Comgrow Lightburn Camera Module - Setting it up and calibration!

[@9z4clb]

Dude! ......Thank you so much, that certainly sorted me out. Machine is spot on!

[@Vintauri]

Glad it helped!

[@timwaderocks]

Great video by the way. I just did my camera tonight off of your video. It was so simple. Thanks.

[@Vintauri]

I’m glad it helped get your camera set up!

[@nctplarry]

Excellent! For some reason, my laser positioning got out of whack and I have a BUNCH of engraving to do during the lest 2-3 weeks, so I was very frustrated about the burn being so out of kilter. So, tomorrow I shall try to use that X,Y shift thing and see if that does the trick. Major high fives!

[@caddnima]

thank you. Very helpful. You are right, the 90 degree is weird.

[@Vintauri]

Thanks for watching!

[@AwesomeFuture777]

Great video. I just received a camera and I plugged it in and discovered the processor was melted on the camera board. They are sending me another. I wanted to tell you that they are modifying the large enclosure and they are going to put the eye protective film on the enclosure. I think they received enough comments on it, and I was talking with them and Flora said she brought it up and they are putting it on their next batch going out. Not sure when that will be. But it's still great news you can share. Laser Roads signing out!

[@billieb]

Thanks. It is still not spot on but the x y helped alot. i went back and forth with comgrow for 2 weeks and they never once mentioned the xy.

[@jessetutterrow4320]

Thank you for covering the x y offset. This is the first video I recall discussing this. It will help my positioning of objects. I use the camera to position a cut to get the maximum usage out of a piece of wood. I noticed that when my Ortur LM2 laser is doing a fast transversal the camera shakes a lot. Have you noticed this?

[@Vintauri]

I have only set up this camera on the Comgrow Z1 so far and it's white space movement is much slower so I'm not getting camera shake. If its attached to the laser frame then I can see that happening on the Ortur. Short of mounting the camera to the table instead of the laser I'm not sure how to help that issue.

[@jackhelm9852]

Great video. Between you and Rich the Louisiana Hobby Guy, ya'll have sold me on the need for a camera solution. I would love to be able to use this method of engraving. However I have recently purchased the extended rails for my Atomstack A20 and need to wait for, hope for, look to create a solution that allows me to cover the entire size. I could see a use for the camera to need it, but certainly the enclosure. I hope they come out with a solution that allows for the extended rails. But very good video and I watched the focusing part three times to make sure I got it all. For what it is worth, I skipped past the setup part as I find those unnecessary and boring unless there is a tricky part that needs highlighting. I would recommend putting in some sort of time break for folks to skip ahead to if they do not need the setup build instructions. (However if there IS a tricky part or problem with the setup, mention that in the beginning so folks know to watch the whole thing...just a suggestion) Love your videos and appreciate the information you put out here.

[@Vintauri]

Thanks for the feedback on the build. I have wondered how much people care about, I try to hit just an overview or highlights, but this one was pretty straight forward. I'll see if I can add chapters to jump ahead in the future. As for the extended rails and the camera, I'd think you'd need a higher res camera that was mounted even higher or a mixture of that with a wider angle lens, to cover the long bed of an extended laser. Hopefully some manufacturer comes out with a simple solution to that in the future.

[@Humble-Engine]

Your video helped me get my camera working last night, thank you. Is there a height you recommend that the camera be adjusted to, from the working area? Second when I home my laser it bangs into the side and back more then I feel comfortable about long term. Any setting changes you recommend for homing?

[@Humble-Engine]

Do you still recommend this camera and set up? To you have a fan you recommend for setting up inside the enclosure to extract fumes? Thank you for your video.

[@Vintauri]

I do like this setup for it's rigidity when it's connected to the frame. Some other mounts are more flexible in their positioning but also can introduce more errors from being bumped. As for a fan, at minimum I would get a 4" inline fan that can pull around 200 CFM. I'd also look for a style that has the middle fan module that can be removed for cleaning. Here is an example of one. I personally use a 6" fan that pulls more CFM, but it also costs more. amzn.to/3EsyV29

[@Humble-Engine]

@@Vintauri funny that’s the fan I had in my cart. Ok so for camera , the one you are using is still recommend or should I look to another camera for ease of use and accuracy?

[@Vintauri]

@@Humble-Engine Most of the cameras will have similar accuracy and that's mostly in the setup and calibration. I still think this one is good, but you could also check out the new Sculpfun camera setup. My friend over at the Clack Shack did a review on that one as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnbEhWR4hLmMfpY&ab_channel=TheClackShack

[@Humble-Engine]

@@Vintauri much appreciated for allllll of your help and time as someone new to this and excited to dial everything in. Again, thank you!

