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3D Preview

The 3D preview window lets you visualize your G-code toolpaths before sending them to your machine. This powerful feature helps you catch errors and verify your job setup.

3D Preview

Opening 3D Preview

Access the 3D preview:

  • Menu: View → 3D Preview
  • Keyboard: Ctrl+3
  • After G-code generation: Automatically opens (configurable)

Mouse Controls

  • Rotate: Left-click and drag
  • Pan: Right-click and drag, or middle-click and drag
  • Zoom: Scroll wheel, or Ctrl + left-click and drag

Keyboard Controls

  • R: Reset camera to default view
  • Home: Reset zoom and position
  • F: Fit view to toolpath
  • Arrow keys: Rotate camera

View Presets

Quick camera angles:

  • Top (1): Bird's eye view
  • Front (2): Front elevation
  • Right (3): Right side elevation
  • Isometric (4): 3D isometric view

Work Coordinate System Display

The 3D preview visualizes the active Work Coordinate System (WCS) differently from the 2D canvas:

Grid and Axes

  • Isolated display: The grid and axes appear as if the WCS origin is the world origin
  • Offset applied: The entire grid is shifted to align with the selected WCS offset
  • Labels relative to WCS: Coordinate labels show positions relative to the WCS origin, not machine origin

This "in isolation" display makes it easy to understand where your job will run relative to the selected work coordinate system, without being confused by the machine's absolute position.

Changing WCS

The 3D preview automatically updates when you change the active WCS: - Select a different WCS from the toolbar dropdown - The grid and axes shift to reflect the new WCS origin - Labels update to show coordinates relative to the new WCS

WCS in 3D Preview

The 3D preview shows your toolpaths relative to the selected WCS. When you change WCS, you'll see the toolpaths appear to move because the reference point (the grid) has changed, not because the toolpaths themselves moved.

Display Options

Toolpath Visualization

Customize what you see:

  • Show Rapid Moves: Display travel moves (dotted lines)
  • Show Work Moves: Display cutting/engraving moves (solid lines)
  • Color by Operation: Different colors for each operation
  • Color by Power: Gradient based on laser power
  • Color by Speed: Gradient based on feed rate

Machine Visualization

  • Show Origin: Display (0,0) reference point
  • Show Work Area: Display machine boundaries
  • Show Laser Head: Display current position indicator

Quality Settings

  • Line Width: Thickness of toolpath lines
  • Anti-aliasing: Smooth line rendering (may impact performance)
  • Background: Light, dark, or custom color

Playback Controls

Simulate job execution:

  • Play/Pause (Space): Animate toolpath execution
  • Speed: Adjust playback speed (0.5x - 10x)
  • Step Forward/Back: Advance by individual G-code commands
  • Jump to Position: Click timeline to jump to specific point

Timeline

The timeline shows:

  • Current position in job
  • Operation boundaries (colored segments)
  • Estimated time at any point

Analysis Tools

Distance Measurement

Measure distances in 3D:

  1. Enable measurement tool
  2. Click two points on toolpath
  3. View distance in current units

Statistics Panel

View job statistics:

  • Total Distance: Sum of all moves
  • Work Distance: Cutting/engraving distance only
  • Rapid Distance: Travel moves only
  • Estimated Time: Job duration estimate
  • Bounding Box: Overall dimensions

Layer Visibility

Toggle visibility of operations:

  • Click operation name to show/hide
  • Focus on specific operations for inspection
  • Isolate problems without regenerating G-code

Verification Checklist

Before sending to machine, verify:

  • Toolpath is complete: No missing segments
  • Within work area: Stays inside machine boundaries
  • Correct operation order: Engrave before cut
  • No collisions: Head doesn't hit clamps/fixtures
  • Proper origin: Starts at expected position
  • Tab positions: Holding tabs in correct locations (if used)

Performance Tips

For large or complex jobs:

  1. Reduce line detail: Lower display quality for faster rendering
  2. Hide rapid moves: Focus on work moves only
  3. Disable anti-aliasing: Improves framerate
  4. Close other applications: Free up GPU resources

Troubleshooting

Preview is blank or black

  • Regenerate G-code (Ctrl+G)
  • Check that operations are enabled
  • Verify objects have operations assigned

Slow or laggy preview

  • Reduce line width
  • Disable anti-aliasing
  • Hide rapid moves
  • Update graphics drivers

Colors not showing correctly

  • Check color by setting (operation/power/speed)
  • Ensure operations have different colors assigned
  • Reset view settings to defaults

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