How Do I Check an ILDA File Before Connecting a Laser?
To check an ILDA file in BeamTracer, open ILDA VIEWER, load the .ild file, and expand FILE HEALTH. Read the file-structure verdict separately from the point-budget verdict. Choose the intended DEVICE profile and playback FPS, then inspect the animation. A WITHIN reading is a point-count estimate, not permission to project.
Hi, I'm Trina with BeamTracer.com. A file can load and draw a clean picture while asking for more points per second than the selected profile allows. Check the numbers with the picture before moving to hardware.
Watch me load a star into ILDA Viewer, read File Health at 30 and 10 FPS on two device profiles, orbit it in Cinema and play the same file in the Laser Show visualizer:
The same 60-frame star at 30 FPS, 10 FPS, then 30 FPS on Standard 30k. FILE HEALTH changes while the artwork keeps playing. This is a software preview; no projector is connected.
How do I check the file's structure and point demand?
Load the file in ILDA Viewer and open FILE HEALTH in ILDA SOURCE. The first badge reports structural validity. The second compares point demand with the selected profile. Check the frame count, format and EOF marker as well as the badges.
- Open ILDA VIEWER and choose CLICK OR DRAG ILDA FILE HERE to load your
.ildfile. - Expand FILE HEALTH and read VALID, WARN or ERROR.
- Choose the intended profile under DEVICE, using the point rate configured for that projector.
- Expand PLAYBACK CONTROLS, set FPS, and turn BEAT SYNC off for a full-file comparison.
- Read Required, Selected rate, and WITHIN, NEAR LIMIT or OVER LIMIT, then inspect FRAME POINT LOAD for dense frames.
- Review the playing artwork in 2D and 3D before saving a copy through EXPORT ILDA → CONVERT & DOWNLOAD in the
.ildformat.
Exporting a copy does not resolve an over-budget file by itself. Point reduction and format conversion are separate export choices. Reload any changed file and check its new counts before using it elsewhere.
What is the difference between VALID and WITHIN?
VALID means the parsed file passes the structural checks. WITHIN means the heaviest frame's point count, multiplied by the playback frame rate, is below 70% of the selected point rate. A structurally valid animation can still read OVER LIMIT at a demanding frame rate.
| Badge | What the Viewer checks |
|---|---|
| VALID / WARN / ERROR | File structure and detected format issues |
| WITHIN | Point demand below 70% of the selected rate |
| NEAR LIMIT | Point demand from 70% through 100% of the selected rate |
| OVER LIMIT | Point demand above the selected rate |
Read any ADDITIONAL NOTES too. A missing EOF marker or an indexed-color note has a different meaning from a high point count. The ILDA Viewer guide explains the file fields and advanced inspection tools.
Why does lowering FPS change the point-budget result?
A lower playback FPS asks for fewer animation frames each second. The star in this example has 1,512 stored points per frame, including blanked points. At 30 FPS it asks for 45,360 points per second; at 10 FPS it asks for 15,120. The Viewer rounds those readouts to 45 and 15 kpps.
| Same star file | Selected profile | Required rate | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 FPS | Standard 30k | 45.36 kpps | OVER LIMIT |
| 30 FPS | High-Speed 60k | 45.36 kpps | NEAR LIMIT |
| 10 FPS | Standard 30k | 15.12 kpps | WITHIN |
The slower version also takes longer to play: 60 frames take two seconds at 30 FPS and six seconds at 10 FPS. Decide whether that timing still fits the animation. Simplifying the artwork is another way to reduce demand while keeping its intended duration.
A single-frame file works differently: the Viewer reports redraws per second at the selected point rate. It does not assign an animation FPS to one still frame.
Can I choose a faster profile to clear the warning?
Choose the profile that matches the intended hardware and configured point rate. Switching the software comparison from Standard 30k to High-Speed 60k changes the available budget in the report. It does not upgrade a 30k projector.
The star stays at 30 FPS. Only the comparison profile changes. The file still contains the same points.
File health does not certify a laser setup
The estimate does not measure scanner stress, exposure or physical alignment. A green budget badge and a clean software preview do not establish that a projection is safe. Follow your projector's operating limits and the laser output guide before any hardware session.
How do I inspect the same artwork in 3D?
Choose 3D, open SCENE, and select Cinema — Premium fog under BEAM MODE. Choose Orbit Mode above the preview to move the camera around the playing artwork. The orbit gives another view of the paths and simulated beams; use the 2D view when you need to read the drawing directly.
The same star at 10 FPS in Cinema, viewed with the native orbit camera. Fog, beams and the room are a software simulation.
You can preview Cinema on lower plans with a watermark. Studio includes the unwatermarked Cinema view. See the 3D beam-viewer guide for the scene controls.
Does changing the preview rewrite the ILDA file?
Changing playback FPS or the comparison profile changes the preview and its report. It does not remove points from the original file. In this example, exporting the unchanged Format 5 artwork preserves the 60 frames and 90,720 stored points even after previewing at 10 FPS.
EXPORT ILDA opens the conversion dialog. Keep the original format and point settings for an unchanged copy. Recheck a file after any deliberate point reduction.
For a smaller file, follow the SVG simplification lesson. For animation timing, the ILDA beat-loop lesson explains how preview loops differ from retiming the entire file.
Load a file and check the picture alongside its point budget.