User Laser Engraving Cutting Software RDCAM5.0: 'S Manual of
User Laser Engraving Cutting Software RDCAM5.0: 'S Manual of
Laser engraving cutting system through a computer numerical control machine tools
to achieve effective control, according to the user’s different requirements of the
completion of processing tasks。
The system including control board and control panel, and supporting software. This
manual describes how to use the software to complete the task of laser
processing.( Motherboard wiring and control panel operations, see the
accompanying manual and control panel wiring board operating instructions)
After start the software,you can see the interface shown in the following figure.
Edit Bar
Control Panel
Menu Bar : The main function of this software are available through the
implementation of the Menu Bar. Execute the menu command is the most basic
mode of operation. Menu Bar including: Document、Edit、Draw、Setting、Processing、
View and Help.
System Bar: On the System Bar, placed some most commonly command buttons
which is chosen from the menu.
Graphics Bar: Graphics property bar is the basic attributes of graphics operations,
including graphic location, size, scale, number processing.
Edit Bar : The Edit Bar default on the left of the work area. In the Edit Bar placed
frequently used tools to make the operation more flexible and convenient.
Control Panel : Using the Control Panel to complete laser processing of multiple
tasks, Layer parameter settings, axis control, processing …etc.
In addition to installation process can set the software language type, you can easily
switch in different language.
Click Menu Bar 【 Help】 ->【 语 言 /Language】 expand menu, select the required
language types.
To obtain manufacturers information,so that we can provide you with better service.
Click Menu Bar【Help】->【About RDCAM】
The software uses rld file format to save graphic information 、 layer parameters of
various layers and processing sequence of the graphic elements.
(1) Click menu【File】->【Open】,or click icon , the following dialog box appears:
Select file
Because this software is rld format, so to make or edit the use of other materials will
be done by importing. After using the Export to graphic files for other software.
Supported file format for import : dxf, ai, plt, dst, dsb...etc
Supported file format for export: plt
Current layer
◆ PLT Precision: According to the accuracy of the original plt file to select the
appropriate import unit.
◆ Smooth curves: When import vector file , automatically smoothing the original
curves. For the original graphic is smooth or need to repeatedly adjust the beset
smoothing effect, you can uncheck this button. Do not do smoothing curves may
reduce time of import processing.
◆ Auto close curves : According to close tolerance automatic check and closed
curve
◆ Combine lines:According to merger tolerance, auto-connecting curves.
◆ Color map automatically switch to grayscale : Because under normal
circumstances, graphics are based on grayscale. If the imported bitmap is a color
image can be converted to grayscale.
◆ Import Dxf text message:When the user need only Dxf the graphic information,
not need the text information within the file, do not check this.
◆ Export precision: The precision of export plt file or output file.
◆ Velocity unit: Software supported two types of speed unit: mm/s 、 m/min.
Selected according to usage. After it was selected, the speed of parameters on
the interface unit will change with it.
◆ Line
Click menu【Draw】->【Line】,or click Edit Bar ,drag the mouse on the screen
you can draw an
arbitrary line 。 Press the “Ctrl” key while dragging the mouse to draw horizontal or
vertical
line.
◆ Polyline
◆ Ellipse
Click menu【Draw】->【Ellipse】,or click Edit Bar 。Drag the mouse on the screen
you can draw an arbitrary size ellipse.
Press the “Ctrl” key while dragging the mouse to draw round.
◆ Point
Click menu【Draw】->【Ellipse】,or click Edit Bar . Click the mouse on the screen,
you can draw an point.
◆ Text
If the computer has been connected to the image device, the dialog box will appear.
After it was selected, you can collect the pictures from the specified device.
In the process of drawing and edit graphics,first of all is to select the object.
When the object is being selected,in the center of this object will have a shaped mark
“ × ”,and surrounded by eight control points.
Press the mouse and drag, as long as the box come into contact with the object will
be selected。
Right-click the selected layer, then the part of all objects in the layer will be selected.
