Star Map · Laser Generator Studio
Star Map Generator for Laser Engraving
The night sky exactly as it was over a place at a moment, with real star positions, constellation lines and the moon phase. Engrave a dark sky, classic dots, or cut every star for a backlit lightbox.
- Exports
- SVG, DXF, PDF, PNG
- Works with
- xTool Creative Space, LightBurn, Glowforge
- Materials
- Maple, birch or basswood plywood, frosted acrylic for backlit maps
What it makes
The Star Map studio draws the sky over any place at any moment: the night two people met, a birth, a wedding, a first night in a new home. Enter a place and a date and time, and it calculates where the stars, constellations and moon were, then lays the result out as a laser file with a title and the details printed underneath.
Three styles
| Style | What the laser does | Best on |
|---|---|---|
| Dark sky | Engraves the whole sky and leaves each star as bare material | Light woods such as maple and birch |
| Classic | Engraves each star as a dot on a plain background | Most woods, slate, coated metal |
| Backlit | Cuts every star as a hole, with a diffuser backing layer, for an LED lightbox | 3 mm plywood with frosted acrylic behind |
Making a star map
- The place. Type a city or address and press Find; the coordinates appear under the box.
- The moment. Set the date and local time. Check the time zone, especially in summer when many places add an hour.
- The stars. Faintest stars sets how many appear, Star size scales every dot, and constellation lines stop just short of their stars so they stay crisp.
- The words. Add a title and subtitle; the place, date, coordinates and moon phase are filled in automatically.
- Export. SVG for xTool Creative Space or LightBurn: black is engrave, blue is score and red is cut.
Small dots need a test. The faintest stars are tiny engraved dots. If they disappear or merge, reduce the Faintest stars value or increase Star size, and check your engrave settings on a test card first.
Building a backlit star map
In Backlit style, every star is cut as a hole sized by its brightness, and a diffuser backing layer can be added behind. Cut the front from 3 mm plywood, the diffuser from frosted acrylic (2 mm works well), and fit an LED strip or panel behind. The result looks like a window onto the sky, and it is one of the most striking pieces a laser can make.
About the sky data
Star positions come from a standard star catalogue down to about magnitude 6, roughly the faintest stars the eye can see on a dark night, and constellation lines from the same open data set. The moon phase is calculated for the date you choose.
Make it a set
Star maps pair naturally with a street map of the same place, or a topographic map of the mountain where someone proposed. Add a photo engraving from Photo Engrave on the back plate for a keepsake people keep for good.
Questions
Are the star positions real?
Yes. The map is calculated from a star catalogue for the place, date and local time you enter, so it shows the sky as it was (or will be) at that moment.
Why does the time zone matter?
The sky turns about 15 degrees an hour. If daylight saving was in effect on the date, the local time is an hour ahead of standard time; set it correctly or the stars will be in the wrong place.
How many stars should I show?
The Faintest stars setting controls it. Magnitude 5 to 5.5 looks like a clear night away from city lights; higher numbers add more, smaller stars, which can be too fine to engrave cleanly on a small map.
What colours does the export use?
Black is engrave, blue is score and red is cut, so each operation can go on its own layer in your laser software.
What material works best?
Dark-sky maps look best on light woods like maple or birch, where the engraved sky contrasts strongly with the bare-wood stars. Backlit maps work well in 3 mm plywood with 2 mm frosted acrylic behind as a diffuser.
xTool, LightBurn, Glowforge are trademarks of their respective owners. Laser Generator Studio is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.