Saved Files

When saving a file, LaserCanvas effectively saves the "workspace," including the top level system, any out-coupled systems, as well as all graphs and other design tool windows that are open. All of the properties for each window, including the position within the LaserCanvas window, are also saved.

Saving a File

To save a file, select menu File | Save or click the Save File button on the toolbar. If the file has not been previously saved, you will be prompted to type in a file name. Otherwise, any changes you have made since opening the file are saved to the same file name.

To save the file under a different name, select menu File | Save As...

Since LaserCanvas uses a text-based file format, the default file extension is txt.

Loading a File

To open a file, select menu File | Open... or click the Open File button on the toolbar.

If there is an error within the file, LaserCanvas attempts to keep as much of the system as possible. For example, if one optic is poorly defined, the remaining optics are still loaded, if possible.

When loading a file that contains variables while another file is already open, the system being opened may be different to its configuration when it was saved. This is because the existing LaserCanvas variable values are used. To use the variable values in the stored file, close all other systems before opening the file.