Re: Commercially available laser controllers
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:18 pm
The controller in its present state must receive a file that has come from CorelDraw or AutoCad and then it is processed by a visual basic plugin that runs within each of these programs to turn it into the machine code file for the DSP to store or run.
Right now if I import a picture into CorelDraw and launch their plugin, it will convert it to black and white at the 50% threshold. This is true whether it is a color picture or greyscale. If I want finer control of the engraving process, then I will take the picture into CorelDraw and do the conversions myself. First to greyscale and then to 1 bit bitmap with dithering.
The pictures will always be processed as a raster scan on the output, but you also have the option of telling it to vector cut the perimeter when the scan is complete.
If I import a picture and I draw some shapes around the picture, it knows to raster the picture but it gives me several options for the shapes that I have drawn. CorelDraw is a vector based drawing package, so it is the easiest way to go for these guys. Option 1 is raster scanning the shapes along with the primary picture. Option 2 is vector cutting the shapes at X speed and X power (X adjustable). Option 3 is producing the shapes in a vector drawn dot pattern where you can specify the length of burn on each dot and the distance between the dots.
One feature that I really like is that I can process a file where I tell it zero power, zero speed and send it along to be stored in the DSP. After it is called in the DSP it will run with the power and speed that are set on the operator control panel. I can start a run at, let's say, 30% power and 100mm/sec and watch the output result. If I don't like what I'm seeing, I can hit pause and adjust the power and speed from the control panel and then hit resume. Presumably one would then simply keep a logbook near the machine to record the appropriate power and speed settings for a specific object. (wood type, marble, glass, acrylic, etc.)
Right now if I import a picture into CorelDraw and launch their plugin, it will convert it to black and white at the 50% threshold. This is true whether it is a color picture or greyscale. If I want finer control of the engraving process, then I will take the picture into CorelDraw and do the conversions myself. First to greyscale and then to 1 bit bitmap with dithering.
The pictures will always be processed as a raster scan on the output, but you also have the option of telling it to vector cut the perimeter when the scan is complete.
If I import a picture and I draw some shapes around the picture, it knows to raster the picture but it gives me several options for the shapes that I have drawn. CorelDraw is a vector based drawing package, so it is the easiest way to go for these guys. Option 1 is raster scanning the shapes along with the primary picture. Option 2 is vector cutting the shapes at X speed and X power (X adjustable). Option 3 is producing the shapes in a vector drawn dot pattern where you can specify the length of burn on each dot and the distance between the dots.
One feature that I really like is that I can process a file where I tell it zero power, zero speed and send it along to be stored in the DSP. After it is called in the DSP it will run with the power and speed that are set on the operator control panel. I can start a run at, let's say, 30% power and 100mm/sec and watch the output result. If I don't like what I'm seeing, I can hit pause and adjust the power and speed from the control panel and then hit resume. Presumably one would then simply keep a logbook near the machine to record the appropriate power and speed settings for a specific object. (wood type, marble, glass, acrylic, etc.)