Camera Alignment

Significant Changes in LightBurn 2.1

LightBurn 2.1 introduced a new camera system, with new features, a new interface, and new calibration and alignment processes. Information from earlier versions of LightBurn may not apply in LightBurn 2.1, and information for working with cameras in LightBurn 2.1 may not apply to earlier versions.

After calibrating your camera's lens to correct for distortion, you'll need to go through the Camera Alignment process to tell LightBurn where your camera is positioned relative to your machine's work area.

Before You Begin

1. Select the correct camera in the Cameras window.
2. Calibrate your camera lens.
3. Make sure your camera is mounted where and how you want it mounted for actual use.
4. Make sure you have laser-engravable material to burn the test pattern on. The material should be big enough to burn a pattern that fills most of your workspace.
5. Place your material into the laser and focus your laser to the material.

Walkthrough

1. Open the Camera Alignment Wizard by clicking the Alignment icon in the Cameras window or by going to Laser Tools → Calibrate Camera Alignment and selecting the camera you want to calibrate. At any point in the process, you can use the Jogging controls on the left side of the window to move the laser head out of your way.

   

2. In the Machine Layout section, use the presets as a starting point to create an alignment pattern suited to your machine. AprilTag Alignment or Dense Tags Alignment will allow LightBurn to automate the target selection, while Manual Alignment is similar to the older alignment process in LightBurn 2.0 and earlier. Set up your alignment pattern to take up most of your workspace (and material) and click Next to return to the main window.

   

3. In the Burn Pattern section, use the Preview button to preview your pattern, and then click Burn to open a window with controls to adjust your cut settings and engrave the pattern onto your material. Don't move the pattern when it's done engraving!

   

   

4. In the Camera Alignment section, click either the Tag Alignment or Manual Alignment button.

   • Tag Alignment: If you used either the AprilTag Alignment or the Dense Tags Alignment pattern, choose Tag Alignment. Make sure the tags of the calibration target are in view, and click Next. LightBurn will use the tags as targets for alignment, and auto-align the camera. If everything looks correct, click Next for a preview of the end result, and click Apply to save the results.
   • Manual Alignment: If you used the Manual Alignment pattern option, camera alignment will work similarly to LightBurn 2.0 and earlier. Click the Manual Alignment button, then double-click the centers of each marker, in numerical order, as precisely as you can. You can zoom in and out with your mouse's scroll wheel to make it easier. Click Next, then Apply to save the result.

   

Additional Options

• Use Import and Export to load or save camera settings (.lbcam) files.
• Use Delete to remove alignment information and clear alignment pattern data.

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For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.

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