CEED Wiki - User contributions [en]

Digital technologies

2025-10-07T18:53:44Z

Kaily: bolded stuff

Below you can find sections of different digital technologies, based on their level.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing|3D printing resources]]==
Modern printing technology has enabled the accurate printing of nearly any shape in a wide variety of materials, with many different printing methods to choose from. Selecting a print method will depend on the application, material, and budget used. Materials vary from almost any metal alloy, thermoplastics, ceramics, paper, edibles, rubbers, and clay. Printing methods include extrusion (heating material and forcing through a nozzle), powder bed (placing powdered material and using adhesive or melting to attach), and light polymerized (using UV light to polymerize material on a build plate). 3D Printers utilize an onboard controller to control the printer head and build plate in order to print each 2D layer in the right order and position. In addition, most 3D printers have downloadable software (slicers) that allows a user to position a 3D model on a virtual build platform, as well as adjust the printer’s settings for the build before sending the data to the printer. These 3D models used by the software can be generated using [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Beginner|CAD (computer-aided design)]] methods, laser scanning, or photogrammetry, although CAD is typically used in conjunction with the latter two to refine the output from these methods.

'''For our recommended printer profiles click [[Recommended Cura Profiles|here]].'''

===3D printing===

*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner|3D Printing- Beginner]]
**Basic understanding of 3D printing and 3D printers
**Ability to slice and start a print on an Ultimaker 2+ printer
**Basic ability to troubleshoot a print
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Intermediate|3D Printing- Intermediate]]
**Basic understanding of custom slicer settings and print orientation
**Basic understanding of print post processing
**Basic understanding of dual extrusion prints
**Basic understanding of different slicer software
**Intermediate understanding of printer functions
**Intermediate troubleshooting abilities
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Advanced|3D Printing- Advanced]]
**Ability to use all materials available at the Makerspace
**Ability to use all Makerspace printers
**Ability to print large components (print optimizations)
**Advanced understanding of 3D printing extrusion
**Proficient with UM2+ settings

===3D modeling (for 3D printing)===

*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Beginner|3D modeling- Beginner]]
**Basic knowledge of 3D modelling in TinkerCAD
**Basic knowledge of model modifications in TinkerCAD
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate|3D modeling- Intermediate]]
**Proficient 3D modelling skills in TinkerCAD
**Basic ability in parametric CAD modelling softwares
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Advanced|3D modeling- Advanced]]
**Subdividing large models for 3D printing
**Basic understanding of one or more modelling softwares
**Basic understanding of 3D scanning and Scan to CAD

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting|Laser cutting resources]]==
Laser cutting uses a high-powered beam to cut material based on computer-controlled parameters. As the laser guides its beam along the material, everything in its direct path is vaporized, burned or melted. One of the benefits of laser cutting technology is the cut product rarely needs any finishing work as this process ensures a high-quality surface finish. A graphics software is used to import or create designs that are meant to be cut.

===Laser cutting===

*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner|Laser Cutting- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate|Laser Cutting- Intermediate]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Rotary Laser Engraving|Rotary Laser Engraving]]

===Vector graphics editor===

*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Beginner|Vector Graphics- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Intermediate|Vector Graphics- Intermediate]]

==[[Digital technologies/Arduino|Arduino resources]]==
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that provides an easy and accessible way to make robotics projects. The boards can receive input signals from sensors and produce outputs through its I/O pins. Arduino boards are used by a diverse set of people, including students, hobbyists, engineers, researchers due to the simple layout and programmability of the Arduino boards.

*[[Digital technologies/Arduino/Arduino- Beginner|Arduino- Beginner]]
** Basic understanding of programming
** Ability to control few components such as LEDs
** Basic understanding of how sensors work
** Basic understanding of the Arduino board

==[[Digital technologies/Soldering|Soldering resources]]==
Soldering allows you to create permanent/semi-permanent connection in any electrical circuit, this makes it ideal for later iterations of a project!
*[[Digital technologies/Soldering/Soldering- Beginner|Soldering- Beginner]]

==[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality|Virtual reality resources]]==

*[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality/Virtual reality- Beginner|Virtual Reality- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality/Unity Project Resources|Unity Project Resources]]

==[[Digital technologies/Textiles|Textile resources]]==

*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/Embroidery- Beginner|Embroidery- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/3D printing on Fabric|3D printing on Fabric]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/Die-cutting using Cricut|Die-cutting using Cricut]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/How to use the Heat Press|How to use the Heat Press]]

==Other resources==

*[[Digital technologies/Raspberry Pi|Raspberry Pi]]
*[[Digital technologies/PCB milling machine|PCB milling machine]]
*[[Digital technologies/Vacuum Forming|Vacuum Forming]]
*[[Digital technologies/3D Scanning|3D Scanning]]

Digital technologies

2025-10-07T18:51:31Z

Kaily: added a .

Below you can find sections of different digital technologies, based on their level.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing|3D printing resources]]==
Modern printing technology has enabled the accurate printing of nearly any shape in a wide variety of materials, with many different printing methods to choose from. Selecting a print method will depend on the application, material, and budget used. Materials vary from almost any metal alloy, thermoplastics, ceramics, paper, edibles, rubbers, and clay. Printing methods include extrusion (heating material and forcing through a nozzle), powder bed (placing powdered material and using adhesive or melting to attach), and light polymerized (using UV light to polymerize material on a build plate). 3D Printers utilize an onboard controller to control the printer head and build plate in order to print each 2D layer in the right order and position. In addition, most 3D printers have downloadable software (slicers) that allows a user to position a 3D model on a virtual build platform, as well as adjust the printer’s settings for the build before sending the data to the printer. These 3D models used by the software can be generated using [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Beginner|CAD (computer-aided design)]] methods, laser scanning, or photogrammetry, although CAD is typically used in conjunction with the latter two to refine the output from these methods.

For our recommended printer profiles click [[Recommended Cura Profiles|here]].

===3D printing===

*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner|3D Printing- Beginner]]
**Basic understanding of 3D printing and 3D printers
**Ability to slice and start a print on an Ultimaker 2+ printer
**Basic ability to troubleshoot a print
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Intermediate|3D Printing- Intermediate]]
**Basic understanding of custom slicer settings and print orientation
**Basic understanding of print post processing
**Basic understanding of dual extrusion prints
**Basic understanding of different slicer software
**Intermediate understanding of printer functions
**Intermediate troubleshooting abilities
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Advanced|3D Printing- Advanced]]
**Ability to use all materials available at the Makerspace
**Ability to use all Makerspace printers
**Ability to print large components (print optimizations)
**Advanced understanding of 3D printing extrusion
**Proficient with UM2+ settings

===3D modeling (for 3D printing)===

*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Beginner|3D modeling- Beginner]]
**Basic knowledge of 3D modelling in TinkerCAD
**Basic knowledge of model modifications in TinkerCAD
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate|3D modeling- Intermediate]]
**Proficient 3D modelling skills in TinkerCAD
**Basic ability in parametric CAD modelling softwares
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Advanced|3D modeling- Advanced]]
**Subdividing large models for 3D printing
**Basic understanding of one or more modelling softwares
**Basic understanding of 3D scanning and Scan to CAD

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting|Laser cutting resources]]==
Laser cutting uses a high-powered beam to cut material based on computer-controlled parameters. As the laser guides its beam along the material, everything in its direct path is vaporized, burned or melted. One of the benefits of laser cutting technology is the cut product rarely needs any finishing work as this process ensures a high-quality surface finish. A graphics software is used to import or create designs that are meant to be cut.

===Laser cutting===

*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner|Laser Cutting- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate|Laser Cutting- Intermediate]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Rotary Laser Engraving|Rotary Laser Engraving]]

===Vector graphics editor===

*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Beginner|Vector Graphics- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Intermediate|Vector Graphics- Intermediate]]

==[[Digital technologies/Arduino|Arduino resources]]==
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that provides an easy and accessible way to make robotics projects. The boards can receive input signals from sensors and produce outputs through its I/O pins. Arduino boards are used by a diverse set of people, including students, hobbyists, engineers, researchers due to the simple layout and programmability of the Arduino boards.

*[[Digital technologies/Arduino/Arduino- Beginner|Arduino- Beginner]]
** Basic understanding of programming
** Ability to control few components such as LEDs
** Basic understanding of how sensors work
** Basic understanding of the Arduino board

==[[Digital technologies/Soldering|Soldering resources]]==
Soldering allows you to create permanent/semi-permanent connection in any electrical circuit, this makes it ideal for later iterations of a project!
*[[Digital technologies/Soldering/Soldering- Beginner|Soldering- Beginner]]

==[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality|Virtual reality resources]]==

*[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality/Virtual reality- Beginner|Virtual Reality- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality/Unity Project Resources|Unity Project Resources]]

==[[Digital technologies/Textiles|Textile resources]]==

*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/Embroidery- Beginner|Embroidery- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/3D printing on Fabric|3D printing on Fabric]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/Die-cutting using Cricut|Die-cutting using Cricut]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/How to use the Heat Press|How to use the Heat Press]]

==Other resources==

*[[Digital technologies/Raspberry Pi|Raspberry Pi]]
*[[Digital technologies/PCB milling machine|PCB milling machine]]
*[[Digital technologies/Vacuum Forming|Vacuum Forming]]
*[[Digital technologies/3D Scanning|3D Scanning]]

Digital technologies

2025-10-07T18:49:27Z

Kaily:

Below you can find sections of different digital technologies, based on their level.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing|3D printing resources]]==
Modern printing technology has enabled the accurate printing of nearly any shape in a wide variety of materials, with many different printing methods to choose from. Selecting a print method will depend on the application, material, and budget used. Materials vary from almost any metal alloy, thermoplastics, ceramics, paper, edibles, rubbers, and clay. Printing methods include extrusion (heating material and forcing through a nozzle), powder bed (placing powdered material and using adhesive or melting to attach), and light polymerized (using UV light to polymerize material on a build plate). 3D Printers utilize an onboard controller to control the printer head and build plate in order to print each 2D layer in the right order and position. In addition, most 3D printers have downloadable software (slicers) that allows a user to position a 3D model on a virtual build platform, as well as adjust the printer’s settings for the build before sending the data to the printer. These 3D models used by the software can be generated using [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Beginner|CAD (computer-aided design)]] methods, laser scanning, or photogrammetry, although CAD is typically used in conjunction with the latter two to refine the output from these methods.

For our recommended printer profiles click [[Recommended Cura Profiles|here]]

===3D printing===

*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner|3D Printing- Beginner]]
**Basic understanding of 3D printing and 3D printers
**Ability to slice and start a print on an Ultimaker 2+ printer
**Basic ability to troubleshoot a print
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Intermediate|3D Printing- Intermediate]]
**Basic understanding of custom slicer settings and print orientation
**Basic understanding of print post processing
**Basic understanding of dual extrusion prints
**Basic understanding of different slicer software
**Intermediate understanding of printer functions
**Intermediate troubleshooting abilities
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Advanced|3D Printing- Advanced]]
**Ability to use all materials available at the Makerspace
**Ability to use all Makerspace printers
**Ability to print large components (print optimizations)
**Advanced understanding of 3D printing extrusion
**Proficient with UM2+ settings

===3D modeling (for 3D printing)===

*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Beginner|3D modeling- Beginner]]
**Basic knowledge of 3D modelling in TinkerCAD
**Basic knowledge of model modifications in TinkerCAD
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate|3D modeling- Intermediate]]
**Proficient 3D modelling skills in TinkerCAD
**Basic ability in parametric CAD modelling softwares
*[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Advanced|3D modeling- Advanced]]
**Subdividing large models for 3D printing
**Basic understanding of one or more modelling softwares
**Basic understanding of 3D scanning and Scan to CAD

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting|Laser cutting resources]]==
Laser cutting uses a high-powered beam to cut material based on computer-controlled parameters. As the laser guides its beam along the material, everything in its direct path is vaporized, burned or melted. One of the benefits of laser cutting technology is the cut product rarely needs any finishing work as this process ensures a high-quality surface finish. A graphics software is used to import or create designs that are meant to be cut.

===Laser cutting===

*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner|Laser Cutting- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate|Laser Cutting- Intermediate]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Rotary Laser Engraving|Rotary Laser Engraving]]

===Vector graphics editor===

*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Beginner|Vector Graphics- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Intermediate|Vector Graphics- Intermediate]]

==[[Digital technologies/Arduino|Arduino resources]]==
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that provides an easy and accessible way to make robotics projects. The boards can receive input signals from sensors and produce outputs through its I/O pins. Arduino boards are used by a diverse set of people, including students, hobbyists, engineers, researchers due to the simple layout and programmability of the Arduino boards.

*[[Digital technologies/Arduino/Arduino- Beginner|Arduino- Beginner]]
** Basic understanding of programming
** Ability to control few components such as LEDs
** Basic understanding of how sensors work
** Basic understanding of the Arduino board

==[[Digital technologies/Soldering|Soldering resources]]==
Soldering allows you to create permanent/semi-permanent connection in any electrical circuit, this makes it ideal for later iterations of a project!
*[[Digital technologies/Soldering/Soldering- Beginner|Soldering- Beginner]]

==[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality|Virtual reality resources]]==

*[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality/Virtual reality- Beginner|Virtual Reality- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Virtual reality/Unity Project Resources|Unity Project Resources]]

==[[Digital technologies/Textiles|Textile resources]]==

*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/Embroidery- Beginner|Embroidery- Beginner]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/3D printing on Fabric|3D printing on Fabric]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/Die-cutting using Cricut|Die-cutting using Cricut]]
*[[Digital technologies/Textiles/How to use the Heat Press|How to use the Heat Press]]

==Other resources==

*[[Digital technologies/Raspberry Pi|Raspberry Pi]]
*[[Digital technologies/PCB milling machine|PCB milling machine]]
*[[Digital technologies/Vacuum Forming|Vacuum Forming]]
*[[Digital technologies/3D Scanning|3D Scanning]]

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Recommended Cura Profiles

2025-10-07T18:48:16Z

Kaily: Added files from github

Recommended Cura Profiles:

0.25mm:

https://github.com/Kax429/Cura-Profiles/blob/main/Ultimaker2%2B0.25.curaprofile

0.4 mm:

https://github.com/Kax429/Cura-Profiles/blob/main/Ultimaker2%2B0.4.curaprofile

0.6mm:

https://github.com/Kax429/Cura-Profiles/blob/main/Ultimaker2%2B0.6.curaprofile

0.8mm:

https://github.com/Kax429/Cura-Profiles/blob/main/Ultimaker2%2B0.8.curaprofile

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Recommended Cura Profiles

2025-10-07T16:59:48Z

Kaily: Created page for recommended cura profiles

Recommended Cura Profiles:

0.4 mm:

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate

2024-07-16T16:45:38Z

Kaily: /* Introduction to Fusion360 */

TinkerCAD is nice for smaller parts with very little complexity. However, since it is not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline NURBS] based nor parametric, it lacks major functionality. It is strongly suggested at this stage that TinkerCAD, Blender, Cinema 4D or other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_modeling polygonal modelling] (non-NURBS) applications be set aside for parametric CAD software, such as [https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360 Autodesk Fusion 360] ([https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators free for students. teachers, and educators]), [https://www.solidworks.com/ Dassault Systèmes Solidworks] (available through Remote Apps) or [https://www.onshape.com/en/ PTC OnShape] (completely online, free for students and educators) be used for mechanical design, as models made with such software contain much richer data that allows going from CAD models to manufacturing data. Polygonal modelling remains, however, an important tool for Scan to CAD, and such the intermediate CAD user should have a complete understanding of polygonal modelling software such as TinkerCAD.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/TinkerCAD (contd.)|Complex Shapes in TinkerCAD]]==
[[File:Heart Button TinkerCAD.png|thumb|Heart button CAD model|200x200px|alt=]]
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you learned how to group shapes together. In advanced TinkerCAD, you will use the skills you have gained to create more complex shapes. TinkerCAD provides you with basic geometries such as cubes and cylinders. You can combine these shapes to create more complex geometries such as a house using the group function. To create even more complicated designs, you can combine shapes to be used to create complex holes

<youtube>kVXkdLfK1kw</youtube>

The example below will walk you through the making of a heart button. It will involve grouping shapes together in order to create a more complex shape and feature
[[File:Heart_Button_Construction.png|alt=|thumb|351x351px|Combining simple shapes like cylinders and cubes to create heart shape. ]]
# Add a box shape to the workspace. Make sure the dimension of the box has the thickness of the desired button. This will serve as the point of the heart.
# Add two cylinders with the same thickness as the box to two edges of the box. Set the diameter of the cylinder as the width of the box. This will create the humps of the heart.
# Using the round roof object, size it to the appropriate dimension for the button hoop.
# Copy and paste<s>r</s> a second round roof object and make it slightly smaller to be used to create the hole for the button hoop.
# Turn the object into a hole and position it accordingly.
# Finally, group the shapes together and the button is completed.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Design for 3D Printing|Design for 3D Printing]] ==
There are some important things to note when modeling for 3D printing. It is important to optimize the print by decreasing print time and material while ensuring accuracy and strength of the part.

