Design a Christmas Ornament in xTool's XCS
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- It's December 1st! Let's design a Christmas ornament in XCS.
UPDATE: XCS now has a text weld feature (YAY!!). The separate text portion of this video is no longer needed thanks to the new weld feature.
▬ Contents of this video ▬
0:00 Intro
0:20 Before We Start
1:12 Designing the Ornament
7:35 Important Information
10:22 Designing Continued
▬ Products Shown ▬
Product Shown in this video:
xTool M1 - 10W Deluxe: bit.ly/3P12vyY
xTool Creative Space (XCS) Software: support.xtool.com/hc/en-us/ar...
▬ Additional Links for your M1 ▬
My Personal Material Settings: bit.ly/MWW_M1_MaterialSettings
xTool Website: bit.ly/xTool_Website
xTool Materials - bit.ly/xTool_Materials
xTool Creative Space (XCS) Software: support.xtool.com/hc/en-us/ar...
Dust Cover that fits the M1: amzn.to/3OiXulh
Alternate Dust Cover that fits the M1: amzn.to/39OvEP4
Inline fan for long distance DIY smoke extraction: amzn.to/3Ik51yf
My xTool M1 Video Series: bit.ly/My_M1_Journey
▬ Monkey Woodworks ▬
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*** About Monkey Woodworks and More ***
Monkey Woodworks and More is a channel about reviews and how-to's. The products and ideas here are mostly centered around Monkey Woodworks along with some gadgets and home use products as well. We are a home-based husband and wife team that specialize in yard art, stove covers, porch signs, and home decor for all occasions.
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Great video! Finally...someone who goes from start to finish and creates something from scratch! I've spent hours watching videos and everyone else just has cut files already there to cut. Thank you!
You are very welcome!
I've been trying to learn this for months and finally saw this video. Thank you so much. You have been a great help to me since I bought my machine!
I am so glad it helped! I have some other XCS related videos in my channel so make sure to check them out!
I love how on point this is. I've been able to make custom earrings using this tutorial! :) So thank you!
You are very welcome!
Absolutely love this video I just bought an m1 as well and this has been THE BEST VIDEO TUTORIAL EVER!!! THANK YOU 😊
You are welcome! I am glad you found it useful! Let me know it you make one.
Thank you so much. At last, I've got a bit of an idea 😅, your explanation we so clear, thank you again for your time, you are a superstar.
Wonderful! Glad it was helpful.
I love your tutorials! Always so easy to follow along! Thank you! This will come in handy this holiday season!!
I am glad to hear you found it useful!
This was sooo incredibly helpful. Knowing to put things on top before combining has saved my sanity. Thank you so much
Glad it was helpful! Make sure you check out my other videos. The one with the XCS logo coming out of the P2 has updated information in it.
Oh my goodness, I am so happy I found your video. I received the xtool m1 for Christmas and was so overwhelmed with how to use it. Then I found you 😊. Your directions were so straight forward and easy to follow. Thank you again 😃
You're welcome! Let me know what you make first. Have fun!
Great video being new the M1 machine & xTool Creative Space, so many thanks & look forward to viewing more tutorials on your channel.
I appreciate that. I do not cover all scenarios but hopefully my videos will save you some headaches and get you going in the right direction! Don't forget to bookmark my material settings page for a reference.
Thanks for the reminder about the material settings page as I had forgotten.@@MonkeyWoodworks
DUDE! This is awesome!
Thank you so much! Keep in mind you can skip all of the word copy/combine stuff now with the new WELD feature in XCS. It is a game changer.
Thanks for your great tutorials! I am going to be setting up my M1 today but have been watching your videos for the last week in preparation/anticipation. This one was very helpful, I'm looking forward to making ornaments for the entire family by next Christmas. I would have loved to see your ornament after cutting and painting!
Awesome! BTW, they updated the software now making it even easier to merge text. I'll be making an updated video soon.
Thanks, will be using this video as a reference
Awesome!
Very helpful. I’m used to a different program so I find XCS cumbersome. Seeing you create something in it is very helpful!
Thank you. Glad it was helpful!
Love the video! I've looked and looked for the correct method to make the ornaments and this has been The Very Best! Extremely helpful!!
Thank you so much for the feedback
Thank you for this tutorial! This saved me!
You're welcome!
My P2 arrived yesterday and this video was clear, cogent and easy to follow. Thank you!
Glad to hear it!
just got my P2 first time laser user and this is amazing info thank you so much
Congrats! I am glad this video was helpful to you. :)
This was a great tutorial! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!
