Good news for laser users - Artsoft, Brian and the Team have now restored the operation of the undocumented M10P1 / M11P1 commands to their former glory. These commands switch an Output pin (determined by the P#) coincident or blended with an axis movement starting and stopping. This now means there is no noticeable delay between the laser being switched on and off and an axis movement so there will no longer be any missing starts to lines or dots appended to lines. Perhaps the most important change here relates to safety in so far as that in returning to an Output (from an axis pin) the software polled EStop can, in an emergency, be used to switch the laser off.
This scale was used as a test piece and was engraved using the M10P1/M11P1 commands and Output #1 to switch the laser and, as far as I can tell, is equal in quality to a similar scale engraved using the B0/B1 commands and the B axis direction pin (as I have previously been using).
A big thanks to Brian and the Team.
Tweakie.