# Divide your model into smaller more manageable parts. There are many designs with complex details or large dimensions that would be more manageable prints if split into multiple parts. [[File:Multiple parts 3D print.png|center|thumb|599x599px|3D printed hand built with multiple parts. Finger is attached afterwards. ]]
# Try to ensure that there is one flat surface on the print. This will allow easier print set-up. The flat side can adhere to the build plate, minimizing the need for additional build plate adhesion.[[File:Prints in different orientation.png|center|thumb|300x300px|Traffic cone printed in two different orientations. It demonstrates the optimal orientation with the least amount of supports. ]]
# Avoid floating parts. All aspect of the model should be connected to the main model. Minimize overhangs in the model as well. This will prevent wasted time and material to print supports.[[File:Supports under floating parts.png|center|thumb|480x480px|Printed gearbox with floating parts with supports under them. ]]
# FDM printing has limited capabilities with dimensional accuracy. It is recommended to prevent printing horizontally oriented holes of the smaller size. These holes are often deformed and printed with difficult to remove supports.[[File:Holes printed vertically and horizontally..png|center|thumb|500x500px|Holes printed vertically on the left and horizontally with the layers on the right. ]]
# Printed parts are stronger in one direction than another. It is important to keep this in mind when designing. Prints will be weaker in the areas where the layers meet. This means that printed parts have low tensile strength along the Z-axis. The prints will be the strongest in planes parallel to the build surface.[[File:Layers printed in different axis.png|center|thumb|500x500px]]
# Exaggerate the details of your designs. This is an important thing to keep in mind. In order for details to show up on small designs, you should make your cuts deeper and bigger. It can also be helpful to make slender designs thicker.[[File:Details on 3D prints.png|center|thumb|450x450px|Details on CAD on the left with the same details printed on the right. ]]
# Round surfaces will not show up smoothly. Since FDM prints in layers, it will cause the rounded surfaces to look jagged. To achieve a smooth surface, additional processing will be required. [[File:3D printed surface .png|center|thumb|449x449px|3D printed surface with all the layers before and after additional processing. ]]

If your design is to be used in (electro-)mechanical assemblies in which there are interfacing components, it is important that you understand three basic tolerancing concepts and to keep them in the back of your mind when modeling or more generally designing these assemblies.

# Form: The form of a part refers to the overall dimensions and the shape of the exterior surfaces of a component. Think of a flaw referring to form as a print that ended up not matching the base geometry that was used to create it in CAD due to adverse physical variables during the printing process. Examples follow:
## A ''sphere'' may end up slightly ''oval'' once printed due to improper cooling, etc.;
## A pillar might end up tilted to one side due to improper belt tension between the belt axes, etc.;
## A pin feature might end up too large to fit its mating hole due to the printer outputting too much material when producing the outer walls of the feature (the inverse can also be true).
# Position: Position refers to the distance separating a feature and an (ideally) meaningful reference (i.e.: the distance between a hole and the side of a part, or between two holes). Thankfully, flaws pertaining to position are rare on a properly tuned printer, as the printer does not have any information about existing references other than the build plate. If tuned properly, the printer will always print a feature at a position (X,Y,Z) distance relative to another feature, because that is what the gCode will tell it to do. You can imagine, however, that if the part is warped, the 'build plate reference' is no longer valid, and such, warped parts almost always have features out of position ''unless the meaningful reference (interfacing feature) used in the design is not the build plate''. However, since the build plate reference is such an important one to define the Z position of features (for the printer, that is), making your meaningful reference something other than the build plate does not always guarantee you good positional tolerance independent of warping.
# Surface: The surface finish of a part is a rather complex subject. In 3D printing, and for typical applications of 3D printed parts, it mostly refers to the mean (statistical) difference between the height of cusps and valleys on a part and their deviation from that mean, at a macroscopic level. The most important consideration is that when 3D printing, most surface finishes are quite rough (deviate significantly from the mean), and thus are sanded down considerably to knock out the cusps left by the printer. This post processing can negatively affect the form of the final part.

Note that ''a proper mechanical fit between components demands a good tolerance on form, feature position, and surface finish'', such that it is typically impossible to obtain a proper fit when 3D printing, and that if you are considering the 3D printing of critically interfacing components, 3D printing should not be used unless post processing ''is built into the design''. For mechanical designs, you will notice that a main application is brackets. This is because brackets only need good positional tolerance on holes and mating faces, which 3D printing can almost always provide (the tolerance on form for holes is not that important since they are typically clearance holes). However, since some brackets are easily laser cut, 3D printing brackets is only done under certain specific conditions. It certainly has shown its commercial use in cost cutting by replacing intricate multi-part assemblies by ''generatively designed'' (we'll say computer generated for now) parts, as shown in the picture below.
[[File:Design for 3D Printing Generatively Designed Bracket.jpg|center|thumb|600x600px|A metal 3D printed generatively designed bracket (computer generated from load data, using Finite Element Analysis), likely replacing a multitude of other parts that would have been manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods which would lead to a heavier and more expensive bracket.<ref>CarrusHome (2021). GM Explores 3D printing, generative design for next gen parts. Consulted on 05-05-2022 at <nowiki>https://www.carrushome.com/en/gm-explores-3d-printing-generative-design-for-next-gen-parts/</nowiki></ref>]]

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/CAD Extensions|CAD File Formats]] ==
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you were introduced to TinkerCAD. In the instructions, you were instructed to export your 3D designs as a STL or OBJ file. In this section, the differences between different CAD file formats will be discussed.

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)] ===
[[File:STL format.png|thumb|Facets used to represent a cube and a sphere.]]
[[File:Vector coordinates of STL format.png|thumb|305x305px|Visual representation of the vertices and the normal vector.]]
STL files are the most used file format in 3D printing and 3D modeling. Most 3D printers support the file format. Many of the 3D printable models online are also found in STL file format. STL stands for stereolithography, a 3D printing process created at 3D Systems in <ins>the </ins>1980s. STL file format encodes the surface geometry of a 3D object. This is done through tessellation, a process of tiling a surface with one or more geometric shapes so there are no overlaps or gaps. The basic method of tessellating the outer surface of 3D models is through the use of tiny triangles (called “facets”) and store information about the facets in a file. For example, in the figure below, it shows how a cube can be represented by 12 triangles while 17000+ triangles are needed to represent a sphere. Since triangles consist of three straight edges, it can be difficult to approximate curved geometries. To do so, mesh density is increased, and individual triangle’s size is decreased.

STL file format stores the information as the coordinates of the vertices and the components of the unit normal vector to the triangle. The normal vector point outwards of the 3D model.
[[File:STL tessellation .png|left|thumb|Invalid tessellation on the left, acceptable tessellation on the right]]
There are a couple of rules for tessellation and storing information. The vertex rule states that each triangle must share two vertices with its neighbouring triangles.

The orientation rule states that the orientation of the facet must be specified in two ways. The direction of the normal should point outwards, and the vertices are listed in counter-clockwise when looking at the object from the outside.

The all-positive octant rule states that the coordinates of the triangle vertices must all be positive. This ensures that all coordinates stored would be in the positive which would save space in the file. Finally, the triangle sorting rule recommends that the triangles appear in ascending z-value order. This is a recommendation rather than a rule as it helps the software slice the models faster.
[[File:STL orientation rule.png|center|thumb|525x525px|Visual representation of the orientation rule.]]

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)] ===
OBJ is a crucial file format in 3D printing. It is generally preferred for multi-colour 3D printing. Often, it is used a s an interchange format for non-animated 3D models. OBJ file format stores information about 3D models by encoding the surface geometry of the model. It also stores information about its colour and texture. It does not store any data about animations or scene. It is open source and neutral. Therefore, it is often used to share 3D models since many CAD software supports the format.
[[File:OBJ file .png|thumb|Freeform curves on 3D model surface]]
It differs from STL since it stores colour and texture information. STL is an older file format that is missing modern features. It does not support multi colour printing or high resolution prints. OBJ can approximate surface geometry well without drastically increasing the file size. It also supports multiple colours and textures in the same model.

OBJ encodes surface geometry of a 3D object in many different methods: Tessellation with polygonal faces, freeform curves and freeform surfaces. Similar to STL, OBJ allows tessellation of the surfaces with simple geometric shapes like triangles or more complex polygon. This is the simplest way to describe surface geometry. However, approximating curved surfaces with polygons will introduce coarseness and geometric deviation from the model. The size of the polygons can be decreased to increase the quality of the prints. However, this can lead to giant file sizes which can be difficult for 3D printers to handle. It is important to find the right balance between print quality and file sizes.

The surface geometry can also be defined using freeform curves. The user defines a collection of free form curves that runs along the surface of the model. The surface is then approximated using the collection of curves. It is more complicated than polygonal faces, but it allows for fewer data to describe the same surface. The curved lines can be described using freeform curves with a few mathematical parameters. It allows for higher quality encoding without drastically increasing the file size.

=== DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT) and DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM) ===
Sldprt file formats are native SolidWorks file extensions. It provides details on specific parts within a system. This is a software specific file format. Opening SolidWorks files in slicers and other software may cause some corruption of your designs. However, because it is software specific, it contains the most information about your models. As such, you should do all your modeling while the files are in native format

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)] ===
STEP file format is a neutral file format. It is the most common file format used to share 3D designs. This allows users to open others’ designs using the software of their choice. It stores 3D images in an ASCII format. While STEP files can be opened with most CAD software. It is not easily edited. The model will display as a finalized object. Users cannot edit specific dimensions or features of the model.

===Polygonal Formats===

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format 3D Manufacturing Format (*.3MF)]

===NURBS Formats===

====Standard====

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format (*.DXF/*.DWG)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (*.IGES)] (standard last updated 1996)

====Software-Specific====

*DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT)
*DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM)
*DS CATIA V5 Parts (*.CGR/*.CATPart)
*DS CATIA V5 Assemblies (*.CGR/*.CATProduct)
*PTC Creo Parts (*.PRT)
*PTC Creo Assemblies (*.ASM)

*Fusion 360 (*.F3D)

It should be noted that Fusion360 stores files on the cloud, such that locally saved .f3d files are not commonly encountered. It should also be noted that OnShape does not have a file format given it is hosted entirely on the cloud.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Using Parametric NURBS Software]] ==

===[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Introduction to Fusion360]]===
{|
|+
!<youtube>5hComh1hFzY</youtube>
!<youtube>1Ff_NcZhBSo</youtube>
|}

TinkerCAD is known for its simplicity, meaning it is easy to learn and use. However, its capabilities are limited. It uses a drag and drop method to create basic geometries. Theses shapes can be grouped to create more complex geometries but it takes more time to design something complex and has less flexibility. Fusion<ins> </ins>360 is a sketch-based CAD modeling software that allows for users to completely customize their design. It allows users to design 3D objects using 2D sketches.

Fusion 360 offers 3D CAD modeling, PCB design, and 3D simulation capabilities. It is a fee-based subscription software, however, a free version is offered for personal use. The free version has some limited capabilities but most of the 3D CAD features are offered. Even with the limited features it offers more design options than TinkerCAD. To download the software, you can use your AutoCAD account and follow the link below: https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/personal

Just like TinkerCAD, and with any CAD modeling software you choose to use<ins>,</ins> you can export your part designs as an STL file. Using this file format, you can use any slicer of your choice to slice the design into a gcode file to print.

==== Fusion 360 User Interface ====
[[File:User Interface of Fusion 360.png|center|959x959px]]
There are 5 main areas of the user interface. When the software is first launched, you should be seeing the screen above.

# Data Panel: On the left is the data panel. It displays pinned and recent projects, providing easy access to these projects for the users. It will also display sample projects that corresponds to the tutorials offered by AutoCAD. Users can also upload their projects to be shared with others for collaboration.
# Tool Bar: On the top of the screen sits the tool bar. Through this, you can use any of the features displayed to manipulate the 3D model you create. The shortcuts can be customized to display the ones you favour.
# Browser: Located at the top left of the main screen. It displays the model design with a file tree structure listing all the components, bodies and constructing plane. The files can be navigated through by clicking on their names. They can also be renamed by double clicking. The files can be collapsed using the triangles. The visibility of the bodies and planes can be toggled by clicking on the lightbulb.
# Timeline: The timeline of the design history is displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is a special feature of Fusion<ins> </ins>360 that is different from other CAD software. It keeps a record of the construction of the 3D model allowing the users to playback the building of the model. This feature also allow<ins>s</ins> users to add to the model from a previous state of the model.
# Navigation bar: The navigation bard allows users to change the view of the model. These features exist<s>s</s> as shortcuts when used with a mouse. For this reason, it is recommended to create CAD models using a physical mouse instead of a track pad. Some features include:
#* Zoom In/Out by scrolling up/down with the mouse.
#* Pan the model by holding down the wheel of the mouse.
#* Orbit the model by holding down control + wheel.

==== Sketching ====
The sketch function is the most important feature of a CAD program. It allows users to sketch 2D drawings as the base to create 3D objects.
[[File:Sketch Interface.png|center|650x650px]]
To create a rectangle, first click on “Create Sketch” from the tool bar above. Select the desired sketch plane. In the example above, YZ plane was selected. This is the plane which the 2D sketch will be created. You’ll notice the tool bar above has transformed to display sketch functions. Select “2-Point Rectangle” from the tool bar. Click on the origin of the sketch plane and drag to create a desired rectangle. The sketch features are defined with reference to the origin to position it in space. It is why it is recommended to have one vertex of the sketch to be defined as the origin. After the rectangle is drawn, you can define the dimensions of the 2 sides of the rectangle. You can toggle between the dimensions by using the “Tab” key on your keyboard. Press enter to confirm the sketch.
[[File:Fusion 360 Rectangle Sketch.png|center|600x600px]]
Next, the line tool will be introduced. Drawing a line is the most simple and versatile function of sketch. It will allow you to create any shapes you will need. Select the “Line” option from the tool bar. Hover your mouse over the rectangle, the mouse will be drawn to the line and an ‘X’ will appear. This means that one end of the line will intersect with the rectangle. Move the mouse towards the middle of the line on the rectangle until a triangle icon shows up. This signifies the midpoint of the line. Click to create the start of the line segment. Drag the mouse to create the line and click again to create the end of the line. You can also manipulate the dimension of the line manually by entering the value.
[[File:Fusion 360 Line Sketch.png|center|649x649px]]
To draw the line at an angle, drag the line out at an angle. At this point, there should be an angle dimension displayed. This value can be altered manually.

To create an arc, select “Create” -> “Arc” -> “Tangent Arc” from the tool bar. This will create an arc tangent to two other entities. Left click on the vertex of where you would like the arc to connect. Then click on the other vertex to connect. Alternative to create arcs include 3-point arcs where you select the two vertex and the middle point of the arc or center point arc when the arc is create<ins>d</ins> by finding the center of the arc.
[[File:Arc Sketch.png|center|648x648px]]

In order for a 2D sketch to be converted to 3D model, the 2D profile has to be a closed shape. This means all the lines and entities have to form a closed loop. This will be indicated with a light-blue shading inside the sketch.

==== Extrusion ====
The simplest way to create a 3D model is by extruding a 2D sketch, which adds a third dimension to the 2D sketch. Select “Extrude” from the toolbar. Hover the mouse over the sketch, closed shapes that can be extruded will be highlighted when hovered on. To select multiple shapes, left click on both shapes. In the extrusion settings that pops up on the right, enter the value for the third dimension of the sketch, the width. Click “OK” to confirm the extrusion.
[[File:Extrusion example.png|center|650x650px]]
You can select a new surface from the extruded object to sketch on. To do so, select “Create Sketch” and select the surface you would like to sketch on as the plane. Afterwards continue to sketch like normal.

Extrusion can also be used to cut. Sketch on the surface of the shape the geometry you would like to cut. Select “Extrude” tool and select the shapes you would like to cut. To remove material, enter a negative value in the dimension window. This indicates the direction you would like the extrusion to occur. On the screen, it will display a red region to indicate material removal. Press enter to confirm the operation.
[[File:Extrusion cut example.png|center|650x650px]]

==== Mirror ====
The mirror tool is an extremely powerful tool that can save the user a lot of time in creating the 3D models. This is especially useful when creating symmetrical objects. It allows users to mirror solid or small features. It does require the user to define the plane to mirror the features. There are many ways to create the plane. One of which is to “Offset Plane”
[[File:Mirror Example.png|center|650x650px]]

Under the “Construct” drop-down menu from the toolbar, select “Offset Plane”. Select a surface to offset from. This surface should be parallel from the plane you would like to create. Now enter the dimension you would like to offset the plane from the surface. Press enter when completed.

After the plane has been created, you can now mirror the features. Select “Mirror” under the drop<ins>-</ins> down menu from “Create” from the toolbar. Under “Type” parameter, you can select bodies, faces, features, or components. After the type has been selected, click on “Select” by Object and then the features you would like to mirror, you can also click on the features from the design history timeline. Then click on “Select” by Mirror Plane and the plane you would to mirror from. Now a preview will be displayed<ins>,</ins> to confirm press enter.

==== Fillet ====
Filleting the edges is a feature that is offered in Fusion 360 and not TinkerCAD. It can easily elevate your models. It creates rounded surfaces by adding or removing from a solid model.
[[File:Fillet Example.png|center|650x650px]]

# Select “Fillet” under the modify menu from the tool bar.
# Click on the edges you would like to round out.
# Enter a radius value to round the edges out to.
# Click “OK” to finalize.

== References ==
<references />

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate

2024-07-16T16:43:37Z

Kaily: /* Introduction to Fusion360 */

TinkerCAD is nice for smaller parts with very little complexity. However, since it is not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline NURBS] based nor parametric, it lacks major functionality. It is strongly suggested at this stage that TinkerCAD, Blender, Cinema 4D or other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_modeling polygonal modelling] (non-NURBS) applications be set aside for parametric CAD software, such as [https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360 Autodesk Fusion 360] ([https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators free for students. teachers, and educators]), [https://www.solidworks.com/ Dassault Systèmes Solidworks] (available through Remote Apps) or [https://www.onshape.com/en/ PTC OnShape] (completely online, free for students and educators) be used for mechanical design, as models made with such software contain much richer data that allows going from CAD models to manufacturing data. Polygonal modelling remains, however, an important tool for Scan to CAD, and such the intermediate CAD user should have a complete understanding of polygonal modelling software such as TinkerCAD.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/TinkerCAD (contd.)|Complex Shapes in TinkerCAD]]==
[[File:Heart Button TinkerCAD.png|thumb|Heart button CAD model|200x200px|alt=]]
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you learned how to group shapes together. In advanced TinkerCAD, you will use the skills you have gained to create more complex shapes. TinkerCAD provides you with basic geometries such as cubes and cylinders. You can combine these shapes to create more complex geometries such as a house using the group function. To create even more complicated designs, you can combine shapes to be used to create complex holes

<youtube>kVXkdLfK1kw</youtube>

The example below will walk you through the making of a heart button. It will involve grouping shapes together in order to create a more complex shape and feature
[[File:Heart_Button_Construction.png|alt=|thumb|351x351px|Combining simple shapes like cylinders and cubes to create heart shape. ]]
# Add a box shape to the workspace. Make sure the dimension of the box has the thickness of the desired button. This will serve as the point of the heart.
# Add two cylinders with the same thickness as the box to two edges of the box. Set the diameter of the cylinder as the width of the box. This will create the humps of the heart.
# Using the round roof object, size it to the appropriate dimension for the button hoop.
# Copy and paste<s>r</s> a second round roof object and make it slightly smaller to be used to create the hole for the button hoop.
# Turn the object into a hole and position it accordingly.
# Finally, group the shapes together and the button is completed.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Design for 3D Printing|Design for 3D Printing]] ==
There are some important things to note when modeling for 3D printing. It is important to optimize the print by decreasing print time and material while ensuring accuracy and strength of the part.

