Laser head location on screen?

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Tim Sheehey
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020
Location: United States
Country: United States
Laser Machine Make or Type: Yongli
Laser Power: 280W
Laser Bed Size: 51" X 98
Home Position: BR
RDWorks Version: Metalcut
Ruida Controller: Other
Windows Version: XP

Is there a way to display the location of the laser head on the computer screen? I'm new to this but have a CNC router and CNC Plasma table and both show the actual location of the "cutter" relative to the table. If it's not inherently part of the hardware/software is there an aftermarket solution?
The control system (X,Y) is the RuiDa RDC6332-CD and LFS-PM-T43 (Z). Software is labeled "MetalCut"

Thanks!
Pete Cyr
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016
Location: Suffolk Virginia
Country: United States
Laser Machine Make or Type: Boss 1630
Laser Power: 100w
Laser Bed Size: 16"x30"
Home Position: TR
Control Software: RDWORKS
RDWorks Version: v8.01.18
Ruida Controller: RDC6442
Windows Version: Win 10
Accessories: roller rotary attachment

See the welcome post - I am not familiar with the software you listed but I suspect it will be be similar to in format/design to RDworks to some degree - perhaps you can gleam a bit from our manual.

I suspect you can only define a reference start point such as a start point from the center or a corner
I use aspire for CNC work and I am use to referencing the start of my work from the center of my material you can do the same in RDWORKS and I presume the same will be true in your software. (or start from a corner of the material)
Location - VA
Equipment - Boss Laser 1630
Power - 100W
Laser Bed Size - 16" x 30"
Home Position - TR
Full RDWorks Version - v8.01.18
First name - Pete
Dave Vigness
Posts: 526
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019
Location: Kansas City - Rural
Country: USA
Nickname: Dave
Laser Machine Make or Type: Chine Red and Black
Laser Power: EF RF2 80W
Laser Bed Size: 20 x 26
Home Position: TR
Control Software: RDWORKS
RDWorks Version: 8.01.54
Ruida Controller: RDC6445
Windows Version: 7
Accessories: Power Switch for air assist / exhaust blower, Ma meter with switch for external digital, dual digital temp gauge, LED lights under gantry and and and.

Pics and a list here. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

For RDWorks, the start point is your green square, and the placement of that is set in the CONFIG, SYSTEM SETTING, LASER HEAD option. You have a square with nine pips, choose your poison.
Tim Sheehey
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020
Location: United States
Country: United States
Laser Machine Make or Type: Yongli
Laser Power: 280W
Laser Bed Size: 51" X 98
Home Position: BR
RDWorks Version: Metalcut
Ruida Controller: Other
Windows Version: XP

Thanks for the replies, I guess I wasn't clear with my question.
If I have a 2' X 2' piece of acrylic and I want to cut a 2' diameter circle out of it how do I locate the laser head on center? I've tried moving the head to where it looks like it's on target and setting the position to "Current Position" but that doesn't work. There seems to be no relationship with the location of the part on the screen and the table.
I've calibrated the stepper drives and adjusted the screen table size to the actual bed size. Is this "user error" or am I looking at a software issue?
The software that came with the machine is labeled "MetalWorks", no version #.

Any help is appreciated.
Dave Vigness
Posts: 526
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019
Location: Kansas City - Rural
Country: USA
Nickname: Dave
Laser Machine Make or Type: Chine Red and Black
Laser Power: EF RF2 80W
Laser Bed Size: 20 x 26
Home Position: TR
Control Software: RDWORKS
RDWorks Version: 8.01.54
Ruida Controller: RDC6445
Windows Version: 7
Accessories: Power Switch for air assist / exhaust blower, Ma meter with switch for external digital, dual digital temp gauge, LED lights under gantry and and and.

Pics and a list here. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Hmmm, not sure about MetalWorks. If you see a green square, that is your laser head starting point. Somewhere in your config or settings or vendor settings you'll find a box that says something like LASER HEAD and a nine pip square. Selecting the pip sets the origination point. If you select the center pip and go back to your work the green square should have now moved to the center.
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