The color of object that is the color of the object contour.You can click the color button
on the Layer Bar to change the color of the object has been selected.The clolor of the
pressed button is the color of current layer.
Transformation of object mainly include: object location 、 orientation and size. But
does not change the basic shape of the object and its characteristics.
Transformation of object for users, provides a convenient user interface. User can
You can also use the right transformation tools to transform and copy the graphics.
2.9.1 Object Image
Object image is flip the selected object in the horizontal or vertical direction.
Click Edit Bar ,will pop up the dialog of rotate angel setting.
Set rotate angle and click the button【OK】.
Or use the spin rotation transformation tools to transform. In the rotations transformation
tool can be set to the center of rotation and locking center of rotation.
You can set size and center position of the selected object.
Or use the size transformation toolbar to change the size of object. Can modify the
size, choose whether to lock the aspect ratio, and set the position relative to the object to
transform.
2.9.4 Tilt
Object can be tilted by the tilting transformation tools. It can be set the tilt anchor and
the tilt angle.
The tilt will cause distortion of the bitmap and the practical application of small,
currently only supports the tilt vector graphics.
Click Edit Bar ,select object wants to copy。Then click , the following dialog
box appears:
Width of a single graphic(mm) Height of a single graphic(mm)
You can array replication object along different directions.The direction of copy is
based on the orginal graphics.Such as choose the array direction lower right,then the
original graphic will appear on the upper left corner.wheras if it is to the upper left
array,then the original graph appears in the lower right.
After setting the array number and array spacing,click button【Apply】,you can see
the actual graphics
array.
There are two forms of array spacing:center spacing and edge spacing.
Choose center spacing,then【X Distance(mm)】、 【Y Distance(mm)】representing
the distance of the two graphic center.
If not choose center spacing,then 【 X Distance(mm) 】、【 Y Distance(mm) 】
representing the distance of the graphic edge.
Center distance X = Edge distance X + width of object
Center distanceY = Edge distance Y + height of object
Switch between the two kinds of calculate method, 【 X Distance(mm) 】、【 Y
Distance(mm)】will be calculated automatically.
Click 【 Bestrewing breadth 】, The software will automatically calculate the array
number
according to the workpiece sie、width、height、X distance and Y distance。
Adjust spacing can be directly input values,and click 【Apply】
Can also press the dirction keys to adjust objects spacing。
Check【Center】,then after object array replication,graphics will be centered on the
work area.
Scroll the mouse wheel to zoom view of the graphics.
Drag the mouse to pan view of the graphics。
Place the object is to facilitate the view or orientation. The following tools are provided
by software:
, selected object will be placed in the center of the page, that is the object center
coincides with the center of the page.
, Selected object will be placed on the page left, upper right, lower
right, lower left, upper left corner of the object, upper right, lower right, lower left and upper
left corner, top right, bottom right, bottom left corner of coincidence.
Bar .
Whick include:
Edit graphics, and sometimes need to be a part of the operation as a whole (such as
multi-line text layout).
Method: Select the group of graphics, and then select the menu 【Edit】 / 【Group】
Here are some frequently used tools. Using these important tools, can make the
current document in the graphics more orderly, and make the processing of output
more fast.
2.13.1 Manual sorting and the set of cutting point and the cutting direction
Software provides users a convenient tool for the manual sorting. Select 【Edit】->
【Set cutting property】. Cutting property dialog box will pop up. All with manual sorting,
and cut points, cutting the direction of the settings in this dialog box can be completed.
Select . This button is used to switch the current status of the operation is to edit
or view. Then you can marquee or click the graphics in the graphics display area (or click
one pixel or check many pixels). After selecting the graphic, select , these graphics
to be redirected to another list, to be processed as the first primitive. Primitives followed by
repeated operations, to complete sequencing of all graphics.
Select the graphics that should be changed the cutting point, it will show all the nodes
in the current graphics. Select the starting point, double-click the mouse, it will change the
starting point of the current graphics. After the completion of all changes, click ,
the result of the changes can be saved.
