Snapshot

When using automatic snapshot, the following scenarios along with placement suggestions will aid in improving recognition accuracy and print quality.

1. Use the official adhesive mat: Please use the official adhesive mat, and do not add backing paper under the mat or change to a complex background to avoid inaccurate recognition or process failure.

2. Cleaning and Environment: Keep the adhesive mat clean, free of dust and residues; avoid direct strong light or shadows covering the substrate to improve image clarity and recognition stability.

3. Safety Height Limit: Ensure the maximum height of the substrate ≤ 60 mm. Do not stack or pile up to avoid the risk of equipment collision.

4. Flatness and Drop: Try to choose a flat printing surface to ensure that the vertical drop between the printing surface and the highest point of the substrate is < 2 mm; otherwise, print blurring may occur.

5. Near the edge: Avoid placing the substrate too close to the edge of the adhesive mat or beyond the printable area, leave a safety margin, to reduce the risk of alignment offset.

6. Stability and Fixation: Do not touch the platform plate or move the object during the photographing process. For objects that are prone to rolling or movement, please fix them with tape or other means, and do not block the target printing surface.

7. Substrate Requirements:

   1. Color contrast: When the substrate color is very close to that of the adhesive mat, the system may have difficulty recognizing it. For materials with too small a color difference, it is recommended to use Assisted Shot first.

   2. Transparent and highly reflective materials: Transparent, mirror-like, or highly reflective materials are prone to inaccurate recognition. Try to use uniform diffused light sources and avoid direct lighting and strong reflections; when recognition remains inaccurate, switch to Assisted Shot.

   3. Small size or complex shape: Particularly small parts, slender strips, or objects with irregular edges are prone to mismeasurement Please place them centrally on the adhesive mat, leaving gaps between each.

   4. Multiple items placed simultaneously: Try to photograph substrates with similar heights together. Mixing substrates with significant height differences can easily affect recognition and height measurement. It is recommended to photograph them in separate batches or use Assisted Shot instead.

8. Abnormalities and Remedies: If "unrecognized", "photo capture failed", "camera unavailable", or progress stalls occur, please check the device connection and calibration status, optimize lighting and placement, and then retry; when recognition is inaccurate for multiple consecutive times, switch to Assisted Shot to manually confirm the highest plane.

Assisted Shot

Assisted Shot is a manual height measurement step added to the photo alignment function. You can confirm or manually adjust the "highest plane" of the substrate before taking a photo to make height measurement more accurate, thereby improving alignment and printing quality. This function is particularly suitable for materials that are small, transparent, highly reflective, or have complex shapes.

1. Application Scenarios

1. When fixing multiple small items on the flatbed with tape, it is necessary to accurately identify the highest position of the printing surface to avoid misidentification.

2. Prints common materials such as phone cases and fridge magnets, but there are situations where automatic recognition is inaccurate due to colors being close to the adhesive mat or reflections.

3. Similar to the complex substrate scenario described above.

2. Precondition

   1. Scope of use and version: Both PC and mobile (App) are supported; an operating procedure (SOP) will pop up upon first use.

   2. Equipment and Material Requirements:

      1. The maximum height of the substrate supported by photo alignment ≤ 60 mm; exceeding this will trigger an interception to avoid device collisions.

      2. To achieve better print quality, it is recommended that the vertical drop between the printing surface and the highest point of the substrate be < 2 mm.

   3. Operating environment: When performing "highest plane recognition", do not move the platform plate or the object (approximately 40 seconds).

   4. Recommended Preparation: If it is the first time to use, the basic calibration of the device and camera must be completed first to ensure recognition stability.

3. Operating Steps

   1. Open the design in the editor and enter the alignment function.

      1. Click on Design Alignment in the left or top menu.

      2. Select Assisted Shot.

2. Wait for the completion of the three-phase progress

   1. Phase 1: Maximum plane recognition (approximately 40 seconds), please keep the flatbed and the object still.

   2. Phase 2: Height Measurement, where the system measures the height based on the highest plane.

   3. Phase 3: Take Photos , capture photos of the flatbed and map the location to the canvas.

3. Confirm the position of the "highest plane" in the pop-up window:

   1. You will see a base map covering the design, and mark the highest plane identified by the system.

   2. If you think the recognition is inaccurate, drag the marker to the correct position as needed:

      • Standard Flatbed: If "ghosting" appears on the screen, please drag the marker to the highest area where the ghosting overlaps.

