Software Support
CONTENTS
User Manuals
Operating Systems (Loading Software)
File Types
Re-load Laser System Configuration File
PhotoGrav Software
General Information - Hints and Tips;
- How to Transfer Your Design File to Your Laser Machine via USB Device
- File Names
- Software Data Checks
- Center and Align graphics
- Immediate or grid location
- Set the origin of your graphics
- Corners of shapes are not cutting
Tutorials and Projects (Design)
- Re-set your controller language to English
- How to adjust the Backlash, Scaling, Offsets and Squareness
- Re-set your datum position
- Soft Stop error message
- How to engrave circles inside a vector shape
User Manuals 
Operator user manual for laser software version 5.3. PDF
Operating Systems
Your original laser machine quotation will outline information on the computer specification which is required for your laser machine. For any instances where a computer system is being supplied by us, this will be clearly stated on the quotation.
If you are re-loading the software onto a new PC, please be aware that you need to continue using the SAME version of software on the new computer, as the software on your computer and the controller in your laser machine need to match to correspond correctly.
Instructions on how to re-load the software onto the following operating systems can be found here;
- Windows XP (straight install, no instructions required)
- Windows 7
- Windows 10
- Disable Driver Signature Enforcement (Windows 7, 8 and 10)
What files types can I use to cut and engrave materials?
When using different design packages to create files to cut and engrave with your laser machine, it is important to choose / export as a compatible file type for the process you are looking to achieve. Some files, such as DXF, are acceptable for both engraving and cutting, but some files can only be used for engraving and cannot be cut. More information can be found here.
How to re-load your system configuration (syscfg.ini) file
Instructions on how to re-download your laser machines system configuration file can be found here. Please remember that it is best to only carry out this step under instruction from one of CTR's technical engineers. It is also important to ALWAYS KEEP A BACKUP of your current syscfg.ini file, in case loading the new file creates an issue with the machine.
General Information - Hints and Tips
File Names
For jobs that you want to repeat, you can save your design file with a name, so that the laser machine can keep a copy of this file name in the machine memory. It is easily accessible for re-running the job as needed. PDF
How to Transfer Your Design File to Your Laser Machine via USB Device
If your computer is located too far from your laser machine, or if you cannot use the USB cable provided for any reason, this is a different way of transferring files from your computer to your laser machine, using a USB memory stick. PDF
Software Data Checks
How to carry out the standard checks for an imported design file, in the laser software. PDF
These checks include how to...
- Join lines
- Check lines are closed
- Check for crossing lines
- Check for overlapping lines.
To align or center graphics...
- Use the pointer (arrow) to select the graphics you want to move, for example, a letter C.
- Hold Shift on your keyboard, and select the graphics that you want the C to be centered within, for example, a circle.
- Click the Align Center button, or go to Draw > Align > Align Middle.
You can also use the above steps to align to the left, right etc.
Immediate or Grid Location
The laser offers two options for locating graphics.
- Immediate - the laser job will start from the current location of the laser head.
- Grid Location - the laser will take the location of the graphics from where they have been positioned on the grid in the laser software. This is the default setting when the immediate option is not selected.
The immediate button can be found on the right hand side of the laser software screen on your PC. Please note that when you change the option from one to the other, you MUST download the file to the laser machine again for the change to be applied (Download > Download Current).
If you are certain that the immediate button is not working correctly (and this is the ONLY issue you are experiencing with the software) then instructions on how to resolve this are available here (PDF).
To set the origin of your graphics...
The origin, or start point of your graphics is the point at which the laser head will travel to, to begin cutting or scoring.
It can be useful to change this from the default start point, as you may want the start point to be in a less noticable area on the final product.
To change the origin on your vector file...
- Open the Laser menu at the top of the laser software on your PC.
- Click Select Laser origin.
- You can now click on the outline of the vector graphics to choose a new start (origin) point for each vector displayed. The origin point is indicated by a yellow square.
The corners of my shapes are not cutting at all
Double click on the layer where the colours are not cutting on your British laser machine.
In the options/settings window which opens, there is an option to enter the corner power.
When a laser machine is operating, it typically has to slow down when it reaches a corner, so that it can change direction, and then resume travelling at the originally specified speed. As such, you have the option to set a lower power for the corners of your shapes, so that the laser does not over-power the material when it slows down.
If you set the corner power too low, or to zero, then the laser will not fire when moving around the corners.
Set the corner power to a value which is lower than the overall cut power, but higher than zero! i.e. for a laser cutting power of 50, set the corner power to around 25-30.
PhotoGrav Software
Information about PhotoGrav image editing software, for engraving photographs. PDF
How to setup PhotoGrav to use with your CTR Laser machine. PDF
Tutorials and Projects (Design);
Additional Software Support
- How to re-set your controller language to English. PDF
- How to adjust the Backlash, Scaling, Offsets and Squareness. PDF
- How to re-set the datum position, if you have accidentally changed this in your machine controller. PDF
- Soft Stop error message. PDF
- How to engrave circles inside a vector shape. PDF