Ezcad Manual
Ezcad Manual
User's Manual
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Safety
Laser Safety
Install EzCad
Get EzCad
Install EzCad
Upgrade EzCad
Getting Started
Designs in EzCad
Technology in EzCad
Important Concepts
Job Settings
Processing Sequence
Laser Processing
Laser Bar
Rotary Marking
If any details in this manual is unclear or if you need additional assistance setting up your laser, please feel
free to call us at +1 (626) 671-4014 or email at [email protected].
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Introduction
How to Use This User's Manual
Thank you for purchasing a GU Eagle laser system coming with the EzCad2 or EzCad-Lite CAD/CAM software.
EzCad-Lite is a simplified version of EzCad2 and lacks a few advanced features but all the basic functions, refer
to EzCad2 vs. EzCad-Lite for more details. To be concise and clear, in this manual, we will refer to both EzCad2
and EzCad-Lite as "EzCad" when discussing their common features or in generic references.
EzCad has been designed to be easy to use, but you will utilize it to its fullest potential by taking some time to
read this user's manual prior to use. You will be ready to use the software as soon as you read the first few
sections. Then you can refer to topics in the remaining sections, as you work.
NOTE
IMPORTANT
WARNING
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EzCad2 can work with the laser controllers listed below.
1 LMCv2
2 LMCv4
3 LMCv2
4 LMCv4
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EzCad-Lite can work with the laser controllers listed below.
1 LMCv4
2 LMCv4
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Safety
Laser Safety
Lasers use intense beams of light to create heat and fire as a normal part of their operation, and depending
on the laser, the light might not be visible to you. If the proper safety measures are ignored, you could burn
or blind yourself or someone else, or start a fire that could damage or destroy the building in which the laser
system is housed.
IMPORTANT
WARNING
DO NOT aim and fire laser on anything but the workpieces you want to process.
WARNING
IMPORTANT
ALWAYS follow the laser safety regulations while operating a laser directly in EzCad.
The visible output beam of the Laser Diode Pointer (Red Dot Pointer) is accessible to the operator. While this
device employs the same technology as the familiar laser pen-pointers, like them it is potentially hazardous if
its beam is directed into the eye.
WARNING
DO NOT view directly into the beam of the Laser Diode Pointer (Red Dot Pointer).
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Install EzCad
In this chapter, we will guide you to get, install and upgrade the EzCad2/EzCad-Lite software.
Get EzCad
Install EzCad
Upgrade EzCad
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Get EzCad
Before diving into the installation, you need to get the EzCad software by the following ways.
NOTE
We recommend to ALWAYS download the latest version of the software to get the best user
experience and compatibility.
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Install EzCad
Before getting started, plug in the software USB flash or download the EzCad software from our official
website, refer to Get EzCad for more details.
To install the software, copy the folder to or unzip the archive on your computer.
IMPORTANT
The file EzCad2.exe sometimes will be recognized as virus, please turn off real-time protection before
installing, and exclude or ignore the file or the folder in your anti-virus configuration.
For your convenience, right-click the file EzCad2.exe, click Send to, and then click Desktop (create shortcut)
to create a shortcut on Windows desktop.
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If your laser comes with more than one F-θ lens, e.g. a 4"x4" lens and a 7"x7" lens, the software will work in
different configurations for them, and we recommend to put a corresponding copy for each lens and rename
it according to the lens, e.g. 4x4_EzCad2_v2.4.11_20220909, 7x7_EzCad2_v2.4.11_20220909.
And create a desktop shortcut for the file EzCad2.exe in each copy.
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Before starting using the software, you have to install the driver for the laser controller equipped in your
machine, refer to EzCad2 vs. EzCad-Lite for more details.
Go to the driver folder, right-click the .inf file, and then click Install.
If it is the first time you install the driver, a Windows security dialog will pop up and ask you to confirm the
installation, click Install to continue.
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NOTE
Please choose the right driver for your operating system. On Windows 10, go to Settings, click System,
choose About, and then check the System type in Device specifications.
Be aware, the IA64 version of the LMCv4 is NOT for x64-based processor.
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After installing, go to Device Manager, you will see the device if the laser is connected.
Sometimes, if you are confused with whether the LMCv2 or the LMCv4 works best for your laser, or if you get
in trouble with the one currently installed, you can just install and test both of them.
Windows will assign the device with the latest compatible driver by default, the LMCv4 in this case, but you
can reassign and force Windows to use a specific one. Go to Device Manager, right-click the device, and then
click Update driver.
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A dialog pops up, click Browse my computer for drivers.
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Check Show compatible hardware and choose Laser Mark Control Board V2 [USB], click Next.
A successful message shows up and the device is now assigned with the LMCv2 driver.
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If you want to connect your laptop with more than one laser which work with different drivers, you can switch
the driver in the same way.
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Upgrade EzCad
You can always download the latest EzCad software from our official website.
To upgrade the software, copy the folder to or unzip the archive on your computer, just like installing the
software, refer here for more details.
IMPORTANT
Do NOT overwrite or delete the old version before completing setting up and testing the new version
with your laser.
To keep the software configurations, please copy the files listed below from the old version and replace them
in the new one (file path are relative to the root folder of the software).
# File Note
2 .\Custom.ini
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To upgrade the LMC driver, follow the steps for installing, refer here for more details.
To uninstall the driver, go to Device Manager, right-click the device, and then click Uninstall device.
Check Delete the driver software for this device, click Uninstall. Restart your computer to finish the
operation if there is a message pops up and say so.
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Getting Started
In this chapter, you will get familiar with the EzCad main user interface, learn how to set up EzCad, and get to
know the basics and the workflow.
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Connect the Laser and Start EzCad
Connect the laser to your computer with the USB cable that comes with the machine. If the laser is equipped
with an integrated computer, they would be already connected.
