If you grab a handle with your mouse and move it, the line (path) that is attached to that node is stretched and curved - it takes some getting used to but it is one of the features of the Lightburn software that makes it so powerful. A node can be the corner of say, a rectangle but as most images consist not just of straight lines, but also curves, each node can also start or finish a curve that is controlled by ‘handles’. When editing vectors, Lightburn uses ‘nodes’ as the fixed points of the image and ‘paths’ that connect the nodes. Vector nomenclature: How Vector Images Work This is what we work with in Lightburn laser software.

That means that the same formula works whether you specify inches, yards, or miles, and in a similar way, a vector image can be miniaturized or expanded as much as you want and will always retain the same quality. Vector graphics are images that are rendered using a mathematical formula, something similar to giving someone directions: go 10 yards, turn left, go 2 yards, turn right …. If you zoom in you can begin to see the tiny pixels and the image becomes less and less distinct. Raster images are made up of tiny pixels, making them resolution-dependent and best used for creating photos. We see these Raster file formats every day on the Web. You are likely very familiar with JPG, GIF, and PNG files. The Basics: How Raster Images Workīefore we start looking at the various features of Lightburn laser software, we need to understand that Lightburn works and manipulates vectors. Lightburn runs on both Windows and Mac computers. It is therefore worth spending the time to learn all of the Lightburn software features and to understand how it works. Lightburn software has evolved over the years to not only be a laser control system, but also an advanced design and editing tool that can be used to create your designs from scratch or to convert and manipulate existing designs. However, one such laser software tool has evolved and become the de facto standard, the one that all the professionals have heard of and the one that most people recommend. These useful programs take the image on your computer screen, convert it to a format that the laser understands, and finally send the data to the laser. There have been several laser software packages developed over the years that can drive a CO2 laser engraver.

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