Control an xTool F1 Laser Engraver in Real-Time with a Wacom Drawing Tablet

Laser engravers and cutters, like 3D printers and many other machines, run g-code and that is almost always prepared before the job starts. You might convert a DXF drawing into g-code to cut out a flat pattern, for example. But most machines can also accept g-code commands in real-time. Janne took advantage of that function to control an xTool F1 laser engraver by drawing on a Wacom tablet.

I’m not entirely sure what the practical use case would be for this (maybe one-off art pieces?), but it is really cool either way. Sketch a line on the Wacom tablet and immediately — before you even finish the line — the laser will start engraving to mirror what you’ve drawn. In effect, it is like if the stylus itself was a powerful laser.

Part of what makes this intriguing is that it doesn’t require any special hardware. In fact, you could do the same thing by drawing with your mouse or on a touchscreen computer, so the Wacom tablet isn’t even strictly necessary. Though I think it adds a tactile element that enhances the concept.

It doesn’t need special hardware, because everything happens through software called BeamInk. Janne programmed that in Python and it maps the tablet’s area to the F1’s working area. It then looks for drawing input events, converts the coordinates, and spits out g-code to drip feed to the F1.

That’s it. On a technical level, there isn’t much to it. But it is very satisfying to see in action and people with more imagination than me are sure to find interesting applications for the system.

… maybe ditch the ink and start signing important documents by laser?