cncArtistMachines / GRBL lasers
GRBL diode lasers
cncArtist for GRBL lasers: CAM for Mac, iPad and iPhone
Native Mac software for designing, simulating and cutting on GRBL diode lasers. Free to download. $299 once to cut without limits. No subscription.
Why cncArtist suits GRBL lasers
A GRBL laser post writes lasers cuts from the same design you route. Burn the line with a laser traces lines and Shade it fills areas.
There is no named laser preset. Pick any GRBL starting point and set your own bed.
What it writes, and how to send it
GRBL laser post
File extension .nc. This post has no in-program tool change, so a job that uses more than one bit is exported as one file per bit (for example a -1-T2 and a -2-T1 file). Run them in order and re-zero Z after each swap.
How to send it
A GRBL sender. The file asks for laser mode ($32=1) in its first lines, so turn it on in your controller before you run it.
Laser safety is up to you: eye protection and a safe setup before any test. cncArtist's posts are checked with golden-file tests: the output for a sample job is compared with a saved copy, so a change cannot slip through unnoticed. That is a software test, not a certification on any machine. Run the simulator and an air cut on a new setup before every first cut.
Features that matter on GRBL lasers
Every line checked first
The simulator plays the whole job back in wood, marks gouges on the board and lists each problem with its toolpath or G-code line, before anything reaches the machine.
Nesting with tabs
Pack parts onto the sheet to waste less wood, with tabs that hold each one in place.
Inlays that fit
Male and female parts are cut from one design, so the plug seats tight. V-carve, pocket, profile, 3D, two-sided, tiling and nesting are all in the same app.
Edit the post if you need to
Copy a built-in post and change its header, footer, tool change and number format. Plain-language checks block unsafe lines, and a live preview shows the result.
From design to first cut
- Add the laser to your bits.
- Pick any GRBL preset in Machine and set the post to GRBL laser.
- Design and choose Burn the line or Shade it.
- Export and open the .nc in a GRBL sender.
- Turn on laser mode, focus, set zero and run a test.
Questions
Which extension?
.nc
Laser mode?
Yes. The file comments that $32=1 must be on.
Tool changes?
No. Lasers use one head.
Coming from Vectric? Read VCarve for Mac.
Free to download.
$299 once to cut without limits.
Design and simulate as much as you like. Your first three jobs export free. Then one purchase unlocks cncArtist on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Commercial use included.
Cut 3 jobs free.
Every design tool, every simulation, and G-code for your first three jobs. No card, no time limit.
Once. Everywhere.
Unlimited export on Mac, iPad and iPhone with one purchase. Free 1.x updates. Family Sharing. Commercial use included.
Launch price $249 until 11:59 pm on Thursday, Dec 31, 2026.
No subscription.
Pay once, cut forever. A paid major version every few years, with an owner upgrade price.