In addition to cutting property features, the software also offers some tools to change
the cutting order, cutting direction and cutting point.
Enter the serial number directly in the processing number, then press the keyboard
“Enter” key, or click the plot area, the cutting order will be changed.
Drawing or importing curves, the curve is default not have any cut in/cut out lines.
If want to add cut in/cut out lines,select the objects,then click【Edit】->【Edit cut in
To make cut in/cut out lines, first of all need to enable the cut-in/cut out function.
There are two types of the cut in/cut out lines: straight line and arc
Cut in line
Female Male
For some less accuracy curves, this function can make curves more smoothness,
and processing smoother.
Under normal circumstances do not select the “Enable Overlap error”. Removing the
overlapping lines when two lines are compared to a good degree of coincidence. If you
need to delete overlapping lines, you should select “Enable Overlap error”, and set
overlap error. Generally do not overlap error set too large, so as to avoid accidental
deletion.
In the top right of the dialog box displays the information of the current image.
Be noted that,the horizontal resolution and vertical resolution is changing with drag
scaling.
【Apply to view】:Current settings is only used for preview, without affecting to the
original bitmap,press button【Cancel】,bitmap will returned to the state of original image.
Therefore, only use for adjust effect. However, this approach requires more time and
memory Space.
【Apply to source】:Current sttings is use for orginal bitmap directly,so even finally
click button【Cancel】,image will also unable to return to the original image. Therefore, it
mainly used in multi-step operation,and the current operation of this step is necessary to
do, such as general pictures must be transformed into grayscale. This can save the
computing time of the follow-up operation.
【Save as】:Retain the results of the previous operation, In addition to using【Apply
to view】can also be exported。On this basic, to facilitate subsequent processing.
【 Gray scale 】 Generally, other image processing is based on the grayscale , so
before handling, you can do a grayscale processing, then click button【Apply to source】。
For the grayscale than the color image occupied smaller memory,for large image step by
step handle, to a certain extent to avoid the lack of memory.
For color image, adjust contrast and brightness, have some auxiliary effect to
following dither processing.
Adjust contrast:
There are three method for dither processing: Net graphic、Dot graphic、Black and white
Click “Get outline” button to extract the contour graph. As following picture
You can preview the color of graphics to match the actual output of energy. Users can
easily view whether the layer energy is true.
Chpater 3 System Settings
Before output graphics , required to determine whether the system settings are
correct.Click menu【Config】->【System Setting】
3.1General settings
when you intuitive view, just look at the zone where the green point appears.
Set speed and backlash, click OK, the value to be inserted into the list of backlash.
② Modify backlash
Double-click the left mouse button scanning (reverse gap) need to modify the reverse
block entry clearance, then the pop-up screen shown in Figure.
In the interface can modify the current speed of the corresponding backlash.
③ Remove backlash
Right-click scanning (reverse gap) block in the backlash to delete the item, then click
the【Delete】button.
Reading the board parameters must before operating the user parameters.
Idle speed: this parameter decides the max. speed of all lines not emitting beams
during the operation of the machine. This parameter should not be lower than the lower of
the jump-off speed of the X-axis and that of the Y-axis and not exceed the higher of the
max. speed of the X-axis and that of the Y-axis, if the setting is illegal, the controller will
automatically set this parameter within the range above; a comparatively high idling speed
can shorten the operation time of the entire figure while excessively high idling speed may
cause dithering of the tracks, therefore, you should take all relevant factors into
consideration when setting.
Idle Acc: Corresponds to the acceleration of the speed of air travel time, air and
air-way-way speed of acceleration to match, if you set too slow the actual speed may not
reach the air-way set value, if set too fast, they may not withstand the mechanical
structure, resulting jitter . Slightly higher than the general acceleration of air-way cut
acceleration.
