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Coordinate Systems and Origins

Understanding how Rayforge handles coordinate systems is essential for positioning your work correctly and avoiding common mistakes.

Overview

Rayforge uses multiple coordinate systems and origin points to manage positioning. This can seem confusing at first, but each serves a specific purpose.

Key concepts:

  • Canvas coordinates - Where you design (screen space)
  • Machine coordinates - Physical machine position
  • Job origin - Where the job starts on the machine
  • Workpiece coordinates - Position within a design element

Coordinate Systems Explained

Canvas Coordinates

What it is: The design space where you arrange workpieces and layers.

Characteristics: - Units: Millimeters (mm) by default - Origin: Top-left corner of the canvas (0, 0) - X-axis: Increases to the right - Y-axis: Increases downward - Purpose: Visual design and layout

Example: 

(0,0) -----> X
  |
  |  Your design
  v  elements here
  Y

Canvas coordinates are what you see and interact with in the Rayforge interface.

Machine Coordinates

What it is: The physical coordinate system of your laser machine.

Characteristics: - Units: Millimeters (mm) - Origin: Machine home position (usually top-left or bottom-left) - X-axis: Increases to the right - Y-axis: Direction depends on machine configuration (up or down) - Purpose: Physical movement commands

Common machine origins:

Origin Position Description Common In
Top-left (0,0) at back-left Diode lasers
Bottom-left (0,0) at front-left CO2 lasers, CNC routers
Center (0,0) at bed center Some 3-axis machines

Machine coordinate example (top-left origin): 

(0,0) ----------------> X (max)
  |
  |  Work area
  |
  v
  Y (max)

Job Origin

What it is: The reference point where your job will be positioned on the machine.

Why it matters: - Determines where the laser starts cutting/engraving - Allows you to position jobs anywhere on the bed - Makes it easy to reposition or repeat jobs

Setting job origin:

  1. Design your work in Rayforge
  2. Position the job on the canvas
  3. Set the origin mode (absolute, current position, etc.)
  4. Frame the job to verify position on the machine

Job origin modes:

Mode Description Use Case
Absolute Job placed at specified machine coordinates Repeatable positioning
Current Position Job starts at current laser head position Quick alignment
User Origin Custom reference point Advanced workflows

Workpiece Coordinates

What it is: The local coordinate system of each individual design element.

Characteristics: - Each workpiece has its own origin (typically its bounding box corner) - Transformations (rotate, scale, move) affect workpiece coordinates - Operations reference workpiece coordinates

Example:

If you import an SVG logo: - The logo has its own internal coordinate system - Rayforge places it on the canvas - You can move/rotate/scale it - The logo's local coordinates remain consistent

Origin Points in Practice

Job Origin vs Machine Origin

Scenario: You want to engrave a logo 50mm from the left edge and 100mm from the top of your machine bed.

Solution:

  1. Set machine origin to top-left (if not already)
  2. Set job origin mode to "Absolute"
  3. Position your job at canvas coordinates (50, 100)
  4. Export G-code - Rayforge generates commands like: 
    G0 X50 Y100   ; Move to job start position

Result: The logo appears exactly where you specified on the machine.

Current Position Origin

Scenario: You want to start a job wherever the laser head currently is.

Solution:

  1. Manually jog the laser head to desired position
  2. Set job origin mode to "Current Position"
  3. Run the job - it starts from the current head position

Use cases: - Quick test cuts without precise positioning - Aligning to physical marks on material - Iterative prototyping

Repeating Jobs

Scenario: You need to cut 10 identical parts in a grid.

Solution:

  1. Design one part in Rayforge
  2. Duplicate the workpiece 10 times
  3. Arrange in a grid using alignment tools
  4. Set job origin to absolute mode
  5. Export once - all parts cut in sequence

Benefit: Canvas coordinates translate directly to machine coordinates, ensuring perfect spacing.

Common Coordinate Mistakes

Mistake 1: Wrong Machine Origin

Problem: Job appears in wrong location, possibly off the bed.

Cause: Machine origin configuration doesn't match actual machine.

Example: - Rayforge configured for top-left origin - Machine actually has bottom-left origin - Y-coordinates are inverted

Solution:

  1. Check machine settings: Settings > Machine > Profile
  2. Verify Y-axis direction setting
  3. Test with a small frame job to confirm

Mistake 2: Absolute vs Relative Positioning

Problem: Job moves from unexpected position.

Cause: Confusion between absolute (G90) and incremental (G91) modes.

G-code modes: - G90 (Absolute): Coordinates are absolute positions 

G0 X10 Y10  ; Move to position (10, 10)
G0 X20 Y20  ; Move to position (20, 20)
- G91 (Incremental): Coordinates are relative movements 
G0 X10 Y10  ; Move 10mm right, 10mm down from current position
G0 X20 Y20  ; Move another 20mm right, 20mm down

Rayforge default: G90 (absolute mode) for predictable positioning.

Solution: Check generated G-code preamble - should include G90 command.

Mistake 3: Job Exceeds Machine Bounds

Problem: Job starts but crashes into machine limits or fails with alarm.

Cause: Job positioned such that it extends beyond work area.

Example: - Machine work area: 300mm x 200mm - Job size: 100mm x 100mm - Job origin: (250, 150) - Job endpoint: (350, 250) - exceeds bounds!

Prevention:

  1. Configure correct work area in Settings > Machine > Profile
  2. Rayforge will warn if job exceeds bounds
  3. Use Frame Job feature to verify before cutting

Mistake 4: Ignoring Overscan

Problem: Job positioned at very edge of work area, but overscan causes it to exceed bounds.

