G-code export for laser cutters and pen plotters
File > Export > G-code in Vectornation by Zaweba writes cutting and drawing files in mm, holes first, with speeds, passes, laser power or pen heights.
Makers often draw in one program and then convert in another to get a file their machine understands. Vectornation by Zaweba cuts out the middle step for simple jobs. File > Export > G-code writes directly for laser cutters, pen plotters and drag knives.
The output is in millimetres, cuts holes first, and carries the settings a machine needs: speeds, number of passes, and laser power or pen heights depending on the machine.
What G-code is
G-code is a list of instructions: move here, lower the pen, cut to there at this speed, raise the pen. Hobby laser cutters, pen plotters and many small CNC machines read it. A drawing in a vector app is shapes and paths. Exporting G-code turns those paths into the moves the machine should make.
Holes first
When a laser cuts a part with holes in it, the order matters. Cut the outside first and the part can drop or shift on the bed, so the holes come out in the wrong place. Cutting holes first, while the part is still held by the surrounding sheet, keeps everything where it should be. Vectornation's export does this for you.
Laser cutters
For a laser, the important settings are speed, power and passes. Thin material may cut in one pass at modest power. Thicker material often needs several passes. Each machine and material is different, so start with the maker's suggested settings and run a test on a scrap before cutting the real job.
Use strokes for cut lines. If you want different jobs in one file, such as cutting some lines and scoring others, keep them on separate layers or as separate exports so each can have its own settings.
Pen plotters and drag knives
A pen plotter draws, so pen heights matter: one height for drawing, another for travelling between lines. Centreline tracing is a natural partner here, turning line art into single strokes that a pen can follow once, instead of outlines that it would draw twice.
A drag knife cuts vinyl, card or paper. Closed shapes cut cleanly. Very small details can tear, so simplify tiny features before you export.
Preparing a drawing
Work in millimetres, or at least check sizes in millimetres before exporting. A design drawn without thinking about real size may come out far too big or too small on the machine.
Remove anything that should not be cut: guides, notes, dimensions, the reference photo you traced from. Hide or delete them before export.
Join paths where you can. A shape made of many separate pieces makes the machine stop and start, which leaves marks with a laser and wobbles with a pen. Joined paths cut smoothly.
Safety and checks at the machine
Never leave a laser running unwatched, and never cut materials that the maker of your machine says are unsafe. G-code tells a machine what to do, and it will do it.
Check the file in your machine's own software or a G-code viewer before the first cut, to see the moves look right and the job sits where you expect on the bed.
And keep the original drawing. G-code is an output, not a format to edit. Changes belong in the drawing, followed by a fresh export.
