I just purchased same sort of engraver but 60 watt. I watched your entire series. Astonishingly well done. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Not only did I learn about laser engraving, but I gained a whole new approach to problem solving.
+Mark Sutherland Hi Mark Thanks for your appreciation. I hope you have fewer problems with your machine. However, to be positive about the whole experience, without those problems I would not have been forced to learn all the ins and outs of this technology and there would be far fewer videos. Perhaps fate dealt me a "difficult" machine for some good purpose!!! Best regards Russ
Thank You So...... Much for doing these videos. I learn better by watching and doing then reading. You have done a great job on explaining these laser and software. I was watching so many different videos and trying to figure out to do things. Then I ran into your video Lab 11. I watched it a few times and then ended up starting from your Lab1. You should be a teacher! Once again Thank You!
Just wanted to thank you for all the time you spent making the videos. I started watching prior to receiving my laser and it was a huge help getting me going quickly. I am learning a lot and having fun.
Hi Russ, I just discovered your series about 5 hours ago (recommended by 'WorksByaHurst') and am so glad to have found you. I jumped in at No. 164 or something and after a few hops around, decided to go to the bottom of the barrel. Your deboxing more or less of some exotic chinese machine. Now I'm at No. 1. (after going through the other five without a number). Haven't enjoyed youtube so much for years. I bought a Leapfrog 3D printer some years ago, which I bust. If I stick it out long enough to work back to No. 164 again, I guess I will know more about what not to do this time round. I love your humour and plain down to earth manner of tackling things. Many thanks for your time and effort. Willy
Hi Willy There is 3.5 years of learning there with mistakes as well as successes. Hopefully you will be able to bypass some of the big initial roadblocks I encountered fighting/floundering with 2 crap tubes. It was that initial bad experience that forced my to buy a power meter and then to replace my B grade tube and power supply with A grade kit directly from China. Never looked back. I can only recommend one trustworthy E bay shop for all your laser needs and that is Cloudray. but to be honest you may as well go straight to their website and skip the higher price to cover Ebay fees and commission. www.cloudraylaser.com/ Thanks for your appreciation. As I tell people often, I am not a teacher or an expert, you are looking over my shoulder at me learning. My other hobby is video and editing so this learning journey is providing me with endless material for that other love. As you get further into this series you will find out lots of stuff that is little known, myths get exploded and I am currently researching stuff that no one I have yet found can give me clear scientific answers Best wishes Russ
Hi Pauleiras I am a cavemen and have all my pcs running on Windows 7. I do know that RDWorks installs perfectly on windows 10 and runs reliably. More than that I cannot help BUT if you go to the Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/900528680076062/ there will be many folks there running Widows 10. They are a friendly bunch of guys who will be glad to help you. All best wishes Russ
Hi Claire Despite having many tool that make this look like a piece of drawing or CAD software. sadly it is neither. If your shapes are vector shapes then it is possible to do what you by node editing ......but it is very tedious and I'm no expert at this. see ua-cam.com/video/iFbbqQctBQA/v-deo.html However You can download a commercial version of RDWorks called Lightburn (www.lightburnsoftware.com) for a 30 day free trial and all the drawing and editing tools that you are after are within that package. Yes it will cost about $90 to buy at the end of the trial but once you have seen all the features it offers I am sure you will invest. Best wishes Russ
Hi Richard The simple answer is you cant. This was never intended as a CAD or drawing software. It is a user interface to convert your pre-prepared designs into a machine code format that your laser machine can act upon .You never see any of the code, that is elegantly hidden from you, instead this is basically an interrogation software that asked you details about what you want to do with your design. The confusing issue for beginners is they see BASIC drawing tools. These tools allow some last minute adjustments rather than returning to the origination program. They also allow the creation of quick and simple test programs. You are getting a great software program for free. However, there have been others, like yourself, that were looking for more than in interface program. About 3 years ago, one private individual took it upon himself to do a complete rewrite of RDWorks, not only making it run on Windows but also adding OS and LInux capability. After the initial translation, he has gone on to add text manipulation, drawing combination tools and many other features found in packages such as Illustrator. This program is highly recommended for its simple and compact user interface and its powerful additional features Go to lightburnsoftware.com and you can download a fully featured 30 day free trial you can test. I think it is $90 to buy. The problem is that in 30 days you may never be able to test all of its features but I feel sure you will be sufficiently impressed that you will part with some cash. Best wishes Russ
Hi Duane Contact me privtely with your issues via this contact form and I will try to assisst forms.zohopublic.eu/ndeavorlimited/form/K40XtreeemLaserCutterContactRussSadler/formperma/k2Cn0QN5ChpazfTMAUw25lZ-FKpjZa96TQWHjv3ntOg Best wishes Russ
Hi! I might have a silly question, but I'm wanting to know if we can control the font width & height in Rdworks for script fonts/monoline fonts . For example 8mm width & 40mm height for each letter in the word. Thanks
Hi Take a look at this video. It's not exactly the subject you are after but it shows you all about grouping and ungrouping text. This is the key that unlocks single letters so that you can resize them. Put handles around your letter and set the X and Y dimension you require isn the size windows on the toolbar Best wishes Russ
Good Day all bought a mini bodor laser engraving machine, i'm having problem to engrave. Each time i try to engrave i get only the borders top and down. Please advise.
I shall need a lot more information and pictures to understand your problem You need to send me your email address via the UA-cam private messaging system and I will try to help you. Best regards Russ
I have a problem with my laser Machine which has RDworks program, when running a program I have to double my vertical Measurement to equal my Horizontal measurement.
Hi Brian It sound like your stepper motors have not been calibrated correctly. I could try to explain how to fix this but I take you through a step by step procedure as part of one of my other videos. Draw a 100mm square in RDWorks and then put that program into your machine. Watch this video ua-cam.com/video/Y-tva0CSJao/v-deo.html If you still have problems , shout out again Best regards Russ
HI I have to thank very much i have seen the first video and i found it very helpful i have been reading the Control System User Manual which i found it a quite difficult and very poor explanation but now i think you made it very easy so thank you again and keep going wish you the best
Have you ran into the error message, "No enough extend space." on your machine? If so, did you figure out what caused it? I was trying to engrave something A little smaller than 500 x 300. Thought maybe it was just too big. Scale down, but still got the same message.
