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== How to Lazzzor or "Why you won't use scissors anymore." ==
== How to Lazzzor or "Why you won't use scissors anymore." ==
=== Before you begin you should know.. ===
{|
|bgcolor="#ffff99"|<div style="border:2px dotted #00cce4;color:black;line-height:1.1em;padding:1em;">
'''DO NOT HANDLE THE LAZZZOR IF YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO'''.
Only [[Lazzzorauth]] key owners are able to operate the mighty Lazzzor. If you are authorized as well '''because you've successfully completed a [[Lazzzor_Cutter_Workshop]] _AND_ you've been given approval by one of the [http://metalab.at/wiki/Lazzzor#Willst_du_etwas_lasern.3F laser admins]''' you may request your own [[Lazzzorauth]] iButton.




''this is a very very early draft for a yet-to-come howto lazzor page. the main source of information was the lazzzor workshop held on 2011-01-27. feel free to add/edit information, suggestions or similar. you can do so in english or german. also: it doesn't need to be perfect, but the information supplied should be correct or if not, labeled accordingly<br>
'''All others will need a assisting* key owner that is responsible for safe operation.'''</div>
<br>
|}
update: seems everything essential is covered. some pics may follow.''


Amongst others some friendly helpers are:
{{Lasermenschen}}


so, you want to use the mighty fine lazzzor yesyes?
----
then you will have to complete several trials to step up to the throne of being a lazzzor king or queen.
So, you want to use the mighty fine lazzzor yesyes?
Then you will have to complete several trials to step up to the throne of being a lazzzor king or queen.


basically, you have 2 options:
Basically, you have 2 options:
* '''cutting''': for this you need a vector graphic,
* '''cutting''': for this you need a vector graphic,
* '''engraving''': for this you need a rasterized image
* '''engraving''': for this you need a raster image


you can also do '''both!''' if you put a rasterized object inside a vector graphic. alternatively you can create a separate file for each job.
You can also do '''both!''' if you put a rasterized object inside a vector graphic. Alternatively you can create a separate file for each job.


== prepare your image ==
== prepare your image ==
Zeile 20: Zeile 31:
Get your favorite vector/raster drawing program and draw some stuff you want to have cut or engraved. Depending on what you want to do, your image file is qualified for print if the following things apply.
Get your favorite vector/raster drawing program and draw some stuff you want to have cut or engraved. Depending on what you want to do, your image file is qualified for print if the following things apply.


'''for both''': your image/graphic should fit into the workspace which is '''1300mmx900mm''' big.
'''Cutting / Vector format''':
'''Cutting / Vector format''':
* deactivate filling on all objects
* deactivate filling on all objects
* set the stroke width on all objects to 0
* set the stroke width on all objects to 0.001 inch (or hairline)
* export your image in *.eps format [.. other recommended formats here.] we strongly encourage you NOT to use dxf formats. they are prone to errors when imported into corel draw (which will be used to send the job).
<strike>** watch out for duplicated vectors lying on top of each other. it results in the line being cut twice.</strike> [[Ctrl-Cut]] automatically handles duplicate lines.
* during exporting/saving, look for an option which says "Make a bounding box around full page" or similar and DEactivate it.
* export your model in pdf format (it is also possible to use ai, ps, eps, ctrl-cut vector format and svg, but pdf is highly recommended).  
* If you use FreeCAD to export SVG, make sure you set "Max segment length for discretized arcs" (Edit -> Preferences -> Import-Export -> SVG) to something like 0.1mm.
* If you use Inkscape to convert SVG to DXF, select DXF R14 and **not** R12. The R12 crashes LaserWorks (it simply closes on import)


'''Engraving / Raster format''':
'''Engraving / Raster format''':
* convert your image file to grayscale
* Our current laser cutter has a fixed resolution of 100 DPI.  
* play around with the Level option to get the highest contrast possible
* [[Ctrl-Cut]] supports automatic conversion to grayscale and stretching the contrast, but if you convert the image to monochrome (1-bit) _before_ importing it won't adjust the image at all, so you can manually tweak it.
* you can set the DPI for your graphic up to 1200 (max. setting the lazzzor supports)
* no background color (means: transparent background)
<br>
Software..
* ..for raster images: Photoshop, Gimp, MS Paint, .. any common image editor.
* ..for vector graphics: Inkscape, CAD programs, Adobe Illustrator, ...
<br>
'''if you finished your image/graphics''' ...
* Bring your image/graphic on a USB drive to our lab and plug it into the cutting station next to the lazzzor.
* Import your File in Corel Draw x4 and check if every requirements have been met as listed above.
* Go to file > print (Datei > Drucken...), select the lazzzor.
* click on properties (Eigenschaften) and you are ready to advance to the next stage.
 
== the printer dialog ==
(screen caps?)
 
