How do I locate 0,0 on bed?

[mcobb]

How do I locate 0,0 on bed?

[erin]

You don’t. It doesn’t work that way.

You can use snapmarks to make something go exactly where you need it. Otherwise you pretty much just align based on the camera (and trial and error something into position).

[DesignsByPhil]

Use a piece of cardboard and pin it to the corner off the screen but sticking into view. Draw an L svg. Place it in corner. Cut at full umph @250 zoomzooms.

[mcobb]

Thanks. But why then does the software have a 0,0. Do you place material inside the bed frame. If on the frame the material is not level.

[jbmanning5]

There is no 0, 0 as defined by limit switches and such. The head location is determined during the centering process by centering the GF logo on top of the head under the lid camera. I have never noticed a shift in the calibration between power cycles, but reason stands that there is probably a small amount.

Also, whatever the 0, 0 determined in the calibration process is, it’s going to be in a space between the head and the crumbtray, since the crumbtray can slide forward and backwards a small amount in its slots.

[erin]

@mcobb

But why then does the software have a 0,0.

You mean the rulers onscreen? Just to make us feel good about ourselves, I think You can’t assign something a coordinate because the glowforge doesn’t work that way. When it does the calibration spiel when you first turn it on, it’s figuring out where the head is in relation to… itself.

[markevans36301]

If you really need to find 0 0 point create a 1 by 1 square in any art program set the upper left corner to one by one because 00 is outside the cutting area, now tape a piece of scrap down to your bed, score this. Measure up one inch and left one inch and that is your 00.
If you need this to be super stable make a set of bed boots first found Elsewhere on the Forum.

[mcobb]

Thanks, I was afraid of that. For the money it should have more control.

[bansai8creations]

Well, it was very clear in the product specs it was camera based, and not based on x,y coordinate system. It’s design is for the market for artisans/crafters for a visual based system, and not requiring coordinate based programming already, I refer to it as ‘laser etcher for dummies’. If you really want a true x,y coordinate control system, there are many other systems on the market…

[marmak3261]

If you use a design canvas of 20" x 12", the design will always fall on the same spot in relation to the bed. Given the actual accessible area for the laser on the bed, you will never be able cut at a 0,0 on the preview of the work area.

This question has had a history of robust discussions. In fact, of the many topics that have had lots of energy, I think there were some flags thrown in some of the topics. Take the following thread for example:

XY home position

Question for the GF team. @dan, will there be a physical XY zero / home position visible on the bed? Will there be a raised square guide to tuck material into? I like the image dragging / camera feature a lot but I can’t imagine we’d have to do a manual graphic design placement via the cameras for every instance of a repeated cut pattern for different sheets / jobs. For repeat jobs we’d like a place-press-go workflow! How would it work? Thanks.

Understand that this was at a time shortly before the first pre-release units when into the wild and all the forum had to chew on were pictures posted by beta testers (we couldn’t ask them certain questions) or what Glowforge itself demonstrated and @dan shared.

[markevans36301]

it was very clear in the product specs it was camera based, and not based on x,y coordinate system.

This, exactly, it is not a matter of missing, more a matter of design philosophy.

If you use a design canvas of 20" x 12", the design will always fall on the same spot in relation to the bed.

It took me a while to fully get this but like any reluctant disciple, I preach this all the time. Making a 20x12 canvas/work area in whatever program you use is the most important thing you can do.

[PrintToLaser]

Yeah, before I started using a 20 X 12 art board in my design software, when I loaded it into the UI
I would have to search out my design somewhere way off to the side…

[Tom_A]

If you use a design canvas of 20" x 12"

That’s why I have Glowforge.ait.

[vee]

Thanks for the help in this thread, everyone!

The same design file will load and print in the same location in the Glowforge app, so you can calibrate your design file to the jig location for precision and repeatable prints, with steps similar to what @DesignsbyPhil suggested.

You may also find this community post a useful place to start (it includes a procedure for creating a fixed-position jig):

Placement of Designs in WebApp is off because of Distortion of Bed Image due to Fish Eye Lens

Thanks for sharing! I would like to see snap to grid also.

Additionally, @marmak3261 makes an excellent suggestion here:

@marmak3261

If you use a design canvas of 20" x 12", the design will always fall on the same spot in relation to the bed. Given the actual accessible area for the laser on the bed, you will never be able cut at a 0,0 on the preview of the work area.

I hope this helps! If you run into any other trouble, please open a new thread or email us at support@glowforge.com.