# Divide your model into smaller more manageable parts. There are many designs with complex details or large dimensions that would be more manageable prints if split into multiple parts. [[File:Multiple parts 3D print.png|center|thumb|599x599px|3D printed hand built with multiple parts. Finger is attached afterwards. ]]
# Try to ensure that there is one flat surface on the print. This will allow easier print set-up. The flat side can adhere to the build plate, minimizing the need for additional build plate adhesion.[[File:Prints in different orientation.png|center|thumb|300x300px|Traffic cone printed in two different orientations. It demonstrates the optimal orientation with the least amount of supports. ]]
# Avoid floating parts. All aspect of the model should be connected to the main model. Minimize overhangs in the model as well. This will prevent wasted time and material to print supports.[[File:Supports under floating parts.png|center|thumb|480x480px|Printed gearbox with floating parts with supports under them. ]]
# FDM printing has limited capabilities with dimensional accuracy. It is recommended to prevent printing horizontally oriented holes of the smaller size. These holes are often deformed and printed with difficult to remove supports.[[File:Holes printed vertically and horizontally..png|center|thumb|500x500px|Holes printed vertically on the left and horizontally with the layers on the right. ]]
# Printed parts are stronger in one direction than another. It is important to keep this in mind when designing. Prints will be weaker in the areas where the layers meet. This means that printed parts have low tensile strength along the Z-axis. The prints will be the strongest in planes parallel to the build surface.[[File:Layers printed in different axis.png|center|thumb|500x500px]]
# Exaggerate the details of your designs. This is an important thing to keep in mind. In order for details to show up on small designs, you should make your cuts deeper and bigger. It can also be helpful to make slender designs thicker.[[File:Details on 3D prints.png|center|thumb|450x450px|Details on CAD on the left with the same details printed on the right. ]]
# Round surfaces will not show up smoothly. Since FDM prints in layers, it will cause the rounded surfaces to look jagged. To achieve a smooth surface, additional processing will be required. [[File:3D printed surface .png|center|thumb|449x449px|3D printed surface with all the layers before and after additional processing. ]]

If your design is to be used in (electro-)mechanical assemblies in which there are interfacing components, it is important that you understand three basic tolerancing concepts and to keep them in the back of your mind when modeling or more generally designing these assemblies.

# Form: The form of a part refers to the overall dimensions and the shape of the exterior surfaces of a component. Think of a flaw referring to form as a print that ended up not matching the base geometry that was used to create it in CAD due to adverse physical variables during the printing process. Examples follow:
## A ''sphere'' may end up slightly ''oval'' once printed due to improper cooling, etc.;
## A pillar might end up tilted to one side due to improper belt tension between the belt axes, etc.;
## A pin feature might end up too large to fit its mating hole due to the printer outputting too much material when producing the outer walls of the feature (the inverse can also be true).
# Position: Position refers to the distance separating a feature and an (ideally) meaningful reference (i.e.: the distance between a hole and the side of a part, or between two holes). Thankfully, flaws pertaining to position are rare on a properly tuned printer, as the printer does not have any information about existing references other than the build plate. If tuned properly, the printer will always print a feature at a position (X,Y,Z) distance relative to another feature, because that is what the gCode will tell it to do. You can imagine, however, that if the part is warped, the 'build plate reference' is no longer valid, and such, warped parts almost always have features out of position ''unless the meaningful reference (interfacing feature) used in the design is not the build plate''. However, since the build plate reference is such an important one to define the Z position of features (for the printer, that is), making your meaningful reference something other than the build plate does not always guarantee you good positional tolerance independent of warping.
# Surface: The surface finish of a part is a rather complex subject. In 3D printing, and for typical applications of 3D printed parts, it mostly refers to the mean (statistical) difference between the height of cusps and valleys on a part and their deviation from that mean, at a macroscopic level. The most important consideration is that when 3D printing, most surface finishes are quite rough (deviate significantly from the mean), and thus are sanded down considerably to knock out the cusps left by the printer. This post processing can negatively affect the form of the final part.

Note that ''a proper mechanical fit between components demands a good tolerance on form, feature position, and surface finish'', such that it is typically impossible to obtain a proper fit when 3D printing, and that if you are considering the 3D printing of critically interfacing components, 3D printing should not be used unless post processing ''is built into the design''. For mechanical designs, you will notice that a main application is brackets. This is because brackets only need good positional tolerance on holes and mating faces, which 3D printing can almost always provide (the tolerance on form for holes is not that important since they are typically clearance holes). However, since some brackets are easily laser cut, 3D printing brackets is only done under certain specific conditions. It certainly has shown its commercial use in cost cutting by replacing intricate multi-part assemblies by ''generatively designed'' (we'll say computer generated for now) parts, as shown in the picture below.
[[File:Design for 3D Printing Generatively Designed Bracket.jpg|center|thumb|600x600px|A metal 3D printed generatively designed bracket (computer generated from load data, using Finite Element Analysis), likely replacing a multitude of other parts that would have been manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods which would lead to a heavier and more expensive bracket.<ref>CarrusHome (2021). GM Explores 3D printing, generative design for next gen parts. Consulted on 05-05-2022 at <nowiki>https://www.carrushome.com/en/gm-explores-3d-printing-generative-design-for-next-gen-parts/</nowiki></ref>]]

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/CAD Extensions|CAD File Formats]] ==
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you were introduced to TinkerCAD. In the instructions, you were instructed to export your 3D designs as a STL or OBJ file. In this section, the differences between different CAD file formats will be discussed.

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)] ===
[[File:STL format.png|thumb|Facets used to represent a cube and a sphere.]]
[[File:Vector coordinates of STL format.png|thumb|305x305px|Visual representation of the vertices and the normal vector.]]
STL files are the most used file format in 3D printing and 3D modeling. Most 3D printers support the file format. Many of the 3D printable models online are also found in STL file format. STL stands for stereolithography, a 3D printing process created at 3D Systems in <ins>the </ins>1980s. STL file format encodes the surface geometry of a 3D object. This is done through tessellation, a process of tiling a surface with one or more geometric shapes so there are no overlaps or gaps. The basic method of tessellating the outer surface of 3D models is through the use of tiny triangles (called “facets”) and store information about the facets in a file. For example, in the figure below, it shows how a cube can be represented by 12 triangles while 17000+ triangles are needed to represent a sphere. Since triangles consist of three straight edges, it can be difficult to approximate curved geometries. To do so, mesh density is increased, and individual triangle’s size is decreased.

STL file format stores the information as the coordinates of the vertices and the components of the unit normal vector to the triangle. The normal vector point outwards of the 3D model.
[[File:STL tessellation .png|left|thumb|Invalid tessellation on the left, acceptable tessellation on the right]]
There are a couple of rules for tessellation and storing information. The vertex rule states that each triangle must share two vertices with its neighbouring triangles.

The orientation rule states that the orientation of the facet must be specified in two ways. The direction of the normal should point outwards, and the vertices are listed in counter-clockwise when looking at the object from the outside.

The all-positive octant rule states that the coordinates of the triangle vertices must all be positive. This ensures that all coordinates stored would be in the positive which would save space in the file. Finally, the triangle sorting rule recommends that the triangles appear in ascending z-value order. This is a recommendation rather than a rule as it helps the software slice the models faster.
[[File:STL orientation rule.png|center|thumb|525x525px|Visual representation of the orientation rule.]]

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)] ===
OBJ is a crucial file format in 3D printing. It is generally preferred for multi-colour 3D printing. Often, it is used a s an interchange format for non-animated 3D models. OBJ file format stores information about 3D models by encoding the surface geometry of the model. It also stores information about its colour and texture. It does not store any data about animations or scene. It is open source and neutral. Therefore, it is often used to share 3D models since many CAD software supports the format.
[[File:OBJ file .png|thumb|Freeform curves on 3D model surface]]
It differs from STL since it stores colour and texture information. STL is an older file format that is missing modern features. It does not support multi colour printing or high resolution prints. OBJ can approximate surface geometry well without drastically increasing the file size. It also supports multiple colours and textures in the same model.

OBJ encodes surface geometry of a 3D object in many different methods: Tessellation with polygonal faces, freeform curves and freeform surfaces. Similar to STL, OBJ allows tessellation of the surfaces with simple geometric shapes like triangles or more complex polygon. This is the simplest way to describe surface geometry. However, approximating curved surfaces with polygons will introduce coarseness and geometric deviation from the model. The size of the polygons can be decreased to increase the quality of the prints. However, this can lead to giant file sizes which can be difficult for 3D printers to handle. It is important to find the right balance between print quality and file sizes.

The surface geometry can also be defined using freeform curves. The user defines a collection of free form curves that runs along the surface of the model. The surface is then approximated using the collection of curves. It is more complicated than polygonal faces, but it allows for fewer data to describe the same surface. The curved lines can be described using freeform curves with a few mathematical parameters. It allows for higher quality encoding without drastically increasing the file size.

=== DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT) and DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM) ===
Sldprt file formats are native SolidWorks file extensions. It provides details on specific parts within a system. This is a software specific file format. Opening SolidWorks files in slicers and other software may cause some corruption of your designs. However, because it is software specific, it contains the most information about your models. As such, you should do all your modeling while the files are in native format

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)] ===
STEP file format is a neutral file format. It is the most common file format used to share 3D designs. This allows users to open others’ designs using the software of their choice. It stores 3D images in an ASCII format. While STEP files can be opened with most CAD software. It is not easily edited. The model will display as a finalized object. Users cannot edit specific dimensions or features of the model.

===Polygonal Formats===

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format 3D Manufacturing Format (*.3MF)]

===NURBS Formats===

====Standard====

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format (*.DXF/*.DWG)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (*.IGES)] (standard last updated 1996)

====Software-Specific====

*DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT)
*DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM)
*DS CATIA V5 Parts (*.CGR/*.CATPart)
*DS CATIA V5 Assemblies (*.CGR/*.CATProduct)
*PTC Creo Parts (*.PRT)
*PTC Creo Assemblies (*.ASM)

*Fusion 360 (*.F3D)

It should be noted that Fusion360 stores files on the cloud, such that locally saved .f3d files are not commonly encountered. It should also be noted that OnShape does not have a file format given it is hosted entirely on the cloud.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Using Parametric NURBS Software]] ==

===[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Introduction to Fusion360]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!<youtube>5hComh1hFzY</youtube>
!<youtube>1Ff_NcZhBSo</youtube>
|}

TinkerCAD is known for its simplicity, meaning it is easy to learn and use. However, its capabilities are limited. It uses a drag and drop method to create basic geometries. Theses shapes can be grouped to create more complex geometries but it takes more time to design something complex and has less flexibility. Fusion<ins> </ins>360 is a sketch-based CAD modeling software that allows for users to completely customize their design. It allows users to design 3D objects using 2D sketches.

Fusion 360 offers 3D CAD modeling, PCB design, and 3D simulation capabilities. It is a fee-based subscription software, however, a free version is offered for personal use. The free version has some limited capabilities but most of the 3D CAD features are offered. Even with the limited features it offers more design options than TinkerCAD. To download the software, you can use your AutoCAD account and follow the link below: https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/personal

Just like TinkerCAD, and with any CAD modeling software you choose to use<ins>,</ins> you can export your part designs as an STL file. Using this file format, you can use any slicer of your choice to slice the design into a gcode file to print.

==== Fusion 360 User Interface ====
[[File:User Interface of Fusion 360.png|center|959x959px]]
There are 5 main areas of the user interface. When the software is first launched, you should be seeing the screen above.

# Data Panel: On the left is the data panel. It displays pinned and recent projects, providing easy access to these projects for the users. It will also display sample projects that corresponds to the tutorials offered by AutoCAD. Users can also upload their projects to be shared with others for collaboration.
# Tool Bar: On the top of the screen sits the tool bar. Through this, you can use any of the features displayed to manipulate the 3D model you create. The shortcuts can be customized to display the ones you favour.
# Browser: Located at the top left of the main screen. It displays the model design with a file tree structure listing all the components, bodies and constructing plane. The files can be navigated through by clicking on their names. They can also be renamed by double clicking. The files can be collapsed using the triangles. The visibility of the bodies and planes can be toggled by clicking on the lightbulb.
# Timeline: The timeline of the design history is displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is a special feature of Fusion<ins> </ins>360 that is different from other CAD software. It keeps a record of the construction of the 3D model allowing the users to playback the building of the model. This feature also allow<ins>s</ins> users to add to the model from a previous state of the model.
# Navigation bar: The navigation bard allows users to change the view of the model. These features exist<s>s</s> as shortcuts when used with a mouse. For this reason, it is recommended to create CAD models using a physical mouse instead of a track pad. Some features include:
#* Zoom In/Out by scrolling up/down with the mouse.
#* Pan the model by holding down the wheel of the mouse.
#* Orbit the model by holding down control + wheel.

==== Sketching ====
The sketch function is the most important feature of a CAD program. It allows users to sketch 2D drawings as the base to create 3D objects.
[[File:Sketch Interface.png|center|650x650px]]
To create a rectangle, first click on “Create Sketch” from the tool bar above. Select the desired sketch plane. In the example above, YZ plane was selected. This is the plane which the 2D sketch will be created. You’ll notice the tool bar above has transformed to display sketch functions. Select “2-Point Rectangle” from the tool bar. Click on the origin of the sketch plane and drag to create a desired rectangle. The sketch features are defined with reference to the origin to position it in space. It is why it is recommended to have one vertex of the sketch to be defined as the origin. After the rectangle is drawn, you can define the dimensions of the 2 sides of the rectangle. You can toggle between the dimensions by using the “Tab” key on your keyboard. Press enter to confirm the sketch.
[[File:Fusion 360 Rectangle Sketch.png|center|600x600px]]
Next, the line tool will be introduced. Drawing a line is the most simple and versatile function of sketch. It will allow you to create any shapes you will need. Select the “Line” option from the tool bar. Hover your mouse over the rectangle, the mouse will be drawn to the line and an ‘X’ will appear. This means that one end of the line will intersect with the rectangle. Move the mouse towards the middle of the line on the rectangle until a triangle icon shows up. This signifies the midpoint of the line. Click to create the start of the line segment. Drag the mouse to create the line and click again to create the end of the line. You can also manipulate the dimension of the line manually by entering the value.
[[File:Fusion 360 Line Sketch.png|center|649x649px]]
To draw the line at an angle, drag the line out at an angle. At this point, there should be an angle dimension displayed. This value can be altered manually.

To create an arc, select “Create” -> “Arc” -> “Tangent Arc” from the tool bar. This will create an arc tangent to two other entities. Left click on the vertex of where you would like the arc to connect. Then click on the other vertex to connect. Alternative to create arcs include 3-point arcs where you select the two vertex and the middle point of the arc or center point arc when the arc is create<ins>d</ins> by finding the center of the arc.
[[File:Arc Sketch.png|center|648x648px]]

In order for a 2D sketch to be converted to 3D model, the 2D profile has to be a closed shape. This means all the lines and entities have to form a closed loop. This will be indicated with a light-blue shading inside the sketch.

==== Extrusion ====
The simplest way to create a 3D model is by extruding a 2D sketch, which adds a third dimension to the 2D sketch. Select “Extrude” from the toolbar. Hover the mouse over the sketch, closed shapes that can be extruded will be highlighted when hovered on. To select multiple shapes, left click on both shapes. In the extrusion settings that pops up on the right, enter the value for the third dimension of the sketch, the width. Click “OK” to confirm the extrusion.
[[File:Extrusion example.png|center|650x650px]]
You can select a new surface from the extruded object to sketch on. To do so, select “Create Sketch” and select the surface you would like to sketch on as the plane. Afterwards continue to sketch like normal.

Extrusion can also be used to cut. Sketch on the surface of the shape the geometry you would like to cut. Select “Extrude” tool and select the shapes you would like to cut. To remove material, enter a negative value in the dimension window. This indicates the direction you would like the extrusion to occur. On the screen, it will display a red region to indicate material removal. Press enter to confirm the operation.
[[File:Extrusion cut example.png|center|650x650px]]

==== Mirror ====
The mirror tool is an extremely powerful tool that can save the user a lot of time in creating the 3D models. This is especially useful when creating symmetrical objects. It allows users to mirror solid or small features. It does require the user to define the plane to mirror the features. There are many ways to create the plane. One of which is to “Offset Plane”
[[File:Mirror Example.png|center|650x650px]]

Under the “Construct” drop-down menu from the toolbar, select “Offset Plane”. Select a surface to offset from. This surface should be parallel from the plane you would like to create. Now enter the dimension you would like to offset the plane from the surface. Press enter when completed.

After the plane has been created, you can now mirror the features. Select “Mirror” under the drop<ins>-</ins> down menu from “Create” from the toolbar. Under “Type” parameter, you can select bodies, faces, features, or components. After the type has been selected, click on “Select” by Object and then the features you would like to mirror, you can also click on the features from the design history timeline. Then click on “Select” by Mirror Plane and the plane you would to mirror from. Now a preview will be displayed<ins>,</ins> to confirm press enter.

