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Camera Integration

Rayforge supports USB camera integration for precise material alignment and positioning. The camera overlay feature allows you to see exactly where your laser will cut or engrave on the material, eliminating guesswork and reducing material waste.

Overview

The camera integration provides:

  • Live video overlay on the canvas showing your material in real-time
  • Image alignment to calibrate camera position relative to the laser
  • Visual positioning to accurately place jobs on irregular or pre-marked materials
  • Material preview before running jobs
  • Multiple camera support for different machine setups

Use Cases

  • Aligning cuts on pre-printed materials
  • Working with irregularly shaped materials
  • Precise placement of engravings on existing objects
  • Reducing test cuts and material waste

Camera Setup

Hardware Requirements

Compatible cameras: - USB webcams (most common) - Laptop built-in cameras (if running Rayforge on laptop near machine) - Any camera supported by Video4Linux2 (V4L2) on Linux or DirectShow on Windows

Recommended setup: - Camera mounted above the work area with clear view of material - Consistent lighting conditions - Camera positioned to capture the laser work area - Secure mounting to prevent camera movement

Adding a Camera

  1. Connect your camera to your computer via USB

  2. Open Camera Settings:

  3. Navigate to Settings Preferences Camera

  4. Or use the camera toolbar button

  5. Add a new camera:

  6. Click the "+" button to add a camera
  7. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Top Camera", "Work Area Cam")

  8. Select the device from the dropdown

    • On Linux: /dev/video0, /dev/video1, etc.
    • On Windows: Camera 0, Camera 1, etc.

  9. Enable the camera:

  10. Toggle the camera enable switch

  11. The live feed should appear on your canvas

  12. Adjust camera settings:

  13. Brightness: Adjust if material is too dark/bright
  14. Contrast: Enhance edge visibility
  15. Transparency: Control overlay opacity (20-50% recommended)
  16. White Balance: Auto or manual Kelvin temperature

Camera Alignment

Camera alignment calibrates the relationship between camera pixels and real-world coordinates, enabling accurate positioning.

Why Alignment is Necessary

The camera sees the work area from above, but the image may be: - Rotated relative to the machine axes - Scaled differently in X and Y directions - Distorted by lens perspective

Alignment creates a transformation matrix that maps camera pixels to machine coordinates.

Alignment Procedure

  1. Open the Alignment Dialog:
  2. Click the camera alignment button in the toolbar

  3. Or go to Camera Align Camera

  4. Place alignment markers:

  5. You need at least 3 reference points (4 recommended for better accuracy)
  6. Alignment points should be spread across the work area

  7. Use known positions like:

    • Machine home position
    • Ruler markings
    • Pre-cut alignment holes
    • Calibration grid

  8. Mark image points:

  9. Click on the camera image to place a point at a known location
  10. The bubble widget appears showing point coordinates

  11. Repeat for each reference point

  12. Enter world coordinates:

  13. For each image point, enter the real-world X/Y coordinates in mm
  14. These are the actual machine coordinates where each point is located

  15. Measure accurately with a ruler or use known machine positions

  16. Apply alignment:

  17. Click "Apply" to calculate the transformation

  18. The camera overlay will now be properly aligned

  19. Verify alignment:

  20. Move the laser head to a known position
  21. Check that the laser dot aligns with the expected position in the camera view
  22. Fine-tune by re-aligning if needed

Alignment Tips

Best Practices

  • Use points at the corners of your work area for maximum coverage
  • Avoid clustering points in one area
  • Measure world coordinates carefully - accuracy here determines overall alignment quality
  • Re-align if you move the camera or change the focus distance
  • Save your alignment - it persists across sessions

Example alignment workflow:

  1. Move laser to home position (0, 0) and mark in camera
  2. Move laser to (100, 0) and mark in camera
  3. Move laser to (100, 100) and mark in camera
  4. Move laser to (0, 100) and mark in camera
  5. Enter exact coordinates for each point
  6. Apply and verify

Using the Camera Overlay

Once aligned, the camera overlay helps position jobs accurately.

Enabling/Disabling the Overlay

  • Toggle camera: Click the camera icon in the toolbar
  • Adjust transparency: Use the slider in camera settings (20-50% works well)
  • Refresh image: Camera updates continuously while enabled

Positioning Jobs with the Camera

Workflow for precise placement:

  1. Enable the camera overlay to see your material

  2. Import your design (SVG, DXF, etc.)

  3. Position the design on the canvas:

  4. Drag the design to align with features visible in the camera
  5. Use zoom to see fine details

  6. Rotate/scale as needed

  7. Preview the alignment:

  8. Use the Simulation Mode to visualize the toolpath

  9. Check that cuts/engravings will be where you expect

  10. Frame the job to verify positioning before running

  11. Run the job with confidence

Example: Engraving on a Pre-Printed Card

  1. Place the printed card on the laser bed
  2. Enable camera overlay
  3. Import your engraving design
  4. Drag and position the design to align with printed features
  5. Fine-tune position using arrow keys
  6. Frame to verify
  7. Run the job

