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!
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[@BillyBooBob1]

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.

[@b3nsb3nz]

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

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

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

[@TheGuitarman1968]

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. 👍 👍

[@monavieforal]

You guys are SUPER awesome!!!!

[@clayhayes4323]

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

[@fredsmachinewerks4811]

That awesome. Great update Cheers

[@heartzm4478]

Great Video thanks so much!

[@emieldebruijn4804]

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.

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

If you enable overscanning, both will likely be engraved at the same depth, making it easier to adjust overall.

[@charlesferrucci9218]

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

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

That sounds like either a bug or a settings issue. I’d have you attach your file so we could have a look, but that’s not possible in a KZbin comment. If you email it to [e-mail] and explain the issue, we could have a look.

[@charlesferrucci9218]

@@lightburnsoftware7189 sent now thank you for the quick response makes me glad i switched to lightburn

[@jeffhack6839]

I have the same problem on some of my files since the update. This video at least clarifies the changes.

[@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?

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

It sounds like what you are describing is creating a mask of the image. This video covers the process: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KXiKyMgsubjsk

[@andrewhofmann5453]

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

[@prcdslnc13]

Ruida handles them fine. You can start or send just like you are used too

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

Though, in addition to Joe's reply, we did find a bug with this, which is fixed in the pending 1.2.01 release.

[@graemehorn7523]

new things to play with.....

[@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 🙂

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

A good example is running an outline pass around some shapes after filling them, or being able to run a fill with multiple different fill angles, similar to cross hatch, but not forced to be 90 degrees to each other.

[@joshshor3758]

my background isnt black

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

Are you referring to the background in the workspace? If so go under settings and enabled "filled rendering". With that enabled any object on a filled layer will show as filled in the workspace.

[@joshshor3758]

@@lightburnsoftware7189yes, thanks I'll see if that works

[@iwannaapple7190]

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!

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

To engrave multiple items at the same time just put them on the same layer. That’s it. Sub-layers are more useful for galvo lasers, where you often run many passes with different settings on the same graphics to achieve color or pattern effects. They’re still useful with gantry lasers for things like outlining text for extra definition, or doing multiple engraving passes at different angles.

[@iwannaapple7190]

@@lightburnsoftware7189 How do I put text on the same layer with an image. Cant seem to do that.

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

@@iwannaapple7190 - Embed the text in the image itself, or trace the image so it's vectors. The two have very different settings, so you technically can't put them on the same layer without changing one of them.

[@omega11333]

Shut up and take my money again😄

[@3dtwerking324]

Sub Layers would be better if you could assign them from the library. Currently to use sublayers you need to have your entire library written down on paper and manually enter the sublayers. Sublayers can be an awesome feature but currently they have rendered the library feature useless.

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

This is incorrect - Sub-layers are stored in the library like anything else. That said, you cannot assign a *single* sub-layer from a library setting. The entire layer, including sub-layers, can be assigned to or from a material entry in the library.

[@3dtwerking324]

​@@lightburnsoftware7189 Odd you said incorrect and then said exactly what I said. You just said it different and did not apply production to it. Production is about job time and reduction of errors. Opening existing libraries to write down absolutely everything so it can be re-entered a multitude of times as sub-layers in 4 times the library entries does not address "production is about time and reduction of errors" never mind typo errors! It messes up both! Sub-layers is awesome! As long as we can use tested library entries without re-typing. I don't know about you but I have multiple lasers in multiple wattage and that is a huge pile of library entries to wrote out on paper so I can re-enter them. Then I have to hope and pray I didn't have any typos. The pray I don't blow out any clients projects - each entry will have to be re-tested. Adding a button to the library that says "add as sub-layer(s)" does address these problems as tested data does not have to be re-entered. Data is very easily findable as the library entries are mostly single layer (line and fill now split into 2). Operators know what operations are needed, adding raw operations as sublayers to a project would be awesome. I wouldn't have to re-test every single library entry for every single laser. Library management or data management is an age old problem, it needs to be simple or it becomes a disaster fast. The only way I see to find an entry fast is put it in as a single layer library entry, but that entry is useless and has to be re-typed to use in current state. If that is burried in a multi-layer library entry finding it will slowly become impossible. All of which goes against "job time and reduction of errors". I see it now, 6 months ago I created a multi-layer library entry that one of the sub-layers has the perfect settings for my current project, I wish I could remember which one that was. I've been on many software dev projects where this type of problem happened. The questions are how are you going to describe these multi-layer entries so you can accurately pick them later without spending minutes reading all the sub-settings, is your memory good enough to know the sub settings are right? Its easy to call one "steel deep engrave", that is clear and tested. Its fast to pick that one and 4 others from the library and know you have the right parameters. Its slow to read through multiple entries looking for the one that has the right 4 sub-layers and verify the parameters are correct to save the "oops, oh ya that entry was for some special project" Operators know what they need for a project, I don't think they need saved multi-layer libraries as I know that will get into the thousands of entries and add more mistakes and complexity later. What they do need is what I mentioned, add as sub-layer to the current working layer from tried and tested entries. Each job is different making many library entries difficult. Just think of all the possibilities for Aluminum, what 15 core operations and 200 combinations. I'm good with 15 core and 5 combinations and build on the fly the rest. That will cut costs with less time and mistakes and not increase costs.