I'm new to this XTool, thank you for this video! it was easy to follow and im looking forward to my future projects!
Awesome! Make sure you check out the other videos. I have tips/tricks used in XCS in a lot of them.
HEY! Thank you so very much! I learned alot today! Can‘t wait to watch the next Tutorial! You brought soooo much light in my darkness! Greetings from Bavaria, Germany
HEY! You are very welcome! I am glad you found them useful.
wow this tutorial is awesome :) i was looking such a long time for someone who can explain the combine function easily
Glad it helped! Make sure you check out my other videos. Xcs has improved quite a bit since this came out.
I have just received my D1 Pro and this tutorial helped immensely!! Great job and keep them coming!
Glad to hear it! I want to get the 20watt D1 Pro but have no room for it in my garage unfortunately. Have fun with it!
Chris, what projects have you made? I have the D1 Pro as well.
Thank you. For the tutorial.
You are welcome.
For me, using this software is totally foreign. You're making it much more understandable! I'm happy to see the XCS improvements in the most recent launch.
THANK YOU, Michael.
Thank you for your kind words
Hi! This is very informative and easy to understand. Thank you! I look forward to learning with you 😊
I am glad you found it useful!
Thank You So Much for this video, I'm a newbie so I LIKED & SUBSCRIBED 😊
Awesome! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions
Thank you I learnt so much.
You are welcome!
Absolutely Perfect, Im just starting my laser journey using XCS and the S1 and your tutorial for this was super easy to follow, thank you . Very clear instructions.
You are welcome! Congrats on the S1! How do you like it so far?
@@MonkeyWoodworks The S1 is a great bit of kit, getting to grips with XCS, but have to keep watching this video of yours to remind me. This one is my go to vid.
Thank you so much I have been trying all day to make this and I couldn't this video helped so much ❤️
You are welcome! If you haven't updated your XCS software make sure you do so. They added a weld feature so it is now MUCH easier to weld text together. I show how do do that in my most recent short video. They also now have a way to curve text however that came out after i released my video so that is not shown in my video.
I appreciate your tutorials. I did not understand how to use distribute but now I do!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you very much for this great video and greetings from Germany😉
Greetings!!
I really learned a lot from this video! Thank you!
You're so welcome!
Great video and info
Thank you!
Everytime I watch one of these vids I learn -something- 3 things new. The 2 problems are, remembering them, that will come from using them, and the fact there are "1 MILLION" different tools, etc. I feel so good when you, or anyone, has to come back at the end, in this case, ad the circle, and I already know how to do it. It's so simple when you know how it's done. 😁
Practice makes perfect (and helps you remember haha).
Thank you so much for such a detailed tutorial. I am technologically challenged and couldn't figure this out on my own... Now s#$% makes sense :)
You are welcome! I am a visual learner and figured this would be helpful.
Love this video! Thank you so much! More project videos would be greatly appreciated. :)
Thanks for the kind words! What types of projects are you interested in?
@@MonkeyWoodworks I would love to learn how to design a wood box with a hinged lid.
@@Kellyisastarr They have free websites for that haha. I haven't tried to do anything like that on my own yet.
Thanks so much for this video, I tend to learn by trial and error with programmes but I often miss basic tips and tricks. The output option would have been so helpful to me! You are a great teacher
Thank you so much! Glad you found the video useful.
Thanks for tutorial and it was very help! Thanks for sharing the Google spreadsheet too.
Tracey
You are welcome!
Great video I just finished designing an ornament for my daughter using this video
That is great!
I just received my M1 and these videos are extremely helpful! Thank you!
Glad they are helpful!
@@MonkeyWoodworks Do you have any 1:1 training classes?
@@roberthotwheels what is it you need help with?
@@MonkeyWoodworks
I’m looking for some time to ask basic questions on the machine and on getting some random designs engraved on wood.
Hit me up on FB or IG, I'll see if I can help.
Thank you so much!!!! Just got the P2 and I was trying to figure out how to make an ornament with our Name. I could not figure out how to combine and cut out the shape. Your video was perfect. You explained exactly how to do it!! Thank you so much !!!!
You are welcome! If you haven't updated your XCS software make sure you do so. They added a weld feature so it is now MUCH easier to weld text together. I show how do do that in my latest XCS related video. They also now have a way to curve text however that came out after i released my video so that is not shown in my video.
Great video!! Just wanted to add a quick note. If you type a zero in front of the decimal , it will size correctly. That way, you don't have to drag it to the size you want.
Great tip!