Cutting Acc: Corresponding to the acceleration of the speed of cutting (cutting speed
is the speed of the layer parameters of the layers).
Turning speed: Turning the corresponding deceleration in the cutting process, the
minimum speed of the drop, when processing a lot of teeth when the graphics may be
appropriate to reduce the turning speed.
Turning Acc: Should match with the turning velocity.
Cutting mode: Split precision cutting, fast cutting, ultra-fast cutting, the user can
choose according to the actual applications. Such as the emphasis on accuracy, select
the precision cutting, such as emphasizing speed, select the fast cutting.
Acce. mode: this parameter decides the acceleration and deceleration mode (S
mode or T mode) of the motor during operation, the motor accelerates and decelerates
slowly and smoothly in the S mode and fast and relatively unsmooth in the T mode; the
default mode is the S mode.
x Start Speed, y Start Speed: Off scanning speed in the use of stepper motor drag,
do not began to accelerate from 0, but can start work directly from a speed to shorten the
overall processing time, but the speed is not too high, and because the X, Y axial load is
different from the rate, general the initial speed of X-axis slightly higher than the initial
speed of Y-axis
x Acc, y Acc: With the scanning speed (the speed of layers in the layer parameters)
to match, if set too small, the scan speed to a longer distance, the scanning efficiency. The
machine can be set according to the actual structure, load conditions vary. Since X, Y axis
load, generally much higher than the X-axis Y-axis accelerometer.
Line shift speed of scanning: this parameter is specially used to control the max.
speed of the scanning to shift vertically from one line to the next line below it. If during the
scanning, the line space is too large or the block space is too large when scanning block
figures while precise positioning for each line or block is required, you can set the line shirt
speed of scanning to a comparatively low value. This parameter cannot be less than the
jump-off speed of the corresponding axis during the line shift and cannot be higher than
the max. speed of the corresponding axis during the line shift, if the setting is illegal, the
controller will automatically set this parameter within the range above.
Scan mode: There are two modes for your selection: the general mode and the
special mode, in the general mode, there’s no any treatment during the scan, in the
special mode, light spots will be treated. If the special mode is activated, the power of the
laser should be increased and correspondingly, the light spot percentage will be lower and
the laser power attenuation will be higher, to achieve the same depth of scanning, the
laser power should be higher. The purpose to select the special mode is to make the laser
to emit beams at high power and in short period, during deep scanning, the effect of flat
bottom can be achieved, however, if the light spots are improperly adjusted, this effect
may not be achieved and the working mode of high power and short period may influence
the service life of the laser. The default mode is the general mode.
Facula Size: When scanning the general pattern of selection, the argument is invalid,
when you select a special mode, the onset of the parameters. Control the parameters of
control in 50% to 99%, respectively.
Home speed: This parameter determines the machine is turned back to the origin
when the speed of a larger format if the machine can be set to reset the speed is too large,
but not too much.
X, Y, Z, U Auto home: The axis can be set whether should reset at boot time.
Go scale mode: Points of light to go off the border, the opening cut borders, corners
three modes.
Go scale blank: Walking frame can be based on the actual image size up and down
again about the direction of some of the white left side of the border in order to ensure
complete contains the actual graphics.
This setting is on the control panel to go with the border-related functions, while
walking on the border with the independent software.
Array mode: you can choose the swing mode and the one-way mode. The Swing
mode: cutting the array back and forth in order; the One-way mode: always cutting the
array from one direction to another. If One-way mode is selected, all array units have the
same movement modes and the same liquidity of movement, however, this mode will take
more time than the swing mode. The default mode is the Swing mode.
Return position: You can select the locating point and the machine origin. This
parameter decides the position, the locating point or the machine origin, where the laser
head stops upon completion of each operation.
Delay before feed: Using the feeding device, the delay before a single feed, users
can arrange the time and the like, such as picking process.
Delay after feed: Refers to the material sent to the feed device in place, the need for
stability after a period of time for processing.
Focus depth: Auto focus operation to find the corresponding panel.
