LightBurn Camera

Camera Troubleshooting

Camera Troubleshooting

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Black Screen or Camera Not Found

Check the Computer Settings

Review the following settings on your computer to see if updates or downloads are required:

  1. Windows may require you to download a Media Feature Pack. Find the one specific to your OS version.
  2. If your computer or operating system is older, you may try updating to a newer version. (Ex: Update from Windows 7 to Windows 10) and follow the steps below, if needed.
  3. For Windows, in LightBurn under Edit > Settings, at the bottom is a setting for ‘Capture System’:
    • There are two options – Default and Custom
    • Change the option from the current selection
    • Restart LightBurn to register the change
    • Try testing both options to see if either resolves the issue (changing to Default usually resolves the issue)

    Windows 7:

    Windows 8:

  1. Try running LightBurn in ‘Compatibility Mode’:
    • Right-click the LightBurn app icon on the desktop
    • Click the tab labeled ‘Compatibility’
    • Check the box for ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’
    • Choose Windows 8

    Windows 10:

  1. If you have anti-virus software, confirm that it is not set to block camera access.
  2. Check that your Windows security settings allow apps to access the camera.
    • Click the Start menu, type “camera privacy” and click the ‘Camera Privacy Settings’ entry.
    • Check that ‘Allow apps to access your camera’ is enabled.
    • Scroll down below the list of Windows apps and check that ‘Allow desktop apps to access your camera’ is enabled too.
    • LightBurn should be in the list.
    • You might need to reboot your machine and try again after the settings change.
    • If you are on a network computer, check with support to update the network group policy (GPO) setting to allow any program to use the camera on that computer in the Active Directory (AD).

Mac OS

  1. Try rebooting the computer after connecting the camera.
  2. VDCAssistant may be interfering and need to be temporarily disabled every time you connect the camera.

Check the Hardware

  1. Confirm the USB cable connections.
  2. Make sure the white connector end of the USB cable snuggly connected into the camera module.
  3. Make sure the USB plug is flush in the computer.
  4. Confirm the camera is being detected by the computer.
    • The computer should ding or display a message when you plug it in.
    • The camera should appear in your Device Manager or Devices and Printers.
  5. Check another program which has access to the cameras on your system to see if it is working as expected.
  6. Connect the camera to another computer. Do you have the same results?

If are still experiencing issues, please make detailed notes of all of the steps you took and contact us.

Unable to Calibrate

Software Setup & Calibration Tips

  1. For general information, please refer to the Camera Calibration documentation.
    • Ensure that your Calibration-Circles file is printed and mounted to a stiff card or foam board to prevent the image from warping.
    • Refer to the Camera Calibration video and note the angle of the card in the “tic-tac-toe” placement.
    • The card angle should match the angle of your camera and fill one of the 9 grid areas with each step of the calibration process.
  2. If you have a honeycomb bed, try covering it up with something of solid color.
    • For the standard K40, a solid color material or an 11″ x 14″ slim, white painting canvas is a great fit to cover everything which the camera can pick up between the gantry rails.
  3. If the pattern is not found, follow these tips: Pattern Not Found
  4. Ensure that LightBurn is set to start from Absolute Coords mode on the Laser panel, as the camera requires this to work properly.

Image Inverted / Distorted

  1. Make sure that your origin is set to the front left in LightBurn Device Settings: Origin
  2. If the preview image is upside down, it will not affect anything, but it could mean the camera is mounted upside down. Tag the markers in numbered order.
  3. If the final result after you have been through the process is upside down, you tagged the markers out of order. They need to be tagged sequentially from 1-4.
  4. Go to Tools > Rotary Setup and make sure that rotary is disabled.

Laser Head Crashing

  1. Ensure that LightBurn is set to start from Absolute Coords mode on the Laser panel, as the camera requires this to work properly.
  2. You may also need to increase the stepper motor currents in the configuration file.

Camera is Not Capturing Everything

If you are concerned about the degree of camera ordered for your laser machine or you are not able to see your entire bed when setting up, you may need to adjust your camera placement. LightBurn has a great resource to help calculate how high up the camera needs to be mounted in your machine so that it sees all four corners of the bed:

  • Right click in the the camera panel and open the Camera Selection Help.
  • Cohesion3D currently only sells the 5 megapixel 140° camera, so select the “5mp -140” option in the camera list to determine your minimum mounting height.

For camera placement, please refer to the Camera Mount documentation.

Cohesion3D