      • Mini Flatbed : If the recognition is inaccurate, please drag the marker to the highest plane of the substrate .

   3. If there are multiple substrates, you only need to select the highest plane of any one of them.

   4. You can click Restore Reset to revert to the initial recognition result, click Cancel Cancel to exit the current process, click Confirm Confirm to proceed to the next stage.

2. Enter Altitude Measurement and Photographing:

   1. Click Confirm, and the system will continue to complete the altimetry and photography phases.

   2. If the height exceeds the limit or the recognition is abnormal, the screen will prompt you to troubleshoot (see "Common Issues and Precautions").

3. Complete alignment and printing:

   1. After the photo is taken, the flatbed photo will be displayed on the canvas, and the position and shape of the substrate will be consistent with the actual situation .

   2. You can directly drag the design onto the substrate for visual alignment.

   3. After checking and confirming no errors, save or continue printing .

Frequently Asked Questions & Notes (FAQ & Notes)

1. Should I choose "Snapshot" or "Assisted Shot"?

   1. Snapshot: Suitable for flat, regular materials (such as phone cases, fridge magnets), with faster operation and full automation.

   2. Assisted Shot: More suitable for materials that are too small, transparent, highly reflective, have a color similar to the adhesive mat, or have complex shapes, with more accurate height measurement .

2. Why does "ghosting" occur? What should I do?

When the substrate is high or the features are obvious, ghosting may occur in the image. Please drag the highest plane marker to the area where the ghosting overlaps to ensure accurate height measurement.

3. What should I do if the prompt "Height exceeds limit" appears?

The maximum height of the substrate supported by photo alignment is smaller than 60 mm . Please replace it with a lower substrate or adjust the placement method, then try again.

4.  What happens if I use an unofficial adhesive mat/complex background?

May cause recognition failure or inaccurate results. To ensure stable recognition and height measurement, please use the official adhesive mat, and avoid adding backing paper under the adhesive mat or using complex backgrounds.

5.  Is the detection phase stuck or not progressing for a long time?

   1. "Highest plane recognition" takes approximately 40 seconds , please keep the flatbed and the object still and wait patiently.

   2. If the progress remains unchanged for a long time, please check the network and device status, or click Exit and then retry.

6. Timed out and exited without any operation?

If no operation is performed for a long time in the "Confirm Top Surface" pop-up window, the system will automatically exit the photo-taking process. You can re-enter and continue the operation.

7. What should I do if the camera fails to recognize or take a photo?

   1. Please check whether the device is properly connected to the camera, whether the App/PC version is the latest, and whether the basic calibration has been completed.

   2. If there are multiple consecutive failures, it is recommended to contact support or refer to the detailed troubleshooting documentation.

8. Do I still need to reselect points when repeatedly printing the same task?

Repeated printing will follow the last selected highest plane, eliminating the need for reconfirmation; you can also manually adjust it when necessary.

9. What is the difference between Zero Point Alignment and photo alignment?

   1. Zero alignment is suitable for regular geometries (such as square plates), which can be quickly aligned without taking photos , but the length and width of the printable area are 2 mm smaller than the photo alignment.

   2. When using zero-point alignment, the substrate height must be  smaller than 100 mm ; the vertical drop between the printing surface and the highest point is still recommended to be  smaller than  2 mm to ensure clarity.

10.  What should I do if the print quality is poor (color cast, too dark, blurry)?

The current version prioritizes ensuring the accuracy of height measurement and recognition; subsequent versions will gradually optimize photo effects (such as filters and exposure adjustment). Before that, please ensure that the substrate is flat and accurately aligned to reduce the height difference between the printing surface and the highest point.

11.  Summary of Usage Recommendations:

    1. Use the official adhesive mat; keep the environment clean and tidy.

    2. When the material is particularly small, transparent or highly reflective, Assisted Shot is preferred.

    3. Avoid moving during the photo-taking phase; when confirming the highest plane, try to drag the marker as precisely as possible.

    4. Keep the vertical drop between the printing surface and the highest point as much as possible < 2 mm to obtain a clearer finished product.