==== Fillet ====
Filleting the edges is a feature that is offered in Fusion 360 and not TinkerCAD. It can easily elevate your models. It creates rounded surfaces by adding or removing from a solid model.
[[File:Fillet Example.png|center|650x650px]]

# Select “Fillet” under the modify menu from the tool bar.
# Click on the edges you would like to round out.
# Enter a radius value to round the edges out to.
# Click “OK” to finalize.

== References ==
<references />

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate

2024-07-16T16:43:09Z

Kaily: /* Introduction to Fusion360 */

TinkerCAD is nice for smaller parts with very little complexity. However, since it is not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline NURBS] based nor parametric, it lacks major functionality. It is strongly suggested at this stage that TinkerCAD, Blender, Cinema 4D or other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_modeling polygonal modelling] (non-NURBS) applications be set aside for parametric CAD software, such as [https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360 Autodesk Fusion 360] ([https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators free for students. teachers, and educators]), [https://www.solidworks.com/ Dassault Systèmes Solidworks] (available through Remote Apps) or [https://www.onshape.com/en/ PTC OnShape] (completely online, free for students and educators) be used for mechanical design, as models made with such software contain much richer data that allows going from CAD models to manufacturing data. Polygonal modelling remains, however, an important tool for Scan to CAD, and such the intermediate CAD user should have a complete understanding of polygonal modelling software such as TinkerCAD.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/TinkerCAD (contd.)|Complex Shapes in TinkerCAD]]==
[[File:Heart Button TinkerCAD.png|thumb|Heart button CAD model|200x200px|alt=]]
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you learned how to group shapes together. In advanced TinkerCAD, you will use the skills you have gained to create more complex shapes. TinkerCAD provides you with basic geometries such as cubes and cylinders. You can combine these shapes to create more complex geometries such as a house using the group function. To create even more complicated designs, you can combine shapes to be used to create complex holes

<youtube>kVXkdLfK1kw</youtube>

The example below will walk you through the making of a heart button. It will involve grouping shapes together in order to create a more complex shape and feature
[[File:Heart_Button_Construction.png|alt=|thumb|351x351px|Combining simple shapes like cylinders and cubes to create heart shape. ]]
# Add a box shape to the workspace. Make sure the dimension of the box has the thickness of the desired button. This will serve as the point of the heart.
# Add two cylinders with the same thickness as the box to two edges of the box. Set the diameter of the cylinder as the width of the box. This will create the humps of the heart.
# Using the round roof object, size it to the appropriate dimension for the button hoop.
# Copy and paste<s>r</s> a second round roof object and make it slightly smaller to be used to create the hole for the button hoop.
# Turn the object into a hole and position it accordingly.
# Finally, group the shapes together and the button is completed.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Design for 3D Printing|Design for 3D Printing]] ==
There are some important things to note when modeling for 3D printing. It is important to optimize the print by decreasing print time and material while ensuring accuracy and strength of the part.

# Divide your model into smaller more manageable parts. There are many designs with complex details or large dimensions that would be more manageable prints if split into multiple parts. [[File:Multiple parts 3D print.png|center|thumb|599x599px|3D printed hand built with multiple parts. Finger is attached afterwards. ]]
# Try to ensure that there is one flat surface on the print. This will allow easier print set-up. The flat side can adhere to the build plate, minimizing the need for additional build plate adhesion.[[File:Prints in different orientation.png|center|thumb|300x300px|Traffic cone printed in two different orientations. It demonstrates the optimal orientation with the least amount of supports. ]]
# Avoid floating parts. All aspect of the model should be connected to the main model. Minimize overhangs in the model as well. This will prevent wasted time and material to print supports.[[File:Supports under floating parts.png|center|thumb|480x480px|Printed gearbox with floating parts with supports under them. ]]
# FDM printing has limited capabilities with dimensional accuracy. It is recommended to prevent printing horizontally oriented holes of the smaller size. These holes are often deformed and printed with difficult to remove supports.[[File:Holes printed vertically and horizontally..png|center|thumb|500x500px|Holes printed vertically on the left and horizontally with the layers on the right. ]]
# Printed parts are stronger in one direction than another. It is important to keep this in mind when designing. Prints will be weaker in the areas where the layers meet. This means that printed parts have low tensile strength along the Z-axis. The prints will be the strongest in planes parallel to the build surface.[[File:Layers printed in different axis.png|center|thumb|500x500px]]
# Exaggerate the details of your designs. This is an important thing to keep in mind. In order for details to show up on small designs, you should make your cuts deeper and bigger. It can also be helpful to make slender designs thicker.[[File:Details on 3D prints.png|center|thumb|450x450px|Details on CAD on the left with the same details printed on the right. ]]
# Round surfaces will not show up smoothly. Since FDM prints in layers, it will cause the rounded surfaces to look jagged. To achieve a smooth surface, additional processing will be required. [[File:3D printed surface .png|center|thumb|449x449px|3D printed surface with all the layers before and after additional processing. ]]

If your design is to be used in (electro-)mechanical assemblies in which there are interfacing components, it is important that you understand three basic tolerancing concepts and to keep them in the back of your mind when modeling or more generally designing these assemblies.

# Form: The form of a part refers to the overall dimensions and the shape of the exterior surfaces of a component. Think of a flaw referring to form as a print that ended up not matching the base geometry that was used to create it in CAD due to adverse physical variables during the printing process. Examples follow:
## A ''sphere'' may end up slightly ''oval'' once printed due to improper cooling, etc.;
## A pillar might end up tilted to one side due to improper belt tension between the belt axes, etc.;
## A pin feature might end up too large to fit its mating hole due to the printer outputting too much material when producing the outer walls of the feature (the inverse can also be true).
# Position: Position refers to the distance separating a feature and an (ideally) meaningful reference (i.e.: the distance between a hole and the side of a part, or between two holes). Thankfully, flaws pertaining to position are rare on a properly tuned printer, as the printer does not have any information about existing references other than the build plate. If tuned properly, the printer will always print a feature at a position (X,Y,Z) distance relative to another feature, because that is what the gCode will tell it to do. You can imagine, however, that if the part is warped, the 'build plate reference' is no longer valid, and such, warped parts almost always have features out of position ''unless the meaningful reference (interfacing feature) used in the design is not the build plate''. However, since the build plate reference is such an important one to define the Z position of features (for the printer, that is), making your meaningful reference something other than the build plate does not always guarantee you good positional tolerance independent of warping.
# Surface: The surface finish of a part is a rather complex subject. In 3D printing, and for typical applications of 3D printed parts, it mostly refers to the mean (statistical) difference between the height of cusps and valleys on a part and their deviation from that mean, at a macroscopic level. The most important consideration is that when 3D printing, most surface finishes are quite rough (deviate significantly from the mean), and thus are sanded down considerably to knock out the cusps left by the printer. This post processing can negatively affect the form of the final part.

Note that ''a proper mechanical fit between components demands a good tolerance on form, feature position, and surface finish'', such that it is typically impossible to obtain a proper fit when 3D printing, and that if you are considering the 3D printing of critically interfacing components, 3D printing should not be used unless post processing ''is built into the design''. For mechanical designs, you will notice that a main application is brackets. This is because brackets only need good positional tolerance on holes and mating faces, which 3D printing can almost always provide (the tolerance on form for holes is not that important since they are typically clearance holes). However, since some brackets are easily laser cut, 3D printing brackets is only done under certain specific conditions. It certainly has shown its commercial use in cost cutting by replacing intricate multi-part assemblies by ''generatively designed'' (we'll say computer generated for now) parts, as shown in the picture below.
[[File:Design for 3D Printing Generatively Designed Bracket.jpg|center|thumb|600x600px|A metal 3D printed generatively designed bracket (computer generated from load data, using Finite Element Analysis), likely replacing a multitude of other parts that would have been manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods which would lead to a heavier and more expensive bracket.<ref>CarrusHome (2021). GM Explores 3D printing, generative design for next gen parts. Consulted on 05-05-2022 at <nowiki>https://www.carrushome.com/en/gm-explores-3d-printing-generative-design-for-next-gen-parts/</nowiki></ref>]]

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/CAD Extensions|CAD File Formats]] ==
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you were introduced to TinkerCAD. In the instructions, you were instructed to export your 3D designs as a STL or OBJ file. In this section, the differences between different CAD file formats will be discussed.

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)] ===
[[File:STL format.png|thumb|Facets used to represent a cube and a sphere.]]
[[File:Vector coordinates of STL format.png|thumb|305x305px|Visual representation of the vertices and the normal vector.]]
STL files are the most used file format in 3D printing and 3D modeling. Most 3D printers support the file format. Many of the 3D printable models online are also found in STL file format. STL stands for stereolithography, a 3D printing process created at 3D Systems in <ins>the </ins>1980s. STL file format encodes the surface geometry of a 3D object. This is done through tessellation, a process of tiling a surface with one or more geometric shapes so there are no overlaps or gaps. The basic method of tessellating the outer surface of 3D models is through the use of tiny triangles (called “facets”) and store information about the facets in a file. For example, in the figure below, it shows how a cube can be represented by 12 triangles while 17000+ triangles are needed to represent a sphere. Since triangles consist of three straight edges, it can be difficult to approximate curved geometries. To do so, mesh density is increased, and individual triangle’s size is decreased.

STL file format stores the information as the coordinates of the vertices and the components of the unit normal vector to the triangle. The normal vector point outwards of the 3D model.
[[File:STL tessellation .png|left|thumb|Invalid tessellation on the left, acceptable tessellation on the right]]
There are a couple of rules for tessellation and storing information. The vertex rule states that each triangle must share two vertices with its neighbouring triangles.

The orientation rule states that the orientation of the facet must be specified in two ways. The direction of the normal should point outwards, and the vertices are listed in counter-clockwise when looking at the object from the outside.

The all-positive octant rule states that the coordinates of the triangle vertices must all be positive. This ensures that all coordinates stored would be in the positive which would save space in the file. Finally, the triangle sorting rule recommends that the triangles appear in ascending z-value order. This is a recommendation rather than a rule as it helps the software slice the models faster.
[[File:STL orientation rule.png|center|thumb|525x525px|Visual representation of the orientation rule.]]

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)] ===
OBJ is a crucial file format in 3D printing. It is generally preferred for multi-colour 3D printing. Often, it is used a s an interchange format for non-animated 3D models. OBJ file format stores information about 3D models by encoding the surface geometry of the model. It also stores information about its colour and texture. It does not store any data about animations or scene. It is open source and neutral. Therefore, it is often used to share 3D models since many CAD software supports the format.
[[File:OBJ file .png|thumb|Freeform curves on 3D model surface]]
It differs from STL since it stores colour and texture information. STL is an older file format that is missing modern features. It does not support multi colour printing or high resolution prints. OBJ can approximate surface geometry well without drastically increasing the file size. It also supports multiple colours and textures in the same model.

OBJ encodes surface geometry of a 3D object in many different methods: Tessellation with polygonal faces, freeform curves and freeform surfaces. Similar to STL, OBJ allows tessellation of the surfaces with simple geometric shapes like triangles or more complex polygon. This is the simplest way to describe surface geometry. However, approximating curved surfaces with polygons will introduce coarseness and geometric deviation from the model. The size of the polygons can be decreased to increase the quality of the prints. However, this can lead to giant file sizes which can be difficult for 3D printers to handle. It is important to find the right balance between print quality and file sizes.

The surface geometry can also be defined using freeform curves. The user defines a collection of free form curves that runs along the surface of the model. The surface is then approximated using the collection of curves. It is more complicated than polygonal faces, but it allows for fewer data to describe the same surface. The curved lines can be described using freeform curves with a few mathematical parameters. It allows for higher quality encoding without drastically increasing the file size.

=== DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT) and DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM) ===
Sldprt file formats are native SolidWorks file extensions. It provides details on specific parts within a system. This is a software specific file format. Opening SolidWorks files in slicers and other software may cause some corruption of your designs. However, because it is software specific, it contains the most information about your models. As such, you should do all your modeling while the files are in native format

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)] ===
STEP file format is a neutral file format. It is the most common file format used to share 3D designs. This allows users to open others’ designs using the software of their choice. It stores 3D images in an ASCII format. While STEP files can be opened with most CAD software. It is not easily edited. The model will display as a finalized object. Users cannot edit specific dimensions or features of the model.

===Polygonal Formats===

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format 3D Manufacturing Format (*.3MF)]

===NURBS Formats===

====Standard====

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format (*.DXF/*.DWG)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (*.IGES)] (standard last updated 1996)

====Software-Specific====

*DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT)
*DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM)
*DS CATIA V5 Parts (*.CGR/*.CATPart)
*DS CATIA V5 Assemblies (*.CGR/*.CATProduct)
*PTC Creo Parts (*.PRT)
*PTC Creo Assemblies (*.ASM)

*Fusion 360 (*.F3D)

It should be noted that Fusion360 stores files on the cloud, such that locally saved .f3d files are not commonly encountered. It should also be noted that OnShape does not have a file format given it is hosted entirely on the cloud.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Using Parametric NURBS Software]] ==

===[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Introduction to Fusion360]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!
!
|}
<youtube>5hComh1hFzY</youtube>

<youtube>1Ff_NcZhBSo</youtube>

TinkerCAD is known for its simplicity, meaning it is easy to learn and use. However, its capabilities are limited. It uses a drag and drop method to create basic geometries. Theses shapes can be grouped to create more complex geometries but it takes more time to design something complex and has less flexibility. Fusion<ins> </ins>360 is a sketch-based CAD modeling software that allows for users to completely customize their design. It allows users to design 3D objects using 2D sketches.

Fusion 360 offers 3D CAD modeling, PCB design, and 3D simulation capabilities. It is a fee-based subscription software, however, a free version is offered for personal use. The free version has some limited capabilities but most of the 3D CAD features are offered. Even with the limited features it offers more design options than TinkerCAD. To download the software, you can use your AutoCAD account and follow the link below: https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/personal

Just like TinkerCAD, and with any CAD modeling software you choose to use<ins>,</ins> you can export your part designs as an STL file. Using this file format, you can use any slicer of your choice to slice the design into a gcode file to print.

==== Fusion 360 User Interface ====
[[File:User Interface of Fusion 360.png|center|959x959px]]
There are 5 main areas of the user interface. When the software is first launched, you should be seeing the screen above.

# Data Panel: On the left is the data panel. It displays pinned and recent projects, providing easy access to these projects for the users. It will also display sample projects that corresponds to the tutorials offered by AutoCAD. Users can also upload their projects to be shared with others for collaboration.
# Tool Bar: On the top of the screen sits the tool bar. Through this, you can use any of the features displayed to manipulate the 3D model you create. The shortcuts can be customized to display the ones you favour.
# Browser: Located at the top left of the main screen. It displays the model design with a file tree structure listing all the components, bodies and constructing plane. The files can be navigated through by clicking on their names. They can also be renamed by double clicking. The files can be collapsed using the triangles. The visibility of the bodies and planes can be toggled by clicking on the lightbulb.
# Timeline: The timeline of the design history is displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is a special feature of Fusion<ins> </ins>360 that is different from other CAD software. It keeps a record of the construction of the 3D model allowing the users to playback the building of the model. This feature also allow<ins>s</ins> users to add to the model from a previous state of the model.
# Navigation bar: The navigation bard allows users to change the view of the model. These features exist<s>s</s> as shortcuts when used with a mouse. For this reason, it is recommended to create CAD models using a physical mouse instead of a track pad. Some features include:
#* Zoom In/Out by scrolling up/down with the mouse.
#* Pan the model by holding down the wheel of the mouse.
#* Orbit the model by holding down control + wheel.

==== Sketching ====
The sketch function is the most important feature of a CAD program. It allows users to sketch 2D drawings as the base to create 3D objects.
[[File:Sketch Interface.png|center|650x650px]]
To create a rectangle, first click on “Create Sketch” from the tool bar above. Select the desired sketch plane. In the example above, YZ plane was selected. This is the plane which the 2D sketch will be created. You’ll notice the tool bar above has transformed to display sketch functions. Select “2-Point Rectangle” from the tool bar. Click on the origin of the sketch plane and drag to create a desired rectangle. The sketch features are defined with reference to the origin to position it in space. It is why it is recommended to have one vertex of the sketch to be defined as the origin. After the rectangle is drawn, you can define the dimensions of the 2 sides of the rectangle. You can toggle between the dimensions by using the “Tab” key on your keyboard. Press enter to confirm the sketch.
[[File:Fusion 360 Rectangle Sketch.png|center|600x600px]]
Next, the line tool will be introduced. Drawing a line is the most simple and versatile function of sketch. It will allow you to create any shapes you will need. Select the “Line” option from the tool bar. Hover your mouse over the rectangle, the mouse will be drawn to the line and an ‘X’ will appear. This means that one end of the line will intersect with the rectangle. Move the mouse towards the middle of the line on the rectangle until a triangle icon shows up. This signifies the midpoint of the line. Click to create the start of the line segment. Drag the mouse to create the line and click again to create the end of the line. You can also manipulate the dimension of the line manually by entering the value.
[[File:Fusion 360 Line Sketch.png|center|649x649px]]
To draw the line at an angle, drag the line out at an angle. At this point, there should be an angle dimension displayed. This value can be altered manually.

To create an arc, select “Create” -> “Arc” -> “Tangent Arc” from the tool bar. This will create an arc tangent to two other entities. Left click on the vertex of where you would like the arc to connect. Then click on the other vertex to connect. Alternative to create arcs include 3-point arcs where you select the two vertex and the middle point of the arc or center point arc when the arc is create<ins>d</ins> by finding the center of the arc.
[[File:Arc Sketch.png|center|648x648px]]

In order for a 2D sketch to be converted to 3D model, the 2D profile has to be a closed shape. This means all the lines and entities have to form a closed loop. This will be indicated with a light-blue shading inside the sketch.

