Laser Operations
Laser operations are available when your machine has a laser capability enabled. They use laser power and travel speed instead of spindle speed and feed rate.
Laser vs Spindle Operations
| Spindle | Laser | |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting tool | Rotating endmill or V-bit | Focused laser beam |
| Depth control | Mechanical — tool plunges into material | Thermal — power and speed control burn depth |
| Material removal | Chips | Vaporization/burning |
| Key parameters | Feed rate, spindle RPM, depth per pass | Travel speed, laser power, number of passes |
Laser Operation Types
- Laser Contour — vector cutting along paths
- Laser Engrave — raster engraving of filled areas
- Laser Hatch — line-fill patterns inside regions
- Laser Pattern — decorative patterns via laser
Creating Laser Operations
Use the keyboard chord Ctrl+L followed by:
| Key | Operation |
|---|---|
| C | Laser Contour |
| E | Laser Engrave |
| H | Laser Hatch |
| P | Laser Pattern |
Laser operations only appear when the current machine has laser capability enabled.