Awesome video. I been wanting to be able to do one of this in the actual software of Xtool.
Let me know how it works out!
@@MonkeyWoodworks it did. Cutting my 1st ornament today 👍
Awesome!!
Newbie to XCS. This was outstanding! I'll definitely be watching this OVER and OVER and OVER again! Well done! I'm following you on IG as well! I have the D1 Pro. Do you have a video explaining how to 'highlight' an object to cut vs burn? Again, total newbie.
If I understand your question, you are trying to import an image and want to cut the image vs engrave it? If that is the case, you need to look into using the outline feature of xcs that basically draws the outline of an object allowing you to take that outline and cut it.
Dude I've been trying to create words for 2 days now only made stencils, watching this video solved it, grateful to say the least Thanks
Awesome! This video is a bit outdated now. XCS now has a weld feature in the latest version. Type your word the way you want it. When finished, select the word and use the weld button in the lower right of the text menu to make it a solid word.
I'll try that thanks
Worked like a charm, thanks
@@chootrain57 awesome
What settings
Thank you so much for the video... can't really many videos for xcs .great learning video. But what about the dot for the (i)?
I added a YT Short video about how to handle that just recently. ua-cam.com/users/shortsRCdpwbvbfGE
As Always Thank you ever so much for the Great Tutorial. No one seems to talk about Score line. Would it be possible to show us some examples on using Score mode I would like to know how deep we can score? Would thickness of line make any difference. You're a creative person Please create a video on using Score mode as a request. Thank you in advance
That is a very good point. I use score a lot. I should show it being used!
Love this video it helped my daughter figure out how to join the letters together to cut out. She's having trouble making the letters thick enough to not be so fragile to break. Any tips? Also we have the p2 and are having trouble with it charring the edges. We've looked at your settings but they don't make sense for the p2 at least not to us. She's a woodworker so has been using some thicker plywood which I'm wondering is part of the problem.
Fatter fonts definitely help. That and larger cutouts when possible
❤
Glad you loved it!
Really cool video! Do you have a settings sheet for the P2 and F1?
I do! Check the description of my video(s) of the engraver of your choice. There are links
@@MonkeyWoodworks thank you!
Hi. Once again thanx a million for your Useful tutorials. I would like to know if its possible to Carryout Engraving first then do the outline engraving with offset of 1mm no cutting. If its possible would it be possible to know the process please
The only way to have 100% control the order of operations in XCS is to select all items on the screen then set the output to OFF. After that, select the item you want to process, set the output to ON and send it. Set that item back to OFF and next item to ON and send it. Just repeat that over and over until your project is complete.
@@MonkeyWoodworks Brilliant! Thank you for the Useful Advise.
Hey Michael, I love your video. I have a few questions.
I have been trying out the sample pieces that came with my M1 and I cannot find a right cut settings. I have the air assist, but it keeps burning.
What is a good setting and type of 3m ply wood to use?
Im just lose. Thank you in advance
For 3mm ply, you can use the xcs material settings. Without some more info related to your question, it's hard to help. Check out some of my first few videos where I take it step by step (with mistakes made). It could just be a simple focus issue. Make sure you test making small simple shapes to save material.
Hi Michael, You explain things so clearly and stay on topic as not to confuse anyone. You Rock! Would you please tell me the benefit of the Riser Base with Honeycomb Panel? I am starting my order over to ensure you get the credit. I have learned so much from you. I know now I am going purchase. Thanks for the spreadsheet. Invaluable .... Thanks again...
Thank you! The benefit of the riser base is that the M1 is already lifted up. So when you need to engrave a tumbler or a similar object, you don't have to try to lift and balance the M1 on top of risers. The only thing you have to do is open the front of the base and move your honeycomb or base to the proper height to meet your needs.
@@MonkeyWoodworks Thank you so much! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. You have really made me come off the fence and just purchase.
This is a great video, thank you.... How do i get brushed script M7. I do not have it listed in my provided fonts.
I believe you posted your results in the Unofficial FB group right? If so, it came out great! The "Brush Script MT" font was just loaded on my machine. I know I said M7 in the video but the T threw me off in the font name due to the shape. I believe but you can find fonts all over the place. Once you find one you like, install it on your pc, close and re-open XCS, you should then be able to select the newly installed font.
This video is awesome thank you so much, your tutorials are the best I have found.....I do have an issue, for some reason I can not copy or duplicate? I select all and control C, and also have tried right clicking and copying that way too but still no luck...any suggestions??
Thank you in advance
Odd! Are you using windows or mac?