Hi Because your image is close to the 300x500 work area limit, my guess is that you have set your origin at machine 0,0. The fact that you are engraving means that at the end of each sweep the beam switches off but the head has to travel on as it decelerates to a stop, turns round and accelerates back up to speed before turning the beam on again. If you have set your program to run from 0,0 then this overrun will go outside the allowable work area. You need to leave 5mm all round when engraving to allow for this. So set your origin at 5,5 and make sure your image is not bigger than 290x490. Problem solved Best regards Russ
Hi Mike You must have something on that layer for it to exist. If you delete all the items on that layer then the layer will disappear. OR you can reassign items on that layer to another layer and then that layer will disappear. You cannot select a lare and make the contents disappear. Best wishes Russ
Hello, how do you draw a rounded rectangle? Is there a way to do it simply, or do i have to use the bezier curve tool to manually draw it out? thank you!
+redpotatofromafrica I know exactly what you want and you maybe able to approximate it with the Bezier tool. You must remember that Bezier lines are a computerised form of freehand drawing curves and not geometrically definable arcs. I am afraid you will quickly come to realise that RDWorks is not a vector drawing package or even a CAD package even though It has a few tools that you will find in either such softwares. You need to do your drawings in another package and then import them to RDWorks which will then do a pretty good job of turning them into machine readable code without you needing to understand machine programming.
+SarbarMultimedia thank you. that works well, but then I need to have the rounded rectangle as a line that the Boss Laser can cut out, so I need to create that on the RDWorks program. I guess I will need to draw it on the program with bezier tool. is there snapping to grid lines?
+redpotatofromafrica The features you are looking for and would be most useful are things like snap/trim/extend. Sadly they do not exist in RD Works The only snap feature I have discovered, is when you use a polyline and go to close a shape, a little square appears at your cursor. Have you been through all my first few tutorials that cover issues about assigning features to different layers? That's one simple way of cutting an outside shape last. I'm guessing you have imported a picture without a frame and you now want to cut the finished item out with your curved rectangle. One of the later lessons shows you that you can import a second picture on top of your first one and then move it around to get the alignment you want. I see no alternative to drawing it separately in a proper drawing or CAD software There are some free downloads or even try before you buy trials available, look on Ebay for older 2D versions of TurboCAD at silly prices OR take a look for free vector art frames on www to download a shape.
+SarbarMultimedia that is a fantastic idea, to import the rounded rectangle as a separate image and then assign that image to cut, right? I want to make a medical alert tag for my kids, like dog tags for soldiers. lettering and symbol in the middle, then cut out a rounded rectangle.
Sir i need to engrave and better say cut glass on cell phone screen, under which located polarizer (plastic film) . If i cut through hath the thickness of the glass will it burn or damage anyway that polarizer?
Glass is not a material you can cut with this laser. You can engrave it by damaging the surface . The laser light hitting the surface of the glass excites the glass molecules to a higher temperature. This actually happens instantly because of the intense energy in the focused beam. Glass is a very poor conductor of heat and a brittle material . That pin prick of intense heating causes a minute piece of glass to heat up, expand rapidly and shear away from the parent material before it melts. It leaves a small damage area behind much like a stone chip on your car windscreen. . If you keep the beam in one place or move it slow enough you will just produce a molten mess OR the heat will build up locally and crack the WHOLE of your glass object. You are planning to cut through a plastic film as well so that will melt first and be affected further by the heat of the glass engraving. It will no be a clean edge. The best you can do with glass is etch the surface much like diamond scratching and try to break it along the fracture plane. Cell phone glass may react differently to normal glass because it is filled with all sorts of exotic chemical elements but I asses your chances of actually CUTTING it as zero. Best wishes Russ
Your commentary makes me laugh. "this green dot may jump around, and why, well I really don't know why yet!" lol. but you do make some great video that I've watched a lot of them and have gotten me farther on my laser than I would have gotten on my own. keep it up.
Hi Please remember that this is a video series of ME learning about this machine and software. I can only tell you about what I now so far.. There are lots of mistakes that I make at this early stage . so regardless of what I say or do PLEASE do not run your machine above 65% power unless you have fitted an ammeter ua-cam.com/video/xDZmuxq5BEM/v-deo.html and know what your tube is limited to. By the way, I do eventually discover what the green dot does ua-cam.com/video/CWZvQXxbR_E/v-deo.html Best wishes and thanks for comment Russ
I wasn't making fun or light of it. it reminds me of me when trial and error occurs. I'm the same way. thinking out loud "well I don't know why it did that!". I have fitted and ammeter to my laser pretty much after the video of you doing the same. I now have a temp gauge but not installed yet.
I love when you draw a line in the wrong place and click undo and it deletes the whole drawing, I find saving regularly when the wheels are still attached is nice work around.
+Mentorcase Hi As you get a few more sessions into the series you will find that i mention many times that RDWorks is not a CAD or vector drawing package. It has some tools that allow simple drawings to be created but it's primary use is to take drawings produced elsewhere and convert them into numerical programs that your laser machine can work with. On first use I thought it was rubbish but several months on it's an incredibly powerful tool that you get for free!
