Why this matters
Understand the Cut Planner rules that decide layer, priority, inner-shape and travel order instead of treating Preview as a mystery.
How it works
- Optimization Settings control how LightBurn's Cut Planner orders and paths project geometry.
- Common rules include ordering by Layer and Priority, cutting inner shapes first and reducing travel moves.
- Preview is the best way to inspect the practical effect of optimization changes before output.
Practical workflow
- Start from LightBurn's defaults instead of enabling every rule.
- Open Preview and note the current sequence and travel pattern.
- Change one ordering rule at a time.
- Keep engraving and scoring before final through-cuts where the workpiece can shift.
- Save a workflow only after testing it on representative projects.
What to watch for
- A shorter travel path is not always the safest cut order.
- Too many ordering constraints can make behavior harder to predict.
- Optimization choices should be evaluated with actual geometry, not only theory.
