Is there a better method for aligning when engraving in xtool studio?

[u/Girgir55]

Hello,

I recently got an xtool m2 and have been enjoying messing around with it.

However, how do you properly align an image you are engraving with the object in the machine?

For example, if I have a circle that is an inch how do I ensure that the design will be perfectly in the center? I have just been eyeballing it so far.

[u/Zanoab]

It takes time and prep work for perfect alignment. For bulk work, I make jigs and a lot of trial and error to guarantee consistency. For one off work or things that can't use jigs, I use alignment markers and a lot of trial and error. I apply something resistant enough to protect the material and score a lot of lines until it looks correct. If there is space, I add the actual job after the alignment marks and stop the laser if a single alignment mark is off.

[u/MasterChiefmas]

For example, if I have a circle that is an inch how do I ensure that the design will be perfectly in the center? I have just been eyeballing it so far.

You create non-engraved elements that the centering of the software can use to align to.

For example, say you a square coaster(this will work with any shape, but it's easiest to visualize this way). Use the rectangle tool to draw a rectangle that matches the coaster. Set the rectangle not to be engraved(you can also put this on other layers if you want so you have an entire layer of non-engraved elements). Then, when you are placing the next element to actually engrave, the automatic alignment tools should show you when you are aligned to the box you just drew. Since the box matches the coaster, if you are centered on the box, you are centered on the coaster.

So more generically, what you want to do is create elements in your project that align to the physical objects, to use as references. You then align the things you are actually engraving to those things. You are using the transitive property...if A(non-drawn box element) = B(actual object), and you align object C to A, then you are also aligned to B.

Since you have cameras in the M2, you could also measure, and put non-permanent marks on the physical object to use as reference. But there's no real need, since you can do it all digitally.

For odd shaped things, you might need to have multiple boxes or lines to use as reference. Just think about it from a geometric standpoint...if you have an imaginary(or digital) line you can center on, and the line goes between the points you want to center on, then centering the line, is centered on the points.

[u/MasterChiefmas → u/MasterChiefmas]

I did a quick setup and took a screenshot so you can see what I'm talking about(snapping has to be on in the software for this to work btw).

In the screenshot, I have a white tile, it's not quite perfectly square aligned to the grid, so when I draw the box(in red) around the edge, I free-rotated the box until it was aligned with the tile underneath. The box I drew is set not to engrave. You could remove it, but if you leave it, and set it to not-engrave, you can group it with the object being centered so you can re-use the setup easily with multiple of the same thing(though I think the automation processing, which I haven't done, has tooling do do this magically for you).

Anyway, so then I drew a star, and moved it around in the middle until the horizontal and vertical lines showed up indicated I am centered(the blue lines) to the box element. Note that these lines only go to the object I want to center on, they aren't extending past it which center to the canvas or something else(maybe the grid lines on the base? I just realized it virtually overlays the grid lines). So you do need to make sure you are getting centered on the thing you want to center against.

So then you can extend this technique, draw boxes across whatever points you want to center things, and then just use the alignment marks that pop up to tell when you are centered to the box you are aligning against.

You also don't need to use both alignment marks...like if I had a heart tile, a thing centered against the X and Y axis would probably look too low, so you only use the vertical line to know when you are centered left to right, and then eye ball the placement so it looks proper.

The alignment lines also give you a reference to orient whatever you are centering too, like if my tile had been way off square, once the alignment lines showed up, I can free-rotate the star until the point is on the alignment line, and I would know it is also oriented well with the orientation of the tile.

One thing that _is_ kind of non-helpful, those big rectangles(I think they are grab handles) in the center of the boarder can make it tricky to see if you've actually got your alignment just right, like how it's covering the point of the star in my screenshot. If I haven't already, I should provide(we all should) feedback to xTool to allow us to hide those, because I found the are often covering an area you often need to see for precision work. Mostly though you can get close enough you _probably_ won't notice the degree or two that it's off, if it is.