Laser Control
Connect, place, frame, and run jobs using the active machine profile.
Open Run to see Laser Control in its default upper-right dock. Reopen it through Window > Laser Control. Positioning controls such as jog and Set Origin live in Move.
Controls depend on the selected controller and its current state. A connected machine does not necessarily support framing, manual motion, pause, or live overrides. See Supported machines.
Connect and place the job
Choose the machine profile and connection, then verify the reported state. The profile supplies workspace dimensions and controller-specific output settings.
Start From chooses placement:
- Absolute Coords uses the artwork's workspace coordinates. The Job Origin grid is disabled.
- Current Position places the chosen job anchor at a fresh controller position.
- User Origin places that anchor at the saved user origin. Set it first in Move, or use the offered Set Here action.
The Job Origin grid selects a corner, edge midpoint, or center of the output bounds. It is separate from the editing reference point in Properties.
Choose output
Use layer and sub-layer Output controls to include processing. The desktop Laser Control panel runs the configured project output and does not expose a Cut Selected Graphics toggle. Selected-only API operations include visible descendants of selected groups and retain the clone and image-mask references required for planning.
Locked artwork still qualifies for output. Hidden objects are excluded. Layer Show only changes the canvas view.
Preview and frame
Open Preview and resolve blocking findings before starting. Bounds guidance depends on Start From: move the artwork for Absolute Coords, reposition the head for Current Position, or reset the saved origin for User Origin.
Box frames the axis-aligned job bounds. Outline follows a tighter outer boundary. Framing accounts for transformed artwork and checks planned travel against the active machine profile.
Normal framing keeps the laser off. The one-shot Frame: Laser On control uses the app's low-power framing path and requires confirmation. A frame is physical motion and must be supervised.
On unhomed GRBL machines, relative jobs validate their size and require a completed frame before Start. Frame again after changing artwork or placement. Missing required position information blocks the action.
Start, pause, and stop
Start plans and checks the job before sending it. For the original xTool M1, upload leads to Ready to run and the machine's physical button starts the job.
Pause and Resume appear only where supported. A failed Resume does not resume application-side streaming. Stop requests cancellation; a failed stop remains an error and retains job controls for recovery or retry. Do not assume an error means the machine stopped. Use the physical stop when software cannot confirm control.
Elapsed and estimated remaining time appear during the job. Estimates depend on the plan and controller behavior. Live override controls are available only on supporting controllers.
Save GCode
Save GCode exports the planned job through the active machine profile. Check that profile's dimensions even for offline export. Failed planning entries, invalid raster travel, or out-of-bounds output block the export. Rotary export has additional connection and placement requirements.
See G-code output for the distinction between app export and the standalone CLI command.
Optimization
Optimization controls ordering by layer, group, or priority; inner-first cuts; travel reduction; start-point selection; overlap cleanup; and finish position. These settings save with the project. Lower priority values run earlier when Priority ordering is enabled.