Backlash X, Y: Used to compensate the backlash caused by the machine drive
problems.
3.4 Document Management
1> Read
Click button Read,the software will communications with the controller,read the list
of files on the controller.
After read controller successful ,file information will be displayed in the document list.
2> Download
Click button Download,will pop up the file dialog , select *.rd downloaded file, then
the file will be downloaded to the controller.
If the download is successful, the document list will update.
3> Process
Select the file to be processed from the document list ,and click button Process
The controller will start the specified document。
4> Delete
Select the file you want to delete from the document list,and click button Delete
The controller will delete the specified document.
If the deletion is successful ,the document list will be updated.
Layer settings
Search device
Processing control
If the computer only connected one device,you can set to Auto。The software will
automatically search the device.
If the computer connected many devices, then first of all you need to click 【 Find
com】.
After search, the connected devices will all add to the drop-down list.
What you need to do is select the specified device.
4.2 Layer processing
4.3 Position
Setting the laser head back location after processing completed.(Current position 、
Original anchor、Machine Zero.
Current Position : Laser head back to the position before processing.
Original anchor : Laser head back to the last anchor ,the anchor may set at
panel.
Machine zero : Laser head back to the zero of the machine.
For Example Go Scale, As the following figure shown, the actual graphic is round,
and the red rectangle outside the circle is the smallest rectangle, click button Go Scale,
laser head will run once along the rectangular path.
For Example Cut Scale, As the following figure shown, the actual graphic is round,
and the red rectangle outside the circle is the smallest rectangle, click button Cut Scale,
laser head will be cut along the rectangle.
4.5 Start、Pause、Stop、SaveToUFile、UFileOutput、Download
After check Output select graphics,then only output the selected part, rather than
not output the part not selected.
After check Path Optimize,then automatically perform the path optimize before the
output.
If has done the Path optimize or not need optimize, then not check Path Optimize can
reduce waiting time.
4.8 Test
Axis control, can only control one axis each time. You can set the information for axis
move, including move length、speed、laser on-off and laser power.
If you check “Move from origin”, then the offset you set means the offset to machine
zero.
If you not check move from origin, then the offset means the offset to the current
position.
The X-axis, for example, assuming the current position is 100mm, such as the step
distance is set to 10mm, then the exercise once, the new location will be 110mm, such as
the check moves from the origin, movement time, the new location will be 10mm, and
repeated Movement, location will no longer change.
Note: According to the provisions of the controller, the absolute position is no
negative in the whole breadth. If you check the Move From Origin, and set the offset
value negative, then the machine will hit limiter.
4.9 Output Setting
is to set the direction of the array. You can select right bottom, left bottom, right
top, left top.
Note: As shown above, the graphics position relative to the laser head right upper and
lower right direction while the array, it may result in cross-border graphics.
Because the laser head relative to the location is relative to the graphic location of a
single graphic, rather than relative to the location of the entire graph after the array. In this
case, the array do not have problems when the array direction to the left bottom.
Click OK , software can automatically calculate the appropriate numbers of rows and
columns.
4.9.2 Rotate Engraving
When the machine there is space (such as dislocation of the seal cutting graphics),
can be checked.
Double-click the list in the layer to edit layers, layer parameters dialog box will pop up.
Layer parameters in two parts, part of the common layer parameters, namely, how both
types of processing layers, the layer parameters are valid, the other part is the proprietary
layer parameters, it changes in the layer corresponding to the type of processing
parameters will also change.
4.10.1 Common Layer Parameters Setting
Is blowing: If the machine add a fan, and fan has been enabled, then if the selection
is "Yes", then when processing the layer, it will open the fan, otherwise, will not open fan. If
the fan is not enabled, you either select "yes" or "No", are meaningless.
Laser1, Laser2: Laser signal corresponding to the board 1 channel and 2-way laser
output. If a single head machine, the first 2-way laser meaningless.
