Networking with Flexi...

[Joseph Dunkle]

First off I have read the other threads about networking and Flexi and have some questions that are not really the same, So here I go...

This is what I have:
1 laptop with windows xp
1 desktop with windows 2k
1 copy of Flexi 7.5v1 Starter
1 Peice of crap plotter
3gigabyte/sec cable internet connection
wired/wire less network.

Now what I want to do:

What I invision is to take the desktop and make it a stricktly a production only computer, no email, no internet browsing. It has two 80gig hard drives. one for programs and one for files. I want to be able to axcess these files from anyware with my laptop (I mean ANYWARE) and when I am at the shop and it is time to cut I want to beable to send files to the production manager on the desktop from the laptop or if not possible or just too complicated just open it up on the desktop and cut from there.

My question to all of you wonderful folk is how do I accomplish all of this with one copy of flexi? I use Corel 12 to do all of the designing on my laptop and I can already save it to the desktops file drive when I am in the office. I don't know how anything in flexi works except how to press the cut button for the most part.

 

[WVB]

Most likely you will not be able to due to the dongle issue. I would install flexi on your desktop and cut it with it. You may access your desktop from anywhere with software such as PCAnywhere, MyPC.com (I think thats it), set up a remote desktop via windows. WinVNC may work for you (frreebie).

 

[Joseph Dunkle]

I read some of the other articles on running flexi on a network and flexi says you can run it as long as the dongle is plugged into one computer and you can only open flexi on one computer at a time

 

[WVB]

Correct. So you would not be able to design/send to cut via your laptop to your desktop machine at the same time. So you will have to PC Anywhere into your desktop machine via laptop. (Hopefully you will have Flexi already open on desktop) and command your desktop via laptop remotely.

 

[Joseph Dunkle]

Oh this is gonna be fun... I downloaded the program and it seems to work pretty well

 

[jayhawksigns]

Joseph-

Install the full Flexi setup, with Production Manager on your desktop, and just the core Flexi program on your Notebook. This gives you some options.

1. You can keep the Flexi dongle with the notebook, that way you can use Flexi anywhere without needing an internet connection. And when you have a network connection to your notebook at your shop you will be able to load production manager on the desktop and cut as needed. The PM will see the dongle on the notebook and load.

2. Or you can leave the dongle on the desktop running production manager and use a remote access software like PCAnywhere or Radmin to access the desktop computer and work on it remotely, which I wouldn't recommend.

If you want to access your files remotely, going with something like the first idea I listed, you can setup an ftp server and access the files remotely.

I have been toying with trying to get a VPN setup with our shop and my house, wanting to find out if our dongle on our PM would let me load Flexi over the VPN connection, if it would that would be another option for you as well.

 

[mark in tx]

You should be able to have the production manager running on the desktop, with flexi itself running on the laptop. The user manual has the basic instructions on how to do it.

 

[Joseph Dunkle]

Okay folks, I have the laptop saving to the desktop and I can controll the desktop from the laptop at the shop. Now I am having a problem getting my corel files into Flexi, I have tried CDR7/8 cmx, ai, eps, and a couple others and the only ones I can get to open are the cmx and there are extra lines cutting the letters in half.

 

[WVB]

I have issues with opening Corel files within FlexiPro 7.5. However, Illustrator opens them flawlessly. Are you using the import or the open command to open Corel/Illustrator files?

 

[Joseph Dunkle]

I don't know wha happened to my post that I put on here last night but;

I have tried to import and open. I have also figured out the lines problem. I have tried every thing.

 

[WVB]

Have you tried to save as an older version of Corel?

 

[Joseph Dunkle]

I have tried corel 7 and 8 since those were the two lowest with no luck

 

[Greg987654]

Flexi networking

Go to www.logmein.com and use their free software. Set up the desktop as the base machine with the dongle. Use the laptop to connect with the desktop via the internet. When connected, the laptop takes over the desktop machine and can run anything on the desktop.

We use this method to design from home and be ready to print first thing when we come in. Works great.

 

[Techman]

SAve your corel files as CMX.. flexi will have no probs with that file type..