=== main tab ===
 
''Laser''
: '''Power''', how much power to put into each lazzzor shot. for cutting, you want to use as little power as possible
: '''Speed''', how fast the lazzzor moves.
: '''Frequency''', how many times a lazzzor shot happens. this depends greatly on the material used.
These 3 parameters kinda intervene with each other. E.g. if you lower the Speed, you wont need as much Power and/or Frequency.. see theoretical experiments for further help. (insert link!)<br>
<br>
''Job''
: '''Raster''': for engraving
: '''Vector''': for cutting
: '''Combined''': for doing both! Engraving always comes first.
<br>
''Rasterisation''
: '''basic''': makes it look good, most of the time you'll want to use this.
: '''3D''': good for making stuff like holes for screws.
: '''stamp''': yeah, that's for stamps, there are also 2 additional parameters for this one. (todo: indepth howto for stamps)
<br>
''misc''
: '''Auto focus''': important for making nice cuts, you also can do that manually (todo)
: '''Frequency Automatic''': not tested yet! but it obviously states what it does, yes?
: '''Vector Sorting''': algorithm which should calculate a good way to cut stuff. you probably should use a good image instead of relying on this, but most of the time it shouldn't cause any problems.
 
===user settings===
here you can load and save settings created by other users.
 
'''[[warning!]]''' this [[doesn't mean]] they are automagically [[the best choice]] for your job! in some cases, quite the opposite is the case and you might
end up damaging your material or the lazzzor. Still, in combination with the Cheat sheet included in the manual, you can figure out if there are some reasonable settings too.
 
===color mapping===
Depending on the colors you gave your vectors, you can set individual Power, Speed and Frequency settings for each color! Might come in handy, but most of the time you won't need it.
 
== the materials ==
if you want to cut or engrave something, bring your own material, though you can also use any leftovers or stuff which does not have a label on it. (of course labels which say "free for all" are ok, too). feel free to donate a little extra if you use some materials. (price, costs, material category?)
 
=== allowed ===
cutting / engraving:
* anything made out of wood
* acrylic
* polypropylene
* polystyrol (low power&speed!)
* fabric (hm what about polyester?)
* ...
* very very thin metals (foil or curcuit board made out of Messing)  (--> indepth howto at example page?)
 
engraving:
* glass
* ...
 
=== forbidden ===
anything which got Chlorine (Chlor) or Nitrogen (Stickstoff) in it. bad stuff will happen if it combusts.
some examples:
* PVC
* PC
* Polyurethan (found in sponges for cleaning dishes)
* ABS
 
other potential dangerous stuffs:
* BoPET Foil: as used in rescure blankets. has the ability to reflect big part of the IR spectrum. omg.
* ...
 
todo:
should some materials be forbidden which are already used?
special workflow instructions on potential dangerous materials! --> http://entropie.digital.udk-berlin.de/wiki/Laser_Cutter#FORBIDDEN_MATERIALS
 
== to the lazzzor! ==
you have sent your job to the lazzzor and chosen your material of choice,
now off you go my friend, you are a big boy/girl now, but still,
there are some buttons you have to get familiar with first.
(pwetty pictures!)
 
2 important buttons:
* "Go" aka Green Button aka "yea do that."
* "Stop" aka Red Button aka "no way, dont do that."
 
''' IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT '''
''' <span style="color:red">BEFORE</span>''' you start a job always '''TURN ON <span style="color:red">THE BELÜFTUNG</span>'''
''' IN CASE OF <span style="color:red">FIRE</span>''' - only use the '''<span style="color:red">CO2 fire extinguisher</span> on the <span style="color:red">left side</span>''' (todo: include pic)
  a short burst should suffice to kill the flames.
''' IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT '''
 
=== how to set your 0-point. ===
its a good idea to set your home-point everytime before a different job.
this point is the starting position and represents the upper left corner
in your image / workspace area.
 
# press "Pointer" (or what was it?) to make it visible/invisible
# press "X/Y", the display will say "X/Y - Off"
# you can now move the lazzzor freely along its x and y axis
# press "Set-Home" to set your position as your home-point.
 
''' IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT '''
''' <span style="color:red">BEFORE</span>''' you start a job always '''TURN ON <span style="color:red">THE BELÜFTUNG</span>'''
''' IN CASE OF <span style="color:red">FIRE</span>''' - only use the '''<span style="color:red">CO2 fire extinguisher</span> on the <span style="color:red">left side</span>''' (todo: include pic)
  a short burst should suffice to kill the flames.
''' IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT '''
 
=== when to cancel/pause your job! ===
if you ...
* .. hear noises you are not used to hear
* .. see smoke gathering in the cutting area
* .. see something burning constantly. (one or two spurts of flame are okay when cutting acryl (i think it was acryl?))
 
now now, go on, push teh button!..
''' IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT '''
''' <span style="color:red">BEFORE</span>''' you start a job always '''TURN ON <span style="color:red">THE BELÜFTUNG</span>'''
''' IN CASE OF <span style="color:red">FIRE</span>''' - only use the '''<span style="color:red">CO2 fire extinguisher</span> on the <span style="color:red">left side</span>''' (todo: include pic)
  a short burst should suffice to kill the flames.
''' IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT ------ IMPORTANT '''
 
