Troubleshooting Laser | Rhino Linework & Objects Not Showing

The key things to keep in mind when preparing a Rhino file for laser cutting:

1. Curve preparation:

   - Convert any NURBS curves to a series of arcs and lines, as many laser cutters can only read lines and arcs.

   - Rebuild curves to ensure they are clean and have minimal points. (After selecting your objects to cut > SELECT F11: this avoids having excess points) (fig 1)

Fig 1. The excess points when you select object once you hit F11 it will not have these points.

   - Remove any overlaps, gaps, or duplicate curves, as these can cause issues during cutting.   (For this use the command SelDup in Rhino: Keep in mind that SelDup selects exact duplicates.) (fig 2)

Fig 2. SelDup command

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       2. Layer organization:

   - Separate the geometry into distinct layers based on the desired cutting order and power levels. (For eg: Etching and Cut through)

   - Assign each layer a unique color  (for eg: black: cut, red: etching etc.) Make sure it matches the display, print color for efficiency.

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       3. Geometry settings:

   - Set all geometry properties (color, line type, print color, print width) to "By Layer".

   - Ensure all geometry is aligned to the Z=0 plane. (In Rhino _Command: Select Object > SetPt > Tick the Box next to Set Z > then Align to C plane_ (IMPORTANT for laser cutter to recognize your lines it needs to be flat and Z axis should be on elevation 0) (fig 3)

Fig 3. Error: Object in red is not on Z plane

   - Remove any unnecessary geometry that should not be cut, such as bounding boxes. 

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      4. Other considerations:

   - Scale the geometry to the desired final cut size within Rhino before exporting.

   - Nest parts efficiently to minimize material waste.

   - Check that the exported file opens correctly in the laser cutter software and that the layers/colors are recognized properly.

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      5. Objects not reflecting:

   - Make the line as continuous from OBJECT> LINETYPE > CONTINUOUS. (fig 4)

Fig 4. How to make Line type Continuous

   -  Select all the line work that you desire to cut; and in command tab, type JOIN and this should join all the disconnected curves. (fig 5)

Fig 5. Join command for resolving all the disconnected curves to be as one entity. 

  -  Create a new rhino file with a continuous line property, properly assigned colors for display and print, with the line type set as continuous. Copy your line work, then go to the command and execute Match Properties.

      By following these steps, you can help ensure your Rhino file is properly prepared and optimized for successful laser cutting. The key is to clean up the geometry, organize the layers, and export in a format compatible with the laser cutter's requirements (Rhino7/ .dxf/ .dwg).