Min power, Max power: The range of power value is 0~100, it means the intensity of laser
during the process; the higher the value is, the stronger the laser is, and the lower the value
is, the weaker the laser is.
Processing for different types have different meaning.
The cutting process, the actual power is compared with the cutting speed to follow, the
speed of low energy is also low, high-speed energy is high, so as to ensure the energy
evenly throughout the cutting process. Therefore, the speed of minimum power
corresponding to the lowest energy, the minimum speed is usually 0, but if you set a
minimum speed of take-off speed of the take-off speed; maximum power corresponds to the
layer speed.
How to set proper Min power and Max power
If the laser is too strong during the whole process, you should set the minimum and
maximal power lower, otherwise, set them higher;
If the laser is too weak in some places during the process, you should set the
maximal power higher;
If the laser is too strong in some places during the process, you should set the
minimum power lower.
If it is cut through, the minimum power and maximum power was no significant
difference can be set to the same.
On the scanning process, general scanning, minimum power and maximum power
must be consistent. Carving slope, the minimum power corresponds to the top of the
slope of the power, maximum power corresponds to its base of power.
Minimum power is top of the partial width is too small, the details at the Resolution
unclear.
Minimum power is too large then the slope is not obvious.
Top
Bottom
On the laser dot process, the minimum power and maximum power can be set to the
same.
If you check the "default", the actual power to set the power from the panel to
determine.
Click the button "Advanced", you can also set other layer parameters.
The left side of the dialog box to set the parameters for the vector scan, the right of the
dialog box, a bitmap scan parameters.
Scan of the vector data do not support Negative Engrave, Optimized Scan, Output
direct.
Negative engrave: If you do not select Negative engraving, the black dots which run
across the bitmap will emit laser and the white dots which run across the bitmap will not. If you
select Negative engraving, the white dots which run across the bitmap will emit laser and the
black dots which run across the bitmap will not.
Optimized scan: If you select Optimized scan, it will adjust users’ setup of Scanning
interval automatically to the best values and optimize the scanning effect. Otherwise, we
should select Scanning interval as set by the user for scanning. We generally select the
Optimized scanning.
Output direct: On the grayscale bitmap, grayscale graphics for the actual output,
where both the deep color of the laser energy, laser energy where light color small.
Ramp effect: If you select Ramp effect, it can make the track edges of scanned
figures presented as ramp in order to attain solid effect.
Overstriking: Includes Un-process, Intaglio and rilievi. General select Un-process.
Scan the font is the font that is part of the scan, which is the font intaglio.
Scan the bottom of the bottom part of the scan, which is the font rilievi.
Note: select the ramp effect, set the font bold choose not to deal with. Otherwise,
it will affect the ramp effect.
Font intaglio: the text does not have the outline border. It is the text itself that is to be
Y_unilateralism: The laser head scans figures back and forth vertically, but only emit laser
toward one direction. For example, the laser head emits laser when scanning
from the top down, but not emits laser when scanning from the bottom up.
Y_swing: The laser head emits laser and scans figures back and forth vertically.
Note: We generally adopt the scanning mode of X_swing.
Interval: The interval between the current line and the next line to be scanned by the laser
head. The smaller the interval is, the darker the scanned figures is; If reverse, the weaker.
Recommendation: ① The scanning interval is set below 0.1mm for vector layer (color
layer) in general. ② The scanning interval is set above 0.1mm for bitmap layer (BMP
layer) in general, and then the Minimum power and Maximum power should be changed
to attain the perfect effect of the scanned figures.
Open delay
Close delay
Using the slit width compensation can compensate for the offset between the
graphics and the actual output graphics that caused by laser cutting.
It only has effective for the closed graph.
Direction: Compensation direction is set according to actual needs, such as cutting a
circle, if you want to retain the cutting down of the circle, you should set out the direction of
compensation; If you want to keep the hole should be set to compensate for the inward
direction.
Sew width: it is the width of the laser.
4.10.4 Laser Dot Parameters Setting