[@Humble-Engine]

@@Vintauri thanks again for your time I bought the fan you recommended and will install it tomorrow when it arrives. I am grateful for your input and quick feedback. Subscribed and looking forward to future updates.

[@garywidman7574]

Great video. I ordered the Comgrow camera weeks ago, and it's supposed to arrive next week. Looking at the settings tab, there's an option at the bottom of the page to "Rotate captures 90 degrees". I'm wondering if that will show the camera from the same direction as the laser? I'm also curious about using the camera with extended rails since I intend to add them to my unit when I find a suitable place to set it up.

[@Vintauri]

I need to go back and look at that setting to rotate it 90 degrees. I'll see if that messes up the overlay or if it will fix the preview. I'm not sure on the extended rails and the camera, I'd think you would need a higher res camera moved higher above to catch all the work area. That or a wide angle lens but I'd worry about distortion the further out you get with that.

[@timwaderocks]

I watched the show tonight and you said you had a facebook page now. What is it under? I searched for it.

[@Vintauri]

Here is the link to my Facebook page. Thanks for watching the livestream! facebook.com/VintaurisWorkshop?mibextid=LQQJ4d

[@danielprovenzano163]

I have the giant Comgrow enclosure it leaks smoke like crazy, so I purchased the medium size the original one you had and obviously it doesn't fit so I think I'm going to cut the long pole in the back and make it fit. I still should have the required distance from top to bottom for the camera. What do you think of my idea? Thanks for your input.

[@Vintauri]

As long as you can get the working area of your laser bed calibrated then it should work. As for the enclosure, make sure whichever enclosure you use that you get proper airflow into it as ell as out of it. I've found that if I leave the front flap unzipped for about 6 inches that it lets more air in therefore allowing the fan to pull more air out, otherwise it gets a bit starved and the smoke lingers.

[@PaulJarrett]

Nice, now I want this camera and the huge enclosure. So have you had to recalibrate the camera and more since the initial calibration?

[@Vintauri]

If you move the laser and frame around quite a bit, it can need recalibration. I've also noticed that it's better to run the full lens calibration instead of using the default profile. But if it's stationary and you do the full calibration it stays aligned fairly well.

[@JayReal8321]

Great videos!!! If I calibrate the camera on an older version of Lightburn and upgrade it, do I have to re-calibrate or does it still work fine?

[@Vintauri]

The camera profile should stay with you through a version update, but you might want to test it on something non essential before trusting it's aligned after updating.

[@JayReal8321]

@@Vintauri okay cause I don't have the 8MP-N-75 available to select unless I go back to v1.0.06 and I haven't had any luck using the dot pattern and calibrating that way but I'm actually going to try again now. Thanks for the reply

[@floridalove]

A little hint on the side. In the camera control window is a switch "Fade". If you deactivate it, you will have a clearer camera image.

[@Vintauri]

I do use that in my normal image tracing workflow but I forgot to do that here. It's a great tip to help really see the lines vs the camera image. Thanks!

[@allanbourner4569]

Hi, awaiting delivery of L2 36w. Would you recommend the Atomstack or Comgrow camera? Thanks

[@Vintauri]

The Comgrow mount is a little more rigid once in place but it gives you fewer mounting options. I like that the Atomstack camera can be mounted off to the side but angled in to reach the center. So the trade off is you gain flexibility but it might be more likely to get bumped out of alignment.

[@allanbourner4569]

@@Vintauri thanks for the quick response, another query what is this 90deg out mean in the comments?

[@Vintauri]

@@allanbourner4569 The comgrow camera is fixed in its orientation so the small preview you get off to the side is rotated 90 degrees. You are able to fix that in your overlay view so it's a minor inconvenience, but the live preview window can mess with some people that want to view that as well. The Atomstack camera is easily rotated to the correct orientation so that you do not need to make the adjustment.

[@allanbourner4569]

Many thanks again

[@kaotik78]

Picked on of these up and it won't display an image via lightburn on Mac OS High Sierra. Wish it worked but it seems to not work on Mac at all. Comgrow was acquired by Sovol, so getting help for this is non existent. It's recognized but won't return an image in lightburn. The Comgrow enclosure is nice, to work around the lack of UV shielding, some Gila static cling window tint and some small magnets work well.

[@billieb]

Hey There. Have you had your camera loose its alignment? MIne still shows the xy adjustments but it is 1 cm off again.

[@Vintauri]

I went back and ran through the lens calibration using the 5x7 printed dots and it's helped lock it in to more accuracy across the laser bed. I'll try to do a follow up video on that as well.

