Hi there. MY GLOWFORGE is having issues starting in the same spot twice. The starting point is off by 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch. I have tried to square the corners with the previously engrave area but the laser starts at a different point. The camera doesn’t seem to be able to read the bar codes in the approved materials package. I have checked for warped blocks and they seem to be OK since most of them are flush with the ends of the tray. Is this a possible camera issue? It looks like it is low-res or blurry in my opinion.
There is a significant warp from the fisheye effect of the lid camera, that has to be accounted for.
The way to get better alignment if you are trying to match up to something that you have already printed, is to make that section of the bed look like it is right under the lid camera. The Set Focus tool corrects the fisheye effect of the lid camera where the design is, so the procedure is:
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First Run the Calibration routine here to correct the calibration on the machine, if needed.
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Place your design where you want it on the screen.
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Use the Set Focus tool in the center of the design, and make sure the little targeting red dot lands ON the material. (Very important not to let it land in a cutout or off the edge.)
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The view will correct itself slightly unless your design is right under the lid camera. Shift the design until it falls where you want it to.
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Then run the print. After the print, the design on the screen will shift back to the default, but the precision placement using the Set Focus tool should cause the actual print to align very closely on the material.
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It looks like your Glowforge is performing to specifications. If you’d like, you can use the Camera Recalibrator to see if further improvement is possible. It will only make changes if it can make your camera more accurate; otherwise, it will exit without any changes. It takes about half an hour.
You’ll need a 12” x 20” piece of Proofgrade material with no markings or stickers. The feature was designed to be used with a flat piece of medium Proofgrade Draftboard, used upside-down (with the QR code side down). It may work with other materials that are the same size and use the same print settings as well, like Proofgrade plywood.
It prints a grid of markings, takes a picture, then measures its height in multiple locations. This data is used to make your camera more accurate for future prints.
To get started, click on this link: Launch the Camera Recalibrator
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.