A method for positioning a laser on a crystal grain on a sample on a support surface during a laser ablation procedure comprising: setting an ablation pattern including multiple intended laser locations for a sample during a scan placement process comprising for each of the multiple intended laser locations: positioning the sample relative to an intended laser location of said multiple intended laser locations on the sample with a motion control system, saving position coordinates for the intended laser location, and saving an image taken with a camera for the intended laser location; and initiating an experiment comprising for each of the multiple intended laser locations: positioning the laser location relative to the sample to a current position based on the saved coordinates of a chosen one of the multiple intended laser locations with a saved image, comparing a current image of the current position taken with a camera with the saved image for the chosen intended laser location, determining a position error based on the comparison, if the position error is not within a window of acceptability, then applying an offset movement of the laser location relative to the sample with the motion control system based on the position error to correct for the position error and repeat the comparing and determining steps, and if the position error is within the window of acceptability, then fire a laser beam upon the laser location. setting an ablation pattern including multiple intended laser locations for a sample during a scan placement process comprising for each of the multiple intended laser locations: positioning the sample relative to an intended laser location of said multiple intended laser locations on the sample with a motion control system, saving position coordinates for the intended laser location, and saving an image taken with a camera for the intended laser location; and positioning the sample relative to an intended laser location of said multiple intended laser locations on the sample with a motion control system, saving position coordinates for the intended laser location, and saving an image taken with a camera for the intended laser location; and initiating an experiment comprising for each of the multiple intended laser locations: positioning the laser location relative to the sample to a current position based on the saved coordinates of a chosen one of the multiple intended laser locations with a saved image, comparing a current image of the current position taken with a camera with the saved image for the chosen intended laser location, determining a position error based on the comparison, if the position error is not within a window of acceptability, then applying an offset movement of the laser location relative to the sample with the motion control system based on the position error to correct for the position error and repeat the comparing and determining steps, and if the position error is within the window of acceptability, then fire a laser beam upon the laser location. positioning the laser location relative to the sample to a current position based on the saved coordinates of a chosen one of the multiple intended laser locations with a saved image, comparing a current image of the current position taken with a camera with the saved image for the chosen intended laser location, determining a position error based on the comparison, if the position error is not within a window of acceptability, then applying an offset movement of the laser location relative to the sample with the motion control system based on the position error to correct for the position error and repeat the comparing and determining steps, and if the position error is within the window of acceptability, then fire a laser beam upon the laser location.