Camera problem?

Hard to tell but is the material lined up with the honeycomb?

Use a piece of paper to do a test cut. That will let you know how well the alignment is working without wasting the good stuff. Don’t forget to lower the power.

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Yes, the material is flush with the edge of the honeycomb, just fitting perfectly within the solid metal borders. The problem is that I can’t even see the far left edge, and I need to cut many copies of the same pattern with little waste.

Test or no test, is this how it is supposed to look?

Open the front of the machine (it drops down where it says Glowforge), pull the tray forward towards yourself and make sure that the feet of the crumb tray are down into the dimples on the bottom of the machine. I can see the curved lip on the front of the tray.

When you place the material on the tray, you don’t center it, you pull it forward so that the edge of the material just touches the front lip of the tray. (With the material over the gridded area.) :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks, Jules! The crumb tray is definitely in the feet, but I will try moving the material forward as well.

It does look off to me. Testing with paper you should be able to get you project done while waiting for support.

Do you have a Pro model? I’m surprised I can see that much of the tray.

Also, the tray isn’t in backwards is it?

I’m on mobile so not getting the best picture.

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No, I have the normal model, and the tray is in correctly. This is why I am worried.

Yeah, moving the material did not work, even with a bed image refresh. I cannot see the left side of the material on the screen at all, even if I zoom out.

Ahhh, well don’t worry then, if it’s a Basic model I don’t know for sure how far out the camera view will extend on the front of the tray…it’s probably fine. As long as you are sure you have the tray pulled forward far enough. On the Pro models, the curved front of that tray actually rests in a groove in the drop-down door when the tray is seated correctly, and the camera doesn’t pick it up in the image.

Edit: And you realize what you will see with the image is only the cuttable area, right? You won’t see the left side of the material, because you can’t cut on it. Current workable area is 19.5" x 11". The head won’t go any further over than that. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I think you’re probably fine. Here’s a pic of my bed image – please ignore how dirty it is. I need to clean it :slight_smile:

I stuck a piece of paper in there so you can see the edge of the crumb tray a little more clearly. On mine, I can see that front handle as well. That said, I wouldn’t rely on the camera alignment if I knew I was cutting 50 things, or whatever, and didn’t want to waste any space. Line them all up in the GFUI. Then, as long as you don’t move anything, they’ll maintain the same relationship. If you want to check where one is cutting, you can just set all the others to ignore.

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I actually did not know that I cannot cut the leftmost inch, but it still looks warped to me. I guess I’ll try.

As for the tray/door placement, it is exactly the same on the base model. The lip of the tray is in the groove of the door.

I don’t know if this is what you are experiencing, so take the info with a grain of salt. I had a similar issue pop up where my tray view was skewed. I was able to keep printing, but had to accommodate by not putting material too close to the edge. It was an problem though and support took care of me.

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If a rectangular sheet does not appear rectangular on the screen that is a sure indication the camera view is not accurate. The machine will cut and engrave accurately to the artwork but you can’t align with the camera in the corner where it does not show the material accurately.

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Regarding material conservation, when doing many multiple copies I would do a full sheet in two pieces, cutting the material on a miter saw so that I could reach all the way to the edges. This is a full 20" sheet.

Google Photos

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I would say that you got ALL of the goody out of that one. :joy:

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They are working on additional software updates that will hopefully help this. It’s pretty much a similar issue that nearly everyone faces.

Thanks for posting about this.

Like @Jules mentioned, your Glowforge can currently print up to 11 x 19.5 in. Engravings take extra room to speed up and slow down, so the area may be a bit smaller. We’re working on software improvements that will increase the printable area as well as the camera’s field of view.

Would you be willing to do the following to investigate further?

  1. Turn off your Glowforge.

  2. Check for small pieces of debris or dust.

    • Check the lower door to make sure it closes all the way. It may require some force to open, but open it, wipe any dust off the edges, and close it all the way.
    • Remove the tray and clean any dust or debris from the surface underneath. Pay careful attention to remove all debris from the four dimples where the tray rests.
    • Check the lid to make sure it closes all the way. Small particles of material, such as dust or debris, can prevent it from closing completely.
  3. Check the surface your Glowforge is on to make sure it’s flat. Ensure it is not twisted slightly and that there is no debris propping up one side of the machine.

  4. Turn your Glowforge back on.

  5. Create a file with a rectangle with a stroke and no fill that’s 10.5" by 19". (If you’d like instructions on how to do that, just let us know.)

  6. We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Place Proofgrade Draftboard in the center of the bed.

  7. Upload your file, and center it over the Proofgrade Draftboard.

  8. Take a screenshot of the workspace to show us the artwork placement. Make sure to include the rulers in your screenshot and show as much of the bed as possible.

    • Mac: Press Shift-Command-4 and click and drag a box around your image. You’ll find the screenshot file saved on your desktop.
    • Windows: Click on the Start Menu and search for the Snipping Tool. Open the Snipping Tool > New then click and drag a box around your image. Click the Save icon and name and save your file.
  9. Send us the screenshot and we’ll investigate.

Thanks!

It’s been a little while since I’ve seen any replies on this thread so I’m going to close it. If you still need help with this please either start a new thread or email support@glowforge.com.