Previewing
Because it can be difficult even for experienced users to keep track of which layers are set to which mode, and whether all of their cut settings are in order, we strongly recommend previewing every project, before sending it to your laser.
To open the Preview window, go to Window → Preview, click the Preview icon in the Main Toolbar, or press Alt/Option+P.
Understanding the Preview Window¶
When you first open the Preview window, you'll see a still image of the final result of your project — the contours to be scored or cut by Line Mode will be indicated by black lines, and the areas to be etched or engraved by Fill Mode will be shown as solid black areas, or, if your Line Interval is relatively large (or you zoom in close enough) as parallel lines running across the filled shapes.
You'll also see red lines — these lines indicate the path your laser will travel while not firing. You can toggle Show traversal moves at the bottom of the Preview window to switch between showing these moves or not.
If what you see here doesn't align with your expectations, you've got some editing to do. Make sure all of your shapes are set to the correct layers, and those layers are set to the correct modes. If you're working with layers set to Fill Mode, make sure they're overlapping only as you intend.
Click here for additional tips on fixing issues you identify in the Preview window
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If you have duplicate copies of graphics directly on top of each other, there are two types of behavior you might see in the Preview window:
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If they're both set to Line Mode, you'll see the same contour being cut twice (or more, if you have multiple Passes set for the layer they're on).
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If they're both set to Fill Mode, neither will appear in the Preview window, or be sent to your laser.
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Go to Edit → Delete Duplicates or press Alt/Option+D to delete duplicate shapes.
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If you see several strange things and can't identify the cause, double-click the problematic layer to open up the Cut Settings Editor, click Reset to Default in the lower left corner, then re-apply just the essential settings such as Speed and Power.
Press Play to see a simulation of the movements and lasering operations your laser will perform when you start the job. In addition to making sure the laser will outline or engrave the correct graphics and areas, you'll be able to make sure it performs those actions in the order you want.
By default, the simulation will play in an approximation of the job's real runtime, and Total time estimated is shown in the bottom right. You can adjust the Playback Speed slider to speed up or slow down the simulation.
If you don't like the order the operations are performed, change their position in the Cuts / Layers Window. As a reminder — by default, the first layer in the Cuts / Layers Window is performed first, followed by the second, and so on.
Note
More advanced methods of controlling the order in which your graphics are cut or engraved are available in Optimization Settings — but we don't recommend adjusting those until you've mastered the basics.
For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.