You will get error messages when starting EzCad if there is something wrong with the connection, the LMC
driver or the software itself. And EzCad will be in the demo mode, you can still use the software for preparing
jobs or learning, with the laser processing functions disabled.
Message Reason
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Get Familiar with the EzCad UI
EaCad is a specialized CAD/CAM software, cooperated with the laser controller, for laser marking. You can
create simple shapes, import artworks, lay out, set technology and do laser processing, all in one piece of
software.
Like all other CAD software, there is a big drawing window in the center. You can find the menu bar at the top,
the status bar at the bottom, and some toolbars around the drawing window. And there are an object list
pane and an object property pane on the left, a technology pane on the right, a context bar at the top and a
laser bar at the bottom of the drawing window.
NOTE
You can switch the user interface language in the system settings. Click System parameter... in the
pulldown-menu File or click on System bar to bring up the system parameters dialog, set the UI
language in the page Language.
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You can hide a UI element by unchecking the corresponding item in the pulldown-menu View.
System bar
The most commonly used functions for managing files, cutting, copying and pasting objects, combining
or grouping objects, hatching, sorting, etc. Refer to Lay out, Vector graphics and hatching and
Processing Sequence for more details.
Zoom bar
The functions for panning and zooming the view. Refer to Panning and Zooming for more details.
Draw bar
The tools for importing artworks, creating and editing shapes and texts, etc. Refer to Import Artworks
and Create Simple Shapes for more details.
Status bar
Information of the drawing window, the current selection, the current operation, etc.
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Object list and Object property
The object list pane shows a list of all the objects in the drawing window, and the object property pane
shows a set of properties of the current selection. Refer to Object List and Object Property for more
details.
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Technology
The technology pane shows a group of layers and the corresponding marking parameters. Refer to Job
Settings for more details.
Context bar
A set of functions related to the current state of the drawing window or the current operation. Refer to
Context Bar for more details.
Laser bar
The functions for controlling laser processing. Refer to Laser Bar for more details.
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Set up EzCad
Before starting, you need to set up EzCad according to your laser. If the laser is equipped with an integrated
computer, EzCad would be already set up. Otherwise, you need to install it on your own computer, refer to
Install EzCad for more details, and set it up according to the tech-spec paperwork comes with your laser.
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Here we will guide you to set up EzCad step by step.
In the page Workspace, set Left Bottom Corner and Size of the draw area, which should map the
work area of the laser exactly.
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2. Device settings
Click on Laser bar or press F3 on keyboard to bring up the device parameters dialog.
In the tab Field, set Field size, galvanometer mapping and calibrations, etc.
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In the tab Port, set Input Port of Start Marking IO.
And then set offsets and scales of the indication red light.
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The Workflow
EzCad is the portal between your projects and the laser. We will go through the workflow in this section.
If you make designs in a 3rd-party drawing software, e.g. Illustrator, CorelDRAW, AutoCAD, Photoshop, etc,
just import them into EzCad. Refer to Import Artworks for more details.
Or, you can create simple shapes directly in EzCad, i.e. lines, rectangles, circles, texts, etc. Refer to Create
Simple Shapes for more details.
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Lay out
Lay out, e.g. duplicate shapes as an array, combine or group objects, etc. Refer to Lay out for more details.
Set Technology
The job will be prepared after setting technology, including hatching, marking parameters, processing
sequence, etc. Refer to Technology in EzCad for more details.
Laser Processing
Now you can start the job directly in the software. Refer to Laser Bar for more details.
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Designs in EzCad
In this chapter, you will get an overview of the drawing environment, learn how to import artworks and create
shapes, how to do basic transformations and lay out in EzCad.
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Hints for Designing
This section will give you an overview of the drawing environment.
If you are in a command of drawing a shape or panning the view, etc, right-click to finish or cancel the
command and go back to the selection mode.
Cursor
With the mouse you move the cursor over the screen. Depending on the position of the mouse and the
function which is activated, the cursor will appear in different shapes, either as a white arrow, a crosshair, an I-
beam, etc.
Cursor Description
White arrow
The cursor is on the menu bar, the tool bars, the panels, or the drawing
window with no function activated.
Crosshair
The cursor is on the drawing window with a drawing function activated.
Black arrow
The cursor is on the drawing window with the node editing function activated.
I-beam
The cursor is on the drawing window with the text creating function activated.
Cross Arrow
The cursor is on the center handle of a selection.
Hand
The cursor is on the drawing window with the panning function activated.
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The Draw Area
The draw area is the place where your design is laid out, and represents the work area of the laser.
The rulers and the grid (not shown in the picture above), which can be toggled via Ruler and Grid in the
pulldown-menu View, give you a sense of where and how big a shape is.
You can change how the draw area looks like, change the size of the draw area, to make it work best for you
and your laser. Click System parameter... in the pulldown-menu File or click on System bar to bring up
the system parameters dialog.
In the page Color, you can set how the draw area appears in the software.
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In the page Workspace, you can set the size of the draw area. Check the option Show center cross line to
show a pair of reference lines across the center.
IMPORTANT
If you want to set the size of the draw area in different with the work area, be aware that you may get
unpredictable results, do it only if you have a good reason.
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In the page General, check Show Grid to show assist grid lines in the draw area, set Grid Space according to
your preference.
NOTE
We recommend to keep Unit Type as MM for a better communication between you and us, because
we give recommended marking parameters all in metrics.
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Check Capture Grid in the pulldown-menu View, you can drag and align a shape, at the left-click position, to
the grid.
If you want to align shapes on the edges, the guide lines, which can be toggled via Guide Line in the
pulldown-menu View, are your best option. Left-click and hold on the horizontal ruler then drag a horizontal
guide line out. Drag a vertical guide line out from the vertical ruler in the same way. Check Capture Guide
Line in the pulldown-menu View, you can drag and align a shape to the guide lines.
