Missing Random Letters when using Laser

[ch47dplt]

Newby question.

I was attempting to make some coasters for a group. I started by making one Coaster and then used the kerning tool to adjust the letter spacing. After ensuring each letter appeared in the preview. Then used the array tool to duplicate the initial coaster. I then ran the preview again and insured all letters were present.
When I ran the code on the machine the laser skipped a random letter on each coaster. Except on the original coaster from which the array is based. the missing letters are a P, Y, and I.

any suggestions?

[Kayvon]

The image you tried to post didn't show up. If you could post pictures of what happened, we could hazard a guess. If you post the .tap file and the project file, we could figure out exactly what happened.

Without that, all I can do is conjecture that you had a problem in your project file. Maybe something overlapped with something else.

[ch47dplt]

Thanks for the reply.

Attached are the photos and file.

[Kayvon]

Very strange!

If that zip contains the vcarve file, I'll open it up when I get to my home PC this evening and take a look.

[Rando]

Kayvon will check out the files. It's just the CRV file, however. It would be helpful if you could add the .tap file
into the Zip file and upload again. Sometimes these things are down to a problem with the post-processing. I
looked at the CRV file and it looks like all the vectors are selected for each of the two toolpaths, so that's not
likely an issue. I don't have the laser module in my VCarve, so it complained when I tried to compile it. As I said,
Kayvon will get you squared away for that part.

One thing I always, ALWAYS do before I run a toolpath is to view the tap file in a backplotter. A good, FREE one is

http://ncviewer.com

Don't worry about somebody somehow snarfing your designs; the viewer gets downloaded into the web browser
and your GCode is only run in the browser, never uploaded anywhere.

Regards

Rando

[ch47dplt]

let see if i have the tap file ok.

sorry about my ;ack of knowledge on the files. I get to play with my toys only occasionally.

Laser Cut 5OCSTRLTRISS_2-Laser Cut 1.tap

(567.94 KiB) Downloaded 43 times

[Kayvon]

Unfortunately, I couldn't open the project file because your version of VCarve (11) is much newer than mine (8.5 -- has it really been that long?).

The .tap file you uploaded looks great, though. Four copies of your logo and all the letters of each "UNIVERSITY" are present. I assume you have a way of lining these up with your coasters when you go to engrave them.

I looked at each 'Y' in UNIVERSITY and the gcode looks identical. I'm not sure why some would show up and others would go missing. My best guess is that it's something electro/mechanical. Somtimes, the laser isn't engaging when it should and it stays in that state until it's supposed to turn off, then next time it's meant to turn on it does so correctly.

[ch47dplt]

So, it's just not me!!!! Thanks a million for the help. this is my first time on a forum, so I am a bit clumsy.

I did notice by reviewing the tap file on NC VIEWER that the dark spot on some of the letters were due to wood fiber difference and or angle of fiber and the laser. It actually appears that these are areas which are multiple tiny vectors instead of one long continuous vector. Guess I can spend a morning joining welding vectors.

Again, thanks very much