LightBurn

Layout, editing, and machine control for laser cutters in one program, replacing the usual chain of a drawing tool, a converter, and whatever control software came with the hardware.

Version 2.0.05 128 MB Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 (64-bit) Updated 5 days ago

Overview

What this release is

Before LightBurn, running a laser meant three separate programs: something to draw in, something to convert the drawing into machine instructions, and whatever control software shipped with the hardware, which was usually terrible. This replaces all three. You draw, you assign cut settings, and you send the job to the machine from the same window.

The editor is a capable vector tool in its own right. Draw and edit shapes, boolean operations, offsetting for kerf compensation, node editing, text on a path, and array duplication. It also imports the common vector and raster formats, so artwork prepared elsewhere arrives ready to cut rather than needing conversion.

Cut settings work by layer, which is the right model for this kind of work. Assign a colour to a layer, set its power, speed, passes, and mode, and every shape on that layer inherits it. A single file can then engrave, score, and cut through in one job with a defined order, and the settings can be saved as a library entry for the material you use most.

Machine control is the part that separates it from a plain drawing program. Framing to show where the job will land, camera alignment for placing artwork onto material that is already on the bed, jogging the head, setting origins, positional and current position job modes, and live progress while the job runs. It talks directly to the controllers used in almost every diode, carbon dioxide, and fibre machine on the market.

Image engraving handles the conversion from a photograph to a laserable pattern with several dithering approaches, and the results are considerably better than the crude thresholding that stock control software offers.

Feature set

What you get

One program end to end

Drawing, cut settings, and machine control in the same window, replacing three separate applications.

Layer based cut settings

Power, speed, passes, and mode assigned per layer, so one file can engrave, score, and cut through in a defined order.

Direct machine control

Framing, jogging, origin setting, and live job progress, talking directly to the common controllers.

Camera alignment

Position artwork onto material already on the bed using an overhead camera view of the work area.

Vector editing

Boolean operations, kerf offsetting, node editing, text on a path, and array duplication built in.

Image engraving

Several dithering approaches for turning photographs into laserable patterns, well beyond simple thresholding.

Changes in this build

What changed

Rewritten preview with far faster generation on jobs containing many thousands of shapes
Added controller profiles for several recent machine models
Camera calibration workflow simplified with better lens distortion handling
Improved image engraving quality on light materials through a reworked dithering pass
Fixed the job order being ignored when layers were reordered after settings were assigned

Installation

How to install it

Extract the archive to a short path.
Run the setup executable as administrator.
Apply the included licensing step before the first launch so the trial notice never appears.
Add your machine on first run by choosing the controller type rather than letting it scan blindly.
Run a framing pass on scrap material before your first real job to confirm the origin and the work area.

Hardware

System requirements

Processor	64-bit, 2 GHz or faster
Memory	4 GB minimum, 8 GB for large engraving jobs
Graphics	Any adapter with OpenGL 3.0 support
Storage	500 MB free space
Display	1440 x 900 minimum, 1920 x 1080 recommended
System	Windows 7 through Windows 11, 64-bit

Package

Release information

Title	LightBurn
Version	2.0.05
Developer	LightBurn Software
Category	CAD & 3D
Platform	Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 (64-bit)
Package size	128 MB
Interface languages	Multilingual (11 interface languages)
Release identifier	BS-20005001
Listed	3 years ago
Last rebuilt	5 days ago
Total downloads	167,546

Questions

Before you start

Which machines does it control?

The controllers used in most diode, carbon dioxide, and fibre machines. Check the controller name rather than the machine brand.

Does it need the manufacturer software installed?

No. It replaces it entirely, though the driver for the connection may still be needed.

Can artwork be imported from other programs?

Yes, the common vector and raster formats import directly with layers preserved where the format supports them.

Why does the preview differ from the finished cut?

Usually kerf. Set the offset for your material and beam width and the preview will match much more closely.