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Using the Shaper Origin
May 1, 2019

Using the Shaper Origin

Best ways of working with Origin

Using ShaperTape

Origin uses ShaperTape to digitally augment your workspace and to track its position while you are working.

Before you begin your project, you will need to apply ShaperTape to your worksurface or surrounding material. For best results, tear off strips of tape measuring no longer than 3' in length. Lay the tape out so that there is no more than three inches of space between each strip.

We find that laying the tape out in roughly parallel lines is easiest, but there is no need to be precious about this, as the strips do not need to be exactly parallel or exactly uniform in length. The orientation of tape in reference to your workpiece (parallel/perpendicular/diagonal) is not critical, and should be adapted to suit your project. However, no tape should overlap.

 

Apply ShaperTape

 

The most important thing to remember is that Origin's forward-facing camera must always be looking at tape. It is best to apply ShaperTape to the area you plan to cut, as well as the area 6"-12" in front of the cutting area. This way, you will have plenty of tape visible, even after you have cut through some of the strips.

 

Camera View

 

ShaperTape is how Origin tracks its position in your workspace. This means that the tape cannot be moved after you have scanned - this can cause serious issues with cut accuracy! Make sure that any surface that has tape on it is secured, with either a clamp or double-sided tape.

Only apply ShaperTape on the same plane as your cut surface.  Placing ShaperTape at different heights will impact cut accuracy and quality

Because taping is a little different for every project, you may need to get creative with your tape arrays. 

 

Common Errors in Taping

A good project starts with a good tape array. Each project you cut will have different requirements and different tape setups as a result. There are, however, a few things you should avoid when setting up a tape array.

Note: all the images you see below are examples of taping behavior to avoid

Tape Movement

Your working material and any taped pieces should be firmly secured with clamps and/or double-sided woodworking tape. In the workspace below, we used a small amount of double-sided tape and didn’t apply significant pressure to it.

 move.png

 Bumping the lower piece caused a slight shift in the location of the ShaperTape after scanning.

move2.png

Even slight shifts in location can result in serious problems while cutting and can compromise cut quality and accuracy

Unadhered Tape 

Tape should always be firmly adhered to a uniform surface. In the examples below, there is tape that hangs of edges or bridges gaps in material. Removing the offending areas should resolve the problem.

 

unadhered.jpgunadhered2.jpg 

 

Other Readable Tape Around Your Work Area

Origin will try to register any ShaperTape that is within its field of view, so make sure that your workspace is clear of used ShaperTape and other projects.


 other_tape.pngother_tape2.png

 

We commonly find ourselves doing multiple projects on a single bench. When you do this, make sure tape from another project isn’t visible when you scan your active one.
 
 other_tape3.png

Tape That is Not Coplanar


Ensure that all of your tape is on the same plane. When tape isn’t coplanar, you will end up with a low quality or unusable scan.

 

coplanar.jpg

Origin Base and Taped Surface Are Not Coplanar


In a setup such as this, you may create a successful scan but you will likely have accuracy issues when cutting. This setup may be OK for playing around or for quick demos, but you don’t want to use it for important cuts.

coplanar2.jpg  

 

Non-Parallel Surfaces


If you are placing tape on any surface other than your workpiece, make sure that that surface and your workpiece are parallel to each other.
By definition, that should already be true but with milled wood it can be easy to miss warps, twists, and bumps that cause Origin to tilt and not be parallel. Cutting in this scenario can lead to distorted cuts. Below is an extreme example of a pre-milled slab that is a lot thicker on one end, making it non-parallel to the taped surface.

parallel.jpg

 

Other Potential Problems


Make sure your ShaperTape is perfectly flat, without bubbles or creases.

bubbles.png

 

Don’t overlap tape. Even the slight thickness of the bottom tape means that your tape isn’t entirely coplanar.

overlap.png
 

Be careful not to significantly curve long stretches of tape. No need to break out a straight edge and be perfect. Just make sure that you don’t have any obvious bows.

curve_curve.png
 

Tape Visibility Indicator

On the top right of the screen, you'll see a filled (or partially filled) domino.  This is an indication of the amount of tape Origin can see.

