Trying to lasercut from AutoCAD

[james_l]

I am trying to lasercut a simple file straight from AutoCAD but I'm struggling. I've researched online and tried a few things but still no success. I have got it to communicate with the machine, it's a Universal Laser System, and the occasions I have had it print it's treated the lines as raster and engraved them. Here is what I've tried so far:
1. I've changed the plot style table and set colours blue, black & white to a line width of 0.001mm and changed the line type to solid for both. This has been saved as a .ctb file.
2. From the options menu I have set the 'printer support path' > 'plot style table search path' to the correct location where the .ctb file is.
3. When sending the file to print, I change the properties of the device driver-specific user-interface to ensure that the blue and black/white lines are vector. This aleration forces a temporary .pc3 file to be created which I allow.

When I press print, a dialogue box apprears with the following message "the printed document contains no data. Are the driver's RAST/VECT pen settings correct? Also, check the driver's engraving field size, or else the rotary options."

I'm at a loss as to what to try next. Please help?

[john.vellek]

Hi @james_l,

I don't have a ready answer for you but I would like to install the laser cutting driver and see if I can get this to look right on my side.  Can you tell me the specific driver/model to download and install and then attach a sample file to a post?

[Anonymous]

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@james_l wrote:

I am trying to lasercut a simple file straight from AutoCAD but I'm struggling. I've researched online and tried a few things but still no success. I have got it to communicate with the machine, it's a Universal Laser System, and the occasions I have had it print it's treated the lines as raster and engraved them. Here is what I've tried so far:
1. I've changed the plot style table and set colours blue, black & white to a line width of 0.001mm and changed the line type to solid for both. This has been saved as a .ctb file.
2. From the options menu I have set the 'printer support path' > 'plot style table search path' to the correct location where the .ctb file is.
3. When sending the file to print, I change the properties of the device driver-specific user-interface to ensure that the blue and black/white lines are vector. This aleration forces a temporary .pc3 file to be created which I allow.

When I press print, a dialogue box apprears with the following message "the printed document contains no data. Are the driver's RAST/VECT pen settings correct? Also, check the driver's engraving field size, or else the rotary options."

I'm at a loss as to what to try next. Please help?

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I gave up on printing directly to my Epilog from ACAD a long time ago.  Corel shipped with our machine (Inkscape is a free alternative) and they seem to have remained viable with the laser industry.  Try going out to DXF and print from Corel or Inkscape (the free one).  I feel like there is way more control that way.  I've used this method for both Trotec and Epilog machines.  

[john.vellek]

Hi @james_l,

I am checking back to see if my post or Jason's helped you with your problem. Please add a post with how you decide to proceed and your results so other Community members may benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts solves your issue or answers your question.

[james_l]

Hi John, sorry I haven't been able to get near the lasercutter recently due to the looming y11 deadline. I will have a look and reply when I can.

Lisa

[james_l]

Hi Jason, thanks for your advice. Sorry it's taken a while for me to try it out, the y11's have been hogging our machine!

I've downloaded Inkscape but unfortunately it's still not working.  I've sent it to print using the plot style table.  I've chosen colour 5 (blue) to be 0.001mm line width and made the drawing layer colour 5 too. When saving the file as a .dxf and opening it in inkscape the line is still blue. I've then tried two things...

1. Sent to it print without changing anything - the result is that when the file is opened in the Universal Laser Systems software, that it is a black line and then consequently is engraved (as black is raster - which you can't change to vector).

2. When printing in Inkscape, I've changed the preferences to ensure black is vector, but then I get the same error message as in my previous post about the file containing no data.

Am I missing something in inkscape?

Thanks, Lisa

[james_l]

Hi John, please see the files I've attached. If you need more info please let me know.

Thanks, Lisa

[john.vellek]

Hi Lisa,

I took a look at the driver and it appears that if the objects (linework) are Red, then they will be treated as Vector. So, in the drawing I selected all the objects and changed them to red. When I ran the print, I received no errors or warnings. Of course I don't have the physical device so i don't know if the output is correct or not The Plot Preview looked normal.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

You might try to save to an r12 dxf file (the lowest version) I know of some CAM software that does not recognize later versions but always accepts r12.

[Anonymous]

When printing from ACAD, did you make sure to uncheck all the plot style boxes on the right of the print window? Linework will print raster when those checkboxes are marked.

[Anonymous]

Hi There

I know it was a while back, but I had the same problem.

Turned out, when I made my layers in Autocad with various colours, I had copied a layer set to NO PLOT. (Far right hand side of Layer Manager)

So all layers I created from that copy were also set to NO PLOT. Which resulted in "No data"

Try also setting your line thickness to 0.1mm (not 0.001) I found 0.1mm works well.

Also, as per the universal laser setup guide (google search). Make sure your plot colours are set to the correct RGB numbers rather than just...blue, cyan, yellow.... they should be ...

0,0,255 for blue 

0,255,255 for cyan

255,255,0 for yellow

etc. See colour chart in guide.

You could set all your layers this way in your dwt drawing template, and then in your plot style table set color to "use object color"

I hope this helps.

Cheers