Hello Russ have found that Adobe illustrator is fantastic for DXF files to trial there is a free downloadable trail working on software. at moment doing lots of virtual laser cutting in preview thx for your help it has been invaluable. Wayne
Hi Wayne Preview is a great way to hone your skills before you get anywhere near a machine and in the early days it will save you lots of wasted material. Enjoy Russ
Hi Wayne Yes, I have several versions of Illustrator and its good for doing conversions of bitmaps files etc to vector files by using the trace feature. I do little drawing there because it is so clunky for "non-artistic" work that I always use my CAD system. However, there is a AI plug in for RDWorks that allows you to program from within AI. Happy New Year Russ
Hi there, Ive just bought myself a Laser Engraver and am a total newby as ive moved up from Pyography to this. I have assembled my machine and am ready to learn the software. However Im not sure where to get RD Works from? When ive tryed searching for it on the internet I can't seem to find the right place to download it from? I look forward to your response so I can get started on following your videos :-)
Hi Lisa Welcome to this strange new world . There is a good site to go for the download of a stable well tried version of RDWorks www.thunderlaser.com/laser-download The first, third and fourth downloads are what you need. When you have done that you can scroll down and find some cutting parameter files. You may not need them immediately but be aware that they are there because they will be useful when you get going. I was very ignorant of this technology a year ago when I started and the big mistake you will seeing me make in my early videos is to run the tube at high %power values. My immediate advice is don't program anything above 60%power. I think it would be good to ask more questions on the you tube private messaging system. How do you find that?? Click the big blue square beside Sarbar Mulimedia and a page with tabs opens. Click the ABOUT tab and another page appears with a MESSAGE button top right. Best regards Russ
Hi Lisa I would urge you to jump forward and watch ua-cam.com/video/xDZmuxq5BEM/v-deo.html This ammeter will be your best friend to stop you doing what I and many others do to burn their tube out prematurely. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0-30mA-DC-Current-Analog-Panel-Meter-Ammeter-Amperemeter-Off-White-/191596306643?hash=item2c9c07a0d3:g:ynEAAOSwT6pVkliU It will take abou two weeks to arrive. Good luck Russ
Heloo RDworks has a few basic drawing tools but it is neither dawing ot CAD software, just a very powerful and free interface to your laser machine. To do corner fillets you need vector drawing software or a CAD package. Sorry , RDWorks cannot do it. Best wishes Russ
@@chhmansukhna5107 Hi Some versions of RDWorks have bugs and the problem you have happens in several versions. I am using issue 38 which is stable but I think yhe latest issue is 44,. If you wish ti install issue 38 then here is a link where you can copy it www.dropbox.com/s/8xugiag5alqlp4v/RDWorks%20ruida%20issue%2038.rar?dl=0 Best wishes Russ
@@chhmansukhna5107 I apologize if I msunderstood your question. There are two ways to save files in RDWorks. If you select the SAVE or SAVE AS you will be saving what you can see on the screen along with all the parameter settings. You will be able toOPEN this at a future date but if you try to open them on the machine from a memory stick the macine will not understand them and probably display an error message. These files have a .rld extension. At the bottom right corner there is a SAVE to U DISK button. This does the opposite in that it creates a machine code file for the program on the screen and it will have a .rd extension. You cannot OPEN this file format on your pc, you can save it to a FAT32 formatted USB memeory stick and take it to the machine. There, you must plug it into the correct port (only one works because the other is for connecting your PC) and press the file buitton where you will have to follow through 2 or 3 menus. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes Russ
Hi Russ, hope you are well. Russ, I am planning to use autocad to produce heavy files for engraving. Have you tested how much information/elements RDworks can handle? Thanks, Dimitri
Hi Dimitri Using vector files for engraving is not a memory heavy task Its just a matter of turning the laser beam on and off at the beginning and end of your closed shape on every single scan line. With dithered graphics the files get very big because every pixel is mapped. I have struggled with grey scale pictures where not only is every pixel mapped, the individual power for each pixel is also being stored.. Do not anticipate you having any problems. Best wishes Russ
I purchased the same laser with the same software.I have been unable to run any programs. Each time I try I get a Water error message on the screen. I have the water running as required. Have you had this problem?
+randy rundhaug Hi Randy Yes. It was fine for a month or two and then started giving this message randomly and would stop me using the machine mid session. I would turn the machine off for 10 minutes and restart no problem. Eventually It became too annoying. so I have temporarily fixed the problem by cutting the two wires that go into the switch and connecting them together with a joining block. The machine is now happy because it now thinks the switch is closed. But I make sure I never turn the water pump switch off and I also regularly check water level in tank. I do plan to fit another switch but I'm currently looking for something more reliable. Good luck with your new machine and enjoy Russ
I have an issue that is seemingly unsolvable. I cant transfer dotted lines (lines that are trasnformed to spaced out dots or short lines) when i save sa .dxf from CorelDraw. I cant find a tool that makes a line dotted in RD Works 8.0. Help anyone? Much respect for this channel sir!
Sadly , when you draw a dotted or dashed line in Coreldraw or any CAD program , it is really a solid line (displayed as dashes) and not a series of single lines or dots. Thus when you transfer it to RDWorks it will be a single line again.. You can however do a work around to create a dotted line in RDWorks Draw a small dash and put handles on the dash. Then go to the bottom tool (the matrix tool) and guess the number of dashes you require (say 20) and the spacing (say 3mm). Press OK and your dotted line appears. You can remove one dash at a time to make it as long as you require . You can mark the whole line and move it as a single item. You can also SCALE it to fit your object with the X or Y window on the top tool bar. Best wishes Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia Thanx Russ! That was a swift answer. Unfortunately i need my dots to follow a curve of a letter (making pounce pattern) so i think this will be impossible. I had a smaller laser cutter that used Corel Laser software and it was great for this sort of thing..
@@leesak Hi Leesak Aha!!!! You described what you wanted but I had no idea what you were trying to achieve. Now that I recognize you want a thin paper/card template or stencil through which you want to trace a pattern with pounce powder I can offer you a REAL solution, For just a test, draw a circle or short word with RDWorks in letters about 25mm tall. Set your parameters as follows speed 25 . power 50%/50% and select DOT MODE (not cut). You will see extra settings on the right. Set time to 0, interval to 1mm and length to 0.5mm. Press OK and then use the preview screen on the tool bar to see what this produces. . Play with these last 3 parameters to get what you want. If the dashes you create are not wide enough to let sufficient powder through, increase the gap between nozzle and work by 3, 4, 5 or even 6 mm Best wishes Russ
Good morning, Your videos are great they have helped me tremendously. i have a problem with mu chinese laser engraver. It is a Kehui 100w and last week it just shut down. The machine will not power up. I have checked the emergency stop button, the power outlets, i tried a new power cord, i purchased and installed a new power supply, installed a new main power switch and still nothing. Please can you help, let me know what could be causing this or what to check next. Thank you.