==== Extrusion ====
The simplest way to create a 3D model is by extruding a 2D sketch, which adds a third dimension to the 2D sketch. Select “Extrude” from the toolbar. Hover the mouse over the sketch, closed shapes that can be extruded will be highlighted when hovered on. To select multiple shapes, left click on both shapes. In the extrusion settings that pops up on the right, enter the value for the third dimension of the sketch, the width. Click “OK” to confirm the extrusion.
[[File:Extrusion example.png|center|650x650px]]
You can select a new surface from the extruded object to sketch on. To do so, select “Create Sketch” and select the surface you would like to sketch on as the plane. Afterwards continue to sketch like normal.

Extrusion can also be used to cut. Sketch on the surface of the shape the geometry you would like to cut. Select “Extrude” tool and select the shapes you would like to cut. To remove material, enter a negative value in the dimension window. This indicates the direction you would like the extrusion to occur. On the screen, it will display a red region to indicate material removal. Press enter to confirm the operation.
[[File:Extrusion cut example.png|center|650x650px]]

==== Mirror ====
The mirror tool is an extremely powerful tool that can save the user a lot of time in creating the 3D models. This is especially useful when creating symmetrical objects. It allows users to mirror solid or small features. It does require the user to define the plane to mirror the features. There are many ways to create the plane. One of which is to “Offset Plane”
[[File:Mirror Example.png|center|650x650px]]

Under the “Construct” drop-down menu from the toolbar, select “Offset Plane”. Select a surface to offset from. This surface should be parallel from the plane you would like to create. Now enter the dimension you would like to offset the plane from the surface. Press enter when completed.

After the plane has been created, you can now mirror the features. Select “Mirror” under the drop<ins>-</ins> down menu from “Create” from the toolbar. Under “Type” parameter, you can select bodies, faces, features, or components. After the type has been selected, click on “Select” by Object and then the features you would like to mirror, you can also click on the features from the design history timeline. Then click on “Select” by Mirror Plane and the plane you would to mirror from. Now a preview will be displayed<ins>,</ins> to confirm press enter.

==== Fillet ====
Filleting the edges is a feature that is offered in Fusion 360 and not TinkerCAD. It can easily elevate your models. It creates rounded surfaces by adding or removing from a solid model.
[[File:Fillet Example.png|center|650x650px]]

# Select “Fillet” under the modify menu from the tool bar.
# Click on the edges you would like to round out.
# Enter a radius value to round the edges out to.
# Click “OK” to finalize.

== References ==
<references />

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate

2024-07-16T15:36:18Z

Kaily: /* Using Parametric NURBS Software */

TinkerCAD is nice for smaller parts with very little complexity. However, since it is not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline NURBS] based nor parametric, it lacks major functionality. It is strongly suggested at this stage that TinkerCAD, Blender, Cinema 4D or other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_modeling polygonal modelling] (non-NURBS) applications be set aside for parametric CAD software, such as [https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360 Autodesk Fusion 360] ([https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators free for students. teachers, and educators]), [https://www.solidworks.com/ Dassault Systèmes Solidworks] (available through Remote Apps) or [https://www.onshape.com/en/ PTC OnShape] (completely online, free for students and educators) be used for mechanical design, as models made with such software contain much richer data that allows going from CAD models to manufacturing data. Polygonal modelling remains, however, an important tool for Scan to CAD, and such the intermediate CAD user should have a complete understanding of polygonal modelling software such as TinkerCAD.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/TinkerCAD (contd.)|Complex Shapes in TinkerCAD]]==
[[File:Heart Button TinkerCAD.png|thumb|Heart button CAD model|200x200px|alt=]]
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you learned how to group shapes together. In advanced TinkerCAD, you will use the skills you have gained to create more complex shapes. TinkerCAD provides you with basic geometries such as cubes and cylinders. You can combine these shapes to create more complex geometries such as a house using the group function. To create even more complicated designs, you can combine shapes to be used to create complex holes

<youtube>kVXkdLfK1kw</youtube>

The example below will walk you through the making of a heart button. It will involve grouping shapes together in order to create a more complex shape and feature
[[File:Heart_Button_Construction.png|alt=|thumb|351x351px|Combining simple shapes like cylinders and cubes to create heart shape. ]]
# Add a box shape to the workspace. Make sure the dimension of the box has the thickness of the desired button. This will serve as the point of the heart.
# Add two cylinders with the same thickness as the box to two edges of the box. Set the diameter of the cylinder as the width of the box. This will create the humps of the heart.
# Using the round roof object, size it to the appropriate dimension for the button hoop.
# Copy and paste<s>r</s> a second round roof object and make it slightly smaller to be used to create the hole for the button hoop.
# Turn the object into a hole and position it accordingly.
# Finally, group the shapes together and the button is completed.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Design for 3D Printing|Design for 3D Printing]] ==
There are some important things to note when modeling for 3D printing. It is important to optimize the print by decreasing print time and material while ensuring accuracy and strength of the part.

# Divide your model into smaller more manageable parts. There are many designs with complex details or large dimensions that would be more manageable prints if split into multiple parts. [[File:Multiple parts 3D print.png|center|thumb|599x599px|3D printed hand built with multiple parts. Finger is attached afterwards. ]]
# Try to ensure that there is one flat surface on the print. This will allow easier print set-up. The flat side can adhere to the build plate, minimizing the need for additional build plate adhesion.[[File:Prints in different orientation.png|center|thumb|300x300px|Traffic cone printed in two different orientations. It demonstrates the optimal orientation with the least amount of supports. ]]
# Avoid floating parts. All aspect of the model should be connected to the main model. Minimize overhangs in the model as well. This will prevent wasted time and material to print supports.[[File:Supports under floating parts.png|center|thumb|480x480px|Printed gearbox with floating parts with supports under them. ]]
# FDM printing has limited capabilities with dimensional accuracy. It is recommended to prevent printing horizontally oriented holes of the smaller size. These holes are often deformed and printed with difficult to remove supports.[[File:Holes printed vertically and horizontally..png|center|thumb|500x500px|Holes printed vertically on the left and horizontally with the layers on the right. ]]
# Printed parts are stronger in one direction than another. It is important to keep this in mind when designing. Prints will be weaker in the areas where the layers meet. This means that printed parts have low tensile strength along the Z-axis. The prints will be the strongest in planes parallel to the build surface.[[File:Layers printed in different axis.png|center|thumb|500x500px]]
# Exaggerate the details of your designs. This is an important thing to keep in mind. In order for details to show up on small designs, you should make your cuts deeper and bigger. It can also be helpful to make slender designs thicker.[[File:Details on 3D prints.png|center|thumb|450x450px|Details on CAD on the left with the same details printed on the right. ]]
# Round surfaces will not show up smoothly. Since FDM prints in layers, it will cause the rounded surfaces to look jagged. To achieve a smooth surface, additional processing will be required. [[File:3D printed surface .png|center|thumb|449x449px|3D printed surface with all the layers before and after additional processing. ]]

If your design is to be used in (electro-)mechanical assemblies in which there are interfacing components, it is important that you understand three basic tolerancing concepts and to keep them in the back of your mind when modeling or more generally designing these assemblies.

# Form: The form of a part refers to the overall dimensions and the shape of the exterior surfaces of a component. Think of a flaw referring to form as a print that ended up not matching the base geometry that was used to create it in CAD due to adverse physical variables during the printing process. Examples follow:
## A ''sphere'' may end up slightly ''oval'' once printed due to improper cooling, etc.;
## A pillar might end up tilted to one side due to improper belt tension between the belt axes, etc.;
## A pin feature might end up too large to fit its mating hole due to the printer outputting too much material when producing the outer walls of the feature (the inverse can also be true).
# Position: Position refers to the distance separating a feature and an (ideally) meaningful reference (i.e.: the distance between a hole and the side of a part, or between two holes). Thankfully, flaws pertaining to position are rare on a properly tuned printer, as the printer does not have any information about existing references other than the build plate. If tuned properly, the printer will always print a feature at a position (X,Y,Z) distance relative to another feature, because that is what the gCode will tell it to do. You can imagine, however, that if the part is warped, the 'build plate reference' is no longer valid, and such, warped parts almost always have features out of position ''unless the meaningful reference (interfacing feature) used in the design is not the build plate''. However, since the build plate reference is such an important one to define the Z position of features (for the printer, that is), making your meaningful reference something other than the build plate does not always guarantee you good positional tolerance independent of warping.
# Surface: The surface finish of a part is a rather complex subject. In 3D printing, and for typical applications of 3D printed parts, it mostly refers to the mean (statistical) difference between the height of cusps and valleys on a part and their deviation from that mean, at a macroscopic level. The most important consideration is that when 3D printing, most surface finishes are quite rough (deviate significantly from the mean), and thus are sanded down considerably to knock out the cusps left by the printer. This post processing can negatively affect the form of the final part.

Note that ''a proper mechanical fit between components demands a good tolerance on form, feature position, and surface finish'', such that it is typically impossible to obtain a proper fit when 3D printing, and that if you are considering the 3D printing of critically interfacing components, 3D printing should not be used unless post processing ''is built into the design''. For mechanical designs, you will notice that a main application is brackets. This is because brackets only need good positional tolerance on holes and mating faces, which 3D printing can almost always provide (the tolerance on form for holes is not that important since they are typically clearance holes). However, since some brackets are easily laser cut, 3D printing brackets is only done under certain specific conditions. It certainly has shown its commercial use in cost cutting by replacing intricate multi-part assemblies by ''generatively designed'' (we'll say computer generated for now) parts, as shown in the picture below.
[[File:Design for 3D Printing Generatively Designed Bracket.jpg|center|thumb|600x600px|A metal 3D printed generatively designed bracket (computer generated from load data, using Finite Element Analysis), likely replacing a multitude of other parts that would have been manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods which would lead to a heavier and more expensive bracket.<ref>CarrusHome (2021). GM Explores 3D printing, generative design for next gen parts. Consulted on 05-05-2022 at <nowiki>https://www.carrushome.com/en/gm-explores-3d-printing-generative-design-for-next-gen-parts/</nowiki></ref>]]

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/CAD Extensions|CAD File Formats]] ==
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you were introduced to TinkerCAD. In the instructions, you were instructed to export your 3D designs as a STL or OBJ file. In this section, the differences between different CAD file formats will be discussed.

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)] ===
[[File:STL format.png|thumb|Facets used to represent a cube and a sphere.]]
[[File:Vector coordinates of STL format.png|thumb|305x305px|Visual representation of the vertices and the normal vector.]]
STL files are the most used file format in 3D printing and 3D modeling. Most 3D printers support the file format. Many of the 3D printable models online are also found in STL file format. STL stands for stereolithography, a 3D printing process created at 3D Systems in <ins>the </ins>1980s. STL file format encodes the surface geometry of a 3D object. This is done through tessellation, a process of tiling a surface with one or more geometric shapes so there are no overlaps or gaps. The basic method of tessellating the outer surface of 3D models is through the use of tiny triangles (called “facets”) and store information about the facets in a file. For example, in the figure below, it shows how a cube can be represented by 12 triangles while 17000+ triangles are needed to represent a sphere. Since triangles consist of three straight edges, it can be difficult to approximate curved geometries. To do so, mesh density is increased, and individual triangle’s size is decreased.

STL file format stores the information as the coordinates of the vertices and the components of the unit normal vector to the triangle. The normal vector point outwards of the 3D model.
[[File:STL tessellation .png|left|thumb|Invalid tessellation on the left, acceptable tessellation on the right]]
There are a couple of rules for tessellation and storing information. The vertex rule states that each triangle must share two vertices with its neighbouring triangles.

The orientation rule states that the orientation of the facet must be specified in two ways. The direction of the normal should point outwards, and the vertices are listed in counter-clockwise when looking at the object from the outside.

The all-positive octant rule states that the coordinates of the triangle vertices must all be positive. This ensures that all coordinates stored would be in the positive which would save space in the file. Finally, the triangle sorting rule recommends that the triangles appear in ascending z-value order. This is a recommendation rather than a rule as it helps the software slice the models faster.
[[File:STL orientation rule.png|center|thumb|525x525px|Visual representation of the orientation rule.]]

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)] ===
OBJ is a crucial file format in 3D printing. It is generally preferred for multi-colour 3D printing. Often, it is used a s an interchange format for non-animated 3D models. OBJ file format stores information about 3D models by encoding the surface geometry of the model. It also stores information about its colour and texture. It does not store any data about animations or scene. It is open source and neutral. Therefore, it is often used to share 3D models since many CAD software supports the format.
[[File:OBJ file .png|thumb|Freeform curves on 3D model surface]]
It differs from STL since it stores colour and texture information. STL is an older file format that is missing modern features. It does not support multi colour printing or high resolution prints. OBJ can approximate surface geometry well without drastically increasing the file size. It also supports multiple colours and textures in the same model.

OBJ encodes surface geometry of a 3D object in many different methods: Tessellation with polygonal faces, freeform curves and freeform surfaces. Similar to STL, OBJ allows tessellation of the surfaces with simple geometric shapes like triangles or more complex polygon. This is the simplest way to describe surface geometry. However, approximating curved surfaces with polygons will introduce coarseness and geometric deviation from the model. The size of the polygons can be decreased to increase the quality of the prints. However, this can lead to giant file sizes which can be difficult for 3D printers to handle. It is important to find the right balance between print quality and file sizes.

The surface geometry can also be defined using freeform curves. The user defines a collection of free form curves that runs along the surface of the model. The surface is then approximated using the collection of curves. It is more complicated than polygonal faces, but it allows for fewer data to describe the same surface. The curved lines can be described using freeform curves with a few mathematical parameters. It allows for higher quality encoding without drastically increasing the file size.

=== DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT) and DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM) ===
Sldprt file formats are native SolidWorks file extensions. It provides details on specific parts within a system. This is a software specific file format. Opening SolidWorks files in slicers and other software may cause some corruption of your designs. However, because it is software specific, it contains the most information about your models. As such, you should do all your modeling while the files are in native format

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)] ===
STEP file format is a neutral file format. It is the most common file format used to share 3D designs. This allows users to open others’ designs using the software of their choice. It stores 3D images in an ASCII format. While STEP files can be opened with most CAD software. It is not easily edited. The model will display as a finalized object. Users cannot edit specific dimensions or features of the model.

===Polygonal Formats===

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format 3D Manufacturing Format (*.3MF)]

===NURBS Formats===

====Standard====

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format (*.DXF/*.DWG)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (*.IGES)] (standard last updated 1996)

====Software-Specific====

*DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT)
*DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM)
*DS CATIA V5 Parts (*.CGR/*.CATPart)
*DS CATIA V5 Assemblies (*.CGR/*.CATProduct)
*PTC Creo Parts (*.PRT)
*PTC Creo Assemblies (*.ASM)

*Fusion 360 (*.F3D)

It should be noted that Fusion360 stores files on the cloud, such that locally saved .f3d files are not commonly encountered. It should also be noted that OnShape does not have a file format given it is hosted entirely on the cloud.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Using Parametric NURBS Software]] ==

===[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Introduction to Fusion360]]===

<youtube>5hComh1hFzY</youtube>

<youtube>1Ff_NcZhBSo</youtube>

TinkerCAD is known for its simplicity, meaning it is easy to learn and use. However, its capabilities are limited. It uses a drag and drop method to create basic geometries. Theses shapes can be grouped to create more complex geometries but it takes more time to design something complex and has less flexibility. Fusion<ins> </ins>360 is a sketch-based CAD modeling software that allows for users to completely customize their design. It allows users to design 3D objects using 2D sketches.

Fusion 360 offers 3D CAD modeling, PCB design, and 3D simulation capabilities. It is a fee-based subscription software, however, a free version is offered for personal use. The free version has some limited capabilities but most of the 3D CAD features are offered. Even with the limited features it offers more design options than TinkerCAD. To download the software, you can use your AutoCAD account and follow the link below: https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/personal

Just like TinkerCAD, and with any CAD modeling software you choose to use<ins>,</ins> you can export your part designs as an STL file. Using this file format, you can use any slicer of your choice to slice the design into a gcode file to print.

==== Fusion 360 User Interface ====
[[File:User Interface of Fusion 360.png|center|959x959px]]
There are 5 main areas of the user interface. When the software is first launched, you should be seeing the screen above.

# Data Panel: On the left is the data panel. It displays pinned and recent projects, providing easy access to these projects for the users. It will also display sample projects that corresponds to the tutorials offered by AutoCAD. Users can also upload their projects to be shared with others for collaboration.
# Tool Bar: On the top of the screen sits the tool bar. Through this, you can use any of the features displayed to manipulate the 3D model you create. The shortcuts can be customized to display the ones you favour.
# Browser: Located at the top left of the main screen. It displays the model design with a file tree structure listing all the components, bodies and constructing plane. The files can be navigated through by clicking on their names. They can also be renamed by double clicking. The files can be collapsed using the triangles. The visibility of the bodies and planes can be toggled by clicking on the lightbulb.
# Timeline: The timeline of the design history is displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is a special feature of Fusion<ins> </ins>360 that is different from other CAD software. It keeps a record of the construction of the 3D model allowing the users to playback the building of the model. This feature also allow<ins>s</ins> users to add to the model from a previous state of the model.
# Navigation bar: The navigation bard allows users to change the view of the model. These features exist<s>s</s> as shortcuts when used with a mouse. For this reason, it is recommended to create CAD models using a physical mouse instead of a track pad. Some features include:
#* Zoom In/Out by scrolling up/down with the mouse.
#* Pan the model by holding down the wheel of the mouse.
#* Orbit the model by holding down control + wheel.

