How do I set up my laser as a tool in the tool database (kerf, power, pass depth, Maximum Burn Rate)?

What a laser tool is

The Laser Module adds laser tool types to the normal Tool Database. On the Laser Cut - Fill and Laser Picture forms, Select Tool opens those stored laser settings and fills in Power and Move Speed. Changing the values on the toolpath form does not change the stored tool, so the database entry is your saved recipe and the form is where you tweak a single job.

What each value does

1. Kerf: the width of the burned line. The software uses it to offset Cut Outside and Cut Inside paths, and it sets the tightest Line Spacing the Laser Picture toolpath allows (the widest is 30 times the kerf).
2. Power: the share of your laser's maximum power, as a percentage.
3. Move Speed: the top speed during burning moves. Its units come from the database entry.
4. Pass Depth: on Laser Cut - Fill, No. Passes is Cut Depth divided by the tool's Pass Depth. The field is calculated, not typed.
5. Maximum Burn Rate: the fastest speed at which 100% power still marks the material. It only affects the simulation. A larger number makes the preview darker.

Starting numbers from the laser makers

• J Tech Photonics publishes spot sizes for the diameter or kerf value: 0.006 inch (0.15 mm) for a 2 W head, 0.007 inch (0.18 mm) for 2.8 W, and 0.011 inch (0.28 mm) for 3.8 W and up on the standard lens. The high resolution lens is listed at about 0.006 inch.
• A machine maker's page for the 15 W Opt Lasers head lists a kerf of 0.007 inch.
• A public Onefinity forum guide for a 7 W J Tech head starts at 0.006 inch on wood, moves to 0.007 inch if lines overlap, and drops to 0.005 inch on dark acrylic. It sets Maximum Burn Rate equal to the move speed as a first guess.

Treat these as starting points and confirm on scrap.

Pro tips

• Cutting data in the database is stored per material and per machine, so keep one laser recipe per material instead of retyping values.
• Burn a sample, then adjust Maximum Burn Rate until the preview matches the real piece. That is the calibration method the official documentation describes.
• See the entry on kerf compensation for fitting cut parts.