Left-click and hold on a guide line then drag to move, double click on a guide line to set a new position,
shown as below, drag it back to the corresponding ruler to remove.
Check Capture Entity in the pulldown-menu View, you can drag and align a shape, at the left-click position,
to another at a featured position, e.g. center, corners, center of edges, etc.
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Panning and Zooming
The draw area can be moved and zoomed around to help you focus on a part of your design.
View Workspace Adapt the whole draw area to the drawing window.
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Selection
You can create the selection by left-clicking on the outline of a shape or by left-clicking and holding then
dragging the selection window around or across shapes.
If you drag the selection window to the right, a shape will be selected only if it is fully enclosed within the
window.
Alternately, if you drag the selection window to the left, a shape will be selected if any part of it fall within the
window.
The selection can either contain a single or several shapes. With Shift on keyboard held, you can increase the
selection by selecting more shapes. The selection appears with a handle in the center and eight handles
around the bounding box.
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You can also create the selection in Object list. Click on an object or drag the selection window across objects
to select shapes, hold Ctrl or Shift on keyboard at the same time to increase or decrease the selection. Refer
to Object List for more details.
And you can create the selection on Context bar. Click to select all shapes, click to invert the
selection, click to select the shapes in a specific layer. Refer to Context Bar for more details.
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Context Bar
In the selection mode, Context bar appears at the top of the drawing window, set up with the relevant
commands.
Select all shapes. Locked and hidden shapes cannot be selected by this
Select All
command.
Select
Invert the current selection.
Others
Delete
Delete the selection.
Object
Put to Origin Move the selection to the origin, refer here for more details.
Pick by Pen Select the shapes in a specific layer, refer here for more details.
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You can set how the selection will be put to the origin in the section The way to go origin of the page
Move|Rotate in the system parameters dialog.
Context bar might be set up with different commands in other operating modes or contexts, we will cover
them in the corresponding contents.
Context Menu
In the selection mode, right-clicking in the drawing window will bring up the context menu.
You can repeat previous commands, change behaviors of the drawing window, and cut, copy or paste objects.
The context menu might be set up with different commands in other operating modes or contexts, we will
cover them in the corresponding contents.
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Object List
All the objects created or imported will be shown in the object list in their order of creation.
An item in the list represents an object. The eye icon on the left shows the visibility of the object. The grayed
eye means the object is hidden, will not be processed while marking, and can be selected only from the
list. The type icon and name tell what type the object is. Some objects, e.g. imported vectors and images,
come with default names. Double click on the name field to set or change the name of the object.
NOTE
Timers, IO Inputs and IO Outputs are not visible in their nature, and can be selected only form the
object list, but whether these objects will be processed while marking is still determined by the visibility
settings.
Default
Icon Type Note
Name
Rectangle
Circle
Ellipse
Polygon
Text
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Default
Icon Type Note
Name
File
VectorFile
name
File
BitmapFile
name
Timer Time
IO Input
Output
IO Output
port
The type of all vector shapes, e.g. curves, rectangles, imported vector
Hatch
graphics, etc, after hatching, refer here for more details.
You can create a selection in Object list, refer here for more details. By dragging a selection, or right-clicking
a selection and bringing up the context menu, you can change the processing sequence, refer to Processing
Sequence for more details.
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Object Property
The properties of the selection will be shown up in Object property. You can change the position and the
size, the hatching, and the type-specific properties which we will cover in the corresponding contents.
The upper section shows the position and the size of the selection. Click to set if the aspect ratio of the
selection will be maintained when changing size. Click to set the reference origin of positioning and sizing.
The lower section shows the type-specific properties which is disabled if there is a curve, a combination, a
group, or more than one object selected.
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Import Artworks
EzCad is not intended to be a complete drawing software, you would use an external one like Illustrator,
CorelDRAW, AutoCAD, Photoshop etc. When you have an artwork ready in one of these software, the next
step is to import it into EzCad.
To import a vector graphics, click Import Vector File... in the pulldown-menu File, or click on Draw bar to
bring up the dialog, select a file and click Open.
EzCad supports a few file formats, i.e. dxf, ai, plt, etc. Not all features of every format are well supported, we
recommend to use old version dxf files for better compatibility. Do not forget to check the option The unit in
dxf file is inch if the graphics is in inch.
Check Show preview to show a preview of the selected file. We highly recommend to check the option Put
to center to put the graphics at the center of the draw area, otherwise, you may have a hard time to find the
graphics if it is far from the origin in the design.
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The properties of the vector graphics shows up in Object property.
Check Optimizing the marking order to sort the shapes of the vector graphics from small to big, improve
the processing efficiency. Check Auto connect curve to automatically connect the curves which have the end
points at the same position.
Check Dynamic File to re-load the vector file automatically every time before marking. You can just replace
the file to mark a new one instead of deleting the old graphics or create a new project, importing a new
vector, and then doing marking.
Check Fixed Size X or Fixed Size Y to resize the graphics. The specified reference point of every subsequent
graphics will be aligned to the same reference point of the current one. Check Fixed coordinate, the specified
reference point of every subsequent graphics will be aligned to the specified position.
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To import an image, click Import Bitmap File... in the pulldown-menu File, or click on Draw bar to bring
up the dialog, select a file and click Open.
EzCad supports a few file formats, i.e. jpg, png, gif, etc. Check Show preview to show a preview of the
selected file. The bottom-left corner of the image will be put to the origin if the option Put to center is not
checked.
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The properties of the image shows up in Object property.
Check Dynamic File to re-load the image file automatically every time before marking. You can just replace
the file to mark a new one instead of deleting the old image or create a new project, importing a new image,
and then doing marking.
