MappSmith — Laser settings & machines

• Does MappSmith set my laser's power and speed?

  No. MappSmith does not know your machine or material. The files separate engrave, score and cut so you can set each one. Set power and speed in your laser software and always test on scrap before a production run.

• How do I use the files with a Glowforge?

  Upload the cut SVG to the Glowforge app. Engrave, score and cut are different colours (black, blue and red), so they come in as separate steps you can set.

• How do I use the files with a Trotec?

  Use the SVG, DXF or PDF cut file in your Trotec software. For print and cut with a Trotec camera, turn on registration marks and choose "Trotec circles".

• How do I use the files with xTool?

  Tick xTool in Production files and open the .xs file in xTool Creative Space. You can also import the SVG.

• How do the files open in LightBurn?

  Tick LightBurn in Production files and open the .lbrn2 file. Cut, engrave and score arrive on separate layers. Score goes on a second engrave layer, not the cut layer, so you can give it its own power and speed. The layer settings in the file are placeholders; replace them with yours.

• Which registration marks does my camera laser need?

  For two-point print and cut, such as LightBurn Print & Cut or xTool, use "Red + blue crosshairs". For a Trotec camera, use "Trotec circles". In the cut file the marks sit on a non-burning layer, so they are never cut.

• Why are engraved roads filled shapes rather than lines?

  Before any file is written, everything engraved on a sheet is joined into filled shapes. A plain line cannot be filled by an engrave layer, and overlapping engraved shapes would cancel each other out. Run the engrave layer as a fill or scan.

• Why is score not the same as cut?

  Score is a light pass that marks the face without going through. The glue guide lines on a relief are scores. If they went to the cut layer, each sheet would be sliced along the outline of the sheet above it.