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Thread: LightBurn

  1. #1

    LightBurn

    This looks very interesting, a guy is working on what looks like a direct replacement for RDWorks. It has some pretty impressive features. He is posting videos of his progress on YouTube.

    https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...Vp9BFHwgeMrjYL
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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Julian Ashcroft View Post
    This looks very interesting, a guy is working on what looks like a direct replacement for RDWorks. It has some pretty impressive features. He is posting videos of his progress on YouTube.

    https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...Vp9BFHwgeMrjYL
    That is interesting. I know him, had no idea he was working on laser software. He has done good work on quadcopter flight control software.
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  3. #3
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    Jason has been posting progress updates in the RDWorks forum for quite a while. It has been fun to see the software mature and I applaud his efforts. Pretty impressive so far and he has listened to user's input. It is so nice to see solutions to basic issues that Ruida has failed to address forever. My guess is that users may still need to rely on RDWorks for some technical tasks but LightBurn could be the go-to software for common production/design tasks. He is predicting a November release since that is the time he has scheduled a week off of work in order to deal with the inevitable first release bugs that crop up. No word on pricing.
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  4. #4
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    It is interesting, but my continued issue with it, is that it won't send the "file to print" to the laser. I think it is great alternative to designing in RDW, but that really is all it is. You will STILL have to use RDW to communicate to the laser.
    So, it really is no value to me. I use Coreldraw.
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  5. #5
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    For common cutting and engraving you send the file to the laser just like you do now with RDWorks. You don't have to send it via another program. If you need to run jobs where you have to tweak some of the more obscure/technical/detailed settings that he hasn't yet added to the interface (e.g. backlash reapy, "sew" compensation, etc.), then you would need to open the file in RDWorks and run it from there.
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  6. #6
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    If he has done that Doug, then I'll rescind my post. Initially he didn't think he was going to be able to send direct to laser.
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  7. #7
    I just wish all these Chinese program engineers-- and maybe this guy-- would just plain give up on trying to come up with newPROPRIETARY GRAPHICS EDITING software for FarEast C02 lasers and just design a BASIC PRINT DRIVER that would run the Chinese machines like any other printer! It's painfully obvious the Western machine guys-- such as ULS, Gravograph, Trotec, Epilog and GCC- figured this out a LOOONNGGG time ago!
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  8. #8
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    I watched several of his videos and if you are now using RDW to design in, Lightburn may very well be several hundred times better. Way better than inkscape or similar as it is for laser. Hopefully, he continues to develop and will release it.
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  9. #9
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    He showed a demo of the direct cutting communication working back in May and has been making lots of progress since then. His support for .svg files is an accomplishment and I think it will drive a lot of sales for him since Inkscape uses that plus .svg seems to be gaining as a universal file format for design graphics. If I remember right, he now supports .dxf, .eps, .ai, .pdf and .svg file formats with .plt in the wings. I know he was looking into .cdr but I remember him saying that one was going to be tough.

    This software works with more than just Ruida controllers. I am not up on all the controllers but in his videos he has cited it as working with Smoothie-based and GRBL-based controllers. The fact it works on the OS for Mac as well as Windows should drive some sales too.
    Last edited by Doug Fisher; 10-09-2017 at 7:56 PM.
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  10. #10
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    Kev, that was just what I asked him back when he started and he didn't think he could design a print driver. I expect that he really hasn't here either. He's been able to push into the laser, but really is it going to cut and engrave? He must have changed his mind, or learned something. There ARE a lot of the "ebay" users that struggle with rdw, and I see why he is trying to design a graphics program as RDW is pretty basic and poorly written unless you are chinese. But YES, just a print driver would be nice. Guess We'll see, but unless it is much easier to push thru from Corel, it really doesn't help anyone that uses a 'real' graphics program.
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    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  11. #11
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    I'll be following progress on this.
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  12. #12
    If he suceeds and makes it available, i might be interested in using it, I doubt i would ever use it to design stuff and i don’t think he is doing it for that either, but it could be good for the final manipulation of an image before it gets sent to the laser.
    Shenhui SG350 fitted with a 60w tube.
    Aeon Nova 10 100w tube.
    Aeon Mira 5030 30w RF tube.
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  13. #13
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    I just signed up as a beta tester and tried it for the first time. From a quick glance, you can completely run the laser (at least my Longtai) from LightBurn. It has a number of neat features (like positioning the head anywhere with one click). You can tab through the power/speed settings (unlike RDW)! That's a major convenience for some of us.
    It does not directly load files onto the laser but you can save files in rd format and use a USB flash drive to then load your files on the laser. If you want to start the job from the computer, LightBurn works perfectly. If your computer is not right by the laser and you typically load your files from the computer without using a flash drive, the lack of this feature could be a problem. I don't know if Jason will ever add it.
    I typically design in CorelDraw and then transfer jpg/dxf files to RDW. If I have to change anything, I rarely find trying to fix things in RDW worth the hassle and end up back in CD. LightBurn is much better for touching up designs and will save me a lot of hassle. And, IT'S IN REAL ENGLISH!!! WITH AN INTERFACE LAYOUT THAT MAKES SENSE!
    (Take the above with a grain of salt as my use was for less than an hour, although everything I tried worked.)
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  14. #14
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    Yes, Jason is adding the feature of 'load to machine and then run' it, along with a bunch of others. It is really looking good, and getting better fast.
    Longtai 460 with 100 watt EFR, mostly for fun. More power is good!! And a shop with enough wood working tools to make a lot of sawdust. Ex-owner of Shenhui 460-80 and engraving business with 45 watt Epilog Mini18.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Julian Ashcroft View Post
    If he suceeds and makes it available, i might be interested in using it, I doubt i would ever use it to design stuff and i don’t think he is doing it for that either, but it could be good for the final manipulation of an image before it gets sent to the laser.
    He does intend to make it capable of design, won't be like Corel Draw but if it goes as planned it will be enough that I won't need to be using Corel or RDWorks. Who knows, he may end up making it with the more advanced features too.
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