Indicator Meaning
domino_13-15.png Origin can see a sufficient amount of tape for high quality cuts.
domino_10-12.png Some markers are missing, obscured by debris (sawdust, etc) or scratched.
domino_7-9.png Many markers are missing, obscured by debris or scratched.
domino_5-7.png Very few markers are visible.  Origin may fail to cut in this state or retract while cutting.  Either:
  • Rotate Origin to face more ShaperTape
  • Clear any loose debris in front of Origin
  • Add additional tape and Add to Scan

Workspace Lighting

Origin is designed to work regardless of changing lighting conditions, but some lighting setups will perform better than others. Shaper recommends incandescent lights, flicker-free LEDs, or sunlight when possible. Origin's on-board workpiece illumination LEDs will even enable Origin to work great in dark or unlit environments.

In many workshops, LED bulbs (both Edison-style and fluorescent-tube style) are becoming more popular. Not all LED lights are created equal; high-quality LED lights will work great with Origin, but lower-end LED lights can introduce a flicker that results from insufficient filtering of the 50/60Hz AC frequency that is powering the LEDs. If you plan to use overhead LED lighting, see our suggestions below.

LED Lighting Suggestions

Please note, the following products have not been independently verified by Shaper, but have instead been validated by Origin users like you!

Try these lights (confirmed to be working by Origin Users):

  • Feit 14W (Costco Model #1022050) 4100 lm
  • Energetic 48W 3600 lm
  • E-Bright T8 LED Tube Light 18W
  • Sunnine 18W 2000 lm 

Avoid these lights (issues reported by Origin Users):

  • GE Cool White Universal T8/T12 LED, 2100 lm
  • Hikolity 40 Watt, 4000 lm
  • Barrina LED T5 Single Fixture, 20 Watt 2200 lm

 

Dos & Don'ts of Workspace Setups

Do:

  • Use a solid, stable surface to work on 
  • Use a spoilboard
  • Use double-sided tape, especially beneath areas on your workpiece that will be cut out entirely from the worksurface
  • Use clamps
  • Use sufficient ShaperTape. Use strips that are at least 18" long, and placed no more than four inches apart from one another. Read more about how to create a good tape array here.
  • Travel over your entire design with Origin prior to cutting to ensure that sufficient tape is visible at all times. Keep in mind that if you cut through ShaperTape, it will no longer be readable to Origin

 

Don't:

  • Use jigs that are not firmly clamped to a workbench or other stable surface
  • Set up your workspace beneath lighting that is liable to change substantially (i.e. outdoors with passing shadows) or with low-quality LED lighting. You can see more information about problematic workspace lighting here
  • Place ShaperTape on multiple surfaces that are not coplanar with one another. A fuller discussion of common taping mistakes can be found here
  • Begin cutting a design before you have a clear and deliberate cut plan

What Double-Sided Tape Should I Use?

Proper workpiece fixturing is vital when cutting with Origin—even the slightest movement of a workpiece when cutting can compromise cut quality.

Along with traditional clamps and custom fixtures, double-sided tape can be extremely helpful, especially when making through cuts on small pieces. 

There are many good options for double-sided tape out there, but we're partial to Intertape 591 here in the shop, which is easy to find in most hardware stores and online.

Start a New Scan

Origin uses ShaperTape to understand its position on your workpiece.  After you have added tape, which you can learn about in the taping section, you will need to scan your workpiece before adding designs and cutting.

When you first turn on your tool and are looking at a new tape array, Origin will be in Scan mode. You can also access this mode later by tapping the Scan button on the right side of the screen. 

Screenshot_2018-06-27_16.42.40.png

In some cases, Origin will automatically enable the 'New Scan' tool.  If you don't see it selected and want to start a new scan, tap the 'New Scan' button in the upper left corner. 

Screenshot_2018-06-27_16.44.25.png

When ready, tap the Start Scan button to begin scanning.  Origin's camera is in front of the tool underneath the handle. Move Origin around the workspace so that the camera sees all dominos.   

Illustration-07.png

Dominos will turn blue once Origin has registered them.  If a domino is ripped, damaged, or can't be scanned, it will remain black.  

Screenshot_2018-06-27_16.51.55.png

Be sure to include the area where you plan to cut in your scan, even if that area does not have tape. Origin will add this area to your Workspace image, allowing you to align your designs to features on your material such as wood grain.  

