Test patterns, please

Community Support
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I suspect someone else has already suggested this, but just in case:

I really want three patterns that I can use on new materials.

Test pattern #1: Cut test. A grid of speed vs power for cutting. Let me select the min/max values, and let it divide it into an 11 x 11 grid. The cut should be a “C” shape or an open spiral – this way, I can see how it cut without seeing the middle piece fall out.

E.g., I select speed of 1-1000, so the columns become 1 100 200 300 400 … 900 1000.
I select power from 1 to 100, so the rows become 1 10 20 30 40 … 90 100.

Bonus points: If I select a range smaller than “5”, then reduce the size of the test grid.
E.g., I select a speed from 300 to 325, then just do 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 and stop. Or prompt me about whether I really want to use steps of 2.6 at a time.

Test pattern #2: Score test. Just like the cut test, but does scoring.

Test pattern #3: Engrave test. Again, let me select the min/max speed and power settings, and pre-define an 11x11 grid. For engraving, let them be square boxes.

A great additional option would be a Notes field. This way, I can specify the type of material. However, since I’m doing a cut test, I don’t know the power levels for doing the notes.

A second great addition would be to allow me to select the LPI for the test.

Right now, if I want to do a test pattern, then I have to configure every test grid separately. This take a ton of time. A program can do it very easily.

The program prompts for the ranges, generates the grid, then the UI lets me scale and place it onto my material.

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I posted two calibration templates - one for cuts, one for engraves. I haven’t reset them for the new power/speed settings (the labels that get engraved) but that should be easy. Haven’t bothered yet because I figured I’d wait until I get my Pro. They were in a couple of my “Dispatches” along with excruciating details about how they work and what they mean :slight_smile:

I’m on mobile now so can’t easily search & link but two of your three are out there. The score one would be easy to get by modifying the cut one.

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Here’s the Cut Calibration dispatch…

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thanks for finding it. I really need to update it to pews (Full) and Zooms from ipm. I just got my email so I figure I have a few more weeks :slight_smile:

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The only issue is you have to reset the settings each time you want a template on a new material, the layout is wicked awesome, the time setup each time is less so.

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I just looked at the cut calibration test csv file. Unfortunately, it does exactly what I don’t want.

The layout is nice. But it requires a human go manually go through and set each of the settings for each of the squares. (Also, your template cuts out squares – I want it to cut “C” or “E” shapes so I can measure the kerf and see how well it cuts through the material.)

The important thing is that I want an automated solution, where I just give it the ranges and it automatically populates the squares with the range of settings. I don’t want to manually go through 121 squares (for 11x11 test points) or even the 32 test squares from your template. Iterative looping is done better, faster, and more efficiently by computers than humans.

An alternative to having a calibration test menu on app.glowforge.com would be to have an API where I could upload a program that generates the test design rather than uploading a static SVG that requires a human to set each of the calibration settings.

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Really makes you want to have saved settings for a project right? :smile:

Part of why I’ve been too lazy to re-do it. But the Pro will be stable & the template results should be relevant over a longer time frame than doing it again on the PRU.

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That it does. What you want is not available (from any laser manufacturer AFAIK).

I calculate kerf from the squares - I’d argue that it’s easier to measure a half or full inch square and th hole it came out of than the arms on a letter like an E. Make sure the square is sized in your design software to a half-inch for instance. The resulting square may measure at .493 and the hole .507 (my numbers in fact - my kerf is .007") and it’s easy to figure out what the kerf is.

But there’s no automagic tool so you’re stuck.

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@jamesdhatch I’m looking over the app.glowforge.com network communication. I think it is very feasible to create a Firefox plugin that will upload the test (by doing a POST to /designs) and then using JavaScript to fill in the various settings.

I just don’t know the JavaScript function calls to set the mode (cut/score/engrave), speed, and power. But if I can figure that out, then I’ll just make a plugin that automates everything.

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@scott.wiederhold is also digging into some of that reverse engineering. That’s one of the most requested new features.

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Being a lover of AHK, I used it to set the values of my test file for me. Works great.

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Thanks for your suggestion! I’ll make sure the team gets it.

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