Weird Issue with a Fiber Laser Image

[Jacob John]

Ok so now I'm having serious concerns. I printed out a 100mm square using Corel, measured it and it is indeed 100mm. I draw a 100mm square using the EZCAD software, initiate the red laser outline, and it's WAY off. To get the two squares to match up to 100mm, I have to create a 110mm square in EZCAD to equal the 100mm square on the paper. This can't be right, right?

[Jacob John]

100mm Square with laser outline

20171216_204658_004.jpg

[Jacob John]

110mm square with laser outline

20171216_204601.jpg

[Kev Williams]

A: Are you focused?
B: What size lens you running?
C: in my 'F3 menu' pic, note at the top of the menu the 'field size'-- mine says 160mm, which is what my lens is, what's yours say? This number should match your lens, as it directly affects the output size, smaller number = larger engrave size at a particular focus distance,... so if you have a 100mm lens and 110mm is entered as the field size, you'll get results just like you're getting. Whatever the field size says, experiment and deduct 10mm from the field size and see if you get a closer match..

However- as bad as your lines are skewed, getting them to run straight may also compensate for size-

[Jacob John]

A: Are you focused?
B: What size lens you running?
C: in my 'F3 menu' pic, note at the top of the menu the 'field size'-- mine says 160mm, which is what my lens is, what's yours say? This number should match your lens, as it directly affects the output size, smaller number = larger engrave size at a particular focus distance,... so if you have a 100mm lens and 110mm is entered as the field size, you'll get results just like you're getting. Whatever the field size says, experiment and deduct 10mm from the field size and see if you get a closer match..

However- as bad as your lines are skewed, getting them to run straight may also compensate for size-

Definitely focused. My lens is the F-Theta F160mm 1064 nm M39 made by Opto5. Its scan field is 100mm X 100mm. The field size in the parameters is showing 100mm so it's correct.

Here are some more pics.

After adjusting the quad numbers.

110mm square

110mm.jpg

[Jacob John]

100mm - These are all post adjustment pics. As you can see, the bowed edges are now right again.

100mm.jpg

[matthew knott]

Hmmm ! I’m not sure what’s going on there ! The procedure I use is firstly to get the marking area correct , i draw a square in ezcad with center cross hairs and get it scaled and perfect straight edges ! Then comes the red light alignment. If you mark a cross in the center does the redlight return to the center of the cross , and are your galvos set to return to center or to ‘special position’?

[Scott Shepherd]

While you are adjusting things, make sure it's engraving the right size. Draw a square, engrave it, then measure it. Adjust the scaling until that's right. Then you should be all set.

[Jacob John]

Thanks Scott. I'm going to have to post some screenshots of what I'm dealing with. I really wish there was a tutorial to learn what certain settings are so I know why I'm adjusting certain areas and not others. It's much more complicated than I thought, and if I'm altering settings, I'd like to know what it does. This forum has been great for that so far.

[Jacob John]

Hmmm ! I’m not sure what’s going on there ! The procedure I use is firstly to get the marking area correct , i draw a square in ezcad with center cross hairs and get it scaled and perfect straight edges ! Then comes the red light alignment. If you mark a cross in the center does the redlight return to the center of the cross , and are your galvos set to return to center or to ‘special position’?

Hey there Matt, it's set to return to center. When you ask about marking a cross in the center, are you saying to focus the two dots, then draw a cross, laser a piece, then look to see if it returns to that spot?

[John Lifer]

sett.jpg

Jacob, If you look at mine, it is scaled at 86% Just scale accordingly, and keep moving it larger or smaller.

[Jacob John]

sett.jpg

Jacob, If you look at mine, it is scaled at 86% Just scale accordingly, and keep moving it larger or smaller.

John, when you click on the scale double arrow to the right, what numbers do you show? Mine are set to 80, and it affects scaling too.

John, this is what I'm referring to. Any video i can find, that number matches the field size, but for mine it's set at 80.

calculate scale.png

[Kev Williams]

Those numbers are the scale factors of EACH AXIS, aka each mirror, so one adjusts ONLY the X axis, the other ONLY the Y axis!

IMPORTANT!!! notice on both your screenshots, JOHN'S machine adjustments is calling the X mirror 'GALVO 2', whereas YOUR machine is calling the X mirror 'GALVO 1' !!

It's actually just personal preference as it pertains to how you adjust-- me, I would call GALVO 1 the X simply because I always say "X" first when referring to the X-Y axis's! But my machine is actually setup with GALVO 2 as being X--

again, it's just a personal preference setting, just be aware that based on these screenshots, John's left-side adjustment in the menu changes his X axis, but your left-side adjustment in the menu changes your Y axis!

[Jacob John]

Those numbers are the scale factors of EACH AXIS, aka each mirror, so one adjusts ONLY the X axis, the other ONLY the Y axis!

IMPORTANT!!! notice on both your screenshots, JOHN'S machine adjustments is calling the X mirror 'GALVO 2', whereas YOUR machine is calling the X mirror 'GALVO 1' !!

It's actually just personal preference as it pertains to how you adjust-- me, I would call GALVO 1 the X simply because I always say "X" first when referring to the X-Y axis's! But my machine is actually setup with GALVO 2 as being X--

again, it's just a personal preference setting, just be aware that based on these screenshots, John's left-side adjustment in the menu changes his X axis, but your left-side adjustment in the menu changes your Y axis!

First, thanks for the help so far! I'm starting to think though that this might be outside of my ability to fix. I've tried all of your suggestions and cannot get it right.

I've tried tweaking all the settings including adjusting the "Field Size" under Aspect to 110. This looks like it's close to the 100mm square but then when I continue to adjust the scaling or other settings, it begins to look smaller again. It's like playing cat and mouse with the scaling. One thing I wanted to clarify, when you say to move the paper printed square to try and line it up starting with the bottom left corner, are you saying to try and match those up by moving the paper itself into where the red laser is showing?

Again, I appreciate the help so far.


This is about as close as I can get it, and I have to set the field size to 90mm. Is that not strange?

90mm field size.jpg

[Kev Williams]

Bottom left corner was a starting reference point, just for visual purposes. Mine wasn't so far off so this might have been bad advice, what's more appropriate at this point is to move the paper to fit the red light. Get the red light to draw the correct size, WHERE it's drawing it can be adjusted afterward!

Also, since you're using a 100mm lens, it might also be better for you to draw up and work with a 90mm square, then you're not at the lens's limits, this might help--

-- write down or take screen shots of your settings, although since they're way off...

And don't be afraid to change those 78 and 81 scale factors to 100, just do it one at a time-- it won't hurt anything, and a making a BIG change will show you WHAT'S changing- Change in big numbers till you're close, then start making smaller changes