Hi Shawn Thought transference is a powerful tool I brought from my home planet!!! Glad it helped you find the problem. On a more serious note. Your Kehui machine will almost certainly have been fitted with an 80 watt reject tube. The tube could be from a reputable manufacturer but failed final QA. To keep costs down and profits high KeHui go round and collect all these rejects and retest them themselves to make sure they work well enough to fool the typical Ebay buyer. They relabel them as KHLaser. Your tube may be almost dead or almost perfect, only you will know when it fails. KeHui have a poor quality reputation and you have had to find out the hard way. All the parts are there but assembly quality may require your additional attention. When you have finished reworking the machine it will serve you well but part of that reworking will almost certainly require you to buy a PROPER tube and a MATCHED power supply, so start saving Thanks for the kind words Best regards Russ
I use a 2D CAD program as my main drawing tool but I use Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to copy and prepare line graphics before I load them into RDWorks. There is a great free 2D CAD program called Draftsight that you can download but I'm not sure if there is a free CorelDraw clone. Best regards Russ
I just downloaded Draft Sight. It seems I have to learn a lot before i can even think about using the laser cutter. :) ... but youtube provides lots of tutorials. Did you make a video, that describes what I have to take care of, when I make drawings in Draft Sight (or any other CD program) and Import it into RDWorks? The last question leads me to the question, where I can download RDWorks. Do you have an URI?
There is a 186 page manual on how to use Draftsight. I have a copy already downloaded so if you wish to send me your email address on the UA-cam personal messaging system I will send you a copy. Have you ever used CAD before? You can down load RDWorks from a website called Thunder Laser www.thunderlaser.com/laser-download This is not the latest version but it's a well tried version and has 99% of what you will find in the latest version. Download the V8, the install instructions and the manual. All are free You can then follow my journey of learning to use the software and the machine by working through my sessions. Best regards Russ
Hi Here is a link that will allow you to get an up to date version of RDWorks www.rd-acs.com/Private/Files/de49e1ea0e9d44aab3ed9724053c7035.rar Yes it's issue 38!!!! Give this a try. Best wishes Russ
In later versions of RDWorks the nesting tool is there and sort of works. However you can waste a lot of time trying to make it do anything sensible . I have always found it better to nest manually , but I have been doing it for more than 25 years. Best wishes Russ
Hi Mehmood There are 6 videos that come before thi RDWorks series see ua-cam.com/video/YvrMeUUzaBo/v-deo.html This may be what you are looking for. There is also another series of videos for my Thinklaser machine that explains things in a slightly different way see ua-cam.com/video/kx4vmDguCyE/v-deo.html Best wishes Russ
Hi John. First I must correct you. This is not MY forum. I was originally invited to help set up this forum about 6 years ago I declined because I was too busy with my own video channel .Instead I am just an ordinary member but I have a special relationship with the guys that run the forum and upload all my DXF files for you to download for free. There is also two bullet point indexes of all my videos that you can download as well. . I am certainly not banned but I rarely visit and take no part in any discussions. Best wishes Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia i have the same laser as you and i want to learn from you and i saw many thing you make and i want to download these dxf files for learning but i not see them. i learn a much from you and very very thnxxxxx of this.
@@TheOverride Hi John if you have joined the rdworkslab.com forum you should be able to track down all my dxf files.. If you have problems just email the administrator, he is very helpful and friendly. Best wishes Russ
Hi Steve At this point in my learning journey (a year ago) I was still thinking that this was some sort of drawing/cad program. I took a little while for me to realize that this was never intended as a creation program but it is a very powerful interface program to the laser machine. Its capability is immense as an invisible program creator that takes your drawings and "makes them happen". I have never heard of GIMP but I have now downloaded it and at first glance it looks very powerful. I will have to spend time playing with it. However, 99% of what I create is done in a CAD program and sent to RDWorks as a DXF import file Thanks for the tip Best regards Russ
Hi Steve A leftover from my machine owning days when I used to run a complete CAD/CAM package from Alpacam. The cad package was nothing like Autocad in that it was not designed to make pretty engineering drawings but more about design creation and outputting elements directly to IGES or DXF files for CNC manufacture. It's a quick and elegant system to use. For personal reasons I had to close my business but persuaded Alphacam to sell me a lifetime licence for just the cad element. Even now that I am 80% retired, there's hardly a day goes by that I don't use it. Best regards Russ
I just purchased same sort of engraver but 60 watt. I watched your entire series. Astonishingly well done. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Not only did I learn about laser engraving, but I gained a whole new approach to problem solving.
+Mark Sutherland
Hi Mark
Thanks for your appreciation. I hope you have fewer problems with your machine. However, to be positive about the whole experience, without those problems I would not have been forced to learn all the ins and outs of this technology and there would be far fewer videos. Perhaps fate dealt me a "difficult" machine for some good purpose!!!
Best regards
Russ
Thank You So...... Much for doing these videos. I learn better by watching and doing then reading. You have done a great job on explaining these laser and software. I was watching so many different videos and trying to figure out to do things. Then I ran into your video Lab 11. I watched it a few times and then ended up starting from your Lab1. You should be a teacher! Once again Thank You!
Just wanted to thank you for all the time you spent making the videos. I started watching prior to receiving my laser and it was a huge help getting me going quickly. I am learning a lot and having fun.
LOL@ "Collection of English word" put together as a manual. Love your dry humor. ;)
I love you, mate. All the efforts you put in those videos, which are great by the way. Thumbs up!
