Manuals+

LightBurn Software Configuration Guide

A guide to installing and configuring LightBurn software for use with MakerMade's Laser Module Kit.

Table of Contents

Warnings

The instructions in this document are intended for use with your MakerMade M2 or Maslow CNC cutting machine. This document does not include full instructions, warnings and disclaimers for using a laser with your CNC machine and are only for set up of your LightBurn software. If you have any questions, you can fill out a support ticket at: https://makermade.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/new

These instructions are based on the download and installation instructions from LightBurn. You can find their full documentation here:

Downloading LightBurn

The first step is to go to lightburnsoftware.com

At the top, click “Download and Trial” (or click here)

You'll see links for the current release of LightBurn. Download the version that matches your computer:

When you've completed the download, you should see the file in your “Downloads” folder.

On Windows and Mac you can just double-click the downloaded file.

A screenshot shows the LightBurn setup wizard with the 'Select Additional Tasks' screen, indicating options like 'Create a desktop icon'.

Windows Installation

Launch the installer by double-clicking it.

A screenshot shows the LightBurn setup wizard with the 'Select Additional Tasks' screen, indicating options like 'Create a desktop icon'.

Click Next, then click ‘Install'. The installation will proceed. When it completes, you'll see this:

A screenshot shows the 'Completing the LightBurn Setup Wizard' screen, with options to 'Install FTDI serial driver', 'View change log', and 'Launch LightBurn'.

That's it! Locate the LightBurn icon to launch the program.

Mac Installation

Double-click the LightBurn.dmg file to mount the disk image.

Drag the LightBurn application into your applications folder.

Eject the LightBurn disk image, or drag it to the trash bin.

Please note that at this time, LightBurn for MacOS is not digitally signed. This means that you will need to tell MacOS that you trust us. (Read about this here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh40616/mac)

To launch LightBurn for the first time:

  1. Open a Finder window.
  2. Browse to the 'Applications' folder.
  3. Hold the Command key and double-click the LightBurn icon, or two-finger tap the icon.

When MacOS asks if it should open the program, say yes, and it will be listed as an exception in your launcher. From now on you can just launch the application normally.

Linux Installation

  1. Open a terminal and run the following command: 
    sudo adduser $USER dialout && sudo adduser $USER tty
  2. IMPORTANT! Log out and log back in (this refreshes the permissions we just added)
  3. Download the Linux 64-bit version, either the .run file or the .7z file and follow the appropriate steps below:

.run installer

  1. Open your terminal and cd to the directory you downloaded the file to.
  2. Run bash ./LightBurn-Linux64-v*.run
  3. It will now automatically install and create a program listing in your desktop environment.

.7z installer

  1. Extract the folder wherever you want Lightburn to exist
  2. Right click AppRun > Properties > Permissions > ‘Allow executing file as program'
  3. Double click AppRun inside your Lightburn folder

Activating LightBurn

If you've never used LightBurn before, you'll be shown the License and Trial page first.

Here you can either enter and activate a license key if you have one, or you can activate a free 30 day trial by clicking “Activate Trial”.

If you do have a license key, be sure to enter it exactly, including the dashes, then click the 'Activate License' button.

We recommend just copying the key and pasting it into the License Key box.

You can get back to this screen in LightBurn at any time by going to the menu and clicking Help > License Management.

A screenshot shows the LightBurn 'License Page' with fields for Trial ID, Use Proxy Server, and License Key, along with buttons for Activate License, Buy LightBurn, Extend Trial, Request Offline Activation, Process Offline Activation, and Request Offline Deactivation. An 'OK' button is also visible.

Once you have activated your license or the trial, click 'OK'

The next thing you'll see is the ‘General Usage Notes' page - this is a brief help page just to get you going. You can get back to it any time in the Help menu, under Help > Quick Help and Notes. Click OK.

Adding your Laser to LightBurn

LightBurn can't control every laser, but it can talk to a number of different types of laser controllers, all of which use different ways of communicating, and have different abilities and settings.

