Beam BoundaryOptical evidence lab
Start with the visible symptom, keep the exact machine and material context, then follow one bounded diagnostic branch.
Step 1
Pick the visible symptom. The interpreter then names the classification, the exact branch to open, and the mandatory stop boundary before any change.
Classification
Identity, focus, optics and setup come before energy. The cut is a material-and-machine question, not only a power question.
Open the incomplete cut branchStop boundary: Add heat only after material identity, focus, optics and airflow checks pass.
Classification
Separate char, soot and material variability before tuning speed or power. Plywood identity and backing are part of the diagnosis.
Open the burn marks on plywood branchStop boundary: Do not increase power while char or soot is still unexplained.
Classification
Check material identity, focus and airflow before changing power. Cast and extruded acrylic are not interchangeable in diagnosis.
Open the acrylic melting or warping branchStop boundary: Stop if fumes intensify or the edge ignites; ventilate and follow the machine manual.
Classification
Verify focus, lens, flatness and mechanics before energy. Uneven depth is usually a geometry or optics issue, not a power curve.
Open the uneven engraving branchStop boundary: Reject the piece if the surface is curved, warped or contaminated before adding energy.
Classification
Check airflow, coating and speed/power balance. Residue may be material chemistry rather than a single speed setting.
Open the excessive soot or residue branchStop boundary: Stop for any hazardous or unknown fume; verify material and coating identity first.
Classification
Check DPI, focus and material surface before tuning. Lost lines often come from focus, not from more power.
Open the poor detail or lost lines branchStop boundary: Do not raise power to recover detail; that usually destroys fine lines.
Diagnostic order
Incomplete cuts, soot, haze, lost detail and flare-ups do not share one cause. Diagnosis begins by describing where the defect appears and what stayed constant.
Use it when: an exact-context test fails, degrades, or changes across the work area.
Classify the visible symptom before changing a setting.
Check material, focus, optics, airflow and mechanics in that order.
Change one cause at a time and preserve the failed sample.
Symptom branches
Each branch protects material identity, exact machine context and a mandatory stop boundary.
Diagnose identity, focus, optics and setup before adding heat.
Separate char, soot and material variability before tuning.
Check identity, focus and airflow before changing power.
Verify focus, lens, flatness and mechanics before energy.
Check airflow, coating and speed/power balance.
Check DPI, focus and material surface before tuning.
Mandatory boundary
Sustained flame, hazardous fumes, machine faults or unknown material/coating are stop events—not tuning branches. Stop, cool, secure the area and follow the exact machine manual and local emergency procedures.