How to Use Sub-Layers in LightBurn

Sub-Layers allow for up to 11 processes to be performed on one layer in LightBurn. This is extremely useful for Galvo lasers but also useful in co2 or diode lasers for projects like stamp engraving.

In this video, we take you through the basics of how Sub-Layers work and how it will change the workflow in Lightburn going forward. We hope you are as excited as we are about the features released in 1.2 and we can’t wait to see what they enable you to make!

[TheGuitarman]

The new "Sublayers" feature is handy, useful, and it works well. However, the Lightburn programmers should have also kept the "Fill+Line" option in the drop down menu as well. Sometimes you just want to select a simple function for a quick project. Programmers are always making things more complicated than necessary in updates, just to say "Look what we did!" From what I have seen in all of the online laser forums, most people agree with this and want the "Fill+Line" option put back in the next update. Other than this issue with the most recent update Lightburn is great software. 👍 👍

[DanWrightPerl]

This is really great. Thanks for putting together this video! I would love to see the default be that every time a new feature is added to lightburn, a video is added to explain it! Your text documentation is decent. But this wins, hands-down.

[BillyBooBob]

Just started giving sub-layers a try. Playing around with it I see that if you're in the Cut Settings Editor and you disable any sub-layers, the tab for that sublayer turns red, so you can see at a glance that it's disabled. However, once you exit the editor and go back to the Cuts/Layers list, all of the tabs are still black, so you can't tell at a glance if any sub-layers are disabled. Would be nice to have them turn red there, too, and perhaps place a toggle under each tab to disable/enable that sub-layer without having to go into the editor.

At first it threw me off that when I created sub-layers while in one layer, all of the layers now contained sub-layers. It might even be better if each layer on it's own could have a variable number of sub-layers (or no sub-layers at all). Just because I have sub-layers on C00 doesn't mean I want/need sub-layers on every layer in the system.

[bnsbnz]

Heck yeah guys, this is pretty awesome. Much more intuitive than ezcrap.

[graemebrumfitt]

Yeah like Joaquin Campos said, defo want this update, take my money! TFS, GB :)

[clayhayes]

Curious if LB will consolidate the rotary plugins ezcad2 uses into 1 interface.

[jeffhack]

I cannot get the sub layers to output in VER. 1.203
I have made new files in VER. 1.203.
I have added layers.
I have opened each layer to add sub layers to fill(2 sublayers)..
Outputs are green therefore ON.
Outputs only first layer and is a horizontal fill.
Have tried multiple installs and reinstalls and same condition.
Problem is even after deleting program, deleting set up file, rebooting and downloading setup file again I cannot get a clean fresh install.
It automatically loads my corefile. Does not allow me to do a fresh install as like very first install.
The forums are no help.
How do I reset to fresh install?
Any help would be appreciated.

[emieldebruijn]

Hello,

I need to engrave a logo from a company but this logo has 2 words in it.
One small word and one bigger one.
Because of my laser is a diode laser, he angrave's the smaller word not so deep.
Can you tell how i engrave the smaller word a bit stronger than the bigger word ?
I can't find a good totorial on youtube for this problem.

[KristianaW]

Is this function on both co2 and diode lasers? I have an d1 pro and have the bought version of lightburn and only have fill, line and offset fill as my options 🤷‍♀️

[krazekilla]

Out of curiosity, what would the settings of a "Clean" run be? Is it just a lower power quicker speed run to clean the cutting space?

[Lumpy_Strohhut]

hello. is it possible in lightburn to engrave lets say a picture that is 200x200mm inside a random Sketched border so that the laser only engraves inside that border even though the picture goes over the border?

[coulterjb]

I just tried ordering the project by layer order on a galvo using rotary. The split size was large so the rotary could complete a layer before moving, which is faster. But the first layer was split, even after setting the project to start at the top. Would using sub-layers work? I’ve tried a ton of different things to complete a layer prior to the rotary’s move but I cant get it to work. Ill try sub layers in a couple days but would love to know if it’s possible for a layer to finish before rotary moves.

[andrewhofmann]

Do Ruida controllers handle the sub-layers accurately or will they need to be run using the START command from Lightburn?

[charlesf]

wish there was an option to allow sub layers to run simultaneously as in run a rough in and then a clean up for tumblers i set the parameters but it stops after first layer is finished even though system shows both layers to output

[hokieinidaho]

This one lost me just a bit. Would be helpful to see some application of why one might use this. I'm a little slow 🙂

[iwannaapple]

I really don't understand the point of sub-layers and it seems every video I watch skips or doesn't realize the point!
To me, it seems Lightburn is just relocating the jobs to be performed from the cuts and layers window to the sub-layers window without any real benefit in performance. Keep in mind I am no expert at all but I may be missing something but what is important to me is to be able to do more the one layer at the the same time. I really don't understand not being able to use the empty white space when doing a job. If I know how to do more than one job at a time things would be great. Take a clock for example. You have numbers on the outside and maybe a graphic on the inside. How would you do both at the same time? To me, that should be the definition of sub-layers!

[cheekyoscar]

Bloody hell why did I make things so complicated … they should give user the option for the user to have this feature turn off completely all on…