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Getting Started

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P0k3sm0t edited this page May 26, 2026 · 2 revisions

Getting Started

Use this page for first-time setup and the correct order to configure Ray5 Pilot.

What you need

  • A Longer Ray5 connected to your network.
  • The Ray5 IP address.
  • Ray5 Pilot extracted to a folder.
  • Windows, Linux, or macOS.
  • Python and the required packages, unless you are using a packaged launcher/script that handles startup.
  • On Debian/Ubuntu-based Linux systems, python3-venv may be needed before the Linux launcher can create .venv.
  • Optional: a camera stream URL for overlay and timelapse.

First start

Start Ray5 Pilot using one of the methods in Launcher Options. Then open:

http://127.0.0.1:5050

The top navigation has:

If this is a fresh install, use the launcher that matches your operating system:

  • Windows: Start_Ray5_Pilot.bat, Ray5 Pilot.exe, or python app.py.
  • Linux/macOS: ./start-ray5-pilot.sh or python3 app.py.

The web address is the same on all operating systems unless you changed the Web UI port.

  • Dashboard — normal control page.
  • Settings — Ray5 Pilot app settings.
  • GRBL — Ray5/GRBL controller $ settings.
  • ESP32 — ESP3D info, EEPROM tools, backups, and command tools.

First configuration checklist

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Set the Ray5 host/IP.
  3. Confirm the Web UI host is local unless you intentionally need LAN access.
  4. Set workspace min/max values for the laser bed.
  5. Configure camera URL if you use camera overlay or timelapse.
  6. Set SD file options.
  7. Keep test fire disabled until you are ready to test it safely.
  8. Leave WebSocket pings disabled unless troubleshooting network status drops.
  9. Leave Active Job Poll Interval at the default unless you need to tune status traffic during long jobs.
  10. Save config.
  11. Return to Dashboard and check the Status card.

Confirm communication

On the Dashboard, the Status card should show useful values for:

  • State
  • X/Y position
  • Connection
  • System check
  • Ray5 HTTP reachable
  • Ray5 WebSocket reachable
  • SD card list working

If those are not working, go to Troubleshooting before running a job.

Basic workflow

  1. Create laser G-code in your design software.
  2. Import the file into Ray5 Pilot or place it in the watched folder.
  3. Review file bounds if available.
  4. Upload the file to the Ray5 SD card.
  5. Frame the job.
  6. Start the job only after the machine is safe.
  7. Watch the Status card during the run.

Recommended first test

Use a small low-power test file, not a large engraving. Confirm upload, frame, start, pause, resume, stop, status, camera, and SD refresh behavior before relying on the workflow for real projects.

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