Creating a Custom Layered Map - Atomstack A5 M50 Pro (5.5-watt Diode Laser)

This video shows my process for designing and cutting out a custom layered map using the Atomstack A5 M50 Pro diode laser (5.5-watt) and 1/16" basswood sheets. I use SnazzyMaps.com, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightburn to create all of the necessary layers and set up the design for the laser.
The starting point is with snazzymaps.com to build out the necessary layers for the map. It's a great tool and is incredibly handy when you want to get everything started as easily as possible.
I use Photoshop for cropping the images, this isn't always necessary depending on how you do your image export, and you can also use any tool you have available that supports layers and image cropping.
The core of the design work is done with Illustrator. It's what I have available and am the most familiar with, but I believe you can do all of the same things with a tool like Inkscape if you'd prefer. You need to be able to do image tracing to paths, create custom shapes, create clipping masks, and handle multiple layers to get everything built out to your desired design.
My laser settings (Make sure to do your own material tests):
Cutting 1/16" Basswood: 300 mm/m, 90% power, 2 passes
Dark Engrave: 3700 mm/m, 90% power, 1 pass
Light Engrave: 6000 mm/m, 40% power, 1 pass
Text Engrave: 3000 mm/m, 100% power, 1 pass
(If you watch the lasering portion, you'll notice a couple points where my laser skips when doing the outer frame. I had an issue with one of my belts that I had to correct after I did the recording, but the final result worked well enough to keep it in the video)
00:00 Intro and Finished Map
00:47 Creating the Layers in Snazzy Maps
06:39 Cropping the Layers in Photoshop
09:43 Creating the Design in Illustrator
28:11 Important Step When Exporting Assets
30:43 Creating the Laser Layers in Lightburn
36:26 Let the Lasering Begin
40:24 Fresh off the Laser
42:06 Finished Shadowbox