Lightburn

Configure Lightburn

For our BossLaser: select "Ruida" for controller, "Serial/USB", name it, set appropriate bed dimensions (BossLaser is approximately X-axis 1016 mm, Y-axis 609.6 mm), set origin to "Rear Right".

Note that you might have a later version of Lightburn than we run in the makerspace. Lightburn offers two save choices: Lightburn Legacy Project (.lbrn) and Lightburn Project (*.lbrn2). Lightburn Legacy Project (.lbrn) works fine for me on the older version at MN.

Overview

YouTube video with a nice overview is here

Tips and Tricks

These first few are courtesy of BARN Lightburn training. Their original document is available in GitHub.

• Offset Fill: A Mode for the layer. It will do a spiral fill instead of a raster fill.
• Perforation: Double click on a layer. Look for Perforation Mode.
• Library Window: Select a layer, then select the Library tab. This brings up a list of settings for typical materials. Click "assign to layer" to apply those settings to the layer. This copies the settings so if you later change them in your layer, it does not affect the library settings.
• Cutting Order: In the Laser area click Optimization Settings. We recommend:
  • Layers first, then priority within layers
  • Cutting inner shapes first
  • Remove overlapping edges (when shapes share an edge, the laser will only make one cut pass)
• Priority Cut Order: Select a shape and look at Shape Properties. Adjust Cut Order Priority. It two shapes have the same priority, then Lightburn will decide which to cut first.
• Images to Vectors: Import your image, left click to select it, then right click and select "trace Image in the pop-up menu
• If your SVG file import has the wrong size, go to Edit/Settings, click on the 'File' icon and change the DPI setting

NOTE: There is a setting for using the Rotary attachment. If this is left enabled, your output to a normal laser cutter bed will be distorted. You can check this here: Open menu Tools / Rotary Setup menu. Uncheck: Enable Rotary

Material Test

When you work with a new material (or even a familiar material but from a new vendor) you are faced with the task of finding the best settings of speed and power to etch and cut the material. LightBurn now includes a nifty tool that will generate a test grid for you. It can be found in the menu under "Laser Tools / Material Test". A video is here. Here are a few photos of the tool in action.

Menu to Access	Configuration
Screenshot	Used on Plywood

Software updates

If you buy your own copy, the license only lets you update until a specific date. It checks for updates every time you start it, so Lightburn might have you download and install a new version which you're not licensed to use. Looks like finding the newest one before your license expired and installing that one works ... but a bit of a hassle.

Software discount

The following is from Lightburn technical support in December 2024:

We recently made changes to the LightBurn license, so the original DSP license is no longer available. Please read about the changes here: https://lightburnsoftware.com/blogs/news/new-lightburn-license-types-and-pricing-coming-oct-1-2024 Now when your members are checking out they will need to select the "Pro" license found here: https://lightburnsoftware.com/products/lightburn-pro Please provide this discount code for your members: M@kerNexu$-$pace Please note that this code is case sensitive, so copy & paste is the best way to share it with your members. Also, just a reminder that this is for a single-seat license of LightBurn, intended as an extension of the license from the space, to allow members without their own hardware to use the software at home. If a member does have their own laser, we encourage them to purchase a full license. I have increased your limit to 120 total as you are reaching your limit with only 8 remaining. That leaves 28 uses, as you approach that number I'll increase it. If a member is unable to use the code, just shoot us an email and we'll take care of it.