Check Fixed Size X or Fixed Size Y to resize the image. The specified reference point of every subsequent
image will be aligned to the same reference point of the current one.
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In the image processing section, check Invert to invert the image in color.
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Click Extend... to bring up the extended image processing dialog.
Check MirrorX or MirrorY to mirror or flip the image. Check Lighten and then you can adjust brightness and
contrast of the image.
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Create Simple Shapes
Instead of importing artworks, you can create simple shapes directly in EzCad.
Drawing
You can find all the drawing functions on Draw bar or in the pulldown-menu Draw, i.e. Line, Curve,
Rectangle, Ellipse, Text, etc.
The command Line creates connected line segments, right-click and choose Finish in the context menu to
complete. Right-click and choose Input coordinate to set a precise position.
The command Curve creates connected line segments and Bézier curves. It will start or continue a Bézier if
you add a point by left-clicking and holding then dragging a control point, and stop a Bézier or continue a
line segment if you add a point by just left-clicking. Left-click on a node point in the middle, with a minus sign
shows up beside the cursor, to delete. Left-click on the curve, with a puls sign shows up beside the cursor, to
add a node point in the middle. Right-click and choose Finish in the context menu to complete, or choose
Close and Finish to close the curve automatically at the same time. The curve will be closed automatically if
the end point is set to the start point.
Both the commands Line and Curve create curve objects which have no type-specific properties that you can
change in Object property.
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After creating, you can edit lines and curves, e.g. move a node point, model a Bézier curve, add or delete a
node point, convert a line to a Bézier curve or vice versa.
The command Edit Node initiates an edit and sets up Context bar with node edit functions. The node points
of the selection will appear, or you can left-click on a geometry to select it and show the node points up.
Select one or more node points, which will appear in solid, left-click and hold a node point then drag to move,
left-click and hold a control point then drag to model a Bézier curve, press Delete on keyboard to delete.
Left-click somewhere on the geometry, a solid circle appears, double click or click the button Add on Context
bar to add a node point.
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Button Command Function
Select the command Circle or Ellipse, left-click and hold then drag to create circles or ellipses. By pressing
and holding Ctrl on keyboard at the same time, you can also create circle shapes by the command Ellipse,
which are different in the object type and have a different set of type-specific properties with the circles
created by the command Circle.
The picture on the left above shows the type-specific properties of a circle, you can set the size in both Size
and Diameter. The picture on the right shows the properties of a circle shape created by the command
Ellipse, you can set the size only in Size, and set Start Angle and End Angle separately which means you can
create a pie shape by and only by the command Ellipse, shown as below.
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Select the command Rectangle, left-click and hold then drag to create rectangles. Press and hold Ctrl on
keyboard at the same time to create squares. You can round the corners separately or at the same time in
Object property.
Select the command Polygon, left-click and hold then drag to create polygons. Press and hold Ctrl on
keyboard at the same time to create regular polygons. You can set the number of sides and the shape type in
Object property.
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The command Text creates texts. You can set the font, the format and the content in Object property.
EzCad supports five types of fonts, i.e. TrueType, Jsf, DotMatrix, BarCode and SHX. Select the font type, and
choose the font in the list, then click Apply to update the text. The font type BarCode will turn texts into bar
codes, another form of texts, refer here for more details.
NOTE
The number after the font type tells how many fonts of the type are installed in your system. EzCad can
support up to 1000 fonts in total, and the additional fonts will not show up.
EzCad will manage the space between characters automatically by default. Check to set the space
between characters, check to set the space between the center of characters.
Set Height to change the size of the text. This value is actually a property of the font metrics and is different
with the real size of the text. In practice, we recommend to set Size to control the final dimension directly.
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Click to bring up the text format dialog. You can control the layout of the text in detail, e.g. alignment,
orientation and space.
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You can also create a text along an exist curve. Select the command Text, left-click a curve, the software will
arrange the text along the curve.
Click to bring up the curve text format dialog. You can control the layout of the curve text in detail.
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Check the option Enable variable Text to create variable texts, e.g. date, time and serial number, etc.
You can choose to add date, time, serial number or other kinds of texts. In general, you will compose a
combination of related elements, such as a time label shown as below. Add an hour, a colon, a minute,
another colon, a second and a time section label in order, as shown in Object property above. The software
will show each element in order in a line. Select an element, click Delete to remove, click Modify to make a
change, click Prev or Next to change the order.
A variable text will be updated automatically after marking every time, according to the rules set for each
element.
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The command Barcode creates bar codes. You can set the bar code type, the format and the content in
Object property.
Bar codes are actually another form of texts, and they have similar properties. The font type will be set to
BarCode for bar codes, select the bar code type in the font list. Change the font type will turn bar codes into
texts.
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Click to bring up the bar code format dialog. You can control the layout of the bar code in detail.
The option Valid beside Text will be checked if the text content is legal and appropriate for being represented
in bar code. Check the option Show Text to show the content along with the bar code at the same time.
Check the option Reverse to mark blanks instead of bars, and please set up the border in the section Blank at
the same time. There will be different settings for different bar code types, please figure them out by doing
some tests.
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Transformations
You can do a free-hand scaling by left-clicking and holding on a bounding handle of the selection then
dragging.
You can also set a new size in Object property. Or click Transform... in the pulldown-menu Modify to bring
up the transformation dialog, and change the size or make a copy in different size in the page Size. The
position of the reference point will be kept when scaling.
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You can do a free-hand moving by left-clicking and holding on the center handle of the selection then
dragging.
You can also set a new position in Object property. Or change the position or make a copy in different
position in the page Position of the transformation dialog, refer here for more details. The selection will be
moved with the reference point standing at the new position.