=== how to start, pause and cancel your job! ===
 
final preperations:
* place the material inside the workspace of the lazzzor.
* if you havent already done so, set your home position described above. its a handy thing to do.
<br>
starting a job:
* the display of the lazzzor should read something like "Job: #1 ... ".<br>
:thats most likely your job if you just turned on the lazzzor.
* press "Go" to start the job
<br>
pause/cancel a job
* press "Stop" at any given time to halt the lazzzoring process
** press "Go" to continue your job.
** press "Stop" again to cancel your job (which is more likely if you got this far :p)
 
== possible misc ideas: ==
* die klappe besser abdichten mit nem gummi oder so.. auch praktisch beim zumachen damits nicht zukrachen bzw zerbrechen kann
* tatsächliche schadstoffe in der luft messen, was für ein gerät braucht man da? interessant wärs schon
 
== taking care of the lazzor (seperate page!) ==
 
* if you think your settings are pretty much okay but it still wont cut through then there is a possibility that the lazzzor needs some cleaning.
* gets s seperate "how to"
 
== some practical examples: (seperate page?) ==
these (usefull?) things are what people actually made and hopefully documented it for others to use. (hint hint)


== some theoretical/experimental examples: (seperate page?) ==
===Repeating Lazzzor Jobs===
this section explores different possibilities of parameters and their outcome.
Using [[Ctrl-Cut]] you can save lazzzor cutter jobs with all settings and optimizations applied as .cut file. Next time just open it and press "Send",
this is a good place to get you an idea on how to fine tune your parameters.


Material:
===Color Mapping===
If you use different colors for vectors in your file, [[Ctrl-Cut]] automatically creates different cut items, that you can apply settings to individually.


* the material
== The Materials ==
** diffrent parameters 1
If you want to cut or engrave something, bring your own material, though you can also use any leftovers or stuff which does not have a label on it. (of course labels which say "free for all" are ok, too). Feel free to donate a little extra if you use some materials.
** diffrent parameters 2
** diffrent parameters 3


* soap
== Further Reading ==
** engraving a soap ended in the soap swelling. or so ive heard.
[[Datei:intro.pdf]]


[[Category:Dokumentation]]
[[Kategorie:English]]
[[Category:Lazzzor]]
[[Kategorie:Howto]]
[[Category:English]]
[[Kategorie:Lazzzor]]

Aktuelle Version vom 12. April 2023, 15:07 Uhr

Language: English

How to Lazzzor or "Why you won't use scissors anymore."

Before you begin you should know..

DO NOT HANDLE THE LAZZZOR IF YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO.

Only Lazzzorauth key owners are able to operate the mighty Lazzzor. If you are authorized as well because you've successfully completed a Lazzzor_Cutter_Workshop _AND_ you've been given approval by one of the laser admins you may request your own Lazzzorauth iButton.


All others will need a assisting* key owner that is responsible for safe operation.

Amongst others some friendly helpers are:

Amir, meks, anlumo, ripper


So, you want to use the mighty fine lazzzor yesyes? Then you will have to complete several trials to step up to the throne of being a lazzzor king or queen.

Basically, you have 2 options:

  • cutting: for this you need a vector graphic,
  • engraving: for this you need a raster image

You can also do both! if you put a rasterized object inside a vector graphic. Alternatively you can create a separate file for each job.

prepare your image

Get your favorite vector/raster drawing program and draw some stuff you want to have cut or engraved. Depending on what you want to do, your image file is qualified for print if the following things apply.

for both: your image/graphic should fit into the workspace which is 1300mmx900mm big. Cutting / Vector format:

  • deactivate filling on all objects
  • set the stroke width on all objects to 0.001 inch (or hairline)

** watch out for duplicated vectors lying on top of each other. it results in the line being cut twice. Ctrl-Cut automatically handles duplicate lines.

  • export your model in pdf format (it is also possible to use ai, ps, eps, ctrl-cut vector format and svg, but pdf is highly recommended).
  • If you use FreeCAD to export SVG, make sure you set "Max segment length for discretized arcs" (Edit -> Preferences -> Import-Export -> SVG) to something like 0.1mm.
  • If you use Inkscape to convert SVG to DXF, select DXF R14 and **not** R12. The R12 crashes LaserWorks (it simply closes on import)

Engraving / Raster format:

  • Our current laser cutter has a fixed resolution of 100 DPI.
  • Ctrl-Cut supports automatic conversion to grayscale and stretching the contrast, but if you convert the image to monochrome (1-bit) _before_ importing it won't adjust the image at all, so you can manually tweak it.

Repeating Lazzzor Jobs

Using Ctrl-Cut you can save lazzzor cutter jobs with all settings and optimizations applied as .cut file. Next time just open it and press "Send",

Color Mapping

If you use different colors for vectors in your file, Ctrl-Cut automatically creates different cut items, that you can apply settings to individually.

The Materials

If you want to cut or engrave something, bring your own material, though you can also use any leftovers or stuff which does not have a label on it. (of course labels which say "free for all" are ok, too). Feel free to donate a little extra if you use some materials.

Further Reading

Datei:Intro.pdf