This step tells LightBurn what you have.

If you've never configured a device in LightBurn, you'll be brought here automatically when you run the software. It is important that you pick something because the interface in LightBurn will change depending on the capabilities of the laser you choose.

If you've done this before, but want to change your laser, or add a new one, click the 'Devices' button in the Laser Window to bring up the devices list.

A screenshot shows the LightBurn interface with the 'Laser Window' visible. Buttons include 'Cut Selected Graphics', 'Use Selection Origin', 'Optimize Cut Path', and 'Devices'. The 'Devices' button has an arrow pointing to it, and a tooltip indicating 'Show a list of devices supported by LightBurn' and 'Right Click to reset the current device connection'.

LightBurn can also be configured to control more than one laser, and there are settings stored for each device.

If you don't pick one, we have nowhere to put these settings, and a number of features within LightBurn will not work until this is set up.

The Devices Page

A screenshot shows the 'Devices - LightBurn 0.9.23' window, displaying 'Your Device List' as empty. Buttons include 'Find My Laser', 'Create Manually', 'Import', 'Make Default', 'Edit', 'Remove', 'Export', 'OK', and 'Cancel'.

This is the Devices page in LightBurn.

Here you will see a list of all the laser devices you've added to LightBurn, or an empty list when you're first starting.

Manually Adding a Laser

To add your laser in LightBurn you can click the ‘Create Manually' on the Devices page.

A screenshot shows the 'Devices - LightBurn 0.9.23' window with the 'Create Manually' button highlighted.

Device type:

LightBurn will open the New Device Wizard, and the first thing you'll see is a list of the controllers supported by your version of LightBurn:

A screenshot shows the 'New Device Wizard' with a list of device types including 'Emblaser 1 A4', 'Emblaser 2 / Core', 'FabKit', 'Gerbil-STM', 'gerbil GRBL', 'grbl GRBL-LPC', 'grbl GRBL-M3 (1.1e or earlier)', and 'Loser iLaser'. Instructions indicate to 'Use this for GRBL 1.1f or higher, using variable power mode (M4)'. Buttons for '< Back' and 'Next >' are visible.

Choose GRBL and click Next.

Connection Type:

The next step is choosing how you connect to your laser. Choose Serial/USB and click Next.

A screenshot shows the 'New Device Wizard' with the 'Serial/USB' connection type selected.

Name and Work Area Size:

Name the laser and set the size of your work area.

A screenshot shows the 'New Device Wizard' with fields for 'What would you like to call it?' (e.g., '2.8W Laser') and 'What are the dimensions of the work area?' (X Axis Length and Y Axis Length in mm).

You must set the size of the work area for your laser so that LightBurn can make try to prevent things from going out of bounds. If you don't know the exact size, you can easily change this later in the Device Settings page.

Laser Origin and Homing:

The origin setting is where the ‘zero' point of your X & Y axis meet. If you get this wrong, you can change it later in the Device Settings page. This setting also controls the orientation of the output - if it's wrong, the output from your laser may be mirrored or upside down.

A screenshot shows the 'New Device Wizard' asking 'Where is the origin of your laser? (Where is XO, YO?)' with radio button options for 'Rear Left', 'Rear Right', 'Front Left', and 'Front Right'. It also includes a checkbox for 'Auto "home" your laser on startup?'.

For the M2, the origin will be Front Left in LightBurn.

Auto "home" your laser on startup should not be checked.

You have created your new device!

That's it - The final page will show you a summary of your choices. You can go back and fix anything if necessary, or click Finish to create the new device entry.

A screenshot shows the 'New Device Wizard' summary page, confirming the device details: 'grbl GRBL', 'Serial/USB', '2.8W Laser', '96in x 48in, origin at front left'. A 'Finish' button is visible.

Next, we need to change some Device Settings in LightBurn.