==== Sketching ====
The sketch function is the most important feature of a CAD program. It allows users to sketch 2D drawings as the base to create 3D objects.
[[File:Sketch Interface.png|center|650x650px]]
To create a rectangle, first click on “Create Sketch” from the tool bar above. Select the desired sketch plane. In the example above, YZ plane was selected. This is the plane which the 2D sketch will be created. You’ll notice the tool bar above has transformed to display sketch functions. Select “2-Point Rectangle” from the tool bar. Click on the origin of the sketch plane and drag to create a desired rectangle. The sketch features are defined with reference to the origin to position it in space. It is why it is recommended to have one vertex of the sketch to be defined as the origin. After the rectangle is drawn, you can define the dimensions of the 2 sides of the rectangle. You can toggle between the dimensions by using the “Tab” key on your keyboard. Press enter to confirm the sketch.
[[File:Fusion 360 Rectangle Sketch.png|center|600x600px]]
Next, the line tool will be introduced. Drawing a line is the most simple and versatile function of sketch. It will allow you to create any shapes you will need. Select the “Line” option from the tool bar. Hover your mouse over the rectangle, the mouse will be drawn to the line and an ‘X’ will appear. This means that one end of the line will intersect with the rectangle. Move the mouse towards the middle of the line on the rectangle until a triangle icon shows up. This signifies the midpoint of the line. Click to create the start of the line segment. Drag the mouse to create the line and click again to create the end of the line. You can also manipulate the dimension of the line manually by entering the value.
[[File:Fusion 360 Line Sketch.png|center|649x649px]]
To draw the line at an angle, drag the line out at an angle. At this point, there should be an angle dimension displayed. This value can be altered manually.

To create an arc, select “Create” -> “Arc” -> “Tangent Arc” from the tool bar. This will create an arc tangent to two other entities. Left click on the vertex of where you would like the arc to connect. Then click on the other vertex to connect. Alternative to create arcs include 3-point arcs where you select the two vertex and the middle point of the arc or center point arc when the arc is create<ins>d</ins> by finding the center of the arc.
[[File:Arc Sketch.png|center|648x648px]]

In order for a 2D sketch to be converted to 3D model, the 2D profile has to be a closed shape. This means all the lines and entities have to form a closed loop. This will be indicated with a light-blue shading inside the sketch.

==== Extrusion ====
The simplest way to create a 3D model is by extruding a 2D sketch, which adds a third dimension to the 2D sketch. Select “Extrude” from the toolbar. Hover the mouse over the sketch, closed shapes that can be extruded will be highlighted when hovered on. To select multiple shapes, left click on both shapes. In the extrusion settings that pops up on the right, enter the value for the third dimension of the sketch, the width. Click “OK” to confirm the extrusion.
[[File:Extrusion example.png|center|650x650px]]
You can select a new surface from the extruded object to sketch on. To do so, select “Create Sketch” and select the surface you would like to sketch on as the plane. Afterwards continue to sketch like normal.

Extrusion can also be used to cut. Sketch on the surface of the shape the geometry you would like to cut. Select “Extrude” tool and select the shapes you would like to cut. To remove material, enter a negative value in the dimension window. This indicates the direction you would like the extrusion to occur. On the screen, it will display a red region to indicate material removal. Press enter to confirm the operation.
[[File:Extrusion cut example.png|center|650x650px]]

==== Mirror ====
The mirror tool is an extremely powerful tool that can save the user a lot of time in creating the 3D models. This is especially useful when creating symmetrical objects. It allows users to mirror solid or small features. It does require the user to define the plane to mirror the features. There are many ways to create the plane. One of which is to “Offset Plane”
[[File:Mirror Example.png|center|650x650px]]

Under the “Construct” drop-down menu from the toolbar, select “Offset Plane”. Select a surface to offset from. This surface should be parallel from the plane you would like to create. Now enter the dimension you would like to offset the plane from the surface. Press enter when completed.

After the plane has been created, you can now mirror the features. Select “Mirror” under the drop<ins>-</ins> down menu from “Create” from the toolbar. Under “Type” parameter, you can select bodies, faces, features, or components. After the type has been selected, click on “Select” by Object and then the features you would like to mirror, you can also click on the features from the design history timeline. Then click on “Select” by Mirror Plane and the plane you would to mirror from. Now a preview will be displayed<ins>,</ins> to confirm press enter.

==== Fillet ====
Filleting the edges is a feature that is offered in Fusion 360 and not TinkerCAD. It can easily elevate your models. It creates rounded surfaces by adding or removing from a solid model.
[[File:Fillet Example.png|center|650x650px]]

# Select “Fillet” under the modify menu from the tool bar.
# Click on the edges you would like to round out.
# Enter a radius value to round the edges out to.
# Click “OK” to finalize.

== References ==
<references />

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T18:58:01Z

Kaily: /* Center engraving */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel|alt=|200x200px]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
[[File:3D Rastering example.jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|3D rastering example]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you laser cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T18:36:13Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel|alt=|200x200px]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
[[File:3D Rastering example.jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|3D rastering example]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T18:36:03Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel|alt=|200x200px]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
[[File:3D Rastering example.jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|3D rastering example]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T18:35:56Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel|alt=|200x200px]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
[[File:3D Rastering example.jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|3D rastering example]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T18:35:45Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel|alt=|200x200px]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
[[File:3D Rastering example.jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|3D rastering example]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T18:18:02Z

Kaily: /* 3D Rastering */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
[[File:3D Rastering example.jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|3D rastering example]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

File:3D Rastering example.jpg

2024-06-21T18:17:15Z

Kaily:

3D Rastering example

Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate

2024-06-21T17:28:58Z

Kaily: /* Fusion 360 User Interface */

TinkerCAD is nice for smaller parts with very little complexity. However, since it is not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline NURBS] based nor parametric, it lacks major functionality. It is strongly suggested at this stage that TinkerCAD, Blender, Cinema 4D or other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_modeling polygonal modelling] (non-NURBS) applications be set aside for parametric CAD software, such as [https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360 Autodesk Fusion 360] ([https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators free for students. teachers, and educators]), [https://www.solidworks.com/ Dassault Systèmes Solidworks] (available through Remote Apps) or [https://www.onshape.com/en/ PTC OnShape] (completely online, free for students and educators) be used for mechanical design, as models made with such software contain much richer data that allows going from CAD models to manufacturing data. Polygonal modelling remains, however, an important tool for Scan to CAD, and such the intermediate CAD user should have a complete understanding of polygonal modelling software such as TinkerCAD.

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/TinkerCAD (contd.)|Complex Shapes in TinkerCAD]]==
[[File:Heart Button TinkerCAD.png|thumb|Heart button CAD model|200x200px|alt=]]
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you learned how to group shapes together. In advanced TinkerCAD, you will use the skills you have gained to create more complex shapes. TinkerCAD provides you with basic geometries such as cubes and cylinders. You can combine these shapes to create more complex geometries such as a house using the group function. To create even more complicated designs, you can combine shapes to be used to create complex holes

<youtube>kVXkdLfK1kw</youtube>

The example below will walk you through the making of a heart button. It will involve grouping shapes together in order to create a more complex shape and feature
[[File:Heart_Button_Construction.png|alt=|thumb|351x351px|Combining simple shapes like cylinders and cubes to create heart shape. ]]
# Add a box shape to the workspace. Make sure the dimension of the box has the thickness of the desired button. This will serve as the point of the heart.
# Add two cylinders with the same thickness as the box to two edges of the box. Set the diameter of the cylinder as the width of the box. This will create the humps of the heart.
# Using the round roof object, size it to the appropriate dimension for the button hoop.
# Copy and paste<s>r</s> a second round roof object and make it slightly smaller to be used to create the hole for the button hoop.
# Turn the object into a hole and position it accordingly.
# Finally, group the shapes together and the button is completed.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Design for 3D Printing|Design for 3D Printing]] ==
There are some important things to note when modeling for 3D printing. It is important to optimize the print by decreasing print time and material while ensuring accuracy and strength of the part.

# Divide your model into smaller more manageable parts. There are many designs with complex details or large dimensions that would be more manageable prints if split into multiple parts. [[File:Multiple parts 3D print.png|center|thumb|599x599px|3D printed hand built with multiple parts. Finger is attached afterwards. ]]
# Try to ensure that there is one flat surface on the print. This will allow easier print set-up. The flat side can adhere to the build plate, minimizing the need for additional build plate adhesion.[[File:Prints in different orientation.png|center|thumb|300x300px|Traffic cone printed in two different orientations. It demonstrates the optimal orientation with the least amount of supports. ]]
# Avoid floating parts. All aspect of the model should be connected to the main model. Minimize overhangs in the model as well. This will prevent wasted time and material to print supports.[[File:Supports under floating parts.png|center|thumb|480x480px|Printed gearbox with floating parts with supports under them. ]]
# FDM printing has limited capabilities with dimensional accuracy. It is recommended to prevent printing horizontally oriented holes of the smaller size. These holes are often deformed and printed with difficult to remove supports.[[File:Holes printed vertically and horizontally..png|center|thumb|500x500px|Holes printed vertically on the left and horizontally with the layers on the right. ]]
# Printed parts are stronger in one direction than another. It is important to keep this in mind when designing. Prints will be weaker in the areas where the layers meet. This means that printed parts have low tensile strength along the Z-axis. The prints will be the strongest in planes parallel to the build surface.[[File:Layers printed in different axis.png|center|thumb|500x500px]]
# Exaggerate the details of your designs. This is an important thing to keep in mind. In order for details to show up on small designs, you should make your cuts deeper and bigger. It can also be helpful to make slender designs thicker.[[File:Details on 3D prints.png|center|thumb|450x450px|Details on CAD on the left with the same details printed on the right. ]]
# Round surfaces will not show up smoothly. Since FDM prints in layers, it will cause the rounded surfaces to look jagged. To achieve a smooth surface, additional processing will be required. [[File:3D printed surface .png|center|thumb|449x449px|3D printed surface with all the layers before and after additional processing. ]]

If your design is to be used in (electro-)mechanical assemblies in which there are interfacing components, it is important that you understand three basic tolerancing concepts and to keep them in the back of your mind when modeling or more generally designing these assemblies.

# Form: The form of a part refers to the overall dimensions and the shape of the exterior surfaces of a component. Think of a flaw referring to form as a print that ended up not matching the base geometry that was used to create it in CAD due to adverse physical variables during the printing process. Examples follow:
## A ''sphere'' may end up slightly ''oval'' once printed due to improper cooling, etc.;
## A pillar might end up tilted to one side due to improper belt tension between the belt axes, etc.;
## A pin feature might end up too large to fit its mating hole due to the printer outputting too much material when producing the outer walls of the feature (the inverse can also be true).
# Position: Position refers to the distance separating a feature and an (ideally) meaningful reference (i.e.: the distance between a hole and the side of a part, or between two holes). Thankfully, flaws pertaining to position are rare on a properly tuned printer, as the printer does not have any information about existing references other than the build plate. If tuned properly, the printer will always print a feature at a position (X,Y,Z) distance relative to another feature, because that is what the gCode will tell it to do. You can imagine, however, that if the part is warped, the 'build plate reference' is no longer valid, and such, warped parts almost always have features out of position ''unless the meaningful reference (interfacing feature) used in the design is not the build plate''. However, since the build plate reference is such an important one to define the Z position of features (for the printer, that is), making your meaningful reference something other than the build plate does not always guarantee you good positional tolerance independent of warping.
# Surface: The surface finish of a part is a rather complex subject. In 3D printing, and for typical applications of 3D printed parts, it mostly refers to the mean (statistical) difference between the height of cusps and valleys on a part and their deviation from that mean, at a macroscopic level. The most important consideration is that when 3D printing, most surface finishes are quite rough (deviate significantly from the mean), and thus are sanded down considerably to knock out the cusps left by the printer. This post processing can negatively affect the form of the final part.

Note that ''a proper mechanical fit between components demands a good tolerance on form, feature position, and surface finish'', such that it is typically impossible to obtain a proper fit when 3D printing, and that if you are considering the 3D printing of critically interfacing components, 3D printing should not be used unless post processing ''is built into the design''. For mechanical designs, you will notice that a main application is brackets. This is because brackets only need good positional tolerance on holes and mating faces, which 3D printing can almost always provide (the tolerance on form for holes is not that important since they are typically clearance holes). However, since some brackets are easily laser cut, 3D printing brackets is only done under certain specific conditions. It certainly has shown its commercial use in cost cutting by replacing intricate multi-part assemblies by ''generatively designed'' (we'll say computer generated for now) parts, as shown in the picture below.
[[File:Design for 3D Printing Generatively Designed Bracket.jpg|center|thumb|600x600px|A metal 3D printed generatively designed bracket (computer generated from load data, using Finite Element Analysis), likely replacing a multitude of other parts that would have been manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods which would lead to a heavier and more expensive bracket.<ref>CarrusHome (2021). GM Explores 3D printing, generative design for next gen parts. Consulted on 05-05-2022 at <nowiki>https://www.carrushome.com/en/gm-explores-3d-printing-generative-design-for-next-gen-parts/</nowiki></ref>]]

==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/CAD Extensions|CAD File Formats]] ==
In the beginner section of 3D modeling, you were introduced to TinkerCAD. In the instructions, you were instructed to export your 3D designs as a STL or OBJ file. In this section, the differences between different CAD file formats will be discussed.

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)] ===
[[File:STL format.png|thumb|Facets used to represent a cube and a sphere.]]
[[File:Vector coordinates of STL format.png|thumb|305x305px|Visual representation of the vertices and the normal vector.]]
STL files are the most used file format in 3D printing and 3D modeling. Most 3D printers support the file format. Many of the 3D printable models online are also found in STL file format. STL stands for stereolithography, a 3D printing process created at 3D Systems in <ins>the </ins>1980s. STL file format encodes the surface geometry of a 3D object. This is done through tessellation, a process of tiling a surface with one or more geometric shapes so there are no overlaps or gaps. The basic method of tessellating the outer surface of 3D models is through the use of tiny triangles (called “facets”) and store information about the facets in a file. For example, in the figure below, it shows how a cube can be represented by 12 triangles while 17000+ triangles are needed to represent a sphere. Since triangles consist of three straight edges, it can be difficult to approximate curved geometries. To do so, mesh density is increased, and individual triangle’s size is decreased.

STL file format stores the information as the coordinates of the vertices and the components of the unit normal vector to the triangle. The normal vector point outwards of the 3D model.
[[File:STL tessellation .png|left|thumb|Invalid tessellation on the left, acceptable tessellation on the right]]
There are a couple of rules for tessellation and storing information. The vertex rule states that each triangle must share two vertices with its neighbouring triangles.

The orientation rule states that the orientation of the facet must be specified in two ways. The direction of the normal should point outwards, and the vertices are listed in counter-clockwise when looking at the object from the outside.

The all-positive octant rule states that the coordinates of the triangle vertices must all be positive. This ensures that all coordinates stored would be in the positive which would save space in the file. Finally, the triangle sorting rule recommends that the triangles appear in ascending z-value order. This is a recommendation rather than a rule as it helps the software slice the models faster.
[[File:STL orientation rule.png|center|thumb|525x525px|Visual representation of the orientation rule.]]

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)] ===
OBJ is a crucial file format in 3D printing. It is generally preferred for multi-colour 3D printing. Often, it is used a s an interchange format for non-animated 3D models. OBJ file format stores information about 3D models by encoding the surface geometry of the model. It also stores information about its colour and texture. It does not store any data about animations or scene. It is open source and neutral. Therefore, it is often used to share 3D models since many CAD software supports the format.
[[File:OBJ file .png|thumb|Freeform curves on 3D model surface]]
It differs from STL since it stores colour and texture information. STL is an older file format that is missing modern features. It does not support multi colour printing or high resolution prints. OBJ can approximate surface geometry well without drastically increasing the file size. It also supports multiple colours and textures in the same model.

OBJ encodes surface geometry of a 3D object in many different methods: Tessellation with polygonal faces, freeform curves and freeform surfaces. Similar to STL, OBJ allows tessellation of the surfaces with simple geometric shapes like triangles or more complex polygon. This is the simplest way to describe surface geometry. However, approximating curved surfaces with polygons will introduce coarseness and geometric deviation from the model. The size of the polygons can be decreased to increase the quality of the prints. However, this can lead to giant file sizes which can be difficult for 3D printers to handle. It is important to find the right balance between print quality and file sizes.

The surface geometry can also be defined using freeform curves. The user defines a collection of free form curves that runs along the surface of the model. The surface is then approximated using the collection of curves. It is more complicated than polygonal faces, but it allows for fewer data to describe the same surface. The curved lines can be described using freeform curves with a few mathematical parameters. It allows for higher quality encoding without drastically increasing the file size.

=== DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT) and DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM) ===
Sldprt file formats are native SolidWorks file extensions. It provides details on specific parts within a system. This is a software specific file format. Opening SolidWorks files in slicers and other software may cause some corruption of your designs. However, because it is software specific, it contains the most information about your models. As such, you should do all your modeling while the files are in native format

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)] ===
STEP file format is a neutral file format. It is the most common file format used to share 3D designs. This allows users to open others’ designs using the software of their choice. It stores 3D images in an ASCII format. While STEP files can be opened with most CAD software. It is not easily edited. The model will display as a finalized object. Users cannot edit specific dimensions or features of the model.

===Polygonal Formats===

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Standard Triangle Language (*.STL)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Wavefront OBJ (*.OBJ)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format 3D Manufacturing Format (*.3MF)]

===NURBS Formats===

====Standard====

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303 ISO10303 - Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (*.STP, *.STEP)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format (*.DXF/*.DWG)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (*.IGES)] (standard last updated 1996)

====Software-Specific====

*DS Solidworks Parts (*.SLDPRT)
*DS Solidworks Assemblies (*.SLDASM)
*DS CATIA V5 Parts (*.CGR/*.CATPart)
*DS CATIA V5 Assemblies (*.CGR/*.CATProduct)
*PTC Creo Parts (*.PRT)
*PTC Creo Assemblies (*.ASM)

*Fusion 360 (*.F3D)

It should be noted that Fusion360 stores files on the cloud, such that locally saved .f3d files are not commonly encountered. It should also be noted that OnShape does not have a file format given it is hosted entirely on the cloud.

== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Using Parametric NURBS Software]] ==

===[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D modeling- Intermediate/Using Parametric NURBS Software|Introduction to Fusion360]]===

<youtube>5hComh1hFzY</youtube>

<youtube>1Ff_NcZhBSo</youtube>

TinkerCAD is known for its simplicity, meaning it is easy to learn and use. However, its capabilities are limited. It uses a drag and drop method to create basic geometries. Theses shapes can be grouped to create more complex geometries but it takes more time to design something complex and has less flexibility. Fusion<ins> </ins>360 is a sketch-based CAD modeling software that allows for users to completely customize their design. It allows users to design 3D objects using 2D sketches.