Hi Russ, I just discovered your series about 5 hours ago (recommended by 'WorksByaHurst') and am so glad to have found you. I jumped in at No. 164 or something and after a few hops around, decided to go to the bottom of the barrel. Your deboxing more or less of some exotic chinese machine. Now I'm at No. 1. (after going through the other five without a number). Haven't enjoyed youtube so much for years. I bought a Leapfrog 3D printer some years ago, which I bust. If I stick it out long enough to work back to No. 164 again, I guess I will know more about what not to do this time round. I love your humour and plain down to earth manner of tackling things. Many thanks for your time and effort. Willy
Hi Willy
There is 3.5 years of learning there with mistakes as well as successes. Hopefully you will be able to bypass some of the big initial roadblocks I encountered fighting/floundering with 2 crap tubes. It was that initial bad experience that forced my to buy a power meter and then to replace my B grade tube and power supply with A grade kit directly from China. Never looked back. I can only recommend one trustworthy E bay shop for all your laser needs and that is Cloudray. but to be honest you may as well go straight to their website and skip the higher price to cover Ebay fees and commission. www.cloudraylaser.com/
Thanks for your appreciation. As I tell people often, I am not a teacher or an expert, you are looking over my shoulder at me learning. My other hobby is video and editing so this learning journey is providing me with endless material for that other love. As you get further into this series you will find out lots of stuff that is little known, myths get exploded and I am currently researching stuff that no one I have yet found can give me clear scientific answers
Best wishes
Russ
I watch some of your newer video's. I finally decided to start at Lab 01
Thank you for the demo videos! Every time I need help, I come here and find the answers I'm looking for!
You are an amazing human being!!!! Thank you so much!
Please help me. I installed RDWorksV8.01.18 on my windows 10 but the prorama does not work. What can I do to fix this?
Hi Pauleiras
I am a cavemen and have all my pcs running on Windows 7. I do know that RDWorks installs perfectly on windows 10 and runs reliably. More than that I cannot help BUT if you go to the Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/900528680076062/ there will be many folks there running Widows 10. They are a friendly bunch of guys who will be glad to help you.
All best wishes
Russ
Thank you!
Hi Russ, now I'm using Inkscape program and no problem double line cutting, hip hip
Hi, how can I merge two shapes by removing the intersecting lines ? Thx you !
Hi Claire
Despite having many tool that make this look like a piece of drawing or CAD software. sadly it is neither. If your shapes are vector shapes then it is possible to do what you by node editing ......but it is very tedious and I'm no expert at this.
see
ua-cam.com/video/iFbbqQctBQA/v-deo.html
However You can download a commercial version of RDWorks called Lightburn (www.lightburnsoftware.com) for a 30 day free trial and all the drawing and editing tools that you are after are within that package. Yes it will cost about $90 to buy at the end of the trial but once you have seen all the features it offers I am sure you will invest.
Best wishes
Russ
You've done excellent work, many thanks for that!
Hi there
Great tutorials! But how do we unite shapes to cut an complex outline?
Hi Richard
The simple answer is you cant. This was never intended as a CAD or drawing software. It is a user interface to convert your pre-prepared designs into a machine code format that your laser machine can act upon .You never see any of the code, that is elegantly hidden from you, instead this is basically an interrogation software that asked you details about what you want to do with your design. The confusing issue for beginners is they see BASIC drawing tools. These tools allow some last minute adjustments rather than returning to the origination program. They also allow the creation of quick and simple test programs. You are getting a great software program for free. However, there have been others, like yourself, that were looking for more than in interface program. About 3 years ago, one private individual took it upon himself to do a complete rewrite of RDWorks, not only making it run on Windows but also adding OS and LInux capability. After the initial translation, he has gone on to add text manipulation, drawing combination tools and many other features found in packages such as Illustrator. This program is highly recommended for its simple and compact user interface and its powerful additional features Go to lightburnsoftware.com and you can download a fully featured 30 day free trial you can test. I think it is $90 to buy. The problem is that in 30 days you may never be able to test all of its features but I feel sure you will be sufficiently impressed that you will part with some cash.
Best wishes
Russ
Could you help me troubleshoot a red/black 100w Chinese laser???
Hi Duane
Contact me privtely with your issues via this contact form and I will try to assisst
forms.zohopublic.eu/ndeavorlimited/form/K40XtreeemLaserCutterContactRussSadler/formperma/k2Cn0QN5ChpazfTMAUw25lZ-FKpjZa96TQWHjv3ntOg
Best wishes
Russ
Hi! I might have a silly question, but I'm wanting to know if we can control the font width & height in Rdworks for script fonts/monoline fonts . For example 8mm width & 40mm height for each letter in the word. Thanks
Hi
Take a look at this video. It's not exactly the subject you are after but it shows you all about grouping and ungrouping text. This is the key that unlocks single letters so that you can resize them. Put handles around your letter and set the X and Y dimension you require isn the size windows on the toolbar
Best wishes
Russ
Thanks ! I think I got it 👍
Good Day all bought a mini bodor laser engraving machine, i'm having problem to engrave. Each time i try to engrave i get only the borders top and down. Please advise.
I shall need a lot more information and pictures to understand your problem You need to send me your email address via the UA-cam private messaging system and I will try to help you.
Best regards
Russ
Good day Russ thank you for replying, I will gather the information and picture and sent it to you ASAP. Thanks.
I have a problem with my laser Machine which has RDworks program, when running a program I have to double my vertical Measurement to equal my Horizontal measurement.
Hi Brian
It sound like your stepper motors have not been calibrated correctly. I could try to explain how to fix this but I take you through a step by step procedure as part of one of my other videos. Draw a 100mm square in RDWorks and then put that program into your machine. Watch this video
ua-cam.com/video/Y-tva0CSJao/v-deo.html
If you still have problems , shout out again
Best regards
Russ
HI
I have to thank very much i have seen the first video and i found it very helpful
i have been reading the Control System User Manual which i found it a quite difficult and very poor explanation but now i think you made it very easy
so thank you again and keep going
wish you the best
Have you ran into the error message, "No enough extend space." on your machine? If so, did you figure out what caused it? I was trying to engrave something A little smaller than 500 x 300. Thought maybe it was just too big. Scale down, but still got the same message.