@@MonkeyWoodworks windows thank you so much I worked it out 😂
I just ordered an S1, my first laser! All of this is foreign to me. Your explanation is very clear. Once it arrives I know I’ll be back.
One question I have is why switch from mm to inches and back? NASA crashed a Mars lander by doing this. I’m thinking that sticking to mm would be simpler and safer.
Haha! Well, being in the US, I think in inches when sizing items so I have to switch quite often. I sure hope NASA isn't affected by me doing it too!
Loving this tutorial. The only problem I have is the text disappears when I combine and reunite…..what am I not doing??
Go back and watch the video again. More than likely, your text is on top of a full solid surface and it is getting combined with the solid surface. The back portion needs to be a doughnut before you combine. To check the shape, change everything to engrave to see what they look like.
Thank you for the very well thought out and easy to follow tutorial. I just received my M1 2 days ago and tried making a christmas ornament it was a fail. Curious to know if you use the subtract in combining or just the unite? I watched another person's video and she used the subtract but I was only able to use 2xs and anything else I tried to subtract would not work. Any helpful tips would be very much appreciated. I want to add more design in the circle
I do use the subtract at times. Each function has it's own specific use. I know different versions of XCS has limits on the number of times you can use the combine feature. I am on version 1.0.19 at the time I am replying to you. As a test, I added a circle then added a half moon on top of the circle, selected them both, and was able to use Combine>Subtract to cut out the moon shape from the circle. I was able to do that 4 more time without an issue.
@@MonkeyWoodworks thanks I will try it again and see if it works.
Do you happen to have a material setting sheet for an Xtool D1? I am new to laser cutting and just purchased a D1.
No sorry, i do not. However, if you have the 10watt, it will be similar settings.
Hello, Do you have a video to show how to cut in M1, I am a newbie and will be my first project. I have the honeycomb and air assist? Thanks
Yes. This video is part of a full series dedicated to the M1 on my channel.
Excellent video. How was the dot above the i letter united together?
Great question. After welding the word together, it becomes an object and no longer letters. What I do is place a larger circle over the original dot and use combine>subtract to remove the original dot. Then I add another circle resizing it so it is slightly larger than the original and put slightly overlapping the top of the stick of the letter I. Then I just select both the new circle and the word, then use combine>unite to make them one piece. Now the dot is joined to the stick of the i.
Thanks for the reply. By any chance do you have a video on this process?
I made a YT short video about it just now. ua-cam.com/users/shortsRCdpwbvbfGE
When you cut this, how do you keep the dot for the "I" and the centers of the letters from falling out and just leave a big hole?
When I make these, the back part is solid and the name part is cut out and glued to the solid part. The dot of the "i" is a pain. It falls down and you have to try to find it and glue it by itself. What i have started doing recently is making my name in XCS, sizing it how i like it and welding the letters using the new WELD feature in XCS. I am still left with the dot of the I however the weld process is much easier now. Once i do that, i draw a small circle just covering the dot of the i, select the circle and the name and use the combine feature to remove the dot completely. I then draw another circle where the dot used to be, making it a little bigger than the width of the i, move it down so it touches the i and using the combine tool once again, i combine my new dot of the I to the stick of the I so they become one piece and makes it easier to cut. Hopefully that made sense!
When creating the back solid piece, why did you make it 3mm larger, instead of the same size? BTW, Thank you, 2nd time watching, 1st time I tried it, the name.... well, I didn't break it up and put it back together.... Back at it
I made the back piece larger just for a personal preference. It is totally up to you on how you want to design it.
Also, if you haven't updated your XCS software make sure you do so. They added a weld feature so it is now MUCH easier to weld text together. I show how do do that in my latest XCS related video. They also now have a way to curve text however that came out after i released my video so that is not shown in my video.
Your material settings list.....do you have one for a D1Pro 20w by chance?
Sorry, i do not. I only have one for each machine i have.
Hello ! Tell me, please, what could be the problem with my laser (xtool 1d pro) is not a flash, it's new, I just bought it. What should I do?
I would join the xtool Official D1 Facebook group and ask there. Make sure you include details of the issue in your post. I am not 100% familiar with the D1.
Have you tried using the Inkscape way of changing a word into over to unite it? Ungroup the word then hit unite?
I believe so. I used it in my cake topper video when I curved text. In this video, I focused on making it all on XCS.
@@MonkeyWoodworks I’ll look for that video! I just ordered my D1 Pro yesterday. So I’m watching a bunch of how to use it videos! Thanks for the info!