Fusion 360 offers 3D CAD modeling, PCB design, and 3D simulation capabilities. It is a fee-based subscription software, however, a free version is offered for personal use. The free version has some limited capabilities but most of the 3D CAD features are offered. Even with the limited features it offers more design options than TinkerCAD. To download the software, you can use your AutoCAD account and follow the link below: <nowiki>https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/fusion-360/personal</nowiki>

Just like TinkerCAD, and with any CAD modeling software you choose to use<ins>,</ins><s>. Y</s><ins> y</ins>ou can export your part designs as an STL file. Using this file format, you can use any slicer of your choice to slice the design into a gcode file to print.

==== Fusion 360 User Interface ====
[[File:User Interface of Fusion 360.png|center|959x959px]]
There are 5 main areas of the user interface. When the software is first launched, you should be seeing the screen above.

# Data Panel: On the left is the data panel. It displays pinned and recent projects, providing easy access to these projects for the users. It will also display sample projects that corresponds to the tutorials offered by AutoCAD. Users can also upload their projects to be shared with others for collaboration.
# Tool Bar: On the top of the screen sits the tool bar. Through this, you can use any of the features displayed to manipulate the 3D model you create. The shortcuts can be customized to display the ones you favour.
# Browser: Located at the top left of the main screen. It displays the model design with a file tree structure listing all the components, bodies and constructing plane. The files can be navigated through by clicking on their names. They can also be renamed by double clicking. The files can be collapsed using the triangles. The visibility of the bodies and planes can be toggled by clicking on the lightbulb.
# Timeline: The timeline of the design history is displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is a special feature of Fusion<ins> </ins>360 that is different from other CAD software. It keeps a record of the construction of the 3D model allowing the users to playback the building of the model. This feature also allow<ins>s</ins> users to add to the model from a previous state of the model.
# Navigation bar: The navigation bard allows users to change the view of the model. These features exist<s>s</s> as shortcuts when used with a mouse. For this reason, it is recommended to create CAD models using a physical mouse instead of a track pad. Some features include:
#* Zoom In/Out by scrolling up/down with the mouse.
#* Pan the model by holding down the wheel of the mouse.
#* Orbit the model by holding down control + wheel.

==== Sketching ====
The sketch function is the most important feature of a CAD program. It allows users to sketch 2D drawings as the base to create 3D objects.
[[File:Sketch Interface.png|center|650x650px]]
To create a rectangle, first click on “Create Sketch” from the tool bar above. Select the desired sketch plane. In the example above, YZ plane was selected. This is the plane which the 2D sketch will be created. You’ll notice the tool bar above has transformed to display sketch functions. Select “2-Point Rectangle” from the tool bar. Click on the origin of the sketch plane and drag to create a desired rectangle. The sketch features are defined with reference to the origin to position it in space. It is why it is recommended to have one vertex of the sketch to be defined as the origin. After the rectangle is drawn, you can define the dimensions of the 2 sides of the rectangle. You can toggle between the dimensions by using the “Tab” key on your keyboard. Press enter to confirm the sketch.
[[File:Fusion 360 Rectangle Sketch.png|center|600x600px]]
Next, the line tool will be introduced. Drawing a line is the most simple and versatile function of sketch. It will allow you to create any shapes you will need. Select the “Line” option from the tool bar. Hover your mouse over the rectangle, the mouse will be drawn to the line and an ‘X’ will appear. This means that one end of the line will intersect with the rectangle. Move the mouse towards the middle of the line on the rectangle until a triangle icon shows up. This signifies the midpoint of the line. Click to create the start of the line segment. Drag the mouse to create the line and click again to create the end of the line. You can also manipulate the dimension of the line manually by entering the value.
[[File:Fusion 360 Line Sketch.png|center|649x649px]]
To draw the line at an angle, drag the line out at an angle. At this point, there should be an angle dimension displayed. This value can be altered manually.

To create an arc, select “Create” -> “Arc” -> “Tangent Arc” from the tool bar. This will create an arc tangent to two other entities. Left click on the vertex of where you would like the arc to connect. Then click on the other vertex to connect. Alternative to create arcs include 3-point arcs where you select the two vertex and the middle point of the arc or center point arc when the arc is create<ins>d</ins> by finding the center of the arc.
[[File:Arc Sketch.png|center|648x648px]]

In order for a 2D sketch to be converted to 3D model, the 2D profile has to be a closed shape. This means all the lines and entities have to form a closed loop. This will be indicated with a light-blue shading inside the sketch.

==== Extrusion ====
The simplest way to create a 3D model is by extruding a 2D sketch, which adds a third dimension to the 2D sketch. Select “Extrude” from the toolbar. Hover the mouse over the sketch, closed shapes that can be extruded will be highlighted when hovered on. To select multiple shapes, left click on both shapes. In the extrusion settings that pops up on the right, enter the value for the third dimension of the sketch, the width. Click “OK” to confirm the extrusion.
[[File:Extrusion example.png|center|650x650px]]
You can select a new surface from the extruded object to sketch on. To do so, select “Create Sketch” and select the surface you would like to sketch on as the plane. Afterwards continue to sketch like normal.

Extrusion can also be used to cut. Sketch on the surface of the shape the geometry you would like to cut. Select “Extrude” tool and select the shapes you would like to cut. To remove material, enter a negative value in the dimension window. This indicates the direction you would like the extrusion to occur. On the screen, it will display a red region to indicate material removal. Press enter to confirm the operation.
[[File:Extrusion cut example.png|center|650x650px]]

==== Mirror ====
The mirror tool is an extremely powerful tool that can save the user a lot of time in creating the 3D models. This is especially useful when creating symmetrical objects. It allows users to mirror solid or small features. It does require the user to define the plane to mirror the features. There are many ways to create the plane. One of which is to “Offset Plane”
[[File:Mirror Example.png|center|650x650px]]

Under the “Construct” drop-down menu from the toolbar, select “Offset Plane”. Select a surface to offset from. This surface should be parallel from the plane you would like to create. Now enter the dimension you would like to offset the plane from the surface. Press enter when completed.

After the plane has been created, you can now mirror the features. Select “Mirror” under the drop<ins>-</ins> down menu from “Create” from the toolbar. Under “Type” parameter, you can select bodies, faces, features, or components. After the type has been selected, click on “Select” by Object and then the features you would like to mirror, you can also click on the features from the design history timeline. Then click on “Select” by Mirror Plane and the plane you would to mirror from. Now a preview will be displayed<ins>,</ins> to confirm press enter.

==== Fillet ====
Filleting the edges is a feature that is offered in Fusion 360 and not TinkerCAD. It can easily elevate your models. It creates rounded surfaces by adding or removing from a solid model.
[[File:Fillet Example.png|center|650x650px]]

# Select “Fillet” under the modify menu from the tool bar.
# Click on the edges you would like to round out.
# Enter a radius value to round the edges out to.
# Click “OK” to finalize.

== References ==
<references />

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T17:21:04Z

Kaily: /* Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
[[File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg|thumb|Example of a laser cut box]]
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

File:Laser-cut-box 17.jpg

2024-06-21T17:20:35Z

Kaily:

Laser cut box

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T17:19:13Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving

2024-06-21T17:10:42Z

Kaily:

{{#lsth:Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate|[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]]}}

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T15:51:44Z

Kaily: /* Making the file */

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===
When making a file for paint rastering you must invert the colors of the the image so that the part you would like to stay is in white and the part where the paint will burned is black.

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T15:11:08Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|right|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-21T15:10:47Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|alt=|frameless]]

 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T19:42:18Z

Kaily: /* 3D Rastering */

[[File:Helix.png|thumb]]
 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th inch acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T19:39:06Z

Kaily: /* 3D Rastering */

[[File:Helix.png|thumb]]
 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels there are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting. 3D rastering is especially useful for making things like lithophanes. Where you have an image cut into a material and have light shine through creating the image.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T19:03:07Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|thumb]]
 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T19:02:58Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|thumb]]
 
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T19:02:39Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|thumb]]
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T19:02:11Z

Kaily:

[[File:Helix.png|thumb]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner

2024-06-20T19:01:37Z

Kaily: /* Which Laser Cutters do we have? */

This video shows a short overview of the laser cutting process with an Epilog laser:

<youtube>LKQHrN4QkOw</youtube>

Laser cutting is a technology that uses light amplification by stimulation of emitted radiation or, a laser, to vector or raster stock material. The material removal required to obtain a cut or a raster is obtained by a process called thermal separation. In industry, and depending on the materials involved, the lasers used in the laser cutting process greatly range in power. At the uOttawa Makerspace, depending on the machine, the lasers may output either 50 or 60 watts of ultraviolet light, which can be used to cut through many woods, plastics, and other materials of lesser density. The principle is fairly simple: the laser generated by the machine is reflected to a focusing head, which in turn focuses the power contained in the ultraviolet beam to a small point on the stock, inducing the desired thermal separation. The power of the laser as well as the focusing head path is then adjusted by software to obtain one of two modes of cut: rastering and vectoring.

[[Laser Cutting Tutorial|'''If you only need a quick tutorial without going in depth into the subject matter, you can find it by clicking on this link.''']]
==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/How does Laser Cutting Work?|How does Laser Cutting Work?]]==
It is important to understand that the laser from a laser cutter does not directly cut material, and that it works by leveraging the concepts of optic bending and focusing to orient and focus the laser’s power to a single point in or on the stock material. The focal length of the lens in the machine’s focusing head assembly is therefore an important variable to take into consideration for lasering, and as an operator, the distance of the focusing lens to the stock material must be taken into account if you wish to obtain good results. Always remember to focus your laser. Thankfully, laser cutting machines usually come with a focusing tool of sorts to assist operators with the setup of a lasering job.

It is important to remember that a laser cutter focusing head can only move along the X-Y plane. While this may seem like a limitation at first, the focusing head’s movements are very precise and allow for the manufacturing of parts that contain special assembly features, which in turn easily mesh together to result in complex 3-dimensional structures. A good example of such a feature is that which can be seen on-screen. This part holds together by what are called finger joints. Keep in mind that making this part on a laser cutter instead of a 3D printer or a manual milling machine can greatly reduce both manufacturing time and costs.
<gallery mode="slideshow" caption="Examples of design fabricated with a laser cutter">
File:Laser1.png
File:Laser2.png
File:Laser3.png
File:Laser4.png
File:Laser5.png
</gallery>
[[File:Vector+Cutting+Vector+Etching+Raster+Etching.jpg|thumb|Difference between vectoring and rastering]]
=== Rastering ===
Rastering consists of superficially removing material from stock, resulting in an embossed feature. Rastering is applied to a component in a fashion similar to that of an inkjet printer, where a print head moves quickly back and forth printing a thin line at a time. Rastering is a type of engraving, where top layers of the material are removed to create a depression in the material. You will know the laser is rastering because it is moving back and forth like a regular 2D printer. Our laser has a built in setting that distributes the power settings over different shades. This means that a darker shade will look darker because it received more power when rastered. Think of it like a black and white printer.
=== Vectoring ===
Vectoring consists of following vector lines specified in your program. Vectoring is most often used to cut through a material. However, at lower settings it can also be used to engrave. Instead of moving back and forth, the laser is following a “vector”. A vector is a line with a specified direction and magnitude. In other words, a line that connects two points. Our laser has a point of 0.001” (0.0254 mm) in diameter. For a line to be recognized as a vector, the line width has to be the size of the point. We will explain how to do this further in this document.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/Laser Cutter Components|Laser Cutter Components]] ==
In order to use a laser cutter, there are 4 parts that need to be available:

*Laser Cutter: Machine that will cut the material
*Computer: The computer is used to upload the design that need to be cut to the laser. It is also used to configure all the necessary setting of the laser.
*Air Filter: The filter should always be attached while performing a cut, the laser cutter is not to be used without the filter, this ensures that the air in the room is safe for users and limits potentially hazardous debris
*Air Compressor (compressed air): A steady flow of air to blow smoke and cutting residue away from the beam path and optics of a laser cutter. It's simple, but critical; without it, smoke can obscure and reflect the laser beam, foul lenses and mirrors, and severely degrade cut quality.
===Control Panel===
One way for the user to interact with the laser is by using the control panel. The list below describe the properties of each button found in the laser cutter control panel.
[[File:Job Manager.png|thumb|469x469px|The Epilog Laser cutter dashboard|alt=]]
#'''Go:'''Start or stop a job or process
#'''Stop:''' Stop a process. When rastering it will stop right away. When vectoring it will only stop once it has finished its current path
#'''Reset:''' Moved the head back to its current home
#'''Set Home:''' Sets the zero point or starting point of the laser
#'''X/Y Off:''' Press this button and then go to disengage the motors and move the laser head around manually
#'''Pointer:''' Turn on the red light pointer
#'''Focus:''' Press this button then either the up or down button to raise or lower the bed. Using this process along with the focussing tool, you can focus the laser.
#∆'''/'''∇:Cycle through the jobs or raise or lower the power, speed, or bed height
#'''Power:''' While rastering you can adjust the power by pushing this button on using the arrow keys
#'''Speed:''' While rastering you can adjust the speed by pushing this button on using the arrow keys

===Properties===
The other way for the user to interact with the laser cutter is by setting up the laser properties for a cut.
[[File:Properties1.png|thumb|555x555px|Properties page|alt=]]
#'''Resolution:'''The print resolution can set from 75 to 1200 Dots per inch(DPI).the higher the DPI the more time it takes for laser cutter to complete the job.
#'''Auto Focus:'''In the Makerspace we use a manual focus instead of Auto Focus. Please, '''NEVER''' check the box, it will make the bed crash into the laser head
#'''Centre Engraving:''' it allows you to define the centre of the job.
#'''Job type'''
##'''Raster:'''Used for engraving material.Vector lines that should be engraved should be set to 0.006” (0.152 mm) or greater line thickness.
##'''Vector:''' Select when running cuts only. Vector lines that should be cut have to be set to 0.001” (0.0254 mm) or else it won’t recognized as cut.
##'''Combined:''' Select when running both cutting and engraving.
#'''Piece size:''' Enter the size of the document size of the job.
#'''Raster Settings:'''
##'''Speed:''' Determines the travel speed of the laser.It can be increased increments of 1%.The lower the speed,the deeper the cut.Each materials have their own specific value and can be in “Suggested Material settings” which islocated next to the laser cutters in Makerspace.
##'''Power:''' Determines the amount of laser energy that is delivered to the piece being cut/engraved and is adjustable in 1% increments.Each materials have their own specific value and can be in “Suggested Material settings” which is located next to the laser cutters in Makerspace.
#'''Vector Settings:'''
##'''Speed:''' Determines the travel speed of the laser.It can be increased increments of 1%.The lower the speed,the deeper the cut.Each materials have their own specific value and can be in “Suggested Material settings” which is located next to the laser cutters in Makerspace.
##'''Power:''' Determines the amount of laser energy that is delivered to the piece being cut/engraved and is adjustable in 1% increments.Each materials have their own specific value and can be in “Suggested Material settings” which is located next to the laser cutters in Makerspace.
##'''Frequency:''' Determines the number of laser pulses per inch of cut.Lower the frequency,the less heat being applied to the material. The frequency can range between 1 to 5000..Each materials have their own specific value and can be in “Suggested Material settings” which is located next to the laser cutters in Makerspace.

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/Which Laser Cutters do we have?|Which Laser Cutters do we have?]]==
The pictures below shows the laser cutters available for use at the Makerspace. The biggest difference between the two laser is the build volume and power. The Epilog Helix can cut materials with a maximum size of 24 x 18 in and is more powerful while the Epilog mini can cut with a maximum size of 24 x 12 and has slightly less power.

{{LaserInfobox
| name = Epilog Mini 24
| image = mini24.jpg
| powerSource = CO2
| powerRating = 50W
| materials = see charts below
| maxResolution = 1200
|float=none|buildWidth=610|buildDepth=305|buildHeight=140|buildWidthIN=24|buildDepthIN=12|buildHeightIN=5.5}}
{{LaserInfobox
| name = Epilog Helix
| image = helix.png
| powerSource = CO2
| powerRating = 60W
| materials = see charts below
| maxResolution = 1200
|float=none|buildWidth=610|buildDepth=457|buildHeight=216|buildWidthIN=24|buildDepthIN=18|buildHeightIN=8.5}}

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/Laser Safety|Laser Safety]]==
<youtube>rjiHHtYY53M</youtube>
*In operation there is a laser diode pointer (red dot pointer), this is similar to a laser pen but it should never be directed into anyone's eyes. The actual laser beam that will be cutting is invisible so never modify the enclosure.
*The filter should always be attached while performing a cut, the laser cutter is not to be used without the filter, this ensures that the air in the room is safe for users and limits potentially hazardous debris
*The laser can cut many materials but some materials that can be hazardous or dangerous to cut (ex. the small dust particles of MDF are cancer causing).
*Never let the laser system operate unattended.
*Always use the air compressor (located below the table or on the wall) to provide sufficient airflow for the cut.
*A vector cut moves much slower than a raster engrave therefore a lot of heat is being applied to the material for a longer time, which may cause it to combust.
*Make sure you know where the fire extinguisher is (on the red wall) and the closest emergency exit.
*Always remove debris from crumb tray after machine use to prevent fires.
*Never disassemble the machine or remove protective covers. Never open the machines access panels while unit is plugged in. The AC input to the Epilog Laser is potentially lethal and fully contained in the cabinet.

'''Tips: There are a few important safety features incorporated into the laser cutter. Placed on the glass lid is a magnetic switch. If the lid is opened while the laser is running, the lense mechanism will keep moving, but the laser will stop firing. This means that it is very difficult (if not impossible) to burn yourself with the laser. A similar mechanism is incorporated into the front door.'''

