The Fabricator · 45 minute guide
Fabricator Academy: Video Lessons for Every Step
Every part of The Fabricator in short videos recorded on the live site, grouped from Start here to Help, plus a question index that opens each video at the chapter that answers it.
By Scott Bedow, Founder & Lead Developer · Published November 3, 2026
Manufacturing manager who runs CO2, diode and MOPA fiber lasers; builds and maintains every Reticle Red tool.
Method — Walked end to end in the live tool before publishing. Screens and step order match the current build; settings shown are starting points to validate on scrap.
What this tutorial covers
- Every Fabricator step, engine and job in short, chaptered videos, grouped from Start here to Help.
- A question index: real member questions, each linked to the chapter that answers it.
- Engine videos for SPARK CORE, FORGE 2.0, MASTER 2.0 and ULTRA CORE, with what each costs and when to pick it.
- Troubleshooting for charges, refunds, part size and layout, plus every step on a phone.
1. Start with the four steps
Watch Quick Fill and the modes video, then LOAD, PAINT 1 and 2, FIRE and EXPORT in order. Together they take one design from a blank part to a laser file.
2. Pick an engine
The engine videos run SPARK CORE, FORGE 2.0, MASTER 2.0 and ULTRA CORE and show what each is for. The credit cost is confirmed on screen before every run.
3. Add color or 3D
FORGE COLOR makes one laser layer per color for a MOPA laser, the polymer magazine video does the same on a magazine, and 3D Relief turns a photo of your part into a depth map.
4. Lay out several parts
Canvas, Armory, Layers and Fit art cover several parts on one board, reopening a saved design, art on your own photos, and fitting art to the real part size.
5. Look up a problem
The question index links each common question to the chapter that answers it. Troubleshooting covers charges, refunds and size; Takes covers going back to an older version.
Validate the workflow on your machine
Treat the finished file as a controlled starting point, not a universal machine recipe. Confirm the artwork dimensions after import, verify focus and lens selection, and run a small test on scrap from the same material batch before committing the production piece. Change one variable at a time when tuning speed, power, frequency, line interval, or pass count. Record the machine, source wattage, lens, material finish, focus method, and final settings with the saved job. That short production note makes the result repeatable for the next operator and prevents a strong screen preview from being mistaken for a proven burn.