[@timwaderocks]

I have 1 laptop that I use with my Omtech 60 watt already, which has a lightburn camera already in it. Can I use the same laptop to cailbrate and use my Z1 or should I use my other laptop for the Z1?

[@Vintauri]

LightBurn stores the camera calibration data in the device profile, so it should stick with the laser once you calibrate it. However, if the cameras are identical and not named differently, Lightburn may get confused over which one to use. I've not ran two cameras on two lasers from one machine yet, so I can't say for sure if you'll run into issues.

[@PaulJarrett]

So I am having trouble located a 7mm shim for my comgrow that is in transit to my house. Any ideas where I cant find one? Thanks

[@Vintauri]

Your laser will hopefully come with a focus block, if not, you can make a temporary one from some scrap wood and then sand it to the 7mm thickness. After that you can cut out a better focus tool using some craft plywood and your laser.

[@guillaumecognard8193]

Hello, thanks for your videos. I hesitate between the Comgrow camera and the Atomstack AC1. Which one do you prefer? Which one is more accurate? Finally, if I calibrate the camera without honeycomb to engrave, and add the honeycomb to cut, do i need to calibrate again? Thanks for your answer and sorry for my english but i'm french guy 😅

[@guillaumecognard8193]

Ohh and does camera work with MacOs?

[@Vintauri]

I think the cameras used are of similar quality. The Comgrow mount is more rigid and will resist being bumped out of alignment more, however the Atomstack AC1 mount is more flexible and can give you more mounting options. If you change the working area height with a honeycomb panel, you'll need to re-calibrate either one.

[@Vintauri]

As long as the computer can detect the camera, it will work in MacOS. I've not tested that with either one, if I get a chance I'll try to do a quick test and let you know.

[@guillaumecognard8193]

@@Vintauri Wow thanks for your quick answer but i still hesitate 😆

[@amoreyjones565]

Since the two tree use 3 stepper motors how would I know if it can power the z1 10w module?

[@Vintauri]

I really cannot speak to the Two Trees lasers or their controllers as I’ve never used one. The Z1 is a bit unique in its setup and connectors so I really do not know of another board that could operate it.

[@owenauer3406]

I'm on my second Comgrow camera. I sent the first one back, no video. I'm using Windows 10. Ordered and received another thinking it was just a bad camera. The second camera also does not work. Looks like that one's going back also.

[@Vintauri]

That's too bad. I hope Comgrow addreses the quality control on this. The mount is very sturdy, which is important for a camera mount to keep calibration. But if the cameras are failing, a strong mount wont matter.

[@SunePedersen88]

Does this camera require the laser to have limit switches?

[@Vintauri]

The camera requires the laser to know where in the working area the head is, this is usually done with homing to limit switches. You could try to do this with a home fixture that you manually move the laser to, but it's another variable that will reduce the accuracy of the camera calibration to your work area.

[@dapage68]

OK, No one has made a video on the Xtool d1 extension kit on how to configure a camera, or can a camera work on the extension kit.?

[@Vintauri]

I have not extended one of my diode lasers yet, but The Clack Shack has and set up a fisheye camera that seems to work over most of the extended bed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2fMfKNqlLmgd68

[@davidlinzenmeyer6748]

Is this camera compatible with Widows 11?

[@Vintauri]

Yes, Windows 11 detects the camera and installs it with no issues and no additional drivers. I just tested it on a fresh install to be sure.

[@amoreyjones565]

I can't seem to connect to light burn with z1 installed the driver. What am I missing?

[@Vintauri]

Here are a few things I would check. Double check that you have the CH340 drivers installed, and check to see if the micro SD card is installed into the main board of the laser. If you are using Windows, check in your device manager under com ports to see if it sees a CH340 device.

[@amoreyjones565]

@@Vintauri ok will check.

[@amoreyjones565]

I got through with laser grbl no luck with lightburn

[@amoreyjones565]

Should the SD card be in the board or not I am seeing the port active when I connect the USB its on com3 I put that in lightburn and select grbl controller under console it appears to know the laser is there they just dont want to talk it seem

[@Vintauri]

I had to install the card in my Z1 to get the computer to see it and once that was there Lightburn could see it. You may have to tell lightburn which com port it is on if it is not auto detecting the laser.

[@cccs777]

Has anyone found a way to rotate the capture image by 90 degrees yet? It's driving me crazy lol ! I don't see a setting for this.

[@Vintauri]

I have not found a quick fox for this yet. I agree it's a bit annoying but so far, I just use update overlay and I'm good with the work area image being correct.

[@kaitli5279]

😒 Ｐ𝐫Ｏ𝕞Ｏ𝓢ｍ