Lightburn access in remote desktop to prepare your laser cuts

To enable users to prepare their laser cutting jobs in advance without blocking the computer that controls the laser cutter, we provide access to a Windows machine for remote access. This allows you to use Lightburn remotely to prepare your laser cutting jobs in advance.

To be able to connect to the server, you need to be connected to the EPFL network (either locally or over VPN). You can then use any RDP client to connect to it using your EPFL credentials (see https://make.epfl.ch/remote-pc for details about the connection procedure). The server to connect to is dllstigepc22.

From a Windows or MacOS client, the easiest solution is to use this connection profile: lightburn_server.rdp. This will also allow you to see your local drives from the remote PC (see below).

Once you are connected to the remote server, simply double-click on the Lightburn icon on the desktop to open Lightburn:

The first thing to do before starting to import your DXF or SVG files is to select the laser cutter you are going to use:

This is important because the materials library, machine configuration and plate size are not the same. Once this is done, simply use Lightburn as you would use it on the laser PC. To transfer files from/to the remote computer, see the next section.

There are several options to transfer files from/to the remote computer.

• If you used the provided connection profile, you will directly see the local disks of your PC on the remote one:

• From Windows and MacOS clients you can simply copy-paste files between the local and the remote PC as you would do between two directories on your local PC.
• You can also access your EPFL network My Documents folder from the remote PC.

To save your Lightburn project to use on the laser PC, you can either save it to the EPFL My Documents folder and load it from there once you are on the laser PC, or save it to a USB stick and bring it with you. For the SKIL laser cutter, only the latter option will work, as the computer is not connected to the network.

To actually cut your parts, you will need to physically connect to the PC controlling the laser, import your project (either from a USB drive or from your networked My Documents folder), and enjoy your cut and the sweet smell of MDF burning.

1. Connect to remote desktop

2. Import your DXF or SVG file onto the remote desktop

3. Finalize the cut on the physical computer controlling the laser

To access Lightburn, you need first to take control of our remote computer (a physical machine on the network, not a VM). These remote computers have a lightburn licence installed on it.

The steps to follow are:

1. Ensure you are connected to the EPFL network (wifi or VPN)
2. Go to the following webpage : make.epfl.ch/remote-pc
3. Read the procedure on how to connect/disconnect properly + store data (see next chapter)
4. At the bottom of the webpage, click on Remotely (& possibly locally) accessible computers for special purposes
5. The PC number DLLSTIGEPC22 is the one with lightburn installed on it. Note that up to 12 users can connect to this computer simultaneously
6. Copy DLLSTIGEPC22 and paste it into the remote desktop app
7. Once connected to the computer, a new window (see image under) to the remote computer will open on your laptop. On the remote desktop window, a shortcut to open Lightburn is available (red arrow)

You have the following options to import your DXF or SVG documents into Lightburn (remote desktop) from your own laptop

1. Copy from your laptop, paste it on the remote computer
   1. Get out of the remote desktop window (Esc key), go back to your own desktop
   2. Copy your file from your computer
   3. Go back on the window of the remote desktop and paste your file somewhere, open the file from lightburn
2. Browser option
   1. Open a browser on the remote desktop and access your email or a shared collaborative drive on which you can access your file
3. Install RDP config file to create a bridge to your personal hard drive (best alternative if you plan to use the remote computer to prepare your files often)
   1. Download the RDP config file here lightburn_server.rdp
   2. Follow the instruction, once installed, a bridge is created to your personal drive
   3. You can now, directly from the remote desktop hard drive, access your own personal hard drive

Once your file is prepared to be cut on the laser, you still need to open it on the physical computer controlling the laser. In order to transfer your lightburn file from the remote desktop to the physical desktop computer:

1. Use a simple USB key, work all the time and everywhere. Make sure to save your cut with the lightburn extension
2. Use myDocuments (intranet folder) to save your file (save your file using the lightburn extension).

   On the computers of the SPOT, you can access the myDocuments folders. However at SKIL you need to use the USB key

1. Enjoy your cut and the sweet smell of MDF burning