Hi
Because your image is close to the 300x500 work area limit, my guess is that you have set your origin at machine 0,0. The fact that you are engraving means that at the end of each sweep the beam switches off but the head has to travel on as it decelerates to a stop, turns round and accelerates back up to speed before turning the beam on again. If you have set your program to run from 0,0 then this overrun will go outside the allowable work area. You need to leave 5mm all round when engraving to allow for this. So set your origin at 5,5 and make sure your image is not bigger than 290x490.
Problem solved
Best regards
Russ
+SarbarMultimedia Thank you so very much! That makes sense. I will give that a shot.
Could you help me with deleting a layer in RD Works. Thanks,Mike
Hi Mike
You must have something on that layer for it to exist. If you delete all the items on that layer then the layer will disappear. OR you can reassign items on that layer to another layer and then that layer will disappear. You cannot select a lare and make the contents disappear.
Best wishes
Russ
Hello, how do you draw a rounded rectangle? Is there a way to do it simply, or do i have to use the bezier curve tool to manually draw it out? thank you!
+redpotatofromafrica
I know exactly what you want and you maybe able to approximate it with the Bezier tool. You must remember that Bezier lines are a computerised form of freehand drawing curves and not geometrically definable arcs. I am afraid you will quickly come to realise that RDWorks is not a vector drawing package or even a CAD package even though It has a few tools that you will find in either such softwares. You need to do your drawings in another package and then import them to RDWorks which will then do a pretty good job of turning them into machine readable code without you needing to understand machine programming.
+SarbarMultimedia thank you. that works well, but then I need to have the rounded rectangle as a line that the Boss Laser can cut out, so I need to create that on the RDWorks program. I guess I will need to draw it on the program with bezier tool. is there snapping to grid lines?
+redpotatofromafrica
The features you are looking for and would be most useful are things like snap/trim/extend. Sadly they do not exist in RD Works The only snap feature I have discovered, is when you use a polyline and go to close a shape, a little square appears at your cursor. Have you been through all my first few tutorials that cover issues about assigning features to different layers?
That's one simple way of cutting an outside shape last. I'm guessing you have imported a picture without a frame and you now want to cut the finished item out with your curved rectangle. One of the later lessons shows you that you can import a second picture on top of your first one and then move it around to get the alignment you want. I see no alternative to drawing it separately in a proper drawing or CAD software There are some free downloads or even try before you buy trials available, look on Ebay for older 2D versions of TurboCAD at silly prices OR take a look for free vector art frames on www to download a shape.
+SarbarMultimedia that is a fantastic idea, to import the rounded rectangle as a separate image and then assign that image to cut, right?
I want to make a medical alert tag for my kids, like dog tags for soldiers. lettering and symbol in the middle, then cut out a rounded rectangle.
+redpotatofromafrica That is correct. My only thought is what material you might be using?
Sir i need to engrave and better say cut glass on cell phone screen, under which located polarizer (plastic film) . If i cut through hath the thickness of the glass will it burn or damage anyway that polarizer?
Glass is not a material you can cut with this laser. You can engrave it by damaging the surface . The laser light hitting the surface of the glass excites the glass molecules to a higher temperature. This actually happens instantly because of the intense energy in the focused beam. Glass is a very poor conductor of heat and a brittle material . That pin prick of intense heating causes a minute piece of glass to heat up, expand rapidly and shear away from the parent material before it melts. It leaves a small damage area behind much like a stone chip on your car windscreen. . If you keep the beam in one place or move it slow enough you will just produce a molten mess OR the heat will build up locally and crack the WHOLE of your glass object. You are planning to cut through a plastic film as well so that will melt first and be affected further by the heat of the glass engraving. It will no be a clean edge. The best you can do with glass is etch the surface much like diamond scratching and try to break it along the fracture plane. Cell phone glass may react differently to normal glass because it is filled with all sorts of exotic chemical elements but I asses your chances of actually CUTTING it as zero.
Best wishes
Russ
Your commentary makes me laugh. "this green dot may jump around, and why, well I really don't know why yet!" lol. but you do make some great video that I've watched a lot of them and have gotten me farther on my laser than I would have gotten on my own. keep it up.
Hi
Please remember that this is a video series of ME learning about this machine and software. I can only tell you about what I now so far.. There are lots of mistakes that I make at this early stage . so regardless of what I say or do PLEASE do not run your machine above 65% power unless you have fitted an ammeter ua-cam.com/video/xDZmuxq5BEM/v-deo.html
and know what your tube is limited to. By the way, I do eventually discover what the green dot does
ua-cam.com/video/CWZvQXxbR_E/v-deo.html
Best wishes and thanks for comment
Russ
I wasn't making fun or light of it. it reminds me of me when trial and error occurs. I'm the same way. thinking out loud "well I don't know why it did that!".
I have fitted and ammeter to my laser pretty much after the video of you doing the same. I now have a temp gauge but not installed yet.
I love when you draw a line in the wrong place and click undo and it deletes the whole drawing,
I find saving regularly when the wheels are still attached is nice work around.
+Mentorcase
Hi
As you get a few more sessions into the series you will find that i mention many times that RDWorks is not a CAD or vector drawing package. It has some tools that allow simple drawings to be created but it's primary use is to take drawings produced elsewhere and convert them into numerical programs that your laser machine can work with. On first use I thought it was rubbish but several months on it's an incredibly powerful tool that you get for free!
Hello Russ
have found that Adobe illustrator is fantastic for DXF files to trial there is a free downloadable trail
working on software. at moment doing lots of virtual laser cutting in preview
thx for your help it has been invaluable.
Wayne
Hi Wayne
Preview is a great way to hone your skills before you get anywhere near a machine and in the early days it will save you lots of wasted material.
Enjoy
Russ
Hi Wayne
Yes, I have several versions of Illustrator and its good for doing conversions of bitmaps files etc to vector files by using the trace feature. I do little drawing there because it is so clunky for "non-artistic" work that I always use my CAD system. However, there is a AI plug in for RDWorks that allows you to program from within AI.