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

@@3dtwerking324 - You said "Currently to use sub-layers you have to write everything down and manually enter them". I said *that* was incorrect, because if you create a library entry that has sub-layers, they're all stored. You didn't make it clear that you were looking to store and recall a single sub-layer into a layer. This is brand new, and you're right, we haven't thought of every possible way to use it yet, but now that I actually understand what you were looking for, we'll look into it.

[@3dtwerking324]

@@lightburnsoftware7189 Thank you. You do know that to make a sub-layer you already need to know the parameters and to get those parameters you will have to look at an old unusable library entry, likely write it on paper then go re-enter it into the sub-layer. Then rinse and repeat a pile of times for each multi-operation that uses that same raw operation. Otherwise where is it you plan to get the parameters for the sub-layer from? I can't remember all 200 of my library entry parameters for each of the 6 different laser types I have to magically enter them as a sub-layer. I do have to look first! That by the by is another useful idea thinking on laser type I see everyone struggling with. Thinking out loud, add to the laser profile a factor or 3 for laser speed/strength/type. Then add to each library entry the laser power and type. Then when you open a laser profile for a diode 10W it knows how to convert the library entry from the 90W CO2 it was entered with to the current selected laser and libraries are not needed for every separate laser machine. Even older units could have factors to adjust for things like tube age. I have found that 2 lasers of the same type/model are just a bit different. For tuning you could add a library entry for a final factor for tuning and confirmed tested. That with linked library entries would allow for global changes to be made as lasers age. The library becomes part of a business laser management system saving time and materials. The thought there is everyone runs test patterns on every laser and every material from scratch each time and re-runs it as the laser ages. Cut all that out, run it all once on one laser. The tweak it on each of the other lasers with a few +/- factor on the machine profile.

[@DanWrightPerl]

Even just an option to copy from the library into a sub layer would be nicer than manually doing it.

[@jeffhack6839]

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.

[@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.

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

Thank you for the feedback. We are always looking at ways to improve user experience and agree that video is a great way for showing new features in a way that explains clearly and is easier to digest.

[@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 🤷‍♀️

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

As long as you are at least on version 1.2 of LightBurn you will have access to sub layers. Double click on any of your layers in the cut/layer window. This will open the cut settings editor. Towards the top right you will see the plus sign to add sublayers to the layer.

[@krazekilla224]

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?

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

A cleaning pass is usually 2-3x faster and a frequency of at least double.

[@krazekilla224]

@@lightburnsoftware7189 Thank you for the reply!

[@coulterjb22]

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.

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

If you can send the project file you are attempting along with video/images of your output to support it will help to find the solution. The support email is [e-mail]

[@coulterjb22]

@@lightburnsoftware7189 Right on! I'll send them this morning. Thank you!

[@cheekyoscar1353]

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…

[@lightburnsoftware7189]

You can still use line or fill as separate layers. It does take a little getting used to but sublayers are quite powerful and allow you to easily perform multiple complex operations.

[@cheekyoscar1353]

@@lightburnsoftware7189 You're missing my point . The software should give you the option to have this advance option " on or off" in the settings menu . instead of having to be forced to use it . but for me it's not . it just makes it more complicated for me & Burgers up all my files that I have prepared so far ....