Learn/Laser/Layers, palette & operations
Cut vs engrave
At a glance
- Each layer operation is either cut or engrave—dashed previews and cross-hatch overlays show engrave regions
- Mixed parts render cut solids with engrave overlays; engrave-only parts skip solid fill for clarity
- Operation order on the sheet is authoritative for generation and posting
Every operation in the Laser workspace is either a cut or an engrave — the mode lives on the layer, set right in the operations list or in Operation parameters. Cut operations follow the contour with a kerf-compensated profile pass; engrave operations raster-fill the enclosed region with scanlines. Assign geometry to layers with the palette and the mode does the rest.
Reading the canvas
The preview makes the split obvious before anything is generated. Cut contours draw as solid lines with normal part fill. Engrave contours draw dashed, and the regions they enclose render as shader-driven fill that tracks your actual scan spacing and angle. On mixed parts — a cut outline with engraved artwork inside — the base fill stays solid and engrave regions sit on top as overlays, resolved with even-odd nesting per layer so islands and voids read correctly. Parts that are engrave-only skip the solid fill entirely, leaving just the engrave preview. Disabling an operation greys out that layer's geometry; disabling a cut layer never mutes the engrave overlays riding on the same part.
Order is authoritative
The operations list on the active sheet defines execution order for both toolpath generation and posting — drag rows or use the up/down controls to re-sequence. The standard laser pattern is engraves first, interior cuts next, through-cuts last, so parts don't shift before the detail work is done. Order, mode, and settings persist per sheet inside the document.