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On the other hand, you can move shapes on keyboard. Press the arrow keys to move, press and hold Shift at
the same time to move in a bigger step. The step length can be set in the system parameters dialog.
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When there are more than one shape, you can align one or some to another by the functions in the menu
Modify>Align, or space them evenly by the distribution functions.
Center Align both the horizontal and vertical centers of one or some to another.
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You can mirror shapes horizontally or vertically, or make a copy in mirror in the page Mirror of the
transformation dialog, refer here for more details. The selection will be mirrored to the other side of the
position you set.
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Left-click on a selection to switch the operating mode of the bounding handles, and then you can do a free-
hand rotating by left-clicking and holding on a corner handle then dragging.
You can also set a rotation angle, or make a copy in different angle in the page Rotate of the transformation
dialog, refer here for more details. The selection will be rotated around the absolute or relative center you set.
On the other hand, you can rotate shapes on keyboard. Press and hold Ctrl and press the arrow keys to
rotate. The step angle can be set in the system parameters dialog, refer here for more details.
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Lay out
After importing artworks or creating shapes in EzCad, it is time to lay them out in the draw area. Besides
simple transformations, you can duplicate the selection as an array, combine and group shapes.
EzCad supports two array layouts, rectangle and circle. Check Rectangle to make a rectangular array. Set the
number of columns in Array num x and the number of rows in Array num y, set the column space in Array
space x and the row space in Array space y. In general, we choose Calculate by graph distance to set space
between graphics, choose Calculate by offset distance if you want to set space between the same positions
of shapes.
The option means the software will put duplicated shapes row by row, otherwise, the shapes will be laid
column by column. The option means the software will take a U turn at the end of a row or column to put
duplicated shapes in a reversed order on the next, generating an optimized processing sequence.
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Check Circle to make a circular array. Set the total number of shapes in Array number. The center positions
of all the shapes will be put on a circle, whose size is set in Radius, starting at the position set in Start Angle
and in the step set in Angle Difference.
Select more than one shapes, click to make a combination, or click to make a group. Click or
to restore the shapes separately. In practice, both combining and grouping make a composition which
you can edit as a whole. But there is a subtle difference, all vector shapes will be changed to curves
automatically by combining. So, in general, please use grouping if you still want to handle the shapes
separately after the operation.
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Supplements
There are some supplementary functions helping you do tricky edits.
All the created shapes and texts, i.e. circle, ellipse, rectangle and polygon, will keep their types and can be
modified only in position and size, and their type-specific properties. To change the shape geometry, you
need to click To Curve in the pulldown-menu Edit to convert the shapes and texts to curves, and then edit
the node points, refer here for more details.
IMPORTANT
Never convert bar codes to curves unless you have a good reason.
Click Convert to Dashed in the pulldown-menu Edit to convert solid lines and curves in shapes to dashed.
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Click Offset in the pulldown-menu Edit to create a group of curves by outlining the shapes in the selection at
a given distance, either outward or inward.
Check Arc corner to get a round corner when outlining a sharp one.
Click UnGroup Text in the pulldown-menu Edit to split a text into a group of separate characters, and each
character is actually a group of curves.
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Click Plastic... in the pulldown-menu Modify to bring up the dialog.
There are three operating modes, welding, trimming and intersecting, mapping to the corresponding boolean
operations, union, difference and intersection.
The operation results in a combination of curves. Check Save source object or Save target object to keep
the source or the target object which is about to be deleted. The picture below shows the result of welding
with the source object kept.
Click Trim in the pulldown-menu Modify to trim a line or curve segment in a shape, with the segment turns
into blue and the cursor appears in scissors.
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Technology in EzCad
In this chapter, you will get familiar with some important concepts, and learn how to set technology in EzCad.
Important Concepts
Job Settings
Processing Sequence
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Important Concepts
So far, you are familiar with designing in EzCad, but you may still have questions about how the software
maps your design to laser marking and gets the result you want. We will show you some most important
concepts in this section, to answer your questions and help you use EzCad properly.
1. Laser marking
Laser marking is a process that uses a focused beam of light (laser) to mark or engrave an object. The
process can produce high-quality, precise, and permanent marks on a variety of materials, including
metals, plastics, ceramics, and glass. Here’s an overview of the types of laser marking:
Annealing: This type of marking is commonly used on metals. The laser heats the metal surface,
causing oxidation and a change in color. The result is a smooth, corrosion-resistant mark.
Etching/Engraving: The laser removes a portion of the material to create a mark. This can be used
on metals, plastics, and ceramics to create deep, durable marks.
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Foaming: Used primarily on plastics, this process creates a raised mark by generating gas bubbles
within the material, which appear lighter than the surrounding material.
Carbonizing: This process results in dark marks on light materials by heating the surface and
reducing its carbon content.
Color Change: Common in plastics, the laser causes a chemical reaction that changes the color of
the material without affecting its surface texture.
It is very important to choose the right way of laser marking, setting marking parameters according to
that, to get the result you want.
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2. Vector graphics and hatching
All the shapes and texts creating in EzCad are vector graphics, which are composed of lines and curves.
The example below is an artwork of our logo imported in EzCad, refer here for more details.
In general, vector graphics will be "filled", actually hatched which is one of the most important
technology in EzCad, for laser marking.
Select the shape(s), the text(s) or the imported artwork(s), click on System bar or click in
Object property for texts to bring up the hatch dialog.
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All vector graphics but the single text will be turned into the type Hatch after hatching, and all the
hatch settings will show up in Object property.
Check Mark Contour to keep and mark the original outlines. The option means the laser will mark
the outlines after the hatching, otherwise, the vice versa.
You can arrange three independent hatching passes by checking Hatch1, 2 and 3 one by one and
setting them up. The laser will put each of them on the material in order. Check Enable to activate the
current pass, otherwise, it will be ignored.
