Hi Carbide support.
I am looking for some support with an issue I am experiencing, when trying to use my 7 watt laser as a hybrid tool with my Vectric pro software. I have a Shapeoko pro xxl machine and have been using Carbide motion 582 as my controller, I use vectric Vcarve pro 11.5 as my design software. Just before Christmas I purchased a laser add on tool for vcarve and a 7 watt laser with the 5 amp safety compliance kit. The trouble has been when wanting to use the laser in the input control mode, it will not fire the laser for the project design gcode loaded into Carbide Motion 582. All other functions are working correctly with the machine and Carbide motion.
I have been in contact with J Tech Photonics and Vectric, trying to sort this problem out. J Tech Photonics have told me that the laser will not fire up in input control mode with Carbide motion, and to use another package like VTransfer or Lightburn software.
The question I need to know can I use another software when using the laser with the Shapeoko pro and the controller, and what Post Processor config file will I need to use with the software to create the correct gcode for the laser that will work with the Shapeoko pro xxl.
As you know the using of CNC routing and Lasers to as a hybrid project when designing and completing projects is on the increase, and would it not be advantages to Carbide 3D and Shapeoko owners, to have a drop down menu in Carbide motion main screen for the use of add on laser, that when initialising the machine the correct post processor is set up in Carbide motion for CNC routeing, or laser burning. Please could you let me know and if the suggestion I have proposed is a valid one for the future.
Best regards
Shaun Bayliss
I use lightburn. You can use gsender or UGS, and I have used both. I haven’t tried Vectrics direct to machine Vtransfer because the way my jtech is mounted I have to offset the xy anyhow, so I use what I am familiar with. It is interesting that Lightburn is actively developing Millmage for CNC and I wonder what that program might support. I love my SO4 Pro and I also love Carbide Motion…the J tech not so much. I use it primarily to sign the back of my work but I have done a few hybrid projects with success and Carbide Motion has no part in that. check out Neil Ferreri’s post processer here:
https://github.com/neilferreri/V-Carve-PPs/blob/master/LaserModule/Grbl_mm_TC_wLaser.pp
Hi Charles
Thank you for your support and recommendation, I will look at the link you sent me. I just want to get my laser working if I use another gcode sender that will not alter the Carbide motion settings when I want to CNC route projects with Carbide as when I start up the machine I complete the homing cycle, if I want to overlay any CNC router operations using the same tool path, that has been created in Carbide motion, can I switch over to Lightburn with it’s own post processor for the laser with out effecting any of the setting and then switch between programmes, as in Carbide motion and Lightburn without making it complicated. I am looking for a generic post processor that will work on the Shapeoko pro xxl with Lightburn or Vtransfer for the laser which has no Z commands when setting the z height. Because I purchased the laser add on module for Vcarve pro software I cannot use Carbide motion to combine tool paths in the same gcodes for CNC routing and laser engraving or picture engraving and know I will have to use two gcode senders.
I look forward to your thoughts on this matter. I just don’t want to mess any machine configs up when using any of the programmes to complete any designs.
Best regards
Shaun
Well…when you set up lightburn you can specify macros which will change the setup for you. I always leave my machine in CNC mode. When I load lightburn, I run the “Laser Macro” and I run the “CNC Macro” when I am done. It only changes a few things, but it is easier than fixing it on the console every time. Doing it this way (and committing to a process to ALWAYS run the CNC macro when you are finished with your laser) will assure you that carbide motion will remain stable. Using lightburn is easier than UGS. Gsender still (I think) requires a macro, so I stick with lightburn.
@mercatsmimples I have the J-tech laser as well and do exactly what @cheu is saying with setting up the macros it is simple and easy for a non tech guy like myself.
So you run lightburn to drive the machine when using the laser and it has the capability to call the macros both before and after? Then you switch to CM for the normal operations?
What do the macros do other than apply the offset? I was wondering if it is feasible to offset in your design file rather than doing something at the machine but I guess that may make visualization harder.
On another topic, has anyone on here tried lightburn on a pi? There seems to be a little success when I search on line but not a lot of chatter about it.
I use my JTech laser with the VCarve Pro and laser add on module. For the controller I use GSender. Works very well. If you look in the Vectric forums you will find a lot of very good information regarding using the JTech post processors and the software. This includes editing the post processer to allow the offset for the laser so that you can use both the laser and router/spindle on the same project. Something I don’t think you can do with lightburn, at least not easily.
You use gSender just for the laser or for all control on the machine?
Since it’s just gcode would CM do it or are there too many spindle specific things in CM operation?
Yes, I use GSender for both. I’ve never been able to get CM to run the laser.
I think that I would look at gsender to accomplish all of that. I believe that an offset macro is available there and you would be using your Vectric designed tool paths. Better minds than mine on gsender. I have honestly never even thought about running Vectric gcode in lightburn… but I am going to take a look.
To my understanding the macros just switches out the drive factor. So for me i open lightburn select laser macro and use my keypoints x,y,z and run the laser and in lightburn i can set up home position ect. When completed I select CNC macro shut off lightburn and open up motion and run normal operations.
Thanks. I did step into the world of Vectric recently and see that laser add on module. I have not ventured away from CM yet as I didn’t want to introduce too many changes to my world at once by have been considering gSender.
I don’t have a laser yet but I have a job coming up that makes me wish I had one. The guy wants some pretty detailed work and he hoped to put it on pine boards that look like paddles. I told him that it wouldn’t turn out well and did a test this weekend to confirm and demonstrate the issue.
I am steering him some acacia serving boards from Amazon now but I am not even sure they will deliver what he wants. A laser would be better. He said he bought one but can’t get it to do what he wants. Mostly because of his images I guess. They were not SVG and too a lot of cleanup after tracing.
Lasers definitely can achieve a greater amount of detail. But they are still constrained to the same issues with as any other imported file. If the file needs a lot of cleaning up the laser alone won’t do it. Im making a carving of a flag with the Kansas City Chiefs logo. On the back im using the laser to add some personal stuff along with another imported image. That image is a mess and is taking a long time to clean up. 
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