Cuts / Layers Window

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Use the Cuts and Layers Window to:

Assign different operations to specific layers, such as cutting or marking lines, filling vector objects, or engraving images.
Quickly adjust an abreviated set of settings for each layer.
Control the order the machine processes the layers.
Enable or disable specific layers for output to the machine.
Make layers visible or invisible.
Copy settings from one layer to another.

Don't confuse the Cuts and Layers Window with the:

Cuts Settings Editor — which contains the full suite of settings available for adjustment.
Color Palette — which allows you change which lsayer the selected objects are assigned to.

Abouts Layers in LightBurn

In LightBurn, different colors indicate each layer. These colors don't represent the final product's colors but instead differentiate each operation needed to complete the job. Each layer defines a process and a collection of settings that is assigned to object/s within the project.

Essentially, layers let you tell the machine what it needs to do to produce the final work.

Generally each color refers to a different layer, with one exception; if you add an image to a vector layer, then the layers will split to show two entries in the Cuts / Layers Window.

View and Edit Layer Settings

You can view and edit a selection of Cut Settings in the Cuts / Layers window.

To edit all settings related to a layer, double-click that layer in the list, to open the Cut Settings Editor.

For full descriptions of each setting, check the Cut Settings Editor page.

The table in the Cuts / Layers window shows you a list of information and options for each layer:

# — Layer name. Change this in the Cuts Settings Editor
Layer — View the color and the title displayed in the Color Palette.
Mode — View and change the mode of operation to be performed on the objects in this layer, including; Line, Fill, Offset Fill, Multi, Image.
Spd/Pwr — View Speed and Power settings.
Output — Toggle which layers are sent to the laser.
Show — Toggle which layers are visible.
Air — Toggle Air Assist.

Select a layer in the list to edit more settings in the fields below:

Pass Count — Number of passes. Change the repetitions of this layer to perform.
Interval — Line Interval. Adjust the space between each scan line in an engraving operation.
Speed — Adjust the speed to run the laser at for this layer.
Power Max/Min — Adjust the minimum and maximum power to run the laser at for this layer. The minimum value is used in the slower areas (e.g. corners) to prevent over-burning.
Material — The thickness of the material. This field reflects the Thickness value in the Library. Editing this field on any layer, will change it for the whole project (all layers).

Change Layer Order

The order of the layers in the list usually controls the order they are sent to the laser, the uppermost being the first sent, see Optimisation Settings for exceptions.

The order that layers are completed is often important, as pieces often shift after being cut out. It's therefore important to engrave images and marking/scoring lines before any cuts through the material.

To change the order of the selected layer in the list you can click and drag it to change its position. Alternatively, you can select a layer and click the up and down buttons in the window.

You can also quickly and automatically sort all layers, based on how likely they are to cut through the material — with least likely being performed first.

To do so, right click any heading on the table (e.g. Mode) and choose Sort Cuts Last.

This process orders layers first by their strength — stronger layers have higher Power, lower Speed, and more Passes. It then pushes all Line-Mode layers to the end. This means that any engravings — images, fills, marking/scoring lines (line-layers with lower strength) — are performed before line-layers that designed to cut through the material.

Delete a Layer

Click the trash can button at the right of the window, to delete the selected layer, and all its contents.

Identify or Select All Objects on a Layer

To identify all objects on a layer, right-click the layer in the list and select Flash the content on this layer.

To select all objects on a layer, hold Shift and click on it in the list. Alternatively, right-click the layer in the list and select Select all shapes in the current layer. If you have shapes on this layer that are grouped with shapes from other layers, the shapes from the selected layer will be removed from the group in order to select them, so this operation can alter your file.

Control which Layers are Sent to the Laser

Toggle the Output for each layer to control whether is is sent to the laser as part of the job, or or not.

Right-click the header of the table, then select on an option to quickly:

Enable all Layers — Toggles all layers on to output them.
Disable all Layers — Toggles all layers off to ignore them.
Invert Enabled Layers — Switches the layers that are toggled off an on.

Control which Layers are Visible

Toggle Show for each layer to control whether the objects within that layer are visible in the workspace.

Right-click the header of the table, then select on an option to quickly:

Show all Layers — Make the contents of all layers visible.
Hide all Layers — Make the contents of all layers invisible.
Invert Enabled Layers — Switches the layers that are visible and invisible.

Copy Settings Between Layers

This is helpful when you need the same settings on multiple layers or want to start with one layer's settings for further modifications on another layer.

Select a layer in the list that you wish to copy, then click the Copy button. Select the layer you want to copy them to, and click the Paste button.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.