Material Library
Material recipes, LightBurn import and kerf compensation
A preset stores a complete recipe of up to 11 ordered sublayers.
Opening it
- Default location: middle-right when opened
- Open from Window > Material Library or the Library drawer
- Hotkey: no default
Search, filters, and action row
- Search materials... filters by preset name or material.
- All Ops: Line / Fill / Offset Fill / Image.
- All Devices appears when presets include more than one device profile.
- + Add immediately saves a default row: New Preset, Custom, 3.0 mm, Line, 1000 mm/min, 50% power, and 1 pass. It does not open the editor.
- Import accepts Beam Bench JSON and LightBurn
.clblibraries..clb: Review converted recipes and skipped entries, expand each recipe to inspect its sublayers, then import or cancel. Export writes JSON. LightBurn speed converts from mm/s to mm/min by multiplying by 60.
Thickness and speed are converted to the current Display Unit and Speed Time Unit. Internal values remain millimeters and millimeters per minute.
Preset rows
Rows are grouped by material and then thickness. Each collapsed row shows its name, material, thickness, operation, speed, and power.
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| + | Apply the preset to the selected layer. |
| D | Duplicate the preset and append (Copy) to its name. |
| E | Open the inline editor. |
| X | Delete the preset. |
Inline editor
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Preset name. |
| Material | Material description. |
| Thickness | ≥ 0; 0 = unspecified. |
| Operation | Line / Fill / Offset Fill / Image. |
| Speed | Current display and speed-time units; invalid or non-positive input falls back to 1000 mm/min. |
| Power % | 0...100 %. |
| Passes | 1, 2, 3, ... |
| Notes | Free-form context. |
The form has no Interval, DPI, focus, or Z field. Use Save to commit edits or Cancel to discard them. If another preset is selected while the current row has unsaved edits, Keep Editing and Discard resolve the conflict.
Click Save. Power % sets maximum power from 0 to 100, including zero. Minimum power is retained; review it in the layer controls. Blank or invalid power keeps the saved value. Use positive whole numbers for passes. A thickness of 0 means unspecified.
Apply behavior
Apply with + to replace the selected layer's complete stack. Undo restores the previous stack. Tool layers cannot accept presets.
Legacy JSON presets without a recipe still update only compatible settings on the first sublayer. They keep its operation and the remaining sublayers, with a warning for multiple entries.
Quality tests use only the first entry of a material recipe and keep the test's operation. A warning identifies recipes with additional sublayers.
Capture from a layer
- Configure and select the target layer.
- Click From Layer.
- Find the new row and click E to edit its name, material, thickness, and notes.
- Click Save.
A preset stores a complete recipe of up to 11 ordered sublayers. Configure a layer, select it, then use From Layer. This captures operations, min/max power, passes, air assist, Z offset, kerf and advanced vector/raster settings. Use E to name the saved row.
Basic edits change the first sublayer while preserving compatible advanced settings and the rest of the recipe. Changing its operation resets incompatible settings. Image is also available. For advanced edits, apply the recipe to a layer, edit it there, then capture it again.
Import and sharing safety
Imported or shared presets may have been tested on a different laser, lens, material batch, focus procedure, or ventilation setup. Treat them as reference values and recalibrate on scrap within manufacturer limits before a real job.
LightBurn base settings and sublayers stay together. If one sublayer is unsupported or invalid, the whole recipe is skipped. Unknown operations and Image modes such as 3D Slice are unsupported. Enabled percentage overscan uses 2.5 mm and needs review. Controller-specific settings are not fully converted; original XML remains in Notes. Check every imported setting and calibrate on scrap for your machine.