EasyTrace5000 - Laser Processing Guide

Overview & Architecture

The EasyTrace5000 Laser pipeline is engineered to generate highly optimized 2D vector and high-resolution raster files from standard PCB design files (Gerber, Excellon, SVG). Unlike the CNC pipeline—which must simulate Z-axis depths, plunge rates, and tool radiuses—the laser pipeline operates strictly in 2D coordinate space.

Because laser processing does not require toolpath depth simulation, the application intelligently bypasses the 3D preview stage, processing source geometry directly into export-ready analytic boundaries and fill patterns. The application does not control your laser hardware directly; it performs the computationally heavy geometric boolean operations, true-bounds calculations, and path optimizations, delivering precision files tailored for external control software like LightBurn, EZCAD, or RDWorks.

The Laser Workflow

The user journey in the laser pipeline is distinctly streamlined compared to mechanical milling. Here is the technical breakdown of the workflow.

Stage 1 & 2: Loading & Coordinate Transformations

Source files are loaded and parsed via the same robust analytic engine used for CNC operations. Isolation and Clearing operations parse Gerber (RS-274X) files, Drilling parses Excellon files, and Cutouts accept Gerbers or SVGs.

During coordinate setup, any applied Origin Offsets, Board Rotations, or Mirroring transformations are tracked globally. Crucially, the LaserImageExporter applies these transformation matrices to the analytic geometry before calculating the final SVG/PNG bounding box (the viewBox), ensuring that rotated or mirrored geometry is never clipped or exported with a blank canvas.

Stage 3: Global Machine Settings

When the Laser pipeline is active, the Machine Settings panel exposes two critical baseline parameters:

Laser Spot Size (Kerf)

The effective focal diameter of your laser beam in millimeters. The offsetting engine uses this value identically to a CNC "Tool Diameter" to calculate accurate offsets.

Export Format

Determines the target renderer: SVG for true mathematical vectors or PNG for high-DPI rasterized images. Note: Switching to PNG dynamically hides hatch and offset strategy options, as filling is implicitly handled by pixel rasterization.

Stage 4: Generating Laser Paths

Upon clicking Generate Laser Paths, the core triggers the Geometry Engine. Depending on the operation and selected strategy, it translates your parameters (Spot Size, Isolation Width, Step Over) into precise 2D geometry. Because laser operations lack a Z-axis simulation requirement, the operation is immediately marked as exportReady = true, bypassing the preview stage and transitioning the properties panel directly to an "Export Summary".

Stage 5: Operations & Export Manager

The Export Manager acts as the final packager for your laser files. Here, you configure export-specific metadata:

Layer Colors

Assign rgb colors (e.g., (255.0.0) for Isolation, (0.0.255) for Drill). The SVG exporter applies these as stroke or fill attributes. Laser control software uses these colors to map independent power, speed, and frequency settings.

Raster Resolution (DPI)

If PNG is selected, this dictates the pixel density (up to 4000 DPI). The exporter calculates the exact pixel dimensions based on the transformed physical bounds and the DPI.

Export Margin Padding

Injects a physical buffer (in mm) around the true bounding box to ensure the laser head has sufficient overscan area without clipping the geometry.

Operation Types & Clearing Strategies

The geometry generation logic dynamically adapts to the operation type. The core concept relies on "Clearance Polygons"—the specific area requiring ablation.

Isolation Routing & Copper Clearing

For Clearing operations, the clearance zone is simply the source geometry itself. For Isolation operations, the engine dynamically calculates a "halo" by expanding the original copper traces by the user-defined laserIsolationWidth and performing a boolean difference against the original footprint.

Once the clearance zone is established, you can select one of three Clearing Strategies:

Offset Paths (Concentric)

Generates concentric lines shrinking inward from the clearance boundary. The required number of passes is mathematically derived from the total isolation width and the laserStepOver percentage. This strategy is highly recommended as it prevents the corner "streaking" artifacts common in directional hatching.

Filled Polygon

Exports the clearance zone as a solid SVG <path> with a fill attribute. Use this if you prefer your external laser software (like LightBurn) to calculate its own native hatch patterns internally.

Hatch Fill

Generates dense, directional line coverage across the clearance zone. You control the laserHatchAngle (e.g., 45°) and the number of angular passes (laserHatchPasses). To optimize laser travel, the exporter applies an advanced Colinear Hatch Fusion algorithm (detailed below).

Drill & Board Cutout

Because holes and board outlines are fundamentally single-line vector cuts rather than broad ablation zones, they do not utilize clearing strategies. Instead, you define the Cut Side:

• Outside: Generates a path offset outward by half the laser spot size, ensuring the physical board remains dimensionally accurate.
• Inside: Offsets inward, typically used for internal pocketing.
• On Line: Fires the laser directly down the mathematical perimeter coordinate (zero offset).

Export Mechanics & Optimizations

The LaserImageExporter handles the final translation of analytic primitives into downloadable files.

SVG (Vector Export)

When exporting vectors, standard browsers display 0.01mm strokes as invisible. To fix this while maintaining dimensional accuracy for CAM software, the exporter injects explicit CSS attributes (stroke-width="1px" and -inkscape-stroke:hairline), while preserving the physical XML attribute stroke-width="0.01". This ensures browsers render a visible line, but laser software imports the path as a zero-width, highly precise cutting vector. Additionally, the exporter natively reconstructs poly-lines into true SVG Arc (A) commands, drastically reducing file size and allowing for perfectly smooth curves.

The PNG Split Rule (Raster Export)

Rasterizing a PCB design into a PNG is excellent for direct image engraving modes or photoresist exposure. However, Drill and Cutout operations are single-line paths that lose their dimensional meaning when converted to pixels. To solve this, the Export Manager enforces the PNG Split Rule: If PNG export is selected, Isolation and Clearing layers are compiled into a high-DPI .png file, while Drill and Cutout operations are automatically filtered out and exported as a perfectly aligned secondary -vectors.svg file.