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/Material Settings|Material Settings]]==
===Materials not allowed in the CO2 laser===
Some materials should never be used in the laser as they may cause the release of toxic fumes. Other factors, such as fire hazards and excessive melting, can also make a material undesirable for cutting. Please consult the list below to know if your materials are allowed on the machine. '''If a material is unlisted in the table below and in the allowed materials list, please consult a Makerspace employee''' '''for further guidance.'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+Disallowed Materials<ref>http://wiki.atxhs.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter_Materials</ref>
!Material
!DANGER!
!Cause/Consequence
|-
|PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride)/vinyl/pleather/artificial leather
|Emits chlorine gas when cut!
|Don't ever cut this material as it will ruin the optics, causes the metal of the machine to corrode as chlorine is released and ruins the motion control system.
|-
|Thick ( >1mm ) Polycarbonate/Lexan
|Cuts very poorly, discolors, catches fire
|Polycarbonate is often found as flat, sheet material. The window of the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate because ''polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation!'' This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a poor choice for laser cutting. It creates long stringy clouds of soot that float up, ruin the optics and mess up the machine.
|-
|ABS
|Melts / Cyanide
|ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt). Cutting ABS plastic emits hydrogen cyanide, which is unsafe at any concentration.
|-
|HDPE/milk bottle plastic
|Catches fire and melts
|It melts. It gets gooey. It catches fire. Don't use it.
|-
|PolyStyrene Foam
|Catches fire
|It catches fire quickly, burns rapidly, it melts, and only thin pieces cut. This is the #1 material that causes laser fires!!!
|-
|PolyPropylene Foam
|Catches fire
|Like PolyStyrene, it melts, catches fire, and the melted drops continue to burn and turn into rock-hard drips and pebbles.
|-
|Epoxy
|burn / smoke
|Epoxy is an aliphatic resin, strongly cross-linked carbon chains. A CO2 laser can't cut it, and the resulting burned mess creates toxic fumes ( like cyanide! ). Items coated in Epoxy, or cast Epoxy resins must not be used in the laser cutter. ( see Fiberglass )
|-
|Fiberglass
|Emits fumes
|It's a mix of two materials that cant' be cut. Glass (etch, no cut) and epoxy resin (fumes)
|-
|Coated Carbon Fiber
|Emits noxious fumes
|A mix of two materials. Thin carbon fiber mat can be cut, with some fraying - but not when coated.
|-
|Any foodstuff ( such as meat, seaweed 'nori' sheets, cookie dough, bread, tortillas... )
|The laser is not designed to cut food, and people cut things that create poisonous/noxious substances such as wood smoke and acrylic smoke.
|If you want to cut foodstuffs, consider sponsoring a food-only laser cutter for the space that is kept as clean as a commercial kitchen would require.
|-
|Material with Sticky Glue Backing
|Coats lens, cracks lens
|There are many '''normally''' laserable items such as thin wood laminates that you can purchase that become un-cuttable when the manufacturer adds a layer of peel-off glue on the bottom to attach them to surfaces. Examples include cork tiles, thin wood laminate, acrylic tiles, and paper stickers. Never cut these materials in the laser cutter if they have this backing. The glue will vaporize forming a coating on the lens that will coat it, cloud it, heat it, and then potentially crack the lens. The glue residue is worse than resin, and can't be removed without risking damage to the lens ... requiring a lens replacement.
|}

===Materials Allowed and Recommended Settings===
Epilog (the company that manufactures the laser) has an extensive list of materials that you can cut with their lasers. Simply consult Appendix B in the [https://www.epiloglaser.ca/assets/downloads/manuals/legend-manual-web.pdf Owner's Manual for the Mini/Helix] (p.143) to get access to that list. Make sure you use the settings for the laser you are planning to use (50 Watts VS 60 Watts). Here are some extra materials that are unlisted but have been proven to work at these settings:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Proven Settings for some Unlisted Materials
!Material
!<nowiki>Cutting Settings (Power | Speed)</nowiki>
!<nowiki>Raster Settings, 600DPI (Power | Speed)</nowiki>
!Frequency (Hz)
!Comments
|-
|Felt Sheet w/ Adhesive Backing
(McMaster-Carr P/N: 87415K51) (60W laser)
|<nowiki>11% | 3%</nowiki>
|<nowiki>10% | 8%</nowiki>
|400
|Leaves a bit of a smell. The edges may become a little burnt.
|-
|Neoprene w/ Adhesive Backing
(McMaster-Carr P/N: 8445K72) (60W laser)
|<nowiki>100% | 20%</nowiki>
|N/A
|175
|Dirties the machine quite a bit when this material is cut (generates large amounts of soot). Please limit use. While this rubber contains some amount of chlorine, the quantity of chlorine gas released is minor when the material is cut. Note that this materials generates quite a large flame.
|-
|[https://craftenablers.com/collections/siser-easyweed-heat-transfer-vinyl-htv Polyurethane base vinyl for adhering to shirts] (50W laser)
|<nowiki>11% | 80%</nowiki>
| rowspan="2" |N/A
|500
| rowspan="2" |The point is not to cut through the plastic sheeting under the vinyl. Make sure you invert your design file! If you want to cut through the plastic, boost the power to 24% on the 60W laser or 23% on the 50W laser (both of these at 80% speed). Using a flat sheet of MDF under the vinyl will be very beneficial (the static electricity will help the vinyl sheet remain flat)
|-
|[https://craftenablers.com/collections/siser-easyweed-heat-transfer-vinyl-htv Polyurethane base vinyl for adhering to shirts] (60W laser)
|<nowiki>4% | 20%</nowiki>
|5000
|}

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/How to Laser Cut in the Makerspace|How to Laser Cut in the Makerspace]] ==
To be able to laser cut at the makerspace we require that you either:

*Attend a laser cutting workshop
*Attend a walk-in training session
*Are under the direct supervision of someone who has received training

Before the using the laser cutter, please read the previous section on laser safety. All the information in this document can also be found in the [https://www.epiloglaser.com/downloads/pdf/mini_helix_4.22.10.pdf OWNER'S MANUAL FOR EPILOG MINI/HELIX.]

The following instructions are for the Mini and Helix machines, please see this page for instructions for the [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/How to Laser Cut in the Makerspace/Zing|Zing]].

The laser cutting process is as follows:

#Prepare your file and select your material
#Move your file to the laser cutter computer (you may use one of the many USB keys owned by the Makerspace)
#Turn on laser cutter setup
#Prepare laser cutter
#Click print and select print settings
#Start the cut
#Turn off laser cutter setup
# Clean up

<youtube>MVd7nXI24x8</youtube>

===Prepare your file and select your material ===
Before you are going to start laser cutting, you need to get some prep work out of the way. First you need to create or select your file. If you are rastering an image, you can select or create an image in any program or use an existing picture. If you are rastering an image, you can select or create an image in any program or use an existing picture.

If you want to add vector cuts, you need to use a program that has the ability to create vectors. We use a free program called [https://inkscape.org/ Inkscape]. A guide on how to use the program can be [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Beginner|found here]]. Unfortunately you can’t print directly from inkscape, you need to simply save your file as .pdf.
===Move file to the laser cutter computer===
Once you have saved your file as a .pdf, move it to a USB drive and bring it over to the laser cutter computer. Open your file on the computer.
===Turn on the laser cutter===
There are three items to turn on:

*'''Laser cutter:''' Switch on left hand side at the back. When you turn on the laser cutter, let the head move around freely. Refrain from touching any other buttons until it has finished this process.
*'''Air filter:''' Power button at bottom front.
*'''Air compressor:''' Switch Located on top left hand side

===Prepare the laser cutter===
The laser cutter needs to be adapted to the material and image you are going to cut. This is done by changing the height and the laser’s home. The height affects the laser’s focus and the home is related to the center engraving. More information about this can be found on the laser settings page.

*'''Setting home:''' This is setting the origin for the laser. If you do not have center engraving select. This will be the top left hand corner of the piece. For more information, see the laser setting page.
*#Make sure the laser cutter is on.
*#Press the pointer button. You should see a red dot under the laser head. That is the current location of the laser.
*#Press X/Y off.
*# Press Go. You should be able to freely move the laser cutter head.
*#Move the laser head so that the red dot is at the desired origin.
*# Press set home. You should no longer be able to move the laser head and you home is set.
*'''Focusing laser:''' We '''do not''' use the automatic focus function on the laser (Please, '''NEVER''' check the box for Auto-Focus it will break the laser), therefore you need to manually focus the laser before your cut.
*#Make sure the laser is on.
*#Place the material on the laser bed. You want to make sure that the area you are cutting is parallel to laser bed and the track on which the laser head moves. If there is a variation in height, you will see a variation in properties of the rastering and vectoring done by the laser
*#Place the manual focus guide onto the laser cutter head. The guide is attached with magnets.
*#Press the Focus button on the laser cutter control panel. The laser head will move over slightly, make sure that the material is still under the manual focus.
*#Using the up and down arrows, lower or raise the bed until the manual focus guide is resting on the material without being lifted off the base.

===Click print and select settings===
<youtube>kHQxDtO1LIc</youtube>

On the computer, click print. The print setup window will appear.

#Change the printer to the laser cutter you are going to be using.
#Click on properties. This will bring up a page on the laser cutter settings. Consult the laser cutter manual for the proper speed and vector settings. More information on settings can be found on the Laser Settings page. When you are done selecting all your settings, click ok. This will take you back to the print page.
#Make sure that the picture is set to Actual size. If it is set to fit the vector lines will most likely not work.
#Select orientation, either auto, portrait, or landscape. Most of the time, this will be set to auto portrait/landscape. This means that the laser will look at the size of the image you are attempting to cut and the size that you have added in the properties page. It will attempt to place the image in the way that it will fit best. If you want your image in a specific direction, select either portrait or landscape.

When all settings are chosen, click print. If you look over to the laser cutter the name of the file should appear on the control panel. Wait until the data light is no longer flashing.
===Start cut===

#Make sure that the glass cover is down and that you have prepare the laser. Check that your job is set on displayed on the laser cutter.
#Press the green go.
#While the laser cutter is cutting, do not leave the laser cutter unattended. If small flames appear, '''do not panic.''' As long as you piece is not actively burning, you are ok. If at any point you are unsure, pause your cut and find the Makerspace Coordinator on duty. You can pause your cut by pressing the red stop button, it will always finish the line that is cutting before it ends. If it needs to be stopped for safety purposes and it is not stopping with the Red Button, use the On/Off switch on the left side of the laser. Leave the lid closed. To resume, press the green go button.

=== Turn off laser cutter setup===
When you are finished all your cuts, turn off the laser cutter, air compressor, and air filter.
===Clean up===
So that our laser remains operational, it is important that we clean up after each cut. Clean off any debris that can be found on the the laser cutter bed. Using the handles on the front of the laser cutter, open the front of the laser. Empty the debris tray and replace it.
==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/Troubleshooting Laser Cutter Issues|Troubleshooting Laser Cutter Issues]]==

*File not sending to the Laser Cutter
** Try unplugging the USB-A Cable from the laser and plugging it back, the files should now be available on the Laser Screen
**Make sure to choose the Printer that has a "(USB)" at the end of the printer name in Adobe Acrobat Reader
**Try turning Off and On the laser
* Vector not working : When sending a vector file, if the Laser Cutter does a sound right away and doesn't start, it means something is probably wrong with the file.
** Make sure the line thickness is actually 0.001 inch
**Make sure opacity is at exactly 100%
**Make sure that the Vector or Combined setting in the Epilog Driver is selected
**Try opening the file back in inkscape or your preferred vector software and make sure the lines are a solid color
*Laser starts shifting on the side
**Stop the print and make sure the size doesn't exceed the size of the laser's bed (Helix : 18x24" and Mini : 12x24")
**Ask staff to check the laser, but this issue will probably mean that the laser needs to go Out of Order for maintenance
*Only part of the file gets printed
**Check your canvas size is the actual size or bigger that everything that is in that document
** Make sure that in the Epilog Driver, the "Piece size" is bigger than the size of your document

==[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/Resources|Resources]]==
Some programs exist to simplify the laser cutting workflow. A few tools are listed below.
===[https://en.makercase.com/#/ Makerbox]===
Makerbox is a web-based case generator for laser cutting. It allows for the creation of boxes with live hinges at the corners. Unfortunately, it only outputs .DXF or .DWG file formats and does not support the export of 3D CAD models for modifications in a 3D CAD software.
===[https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/downloads/caas/downloads/content/slicer-for-fusion-360.html Slicer for Fusion 360]===
Slicer for Fusion 360 is a Fusion 360 add-on that allows for the conversion of 3D models into lasercuttable puzzle-like designs. This add-on can be extremely useful at making an inner-skeleton of large structures.
===[https://makerepo.com/jboud030/652.decoupe-laser-virtuel-virtual-laser-cutting/#/ Laser Cutter Simulation]===
A simulator that shows all the steps to use the laser cutter in the Makerspace

==References==

#
<references />

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T18:05:12Z

Kaily: /* Center engraving */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job that is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:57:00Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job. If you would like to save settings as a profile, you can go to the Advanced tab in the laser cutter properties to make and save material profiles.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:45:41Z

Kaily: /* Centre engraving */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Center engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:43:43Z

Kaily: /* Centre engraving */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:43:36Z

Kaily: /* Centre engraving */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:43:26Z

Kaily: /* Centre engraving */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:43:14Z

Kaily: /* Centre engraving */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:43:00Z

Kaily: /* 3D Rastering */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:42:45Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:42:31Z

Kaily: /* 3D Rastering */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:42:16Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:42:09Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

 

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:41:32Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:41:05Z

Kaily: /* 3D Rastering */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
[[File:Capture1.png|thumb|Material settings panel]]
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
[[File:Capture2.png|thumb|Raster settings]]
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

File:Capture1.png

2024-06-20T17:40:42Z

Kaily:

Material Settings

File:Capture2.png

2024-06-20T17:40:02Z

Kaily:

Raster Settings

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate

2024-06-20T17:38:17Z

Kaily: /* Customize material settings */

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Preview cutting by opening the lid|Preview cutting by opening the lid]] ==
If you are not sure if your laser job will go off your material. You can open the lid of the laser to check your job. With the lid open, a job will go through the movements without firing the laser itself. The laser on a machine like ours is invisible to our eyes, as it is in the infrared spectrum. You may see a pointer; this is a low power laser used to see where the beam will land. If a laser job stopped randomly, you can use the lid to continue it where you left off. Holding the lid open until the point where the laser stopped and then closing it will continue the job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Customize material settings|Customize material settings]] ==
When you send a job to the laser cutter, you must customize the setting to the material you are using. These settings are split into two sections, those for rastering and those for vectoring. While we have suggested settings for many materials, sometimes a different result is desired. By changing these settings, you can drastically change the results of your laser job.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/3D Rastering|3D Rastering]] ==
When you raster normally there is a point where the laser is either on or off. To add shading when rastering the machine makes a bunch of dots like a comic book. The more dots in one area the darker that part of the image will be. With 3D rastering the machine varies the strength of the laser depending on the color of the image. If your image is in black and white, the daker parts of the image will be hit with stronger lase than the lighter parts. To access these settings, go to the properties tab like normal on the laser, then go to the advanced tab and select 3D Raster. Then return to the main and set your rastering settings. These will have to be a lot slower than usual to let the last have time to cut deep enough into the material. For example, 1/8th acrylic 10% speed and 90% power was used to make a photo. Since this method determines the brightness of an image it is suggested to use black and white photos. To set it up you need Inkscape. Right – click on your image and select trace bit map. This will open a new window where you can select settings to trace the image. For 3D rastering select the multicolor setting, once there select brightness steps. This will break up the image into multiple different light levels. Here you can choose how many of these levels tehre are by changing the number of scans. Then check the boxes that say “smooth” and “stack”. Once you hit apply, a new image will appear over your old one. You can now delete the old image and export it as a pdf for laser cutting.

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Centre engraving|Centre engraving]] ==
[[File:Capture4.png|thumb|Center engraving settings]]
Normally when you lase cut something, the laser will start at the top left of the image. If you select the center engraving option, the engraving will start in the center of the image. This can be useful if you have a job the is circular.
== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Raster with paint|Raster with paint]] ==
As I’m sure you have seen, the makerspace has a variety of laser cut signs that have incorporated colour to draw your attention. Theses signs were created using the same laser cutters as the ones you use in the space for other operations. All you will need is some paint, a paint brush, material board, and of course the laser cutter. In this process you will have to run a raster job multiple times to remove a negative version of the desired file.

=== Making the file ===

=== Running the job ===
# Upload the pdf document you wish to use onto the laser computer and open the file.
# Make sure all printing properties match the material properties for rastering.
## Recommended settings for MDF:
## If there is any vectoring to do it is recommended to do at the end after the rastering is done.
# Click Print to upload it to the printer.
# Run the uploaded job (wait till the job is done).
# Now fill in the lighter shapes with your desired colour (don’t worry about getting paint on the already rastered sections, it will burn off in the next job, however, large amounts of paint will soak into different materials depending on what materials you use).
## It is important that you do not remove the material from the laser so that the home position does not change between the raster passes.
# Now repeat step 5 until satisfaction (especially with MDF, you probably don't want to run it too many times so that it doesn't burn the material and become too dark).
[[File:Raster with paint.png|center|thumb|793x793px|Raster with paint process ]]

== [[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]] ==
When making boxes with a laser cutter, a design is required. These designs can be made yourself or with a box maker such as [https://en.makercase.com/#/ MakerCase.] These will generate the required shapes to fit together. Once you input information such as the material thickness and general dimensions. You can download your design and prep it for laser cutting. This can be done in Inkscape. Once your parts are cut you can start assembling your box. To put the box together there are many different methods. If you had already incorporated it into your design, you could use bolts. You could also glue the box together. This may be challenging since holding it together while the glue cures is not straightforward. Tape is suggested to hold it while it is being glued.

File:Capture4.png

2024-06-20T17:37:45Z

Kaily:

Center engraving options

Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts

2024-06-20T17:09:21Z

Kaily:

{{#lsth:Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate|[[Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Intermediate/Boxes&3D assembly of laser cut parts|Boxes/3D assembly of laser cut parts]]}}