Hey guys. After I trace to vector a simple shape (triangle around a photo I have just engraved), the laser will then slice straight through the middle of the box and hence my photo. My question is should the laser be active on the green lines that show up after trace to vector is carried out? I have a k40 on smoothieboard.
@Jez_M-L is there an image missing here?
@Ariel_Yahni_UniKpty (null) I’ll put one up when I get home. Posted from work whilst researching the Internet to see if anyone else has had this issue. 
+Peter van der Walt(null) cheers Peter. Will have another play when I get home.
@Jez_M-L Check the original cut file for any “invisible” lines. I recently had an issue where I had dotted lines to cut & they worked perfectly everywhere except this one spot where it cut a solid line instead. After Peter pointed something out, I went back & checked the file only to find that there was an invisible (no line width) line in the SVG that laserweb was registering.
+Peter van der Walt On that topic, is it possible to extract the “line width” information from the SVG & for anything > 0 to “cut” & anything <=0 to ignore? Might help with aligning objects to the grid (e.g. could create 0 width boxes around all objects).
+Peter van der Walt I appreciate having the green lines to show the G0 moves.
Sorry I have not got back to you guys this evening. Daughters iPhone logic board went wibble so I have had a evening of farting about with the tiniest screws know to mankind!! Will try and get back to my issue in the next few evenings. Thanks for the help gents.
@Jez_M-L it’s a small world after all
God I hate that song! Worst ride in Disney that is!
But the puppets are so cool
+Peter van der Walt is there an S0 with the G0? I know we had a debate over S0, but maybe it helps some firmwares. Heh…really, I have not seen seen h code lately.
right… finally go it all sorted.
My config now looks like this
Laser module configuration
laser_module_enable true
laser_module_pwm_pin 2.4
Wired to IN on the psu
laser_module_maximum_power 0.8
laser_module_minimum_power 0.0
laser_module_default_power 0.1
laser_module_pwm_period 20
##Switch module for laser TTL control
switch.laser.enable true
switch.laser.input_on_command M3
switch.laser.input_off_command M5
switch.laser.output_pin 0.26! # Wired to L on PSU
switch.laser.output_type digital
And also put the optional M3 & M5 commands in laser web, Now I can vector cut. Started doing a test cut… laser lasers, laser stops lasering when it should still be cutting… checked ammeter… still got current, looked at the laser, still glowing purple… Oh look… MASSIVE ARCING AND FLAMES!!!
I now have insulated rubber matting packed in around the end of the lasertube!!
Cheers for all your help everyone!
FYI with smoothie you do not need to define a switch command, there is an optional ttl pin you can define in the laser module which gets turned on/off when it should (G0 it is off G1 it is on). M3/M5 is optional I use it to turn the main power on/off as a safety.
add…
laser_module_ttl_pin 0.26 # define the ttl pin (use ! to
invert it).
Then remove the switch statement you have. M3/M5 won;t do anything now unless yo use them to turn the main power on/off like you would a spindle.
(FWIW the WIKI is out of date and does not mention the ttl pin)
Thanks for the info. I thought it was sorted but after an long engraving and going for the cut out it still did the same thing. Pic attached. I did a cut of 3 passes and I am wondering if that was the issue? I am creating a rectangle in Photoshop filled with white and a line of 1 pixel then saving as a bmp and importing into LW. Could this be the problem? I have downloaded fusion 360 but not got around to using it yet as the last time I used cad I was still growing my first pubic hairs!!! I am 40 now!
Just for info I hit the laser activation button when I saw the laser go off track, hence why the lines don’t go all the way across. I will try the TTL config tonight and have another look.
Did that Peter. Imported bitmap rectangle into LW then trace to vector. I will have a look and see if I can decode the gcode to see if there is a problem there.
Ok. Will do. I gather I can do that in fusion 360?
@Jez_M-L yes you can but it’s way to much of a software for that. Use Inkscape for that it’s easier
Cool. Cheers everyone.