GPath Laser
Bridges / Tabs
Last updated Jul 26, 2026, 11:41 AM
1. Why use tabs?
A through-cut along a closed outline can free the part from the sheet before the job finishes. The piece may shift, tip, or fall into the bed and ruin the cut.
Tabs (often called bridges) leave short spans at lower laser power so material stays attached until you snap or cut the bridges free afterward. Tabs apply to line operations only — not Fill or Image.
Unlike CNC tabs (which raise Z axis), laser tabs keep the beam on the cut path and reduce power over each bridge.
2. Enable tabs
Open a line operation and find the Bridges / Tabs group in the panel.
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Enable tabs | Turn reduced-power bridges on for this operation |
| Auto / Manual | Place tabs evenly around each shape, or manually click them on the canvas |
| Tab size | Length of each bridge along the cut path |
| Tab power (% of max) | Beam power over each tab — set below cut power so the bridge does not cut through |
New Line operations can inherit tab defaults from global Cut defaults (top menu > laser operations > laser defaults) and Cut material presets. Manual placement stays per operation.
3. Auto placement
In Auto mode, GPath Laser distributes tabs around each selected shape:
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Tabs per shape | Fixed count of tabs on every shape (default 4) |
| Equal spacing | Tabs every Tab spacing distance (center-to-center) along the perimeter; optional Max tabs per shape caps the count |
Tab offset rotates all auto-placed tabs around the profile. Centre on the slider is halfway around, full right returns tabs to the start. Use offset to move bridges off corners or visible edges.
4. Manual placement
Switch to Manual, turn on Enable canvas selection, then click the drawing on the 2D Drawing canvas to add a tab. Click an existing tab marker to remove it.
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cursor | Placement uses a crosshair on the cut path |
| Count | The panel shows how many tabs are placed |
| Clear | Clear all tabs removes every manual placement |
5. Skip nested shapes
Turn on Skip nested shapes when you do not want tabs on shapes that sit inside another selected outline (for example, an inner hole while the outer contour gets bridges). Nested shapes still cut, they simply do not receive tabs.
6. Preview
In the Laser Simulator, tab spans read lighter than the full-power cut. Power shading scales with each segment’s max power value so reduced-power bridges are easy to spot.
7. Tips
- Set Tab power clearly below cut power so bridges hold, raise it slightly if they are too hard to break.
- Put tabs on straight edges when possible, use Tab offset in auto mode to rotate them into place.
- On large parts, prefer more tabs or equal spacing with a max cap. On small parts, fewer short tabs are easier to clean up.
- If tabs seem missing on an inner shape, check Skip nested shapes.
- If manual clicks do nothing, confirm Enable tabs and Manual are on, canvas selection is enabled, and you are clicking the cut path.