Explanation:

Overscan extends raster operations beyond the visible work area for quality:

         Visible area
    |<--------------->|
----|===============--|---- Raster line
    ^                 ^
  Overscan          Overscan

Effective area: 

Work area: 300mm
Overscan: 5mm on each side
Usable area: 290mm (300 - 5 - 5)

Solution: Account for overscan when positioning jobs near edges.

Coordinate Transformations

Translation (Moving)

What happens: Workpiece coordinates shift by a fixed amount.

Example: - Original position: (10, 20) - Move by: (5, -3) - New position: (15, 17)

In Rayforge: Drag workpieces to move them, or use arrow keys for precise nudging.

Rotation

What happens: Workpiece coordinates rotate around a center point.

Example: - Square at (50, 50), size 20x20 - Rotate 45 degrees around center - Corners move to new positions

In Rayforge: Select workpiece and use rotation handles or transform tools.

G-code impact: - Rayforge pre-computes rotated coordinates - G-code contains final absolute positions (no rotation commands)

Scaling

What happens: Workpiece coordinates multiply by a scale factor.

Example: - Original size: 50mm x 50mm - Scale by 2x - New size: 100mm x 100mm

In Rayforge: Select workpiece and use scale handles or specify dimensions.

Advanced Topics

Work Coordinate Systems (G54-G59)

What they are: GRBL supports multiple coordinate systems for advanced workflows.

G-codes: - G54 - Work Coordinate System 1 (default) - G55 - Work Coordinate System 2 - G56 - Work Coordinate System 3 - ... (up to G59)

Use case: - Set up multiple fixture positions on the bed - Switch between them with G-code commands - Run same job at different locations

Rayforge support: Limited. Primarily uses G54 (default). Advanced users can inject other coordinate systems via macros.

Coordinate Offsets

What they are: Temporary shifts in the coordinate system.

G-code commands: - G92 - Set current position to specified coordinates (offset) 

G92 X0 Y0  ; Define current position as (0,0)

Caution: Offsets can be confusing and lead to positioning errors. Rayforge avoids them in favor of explicit absolute positioning.

Homing and Machine Coordinates

Homing ($H in GRBL): - Machine moves to physical limit switches - Sets machine zero position - Ensures repeatable positioning

Why homing matters: - Without homing, machine doesn't know where it is - Absolute positioning requires a known reference - Homing provides that reference

Best practice: Home your machine before each session for consistent results.

Practical Workflows

Workflow 1: Centering a Job

Goal: Place a logo in the center of the work area.

Steps:

  1. Know your work area: e.g., 300mm x 200mm
  2. Calculate center: (150, 100)
  3. Know your logo size: e.g., 50mm x 30mm
  4. Calculate logo origin: Center - (logo size / 2)
  5. X: 150 - (50/2) = 125mm
  6. Y: 100 - (30/2) = 85mm
  7. Position logo at (125, 85) on canvas
  8. Set job origin to absolute
  9. Frame and run

Shortcut: Rayforge has alignment tools - select logo and use "Align Center" commands.

Workflow 2: Aligning to Material

Goal: Align design to a pre-cut piece of material.

Steps:

  1. Place material on machine bed
  2. Jog laser head to bottom-left corner of material
  3. Set user origin with G92 or controller command
  4. Set job origin to current position
  5. Run job - starts from the material corner

Alternative (camera-based): 1. Use camera to see material 2. Align design visually in Rayforge 3. Set job origin based on camera reference 4. Run job

Workflow 3: Production Grid

Goal: Cut multiple parts in a grid for production.

Steps:

  1. Design one part
  2. Duplicate to create grid (e.g., 3x3 grid, 10mm spacing)
  3. Position entire grid on canvas to start at (10, 10)
  4. Set job origin to absolute
  5. Export G-code - all parts cut sequentially

Coordinates in G-code: 

; Part 1 at (10, 10)
G0 X10 Y10
; ...cut commands...

; Part 2 at (70, 10)  [10 + 50mm part + 10mm spacing]
G0 X70 Y10
; ...cut commands...

Troubleshooting Coordinate Issues

Job Positioned Incorrectly

Diagnosis:

  1. Frame the job - does the frame match your expectation?
  2. Check machine origin - top-left, bottom-left, or center?
  3. Check Y-axis direction - does Y increase up or down?
  4. Check job origin mode - absolute, current, or user?

Solution: Adjust machine settings to match your actual hardware.

Job Runs Backwards or Mirrored

Problem: Design appears flipped on the machine.

Cause: Y-axis or X-axis direction mismatch.

Solutions:

  • In machine settings: Toggle Y-axis direction
  • In design: Manually flip the workpiece before export
  • In G-code: Edit commands (advanced)

Coordinates Off by Constant Amount

Problem: Job always off by same distance (e.g., 10mm to the right).

Cause: Job origin offset or work coordinate system offset.

Solutions:

  1. Check for G92 offset - send G92.1 to clear offsets
  2. Re-home machine - ensure machine zero is correct
  3. Verify job origin position - check canvas coordinates

Random Position Each Time

Problem: Same job runs at different positions each time.

Cause: Using "Current Position" origin without consistent starting position.

Solutions:

  • Home machine before each job
  • Use absolute positioning instead of current position
  • Manually jog to consistent position if needed

Best Practices

  1. Always home your machine at the start of each session
  2. Use absolute positioning (G90) for repeatable jobs
  3. Configure machine settings once and test thoroughly
  4. Frame jobs before running to verify position
  5. Keep designs within work area - account for overscan
  6. Use consistent origin modes - don't switch mid-project
  7. Document your setup - note origin position and Y-axis direction for future reference