? And every work you do select that mark and your work? Then they have relation.

[gjw]

Maybe try put focusing mark on right corner? And every work you do select that mark and your work? Then they have relation.

Thank you, Mike. This does the trick even though it's a bit annoying having to remember to put a reference mark on each layer.

Can anyone recommend a different set of software that would work with the above controller board? I am using Corellaser 2013.02.08.00289 with CorelDRAW X6.

Thanks in adavance.

Regards,
gj

[ELaser]

How can I set a common output reference point for all tasks?

Thank you!
gj

Only by setting a common reference point IN all tasks, eg a fiducial.

[BrianJenkins]

FYI - When combining tasks, if you include your 'other' task as either White (RBG) or (No Color) it will use it as a reference and ignore it.

Basically, say I am rastering first, but it's in the middle of an object I want to cut out. I mark the vector as white, but still select it and the raster layer and send both. When I'm done with the raster, turn the color on for the vector (if you don't use a solid fill, it will cut each side of the line).

I do both by sending the selected object.

It's a pain, but it works.

[gjw]

Thank you to Brian and to everyone else who offered advice! This is quite ugly but works. Good enough!

[miketola]

You can also make square round to your work and uncheck outbound line. It focusing your engraving and cut works and not cut or engrave that square.

[trichard3000]

As a follow-up to my original question, I think I'm back around to my problem being a hardware problem rather than a software one.

All advice on these units is that they require a good deal of tweaking to obtain accuracy. I started messing with test patterns and adjusting the belt tensions. I also added chain-type cable guides for all the cable runs. At this point, it's not 100% perfect but it's much, much closer. The X axis seems much harder to get right than Y, probably because of the additional complexity.

I haven't gone back to trying runs with different layers or trying to add or delete objects between runs yet. Just trying to get the hardware as solid as possible before getting too fancy on the software side.

[miketola]

So if you have sample file . Maybe me and somebody else can check and test it.

There is few good test check test your hardware quality.

Make big circle like 150mm x 100 mm and "cut" it small power, maybe 5% and 20mms. Then check starting point and ending point, if they wont contact 100% you have small problem. Ny english is terrible so im not sure what kind of problem you have. Here is video how you can check your cut and engraving accuracy.

Focusing engraving and cutting works.: Focusing engraving and cutting works. - YouTube

[trichard3000]

As a follow-up to my original question, I think I'm back around to my problem being a hardware problem rather than a software one.

Ah my problem turned out to be both hardware and software. Once I adjusted everything properly, individual shapes were accurate but their relative placement was not. The inaccuracies were consistent, though. I had the same issues with both Corel and LaserDraw.

I went back through all the settings and it turned out that the laser software was set to use the wrong model of controler board. (Mine has the 6C6879-LASER-M2:5 board model.) Once I fixed this in the settings, everything worked properly.

Newbie lesson learned: Properly adjusted hardware fixed the circles that looked like spirals and other shapes that should be closed but came out open. Making sure the board model was right fixed everything else.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I'm happily lasering away now. I hope this thread helps the next poor newbie.

[Bounceman]

I hope this thread helps the next poor newbie.

It just helped this poor newbie so thanks very much! Couldn't work out why alignment was all over the joint, turns out the board was set wrong. If only they supplied some form of basic setup instructions in English! Mine had a single wmv file, which was in Chinese but showed you to set the board (to the wrong one of course!).

[aydinlaser0091]

[thanks your video
i solve my problem

Aydin Satiroglu