Learn/Laser/Toolpaths, preview & simulation
Toolpath generation
At a glance
- Cut paths preserve kerf-aware offsets with automatic lead placement, pierce sequencing, and collision checks
- Engrave paths emit scanline motion with intelligent row linking, overscan gaps, and optional cross-hatch passes
- Nearest-neighbor ordering inside each layer keeps rapids short; disabled operations are skipped automatically
The Generate button at the top of the browser panel builds toolpaths for the active sheet, with a progress bar in the button itself and an estimated cut time when it finishes. Generation is driven by operation order: layers run in list order, disabled operations are skipped, and locked or invisible parts sit out. A dirty dot appears whenever geometry or settings change after the last generate.
Cut paths
Cut contours get a kerf-compensated offset — half the kerf to the waste side, with winding normalized so climb and conventional directions behave consistently, and per-contour Rev Cut Direction flipping both the offset side and the lead side together. Lead-in/out placement is automatic: the placer samples densely around the contour, collision-checks candidate leads against the contour itself and its siblings, validates that the pierce lands in waste, respects sheet bounds, and escalates the arc radius when the first choice won't fit. Prefer a specific pierce point? Pick one on the offset path and the contour re-sequences to start there. Within each layer, contours run nearest-neighbor with holes before outers, so the head isn't sprinting corner to corner between cuts.
Engrave paths
Engraves generate real scanline motion, not just a preview: each row carries its spans — overscan run-up, laser-on geometry, laser-off gaps between shapes, overscan run-out — so posts emit exactly what the machine executes. Spacing and angle come straight from the operation, one code path handles any scan angle, cross hatch appends the orthogonal family, and bi-directional fill runs rows serpentine instead of returning for each pass. Overscan defaults to an automatic distance computed from your machine's axis acceleration (the classic v²/2a), so raster edges stay crisp at full speed.
After generation
Parts that collide or hang off the sheet flash red and are auto-selected so you can fix them immediately. Once the sheet is clean, head to Posts & controllers to turn the toolpaths into output.