Device Settings

Open Device Settings

Go To Edit > Device Settings

A screenshot shows the LightBurn main interface with the 'Edit' menu open. The 'Device Settings' option is highlighted with a red arrow.

If it is not already, set the S-value max to 1000. Click OK.

This number must match the $30 setting in Makerverse.

A screenshot shows the 'Device settings for LASER' window with tabs for 'Basic Settings', 'GCode', and 'Additional Settings'. Under 'Additional Settings', the 'S-value max' is shown as 1000. Other settings visible include 'Laser Offset', 'Z Axis Control', 'Scanning Offset Adjust', and 'Other options' like 'Tab Pulse Width', 'Auto-home on startup', 'Fast Whitespace Scan', and 'Air Assist'. Buttons for 'Add', 'Delete', 'Import', 'Export', 'Cancel', and 'OK' are present.

LightBurn + Makerverse

Now that you have added the laser as a device, you can create G Code for the laser from your project in LightBurn. Click on the Save G Code button to save the G Code to your hard drive.

A screenshot shows the LightBurn interface with the 'Save GCode' button highlighted. The laser status is 'Disconnected'. Other controls include 'Pause', 'Frame', 'Stop', 'Start', 'Home', 'Enable Rotary', 'Go to Origin', 'Cut Selected Graphics', 'Use Selection Origin', 'Optimize Cut Path', and 'Devices'.

Save your project and close LightBurn.

Open Makerverse and the activate laser mode widget on the right side. Upload the G Code you created and click the Play button to run the project.

A screenshot shows the Makerverse interface with a 3D view of a project, a G-code console, and various controls. The 'Laser Mode' is set to 'Laser Intensity Control' with a slider for intensity. The 'Upload Program' button is visible.

Makerverse Settings

Open up the Settings tab in the Maslow widget on the left hand side of the screen.

A screenshot shows the Makerverse interface with the 'Settings' tab open. It displays various configuration options for the Maslow controller, including 'Step pulse time', 'Step idle delay', 'Step pulse invert', 'Step direction invert', 'Invert step enable', 'Invert limit pins', 'Invert probe pin', 'Status report options', 'Junction deviation', 'Arc tolerance', 'Report in inches', 'Soft limits enable', 'Hard limits enable', 'Homing cycle enable', 'Homing direction', 'Homing locate feedrate', 'Homing search seekrate', 'Homing switch debounce', 'Homing switch pull-off', 'Maximum spindle speed ($30)', 'Minimum spindle speed ($31)', and 'Laser-mode enable ($32)'.

These three settings need to be changed or confirmed that they have the correct value entered.

  1. First, find the setting for Maximum spindle speed ($30) and change the value to 1000. Click the little save icon ?️ to the right of the value.
  2. Next, find the setting for Minimum spindle speed ($31) and change the value to 0. Click the little save icon ?️ to the right of the value.
  3. Last is Laser-mode Enable ($32) This value should already be 1. If it isn't already, change it to 1 and click the little save icon ?️ to the right of the value.

Now you are ready to upload the G Code you created and click the Play button to run the project!

LightBurn is now configured!

Have a question or need guidance?

The MakerMade technical team is available to help! You can fill out a support ticket at: https://makermade.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/new

LightBurn also has some great resources available to learn how to use their software.

Go to the Help tab at the top of the screen and select from the drop down menu.

A screenshot shows the LightBurn 'Help' menu with options like 'LightBurn Support Forum', 'Quick Help and Notes', 'Online Documentation', 'PDF Documentation Link', 'Online Video Tutorials', 'Generate Support Data', 'Camera Selection Help', 'Check for Updates', 'License Management', and 'Enable Debug Log'.

We can't wait to see what you make! Be sure to tag us in any of your projects and use our hashtags #madewithMM and #makermadeCNC!

Find us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok!

Happy Making!

-Team MakerMade

Models: Lightburn Laser Resources Software, Resources Software, Laser Resources Software, Software, Lightburn

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