Camera Settings Reference

Device Settings

Setting Description Values
Name Descriptive name for the camera Any text
Device ID System device identifier /dev/video0 (Linux), 0 (Windows)
Enabled Camera active state On/Off

Image Adjustment

Setting Description Range
Brightness Overall image brightness -100 to +100
Contrast Edge definition and contrast 0 to 100
Transparency Overlay opacity on canvas 0% (opaque) to 100% (transparent)
White Balance Color temperature correction Auto or 2000-10000K

Alignment Data

Property Description
Image Points Pixel coordinates in camera image
World Points Real-world machine coordinates (mm)
Transformation Matrix Calculated mapping (internal)

Advanced Features

Camera Calibration (Lens Distortion Correction)

For precise work, you can calibrate the camera to correct barrel/pincushion distortion:

  1. Print a checkerboard pattern (e.g., 86 grid with 25mm squares)
  2. Capture 10+ images of the pattern from different angles/positions
  3. Use OpenCV calibration tools to calculate camera matrix and distortion coefficients
  4. Apply calibration in Rayforge (advanced settings)

When to Calibrate

Lens distortion correction is only necessary for: - Wide-angle lenses with noticeable barrel distortion - Precision work requiring <1mm accuracy - Large work areas where distortion accumulates

Most standard webcams work fine without calibration for typical laser work.

Multiple Cameras

Rayforge supports multiple cameras for different views or machines:

  • Add multiple cameras in preferences
  • Each camera can have independent alignment
  • Switch between cameras using the camera selector
  • Use cases:
  • Top view + side view for 3D objects
  • Different cameras for different machines
  • Wide angle + detail camera

Troubleshooting

Camera Not Detected

Problem: Camera doesn't appear in device list.

Solutions:

Check if the camera is recognized by the system:

# List video devices
ls -l /dev/video*

# Check camera with v4l2
v4l2-ctl --list-devices

# Test with another application
cheese  # or VLC, etc.

For Snap users: 

# Grant camera access
sudo snap connect rayforge:camera

  • Check Device Manager for camera under "Cameras" or "Imaging devices"
  • Ensure no other application is using the camera (close Zoom, Skype, etc.)
  • Try a different USB port
  • Update camera drivers

Camera Shows Black Screen

Problem: Camera detected but shows no image.

Possible causes:

  1. Camera in use by another application - Close other video apps
  2. Incorrect device selected - Try different device IDs
  3. Camera permissions - On Linux Snap, ensure camera interface connected
  4. Hardware issue - Test camera with another application

Solutions:

# Linux: Release camera device
sudo killall cheese  # or other camera apps

# Check which process is using the camera
sudo lsof /dev/video0

Alignment Not Accurate

Problem: Camera overlay doesn't match real laser position.

Diagnosis:

  1. Insufficient alignment points - Use at least 4 points
  2. Measurement errors - Double-check world coordinates
  3. Camera moved - Re-align if camera position changed
  4. Non-linear distortion - May need lens calibration

Improve accuracy:

  • Use more alignment points (6-8 for very large areas)
  • Spread points across entire work area
  • Measure world coordinates very carefully
  • Use machine movement commands to precisely position laser at known coordinates
  • Re-align after any camera adjustments

Poor Image Quality

Problem: Camera image is blurry, dark, or washed out.

Solutions:

  1. Adjust brightness/contrast in camera settings
  2. Improve lighting - Add consistent work area lighting
  3. Clean camera lens - Dust and debris reduce clarity
  4. Check focus - Auto-focus may not work well; use manual if possible
  5. Reduce transparency temporarily to see camera image more clearly
  6. Try different white balance settings

Camera Lag or Stuttering

Problem: Live camera feed is choppy or delayed.

Solutions:

  • Lower camera resolution in device settings (if accessible)
  • Close other applications using CPU/GPU
  • Update graphics drivers
  • On Linux, ensure using V4L2 backend (automatic in Rayforge)
  • Disable camera when not needed to save resources

Performance Considerations

Camera overlay has minimal performance impact when configured correctly:

  • Modern computers: No noticeable slowdown
  • Lower-end systems: Slight UI lag possible with high-resolution cameras
  • Disable when not needed: Turn off camera during intensive operations

Optimize performance: - Use 720p or 1080p cameras (4K is overkill and slower) - Close camera when doing complex G-code generation - Enable camera only when actively positioning jobs

Best Practices

Lighting

  • Use consistent, diffuse lighting to avoid harsh shadows
  • Avoid backlighting or glare on reflective materials
  • LED work lights provide good, consistent illumination

Camera Mounting

  • Mount camera securely to prevent vibration
  • Position camera parallel to work surface if possible
  • Ensure camera covers entire work area
  • Avoid mounting too high (reduces resolution) or too low (limited coverage)

Workflow Integration

  1. Initial setup: Configure and align camera once
  2. Material placement: Use camera to position material on bed
  3. Job positioning: Use camera overlay to precisely place design
  4. Verification: Frame job to confirm position
  5. Execution: Disable camera during job run (optional, saves resources)
  6. Next job: Re-enable camera for next piece