Screenshot_2018-06-27_16.57.05.png

If you need to cancel the scan for any reason, you can tap the red button on the left handle.  

When you have completed your scan, tap the green button. This will finish your scan and automatically save your Workspace. After your Workspace is built, you will be taken to Design mode to add designs.

Add to Scan

Once you have placed your design in your workspace, it is a good idea to trace your cut paths in Aircut mode. Keep an eye on your tape indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. If at any point it dips below half-full, you’ll want to add more tape to your workspace and add to your scan.

 

 Screenshot_2018-04-25_22.29.27.png

 

After adding new tape, tap 'Scan' to return to scan mode.  Then tap the 'Add to Scan' tool to add to your current scan.

 

Screenshot_2018-06-28_17.02.27.png

When ready, tap the green button on the right handle to begin scanning. Make sure that Origin can see some of your original dominos as you start to scan.  Scan the new tape you’ve laid down and the original tape surrounding it. When you have completed your scan, tap the green button again. Your workspace will now include the new tape and any new marks you’ve made in the scanned area.

AddToScan_180627_389x389.gif

Keep in mind that you can continue to Add to Scan as you cut. If you cut through dominos, Origin will be unable to read them. Simply remove the cut or unreadable dominos (they are the dominos that do not show up blue during scanning) from your workspace. Then reapply tape on uncut portions of your workpiece or on your surrounding coplanar workspace, and Add to Scan again. 

 

Screenshot_2018-06-28_17.03.20.png

 

Scanning Tips

Screenshot_2019-08-06_17.08.30.png

A "Low Accuracy Scan" error message indicates that Origin was unable to create a high quality image of your workspace. 

The following are potential workspace problems that can lead to poor scans:

Insufficient Tape

Often, a low quality scan can be improved by adding more tape to the workspace, especially in the case in which tape has been cut.

Taping Problems

See here for a more in-depth discussion of common mistakes that users make when setting up their tape arrays. Here's a summary of things to look out for:

  • Tape that is not coplanar
  • Tape placed on a warped surface
  • Tape spanning two non-contiguous pieces of material
  • Discarded tape not attached to a workpiece but still within Origin's field of vision
  • Tape overlapping other tape
  • Bubbled or creased tape

Scanning Orientation

When scanning, try to keep Origin facing in the same cardinal direction throughout your scan. This will allow you to use less tape (since Origin's camera will always be facing in the same general direction) and will help you reduce the possibility of any inaccuracies when cutting.

Learn more about how best to keep Origin facing tape by watching the video below

 

Workspace Lighting

Certain low-quality LED lights can cause issues with Origin's vision system because they do not properly filter the flicker in the 50/60 Hz that powers the lights. Problems can also occur if your workspace has significant lighting during your cutting session.

Workspace Veiling

Some materials give off a glare or reflection under certain lighting conditions that will cause issues with Origin's vision system. Aluminum and some highly reflective black plastics have been problematic in the past. You can try to adjust your workspace or the lighting to eliminate glare. Alternately, you can consider roughing up the work surface or otherwise treating it to reduce its sheen.

Returning to a Workspace

Origin automatically saves each workpiece you create. This allows you to move from project to project without losing your work.  

To return to a previously-scanned workpiece, go to Scan mode and tap Workspaces. You will then see all workpieces currently stored in your user profile.  

Screenshot_2017-10-25_03.57.50.png

Any workpiece that was saved with the tape array that is currently visible to Origin will appear at full brightness. You can return to one of these by tapping its icon.  

Screen_Shot_2017-10-25_at_6.54.26_PM.png

If a workpiece was saved with a tape array that Origin cannot currently see, it will be greyed out.  You can still select this workpiece but will need to aim Origin at the tape you originally used for that project before the workpiece file will appear in your workspace.  

Screen_Shot_2017-10-25_at_6.54.43_PM.png

 

Workpiece Veiling

If you are having difficulty creating a New Scan on a given workpiece, or if you notice that Origin is failing to register dominoes on the screen during a scan, you may be experiencing veiling from your workpiece itself.

This means that light is bouncing off your workpiece in such a way as to make it difficult for Origin to register the contrast between the workpiece and the dominoes on the tape you have laid down.

Often, this issue can be resolved by either adjusting your lighting setup or moving your workspace itself and then creating a New Scan.

 

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