Happy New Year
Russ
Hi there, Ive just bought myself a Laser Engraver and am a total newby as ive moved up from Pyography to this. I have assembled my machine and am ready to learn the software. However Im not sure where to get RD Works from? When ive tryed searching for it on the internet I can't seem to find the right place to download it from? I look forward to your response so I can get started on following your videos :-)
Hi Lisa
Welcome to this strange new world . There is a good site to go for the download of a stable well tried version of RDWorks
www.thunderlaser.com/laser-download
The first, third and fourth downloads are what you need. When you have done that you can scroll down and find some cutting parameter files. You may not need them immediately but be aware that they are there because they will be useful when you get going.
I was very ignorant of this technology a year ago when I started and the big mistake you will seeing me make in my early videos is to run the tube at high %power values. My immediate advice is don't program anything above 60%power. I think it would be good to ask more questions on the you tube private messaging system. How do you find that??
Click the big blue square beside Sarbar Mulimedia and a page with tabs opens. Click the ABOUT tab and another page appears with a MESSAGE button top right.
Best regards
Russ
Absolutely fantastic, your a Star. I very much look forward to watching all you helpful videos. Thank you so very much :-)
Hi Lisa
I would urge you to jump forward and watch ua-cam.com/video/xDZmuxq5BEM/v-deo.html This ammeter will be your best friend to stop you doing what I and many others do to burn their tube out prematurely.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0-30mA-DC-Current-Analog-Panel-Meter-Ammeter-Amperemeter-Off-White-/191596306643?hash=item2c9c07a0d3:g:ynEAAOSwT6pVkliU
It will take abou two weeks to arrive.
Good luck
Russ
I cannot see the color bar for my layers
Hi Sir, enjoy your videos, is there an easy way to make rounded corners on a square in RD?
Heloo
RDworks has a few basic drawing tools but it is neither dawing ot CAD software, just a very powerful and free interface to your laser machine. To do corner fillets you need vector drawing software or a CAD package. Sorry , RDWorks cannot do it.
Best wishes
Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia Thank you. when i save my files in rd to recover them its saying wrong file format. Any suggestions? Thank you again
@@chhmansukhna5107
Hi
Some versions of RDWorks have bugs and the problem you have happens in several versions. I am using issue 38 which is stable but I think yhe latest issue is 44,. If you wish ti install issue 38 then here is a link where you can copy it www.dropbox.com/s/8xugiag5alqlp4v/RDWorks%20ruida%20issue%2038.rar?dl=0
Best wishes
Russ
@@chhmansukhna5107
I apologize if I msunderstood your question. There are two ways to save files in RDWorks. If you select the SAVE or SAVE AS you will be saving what you can see on the screen along with all the parameter settings. You will be able toOPEN this at a future date but if you try to open them on the machine from a memory stick the macine will not understand them and probably display an error message. These files have a .rld extension. At the bottom right corner there is a SAVE to U DISK button. This does the opposite in that it creates a machine code file for the program on the screen and it will have a .rd extension. You cannot OPEN this file format on your pc, you can save it to a FAT32 formatted USB memeory stick and take it to the machine. There, you must plug it into the correct port (only one works because the other is for connecting your PC) and press the file buitton where you will have to follow through 2 or 3 menus.
Hope this answers your question.
Best wishes
Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia Thank you Sir hope it helps too
Hi Russ, hope you are well. Russ, I am planning to use autocad to produce heavy files for engraving. Have you tested how much information/elements RDworks can handle?
Thanks,
Dimitri
Hi Dimitri
Using vector files for engraving is not a memory heavy task Its just a matter of turning the laser beam on and off at the beginning and end of your closed shape on every single scan line. With dithered graphics the files get very big because every pixel is mapped. I have struggled with grey scale pictures where not only is every pixel mapped, the individual power for each pixel is also being stored.. Do not anticipate you having any problems.
Best wishes
Russ
I purchased the same laser with the same software.I have been unable to run any programs. Each time I try I get a Water error message on the screen. I have the water running as required. Have you had this problem?
+randy rundhaug
Hi Randy
Yes. It was fine for a month or two and then started giving this message randomly and would stop me using the machine mid session. I would turn the machine off for 10 minutes and restart no problem. Eventually It became too annoying. so I have temporarily fixed the problem by cutting the two wires that go into the switch and connecting them together with a joining block. The machine is now happy because it now thinks the switch is closed. But I make sure I never turn the water pump switch off and I also regularly check water level in tank. I do plan to fit another switch but I'm currently looking for something more reliable.
Good luck with your new machine and enjoy
Russ
I have an issue that is seemingly unsolvable. I cant transfer dotted lines (lines that are trasnformed to spaced out dots or short lines) when i save sa .dxf from CorelDraw. I cant find a tool that makes a line dotted in RD Works 8.0. Help anyone? Much respect for this channel sir!
Sadly , when you draw a dotted or dashed line in Coreldraw or any CAD program , it is really a solid line (displayed as dashes) and not a series of single lines or dots. Thus when you transfer it to RDWorks it will be a single line again.. You can however do a work around to create a dotted line in RDWorks
Draw a small dash and put handles on the dash. Then go to the bottom tool (the matrix tool) and guess the number of dashes you require (say 20) and the spacing (say 3mm). Press OK and your dotted line appears. You can remove one dash at a time to make it as long as you require . You can mark the whole line and move it as a single item. You can also SCALE it to fit your object with the X or Y window on the top tool bar.
Best wishes
Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia Thanx Russ! That was a swift answer. Unfortunately i need my dots to follow a curve of a letter (making pounce pattern) so i think this will be impossible. I had a smaller laser cutter that used Corel Laser software and it was great for this sort of thing..
@@leesak Hi Leesak
Aha!!!! You described what you wanted but I had no idea what you were trying to achieve. Now that I recognize you want a thin paper/card template or stencil through which you want to trace a pattern with pounce powder I can offer you a REAL solution,
For just a test, draw a circle or short word with RDWorks in letters about 25mm tall. Set your parameters as follows
speed 25 . power 50%/50% and select DOT MODE (not cut). You will see extra settings on the right. Set time to 0, interval to 1mm and length to 0.5mm. Press OK and then use the preview screen on the tool bar to see what this produces. . Play with these last 3 parameters to get what you want.
