Epilog Rotorary conundrum

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

Setting up cylindrical objects
with a balloon or tapered shapes:
1) Measure the circumference of the object at the point of
rotation.
2) Measure the circumference at the point of engraving.
3) Divide Circumference #1 by Circumference #2 (above).
4) Stretch or compress the text as required by using the values
in the Property Bar.
Examples:
A. Tapered Shape
4” at lip of the glass (driver motor point)
3” at engraving point
4” / 3” = 1.33” Stretch the text to 133% of its original
size to maintain the aspect Ratio.
B. Balloon Shapes
3” at lip (driver motor point)
4” at engraving point
3/4 - .75; compress the text to 75% of its original size
to maintain the aspect ratio.

Hope this helps.

[Real Mercier]

Actually, Gary and Jessica have it dead on. Those are the only 2 diameters you need. The other end can be any size. The important thing is the engraving area be parallel to the laser. That is why the free end of the rotary attachment is height adjustable. With the tapered glass, you raise/lower the free end until the topmost surface (length of the glass closest to the laser) is parallel to the laser. And it does not matter which end is on the drive wheels. What does matter is the circumference of the end on the drive wheels. This sets the page height in CorelDraw. The page height is what tells the laser what one full revolution of the object is.
Same goes for the baloon object. You want the center of the etch area to as parallel to the laser as possible. If you do not level the object, the laser focus will be in only where you focused it. Above and below the focus would be out. That is all my spreadsheet does. Hope this helps.

Frank, me a flasher leaping out of the bushes!! Not a pretty sight, trust me.

[Gregg Vaughn]

Thanks everyone! The Excel SS from Real is great and will probably cover most of the shapes I work with. I hope my hair grows back now ...