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WeCreat Camera Calibration and Alignment

Follow the steps below to Calibrate and Align your WeCreat Vision camera with LightBurn.

Note

These instructions are only for users with WeCreat Vision lasers. Follow our standard camera Calibration and Alignment instructions if you do not have a WeCreat vision laser.

Preparation

In order to complete this process, you will need:

  • WeCreat firmware version 2.0.04 or later. To update, open WeCreat MakeIt and go to Settings → Firmware → Check for Updates. If you need assistance with the firmware update process, contact WeCreat support.
  • LightBurn version 1.7.00 or later.
  • A WeCreat device profile in LightBurn, created by importing the .lbdev file supplied by WeCreat. Download the file here. For instructions on setting up the device profile, see here.
  • A piece of material in your laser that is large enough to engrave the target marker pattern onto — it must be at least 200 mm x 200 mm (roughly 8" square).

Steps

  1. Select the WeCreat device from the dropdown menu in the Laser Window to make it active.

  2. Open the Camera Control Window and make sure it is displaying an image from the WeCreat camera, indicating that it's connected.

  3. Right-click in the Camera Control Window and select Calibrate Camera Lens.

  4. In the Lens Calibration Wizard, select the WeCreat camera from the list, then select (None - precalibrated camera) from the Use Preset dropdown menu.

    Note

    This option is used for the WeCreat camera because the device automatically corrects for the lens distortion — no additional corrections are needed.

  5. Click Next, then Align Camera to open the Camera Alignment Wizard. Make sure the WeCreat camera is still selected. If your laser is already focused to your material, proceed to Step 10.

  6. If your laser is not currently focused to the material in your work area, exit the Camera Alignment Wizard.

  7. Using the controls in he Move Window, jog your laser over the material in your work area and press Focus Z.

    Warning

    You must have WeCreat firmware version 2.0.04 or later in order to use the Focus Z button.

  8. Right-click in the Camera Control Window and selected Calibrate Camera Alignment, or go to Laser Tools → Calibrate Camera Alignment to re-open the Camera Alignment Wizard.

  9. Select Camera is over the work area, in a fixed position. Select the WeCreat camera from the list and click Next.

  10. Choose between Fit Workspace or 100% Scale. The 100% Scale option is roughly A4 or US letter sized pattern. Fit Workspace scales the pattern up larger, if your laser's working area can accommodate a larger size, which can sometimes improve the accuracy of your alignment.

  11. Enter appropriate Speed and Power values for both Fill and Line. The precise values you need will depend on your model of laser, and the material you're using. For the WeCreat 20W, we chose 3000 mm/minute for Speed, and 30% power.

    Warning

    Make sure to adjust these settings to appropriate values for your material and laser, and if you use WeCreat's recommendations note that they use mm/second, not mm/minute, and convert appropriately. If you have the 40W model, be sure to adjust to appropriate settings for your machine — you can lower the power, set speed a bit higher, or some combination of the two.

  12. Press Frame to make sure the area the pattern will engrave is aligned to your material.

  13. Once the engraving is done, click Cancel to close the window, then click the Home button in the Laser Window to return your laser to its top Z height.

  14. Once it has reached the top position, re-open the Camera Calibration Wizard.

  15. Make sure the WeCreat camera is still selected then click Next, and Next again, to proceed past the window where you set up engraving parameters and ran the job.

  16. Click Capture Image, then Next.

  17. Tag each of the target markers by double-clicking in the center of each one in order.

    You can pan and zoom around the image using the same controls as the LightBurn Workspace and Preview window, or use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons.

    When you double-click, a red "+" mark will appear. Place a tag in the center of each of the four targets, in the order they are numbered (1, 2, 3, 4). If you place one incorrectly, you can double-click near it to shift it around, or click Undo Last to remove it and try again.

  18. Once you've marked each target, click Next and then Finish to exit the Camera Alignment Wizard.

  19. Click Update Overlay in the Camera Control Window to capture an Overlay for your Workspace. You can use this Overlay to align graphics over the material in your laser's work area.

    Note

    Your WeCreat must always be at its top Z height prior to capturing an Overlay, or the resulting capture will be misaligned.