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The software supports a few patterns of hatching.
Single Direction
Dual Direction
S-Shape
Optimized S-Shape
Ring
The Ring pattern is the only one which is not line hatching, with a different set of options.
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Set Pen to assign the hatching to a specific layer, which can be different with the original outlines, refer
to Layers for more details.
Set Angle to rotate hatching lines, and set Line Space to control the density of the hatching.
In general, the software can not divide the shapes without remaining along the way of the hatching,
which means the hatching lines can not be put there evenly all the way along the whole area. That does
not matter if the hatching line space is teeny-tiny and you want a "fill". But sometimes, especially in the
case of getting a "grid", the hatching line space will be a lot bigger and you will get a bad looking
around the edge part of the hatching. By default, the option Average distribute line is checked and
the software will calculate a line space value, which is around the value you set as close as possible,
based on the whole hatching area, and do hatching with that value, shown as the left picture below.
Uncheck the option, the software will keep the hatching line space the exact same as you set and put
the hatching in the center with the same gaps at the both ends, shown as the middle, or in the position
according to the Start Offset and End Offset if at least one of them is not 0, shown as the right. By the
way, if the option All Calc is checked at the same time, there is no guarantee that every single shape
can get an evenly distributed hatching, refer here for more details.
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Check All calc to put the hatching lines all the way along all of the shapes and texts in a whole,
improving the marking efficiency especially in the case of long extends. Otherwise, the software will put
hatchings for the shapes one by one, you will get the same result if the option Hatch one by one is
checked, refer here for more details.
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Check Cross hatch to add an additional hatching across up right with the current. The cross hatching is
different with two hatching passes across up right with each other. You can not set a different pen for
the cross hatching, shown as the left picture below, but for two passes, shown as the right.
Check Follow edge once to add an outline along the hatching, which will overlap the original outlines
if the option Mark Contour is checked and the Edge Offset is 0; otherwise, there will be a gap, shown
as below.
Set Linereduction if you want a gap, with a positive value, or a stick out, with a negative value, at the
ends of the hatching lines, shown as below. This is different with the option Edge Offset, which will put
a gap all around the hatching, not just at the ends of the hatching lines.
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When hatching with the Ring pattern, there could be a relatively sparse area in the last ring in the
center, shown as the left picture below. That could be optimized with a hatching of loops and lines
combination by setting NumLoops and Loop distance with a line pattern, shown as the right. You
usually have to do a couple tests to find the right number of loops, leaving as little sparse space as
possible in the center.
Set Count to the times you want to repeat the hatching, which is very useful for engraving deep,
avoiding heat accumulating issue with towering power, sluggish speed or dense hatching, refer to
Marking Parameters for more details. Check Auto rotate hatch angle and set a step angle to get a
better result in a multi-times marking, avoiding the formation of veins. The software will not show the
subsequent hatchings, which will be applied automatically when marking, but only the first.
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If there are two shapes, one stands inside another, or intersects with each other, you will get hatching
results like these.
If you want to do hatching on each shape despite of its relationship with others, check the option
Hatch one by one, and then you will get hatching results like these, with an overlap in the intersection
area.
If you want just one hatching pass everywhere, you need to do hatching only on the outmost shape, or
weld the two intersected shapes, refer here for more details, and then do hatching.
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3. Image
Images, which are composed of a lot of dots, are different with vector graphics at all. The example
below is an image imported in EzCad, refer here for more details.
The image will be re-generated in a gray-scale dot matrix, in the specified DPI if being set in Object
property, for laser marking.
The software then scan the matrix line by line, mapping the gray scale of each dot to the laser power
level and driving the laser to burn the material at the corresponding position.
Check Bidirectional scan, the laser will mark in a side-to-side sweeping motion, marking in one
direction and again for the return direction. Check Drill Mode to turn on the laser for each dot for the
specified time and then turn it off, instead of firing the laser all the time.
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Check Pixel power adjustment to change the laser power level according to the gray scale of each
dot, click Power Map... to bring up the dialog and set up the mapping.
Check Y Scan to scan the dot matrix in Y direction instead of in X direction. Check Scan line increment
and set the interval, e.g. 3, to scan the matrix in every 3 lines instead of line by line; check Disable Mark
Low Gray Point and set the gray scale threshold to ignore the dots with low gray scales, in the case of
speed-priority. Check Line feed malposition to put a teeny-tiny offset between every scan-line and its
next, avoiding the formation of veins. Check Optimize Mode, the software will calculate the marking
speed according to the DPI and the frequency of the laser to get the best efficiency and quality.
Set Acc. Distance and Dec. Dist. if there are veins only at the sides. Set All Offset if the image is not
aligned with other shapes. Set BiDir Offset if the scan-lines are not aligned with each other in bi-
directional marking.
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Job Settings
A set of appropriate job settings is one of the most important technology for getting good marking results.
Layers
There are 256 layers available in EzCad, which are represented by different colors and independent with each
other. A set of marking parameters, associated with a layer, will be applied automatically to the shapes which
are assigned to the layer.
To assign a shape to a layer, select the shape and then click the color on the layer assigning bar at the bottom
of the layer list. There are just the first eight colors available on the bar, you need to locate the layer in the list
and choose Apply to pick objects in the context menu if you want another one. If you want to apply different
marking parameters to different parts of the design, assign them to different layers.
The software assigns a pen number, from 0 to 255, to each layer, and shows the name of the associated
parameter set, refer here for more details, right next to it.
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Sometimes, if you want to process just a part of your design, select those shapes which you want to ignore
and assign them to the layer which is set to be ignored by double clicking or choosing Mark off in the
context menu.
You can also check the option [S]Mark Selected on Laser bar to do the same thing, refer to Laser Bar for
more details.
