Rayforge 1.5 - 3D Simulator, Bezier Curves, No-Go Zones
Rayforge 1.5 adds a full 3D job simulator with playback controls, native cubic bezier curve support (G5), no-go zones with collision checking, and significant performance and memory improvements.
3D Simulator
The 3D canvas now has a complete job simulator. You can watch your job execute step by step -- the laser head moves along the toolpath, the beam appears when the laser fires, and bitmap engravings are progressively revealed as the playhead advances.
Playback controls sit at the bottom of the canvas: play/pause, step forward and backward, a scrubber slider, and a speed button that cycles through 1x to 16x. Rotary mode works too -- the cylinder rotates along with the simulation. All of this runs without blocking the rest of the interface, even on complex jobs.
Bezier Curves (G5)
Rayforge now supports native cubic bezier curves through the entire pipeline -- from import all the way to G-code output. For machines running LinuxCNC or Marlin, curves are emitted as G5 commands instead of thousands of tiny line segments. The result is smoother cuts, smaller G-code files, and faster execution. For machines that don't support G5 (Grbl, Smoothieware, and others), curves are automatically linearized -- no configuration needed.
This touched nearly every part of the system. Tabs, cropping, smoothing, multi-pass, and path optimization all handle curves properly now.
No-Go Zones
You can now define restricted areas in your machine settings. These mark areas on the bed where the laser should not cut -- clamps, fixtures, or that corner where the hose always gets in the way. Rayforge checks for collisions and warns you before sending G-code.
Performance and Memory
The canvas is significantly more responsive. When you drag, pan, or zoom, expensive laser-path rendering is suppressed until you stop moving -- no more stuttering while repositioning a workpiece. Multi-step workflows render faster because all visible steps are composited into a single surface.
Large images that used to cause multi-gigabyte memory spikes are now automatically scaled to sensible limits. The image handling was rewritten to avoid unnecessary copies, and caching is smarter -- shared images are rendered once and reused across workpieces. Two memory leaks in the 3D simulator were also fixed.
Dockable Bottom Panel
The bottom panel tabs can now be rearranged freely. Drag a tab onto the divider between columns to split it off into its own column. You can keep the layer list and G-code viewer visible side by side, for example. The layout persists between sessions.
Asset Browser
The asset browser has been overhauled. All assets are visible and can be dragged to the canvas or to a specific layer. Multi-selection works for drag-and-drop and bulk deletion. Thumbnails are generated for most image formats, and when the browser is empty it shows a helpful placeholder with buttons to add stock or a sketch.
New Import Options
The import dialog offers three layer modes: flatten into the current layer, create new layers from the file, or map imported layers onto existing ones. After import, Rayforge adds sensible default workflow steps -- a Contour step for vector layers and an Engrave step for layers with fills.
Lead-In / Lead-Out
A new lead-in/lead-out postprocessor adds zero-power approach and exit moves at the start and end of each contour. This helps the laser reach constant velocity before the actual cut begins, improving cut quality at entry and exit points.
Other Improvements
- 3D model support for rotary axes (GLB format)
- Continuous laser mode and modal feedrate G-code options
- GRBL raster dialect with cleaner M4/M5 handling
- Grbl MKS DLC32 machine profile
- Material test: labels engraved first, overscan support, label speed setting
- Ctrl+F search in console and G-code viewer
- YUYV camera protocol support
- Addons can register toggles in the View menu
- Status bar removed, info moved to contextual locations
- Single instance lock