If the dashes you create are not wide enough to let sufficient powder through, increase the gap between nozzle and work by 3, 4, 5 or even 6 mm
Best wishes
Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia Haha, You tottaly got my intention! I'm away for 2days now but I'll try it ASAP! If this works, and I think it will i owe You one!
Good morning, Your videos are great they have helped me tremendously.
i have a problem with mu chinese laser engraver. It is a Kehui 100w and last week it just shut down. The machine will not power up. I have checked the emergency stop button, the power outlets, i tried a new power cord, i purchased and installed a new power supply, installed a new main power switch and still nothing. Please can you help, let me know what could be causing this or what to check next. Thank you.
OMG, i found a hidden fuse. so simple. It's working. Thank you again for the videos you have made. I have learned so much.
Hi Shawn
Thought transference is a powerful tool I brought from my home planet!!! Glad it helped you find the problem.
On a more serious note. Your Kehui machine will almost certainly have been fitted with an 80 watt reject tube. The tube could be from a reputable manufacturer but failed final QA. To keep costs down and profits high KeHui go round and collect all these rejects and retest them themselves to make sure they work well enough to fool the typical Ebay buyer. They relabel them as KHLaser. Your tube may be almost dead or almost perfect, only you will know when it fails. KeHui have a poor quality reputation and you have had to find out the hard way. All the parts are there but assembly quality may require your additional attention. When you have finished reworking the machine it will serve you well but part of that reworking will almost certainly require you to buy a PROPER tube and a MATCHED power supply, so start saving
Thanks for the kind words
Best regards
Russ
Wich drwing program do you use? I am thinking of buying "CorelDRAW Home & Student Suite X7" or is there program for free, that is useful?
I use a 2D CAD program as my main drawing tool but I use Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to copy and prepare line graphics before I load them into RDWorks. There is a great free 2D CAD program called Draftsight that you can download but I'm not sure if there is a free CorelDraw clone.
Best regards
Russ
I just downloaded Draft Sight. It seems I have to learn a lot before i can even think about using the laser cutter. :) ... but youtube provides lots of tutorials.
Did you make a video, that describes what I have to take care of, when I make drawings in Draft Sight (or any other CD program) and Import it into RDWorks?
The last question leads me to the question, where I can download RDWorks. Do you have an URI?
There is a 186 page manual on how to use Draftsight. I have a copy already downloaded so if you wish to send me your email address on the UA-cam personal messaging system I will send you a copy. Have you ever used CAD before?
You can down load RDWorks from a website called Thunder Laser
www.thunderlaser.com/laser-download
This is not the latest version but it's a well tried version and has 99% of what you will find in the latest version. Download the V8, the install instructions and the manual. All are free
You can then follow my journey of learning to use the software and the machine by working through my sessions.
Best regards
Russ
Now I finally bought one of those laser cutters. I my first experiment I found out LibreCAD and RDWorks from Thunderlaser works well together.
Hi
Thanks for the info about LibreCAD. I have downloaded it to see how simple it is to use.
Best regards
Russ
how I can cut from import files?RDWorks support only scan?
you can import DXF files and then set the layer to 'cut' instead of scan ;)
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What is a safe website to download rd works?
Hi
Here is a link that will allow you to get an up to date version of RDWorks
www.rd-acs.com/Private/Files/de49e1ea0e9d44aab3ed9724053c7035.rar
Yes it's issue 38!!!!
Give this a try.
Best wishes
Russ
Ηι SarbarMultimedia, you know if the Nesting tool works ?
In later versions of RDWorks the nesting tool is there and sort of works. However you can waste a lot of time trying to make it do anything sensible . I have always found it better to nest manually , but I have been doing it for more than 25 years.
Best wishes
Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia thanks you.
Sir kindly make one laser machine installatiin video
Hi Mehmood
There are 6 videos that come before thi RDWorks series see ua-cam.com/video/YvrMeUUzaBo/v-deo.html
This may be what you are looking for.
There is also another series of videos for my Thinklaser machine that explains things in a slightly different way
see ua-cam.com/video/kx4vmDguCyE/v-deo.html
Best wishes
Russ
hello i do registration on your forum and now i see this your are permanent band on this board why???
Hi John.
First I must correct you. This is not MY forum. I was originally invited to help set up this forum about 6 years ago I declined because I was too busy with my own video channel .Instead I am just an ordinary member but I have a special relationship with the guys that run the forum and upload all my DXF files for you to download for free. There is also two bullet point indexes of all my videos that you can download as well. . I am certainly not banned but I rarely visit and take no part in any discussions.
Best wishes
Russ
@@SarbarMultimedia i have the same laser as you and i want to learn from you and i saw many thing you make and i want to download these dxf files for learning but i not see them. i learn a much from you and very very thnxxxxx of this.
@@TheOverride
Hi John
if you have joined the rdworkslab.com forum you should be able to track down all my dxf files.. If you have problems just email the administrator, he is very helpful and friendly.
Best wishes
Russ
Thank you for doing these
What about using GIMP? GIMP is a free clone of photoshop.
Hi Steve
At this point in my learning journey (a year ago) I was still thinking that this was some sort of drawing/cad program. I took a little while for me to realize that this was never intended as a creation program but it is a very powerful interface program to the laser machine. Its capability is immense as an invisible program creator that takes your drawings and "makes them happen". I have never heard of GIMP but I have now downloaded it and at first glance it looks very powerful. I will have to spend time playing with it. However, 99% of what I create is done in a CAD program and sent to RDWorks as a DXF import file
Thanks for the tip
Best regards
Russ
What CAD program do you use?
Hi Steve
A leftover from my machine owning days when I used to run a complete CAD/CAM package from Alpacam. The cad package was nothing like Autocad in that it was not designed to make pretty engineering drawings but more about design creation and outputting elements directly to IGES or DXF files for CNC manufacture. It's a quick and elegant system to use. For personal reasons I had to close my business but persuaded Alphacam to sell me a lifetime licence for just the cad element. Even now that I am 80% retired, there's hardly a day goes by that I don't use it.
Best regards
Russ
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