Select a layer, the associated marking parameters will be loaded, you can review, modify or load a saved
parameter set from the library, refer to the next section for more details.
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Marking Parameters
Select a layer, the associated marking parameters will be loaded. By default, the option Use default param is
checked for every layer, the parameter set Default is loaded and all settings are grayed out. Uncheck the
option to put your modifications.
Parameter Description
Loop Count How many times the laser will repeat the shapes in the current layer.
Q Pulse Width The duty time of the laser, only effective for some lasers.
The time period after the galvo starting moving and before turning on the laser, helping
Start TC
sync the laser with the galvo at the start position. Refer here for more details.
The time period after the galvo stopping moving and before turning off the laser,
Laser Off TC
helping sync the laser with the galvo at the end position. Refer here for more details.
End TC The time period after turning off the laser and before the galvo jumping.
The time period between the galvo movements, helping get better turns and corners.
Polygon TC
Refer here for more details.
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Click to bring up the spot diameter dialog. Actually, this is just another and better way, in a visual sense
of the power density, to set the combination of the marking speed and laser frequency. The accuracy of the
Spot Diameter is not that important and will not affect the marking result.
With the same laser frequency, the power density in the upper settings is higher, with the speed set to 500,
than in the lower settings, with the speed set to 800.
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Click to bring up the advanced marking parameters dialog.
The advanced parameters are also per layer and will be saved to the library, refer here for more details.
The top left section is all about the galvo jumping, from a marking segment to the next. If the end or the start
of the marking segment before or after jumping gets curly, you need to make the delays longer.
The settings in the bottom left section should only be enabled in the case that you can not remove the gap
between the start or the end of the hatching lines and the original outlines by Start TC or Laser Off TC. Refer
here and here for more details.
Sometimes, you just want to mark the shapes in a thicker line along the outlines, but not hatching. By
enabling Wobble, the laser will mark lines and curves in spirals, make them look thicker, with Diameter
mapping to the thickness and Distance mapping to the solidity.
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By default, you will lose all the modified parameters after closing the software, this is very inconvenient if they
are not temporary but for future jobs. To keep the parameters, click Select param from library to bring up
the parameter library management dialog.
The parameter library provides a way to store and organize presets for different operations on different
materials, and a way to quickly apply them. Click Save current param as to save the current parameter set,
give it an appropriate name which helps you pick it later, e.g. Stainless Steel Annealing Black, Stainless Steel
Etching, etc. Prefix the name with the laser ID, power or lens if you did not separate installations for different
lasers or configurations, refer here for more details. Click Apply to default to update the parameter set
Default. Select a parameter set, click Delete selected param to delete, click OK to load and update the
current parameters.
The name of the current parameter set is shown up below the parameters list, click Param name to change.
Click Apply to default to update the parameter set Default directly without opening the parameter library
management dialog.
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Now it is time to dig in deep by practicing a sample and get you familiar with some important parameters.
Set Power, Speed and Frequency according to the material and the type of marking you want to do.
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Mark the rectangle, check the relative position between the start of the hatching lines and the original
outlines.
1. There is a gap.
Start TC is too long, the laser is turned on far behind the galvo starting moving, make it shorter.
Sometimes, you just can not get the perfect result no matter how long you set for Start TC. Check
Enable optimize mode in the advanced marking parameters dialog, refer here for more details, set
Start length (can be negative value) together with Start TC to solve the issue.
Start TC is too short, the laser is turned on far before the galvo starting moving, make it longer.
3. Perfect
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And then check the relative position between the end of the hatching lines and the original outlines.
1. There is a gap.
Laser Off TC is too short, the laser is turned off far before the galvo stopping moving, make it longer.
Sometimes, you just can not get the perfect result no matter how long you set for Laser Off TC. Check
Enable optimize mode in the advanced marking parameters dialog, refer here for more details, set
End length (can be negative value) together with Laser Off TC to solve the issue.
Laser Off TC is too long, the laser is turned off far behind the galvo stopping moving, make it shorter.
3. Perfect
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Remove the hatching, and mark the rectangle again, then check the corners.
Polygon TC is too short, the galvo starts turning before reaching the corner, make it longer.
Polygon TC is too long, the galvo stays at the corner too long before moving ahead, make it shorter.
3. Perfect
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Processing Sequence
The software will assign an initial processing order to every shape when importing or creating, e.g. 1 for the
first, 2 for the second, etc. You can check it out in Object list, here we name each object in their creation order
to make it easy to tell the change in the following operations, refer to Object List for more details.
You can let the software process the shapes in that order, or in an optimized one which fits your needs better,
e.g. less traveling, more efficient, etc. Select the objects you want to sort, click on System bar or click
Resort in the pulldown-menu Modify to enter the sorting mode. The software will show the current
processing sequence with blue traveling paths.
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Click to sort the objects horizontally in S-shape.
If the option Reverse is checked at the same time, the objects will be sorted in the reverse order.
You can also sort the objects in your own way in Object list, refer here for more details.
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Laser Processing
In this chapter, you will get familiar with the laser bar, and learn how to do rotary marking in EzCad.
Laser Bar
Rotary Marking
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Laser Bar
Now you can generate and output data for laser marking, and control the processing directly in EzCad. The
processing control functions are grouped on Laser bar at the bottom of the drawing window.
Click or press F1 on keyboard to show a bounding frame of the marking shapes with the indication
red light. If the option Show contour is checked at the same time, the laser will show the outlines in preview.
Click or press F2 on keyboard to start marking. Check [C]Continuous to keep repeating marking
shapes until being stopped by hand, check [S]Mark Selected to mark only the selected shapes.
If the option Continue mode is checked, the laser will continue showing the bounding frame after marking,
for your convenience of positioning the next work piece, and wait for the next mark command until being
cancelled.