@The Oily Krafter If you have the D1, I suggest you look at Lightburn. It is $60 but well worth it imo.
Hey, nice video. Is the font you used something you added on as xcs doesn't have that 😢
I am not exactly sure where I got this font honestly. XCS will use any font you have installed on your computer. Just find one you like from a site like dafont install it on your computer, close XCS then re-open XCS. The font should now be available from the list inside XCS.
@@MonkeyWoodworks oh cool. Did not know that haha. Duhhh 🤦🏽 thank you
Sure thing! BTW, i checked out your channel and you have some great OBS tips. I am still trying to figure it all out and your videos helped!
S there a way to make the screen mor visible, I have maculer degeneration so my vision isn't as good as it should be and the standard screen for me is faint.
I agree with you, the screen is very dim. Especially when using the preview just before sending the job. Here are a couple of ideas that came to my head: In the XCS software, place items on darker layers so they are easier to see. Make your computer resolution a smaller number to make things bigger under the display settings. Also, perhaps use a magnifying glass on a stand that you can move in front of your monitor so you can see up close (amzn.to/3qMW3oQ)
I think you can enter a decimal by using a leading zero. So .5 would be 0.5
I have tried that, it does not let me unfortunately. Lets say the value is 3.5 and i want to change it to 0.5, I can highlight it all and type 0, it changes that 0 to 3.5. I can also backspace all the way back to null and type 0, instead you see the original 3. It is a silly bug for sure.
Trying to make the project as shown in the video and after the update on software - unite now removes my text. Any help would be appreciated.
Make sure you are working with a donut shape before placing the text inside. A way to check it is to change the shape to engrave to see if you are working with a solid circle or not. If it turns solid, you missed the step of using the combine feature.
Hi there! Love your tutorials. Question........My text box wont show up on my prject screen. Am I doing something wrong?
You have to select the text for the text menu to appear.
NM.....Figured it out!
Great!
If I upload a png file in xcs am I able to add text underneath? I keep getting an error that I have selected different types of design elements and I cant modify the parameters all at once. It doesn't give an option to combine when highlighted only group. Thanks for your video its been very helpful!
A PNG file can only be engraved. However the text you type can be engraved cut or scored. They are 2 different types of elements so you cannot group them together and set the primators at the same time.
@@MonkeyWoodworks Thanks that makes perfect sense. So I don't group anything I just put my text under the image and it will recognize it as engraved and will stay in line with my design?
@@WendyBurwell You just have to select each itype separately and set the settings off to the right. So you would select your image file adjust the engraving setting. Then select your added text and adjust your settings off to the right if you want to engrave cut or score. Basically just treat them separately. But they will be lined up with each other as you see on the screen
@@MonkeyWoodworks Thanks!!!
Suppose I want to take this design to a place to personalize it many times. Do you I use the one saved with output turned off?
What I do is keep the basic ornament I originally made and duplicate it over and over making multiple custom ones with multiple names. Just don't ever touch the original ornament.
One trick i do is make multiple sheet tabs (at bottom left of xcs) and make one my master tab (objects i no longer touch) and a working tab where i copy my master objects to and modify/make.
@MonkeyWoodworks OK. In other words, if someone wants their name, I can simply edit one of the multiple names and engrave on the basic ready-made made ornaments I bring along. I hope I'm right.
@fr3d414 oh your engraving. I thought you were doing a cut name like in the video. Yes, you can simply keep blanks and engrave on them when needed.
@@MonkeyWoodworks Thanks. You've been such a great help
You are welcome.
This software looks a lot like Cricut design space so it should be easy to learn
It's a lot like it. I started in design space and this was easy to pickup. The hardest part was figuring out cut/score/engrave and speeds. I made my cheat to make it easy for those getting started and to know what settings to start with.
Where can I find your cheat sheet?
Expand the description of any of my videos. In there, you will find a link to my material settings.
Would you know if xtool solved the bug for uniting the letters of a word?
They have! It is SOO easy now. Just type the word, with it selected still press the "Weld" button to make it a solid object. Keep mind that once you weld it, you can not edit the text anymore so check your spelling!
@@MonkeyWoodworks Thank you
You are welcome.
Nice video. You might have cut and shown the actual piece in the end...
I thought about doing that but just really wanted to focus on the XCS portion to share with others how to do it.
@@MonkeyWoodworks Oh it doesn´t take away from your well done tutorial for XCS, it´s just more rewarding for the viewer to watch someone make an effort and then see the payoff.
I totally understand. Constructive criticism is always welcome!