The count of marking is shown in Part, click to reset. And you can set the number of times you want to
repeat in Total num, the laser will repeat marking shapes, usually work with some kind of external trigger,
until it times up. Job duration is shown in the timers.
Click or press F3 on keyboard to bring up the device parameters dialog, refer here for more details.
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Rotary Marking
Rotary marking is essentially a series of planar markings performed on continuous narrow strips along the
circumference of a cylinder. If you are going to mark something along the axial direction of a cylinder and the
radial width is narrow enough, the common planar marking is there right for you.
EzCad provides a couple different ways to do rotary marking, Rotary Marking, Rotary Marking2,
RotaryMark and RotaryTextMark in the pulldown-menu Laser. The first two are very similar and are for
marking something at the specific radial angle positions, RotaryMark is for general rotary marking, and
RotaryTextMark is optimized for text rotary marking.
IMPORTANT
You have to use RotaryMark if you want to mark something big because Rotary Marking and Rotary
Marking2 can not split big shapes into narrow strips automatically.
Rotary Marking
The Rotary Marking function marks each shape at its radial angle position, which is specified in the Z
position in Object property, around a cylinder.
IMPORTANT
You have to align the radial direction of the rotary to the X axis when using Rotary Marking.
For example, draw a text a, set its Z position to 0; and draw a text b, set its Z position to 30; then draw a text c,
set its Z position to 60. Select all, click to put them to the origin.
IMPORTANT
All the shapes SHOULD be put to the origin when using Rotary Marking.
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Click Rotary Marking in the pulldown-menu Laser to bring up the dialog.
First, we need to set up the rotary, click or press F3 on keyboard to bring up the settings dialog.
Check Invert to invert the rotating direction, set Pulse per round to 12800, means there is no explicit
zero position, click OK to confirm and close the dialog.
Set Moving angle to 360, press Ctrl+← or Ctrl+→ on keyboard to test if the rotary can rotate an exact whole
round.
NOTE
Contact us if the value of Pulse per round above does not work for you.
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Click or press F1 on keyboard to show a bounding frame of the first marking shape with the
indication red light.
Click or press F2 on keyboard to start marking. Current angle shows the radial angle position of the
current shape. Check Continuous to keep repeating marking shapes until being stopped by hand, check
Mark Selected to mark only the selected shapes.
The count of marking is shown in Part, click to reset. And you can set the number of times you want to
repeat in Total num, the laser will repeat marking shapes, usually work with some kind of external trigger,
until it times up. Job duration is shown in the timers.
The Rotary Marking2 function repeats marking a shape in a radial angle space around a cylinder.
IMPORTANT
You have to align the radial direction of the rotary to the X axis when using Rotary Marking2.
For example, draw a text 2, set its Z position to 0, click to put it to the origin.
IMPORTANT
The shape SHOULD be put to the origin when using Rotary Marking2.
First, we need to set up the rotary, click or press F3 on keyboard to bring up the settings dialog,
which is the exact same as the one of Rotary Marking, refer here for more details. Set Pulse per round to
12800 and do the test in the exact same way.
NOTE
Contact us if the value of Pulse per round above does not work for you.
If the option 360 degree mark is checked, you can set only the number of items, in Total num, to put evenly
on the circumference of the cylinder. Otherwise, you can set the number of items, which can exceed a whole
round, and the radial angle space, in Increment, in addition.
Other functions, settings and information are the exact same as the ones of Rotary Marking, refer here for
more details.
The RotaryMark function splits the shapes into narrow strips automatically or in your way and marks them
around a cylinder one by one.
NOTE
The radial direction of the rotary can be aligned to either the X or the Y axis according to your design.
IMPORTANT
All the shapes SHOULD be put to the origin when using RotaryMark.
In the tab Extension Axis 1, check Enable, set ID to X if the radial direction of the rotary is aligned to the X
axis, or to Y if aligned to the Y axis. Check Rotate Axis, set Gear Ratio to 1, and set Part Diameter to the
diameter of the work piece.
Check Invert to invert the rotating direction, set Pulse per round to 12800. Other options are similar with the
ones of Rotary Marking, refer here for more details.
NOTE
Contact us if the value of Pulse per round above does not work for you.
Distance per step is the step length when pressing Ctrl+← or Ctrl+→ on keyboard to rotate. We recommend
to set Pulse per round and do the test in Rotary Marking and then come back to fill up the settings, refer
here for more details.
The option Invert and Part Diameter are the exact same as the ones in the settings dialog. Set Focus Length
according to the tech-spec paperwork comes with the laser, refer here for more details.
Click Refresh to update the size of the draw area according to Part Diameter, helping you get a sense of the
width limit of designing. And you have to change the size back for planar marking, refer here for more details.
NOTE
Split size and the spaces between the split lines should not be too big.
Other functions, settings and information are almost the exact same as the ones of Rotary Marking, refer
here for more details.
The RotaryTextMark function marks the hatching and the outlines of the text in one pass, solving the issue of
misalignment.
NOTE
The radial direction of the rotary can be aligned to either the X or the Y axis according to your design.
For example, draw a text EAGLE LASER, click to put it to the origin.
IMPORTANT
First, we need to set up the rotary, click or press F3 on keyboard to bring up the settings dialog,
which is the exact same as the one of RotaryMark, refer here for more details. Set up the rotary, set Pulse per
round to 12800 and do the test in the exact same way.
NOTE
Contact us if the value of Pulse per round above does not work for you.
Distance per step is the step length when pressing Ctrl+← or Ctrl+→ on keyboard to rotate. The option
Invert and Part Diameter are the exact same as the ones in the settings dialog.
Other functions, settings and information are almost the exact same as the ones of Rotary Marking, refer
here for more details.