New Flexi Update (Service Pack) for 8.1v1!!!!!

[Steve Rife]

Flexi 8.5v2

We are not abondoning Flexi 8.1 users. Flexi 8.5 is the upgrade path for them. You may have heard that 8.5 is good only for Vista users or for color printing, but I can assure you it is not the case. There are many other tweaks and fixes in 8.5 that any user (even a cut only user) will appreciate.

The planned v2 update is built from Flexi 8.5, not 8.1. The upgrade is chargable for 8.0 and 8.1 users, but at a much lower cost than it was to get the 8.0 upgrade. The list price for the upgrade is $395 for Pro, and $295 or $195 for the other levels, depending on your configuration.

Attached is the full readme file to get a detailed view of what was added.

I welcome your feedback. You can contact me at stevenr@saintl.biz.

Steven E. Rife
Product Manager, FlexiFAMILY
SA International
----------------------------------------------------
2 International Plaza, Suite 625
Philadelphia, PA 19113 USA

 

[fozzyber]

Attached is the full readme file to get a detailed view of what was added.

Really? Wow your almost as good as tech support....

 

[Steve Rife]

the Flexi 8.5 readme file

Flexi Changes

• Auto Updates - The software will periodically check for any new updates on launch and informs you when they are ready to download. Check for updates immediately by choosing Help>Check for Updates. For SHK users, updates need to be checked manually by selecting Help>Check for updates.
• Autodimension now includes a DesignCentral page to include strokes and to select which corner to place the measurements.
• Pressing arrow keys during path segment selection will now move the segment and not the entire path.
• Blend effect now preserves colorspace of objects.
• Files saved now use the extension fs or pd instead of FS or PD.
• Opening a Casmate file no longer places all objects in a group. Note, that on import a group is automatically made for all files.
• Auto serialization objects can now be ungrouped in order to edit a part of the job.
• Send Email as JPEG or PDF will now always display options dialog.
• Bitmap Edit Tools will now work with bitmap images on 90 degree rotations.
• Sample file that install now include Job Info in order to demonstrate templates.
• Distribution toolbar has been rearranged to follow order in the menu.
• Multiple FS files can now be opened at one time.
• Add to swatch table and transform with object options are no longer shown in gradient properties dialog when no object is selected. These options are object specific and are not stored with the gradient definition.
• Windows thumbnail image for Flexi files is now higher resolution and smoother to better view the files.
• Snap now allows snapping at the intersection of two guidelines, and snapping when using the bezier path tool.
• True Shape Nesting no longer re-calculates on clicking apply.
• True Shape Nesting no longer breaks groups apart.
• Select Tool now selects within groups when other objects inside the group are hidden with the view filter.

Import / Export Changes

• Importing EPS files no longer create as many masks
• EPS files exported from Flexi can now recognize spot colors in order to use spot color mapping.
• PDF export has new option "Export Substrate" in order to export the drawing area and substrate color.
• Adobe AI/EPS import of some files no longer shows holes inside the object.
• DXF import no longer skips the last segment of each path.
• DXF import now supports complex geometry. (quadratic and cubic splines)
• Export as PDF no longer crashes if there are lenses on non-RGB images.

Color Changes

• Color name appended to the tool tip of stroke color
• Metamark color libraries have been added.
• Roland Color System Library has been added.
• Measure Color has been added to FlexiPRINT and CUT
• "Merge from document" has been modified to merge the colors with same information (including name, color value, vendor, type #, part #) to one.
• Pattern fills are now drawn more accurately on screen.

Text Changes

• DesignCentral can now display more fonts without scrolling, and scroll bar no longer appears off the edge of the screen.
• It is now much easier to click the text tool inside an existing block of text, especially when the text is small.
• Improved scrolling of fonts in DesignCentral using arrow keys.
• On screen spell check is less sensitive about where you right-click, especially during text creation.
• Stroke fonts have been renamed to start with the letter "E". For example, Baha 1 is now E Baha 1. Documents that use the original font name will be automatically substituted to use the new name.
• Insert symbol no longer shows characters that cannot be inserted in the first two rows of the dialog.
• Converting Braille to text no longer offsets the text from the position of the Braille.
• Braille now defaults to lowercase.
• Full Justify can now be properly disabled.

Bug Fixes

• Registration marks no longer disappear after using the view filter.
• Flexi no longer freezes when resizing certain patterns.
• Z resolution for engravers now displays properly when units are set to metric.
• Import of multiple Casmate files no longer causes Flexi to exit.
• Label text no longer offsets if too long.
• Island fill has been improved to not leaves holes in some objects, or skip other objects.
• Outline has been improved to give the correct result for certain paths.
• Auto Serialization no longer crashes when system32\MSFLXGRD.OCX is not registered.
• Auto Serialization will no longer freeze when using stroke text with medium kerning.
• Auto Serialization will no longer split text at a symbol such as $ or (). It only splits text at a space.
• Degree symbol in DesignCentral is no longer corrupted when regional setting is partially set to a 2-byte locale.
• Icons are now retained after customizing the Flexi 7.x workspace.
• Dimension tools now properly store default settings.
• Multiple copies of drill points now output correctly
• Bitmap>Make transparent now works on large bitmaps.
• Production Manager will no longer freeze on launch due to an SHK driver issue.
• Improved compatibility with Photoshop plugin filters.
• Output to a desktop printer will no longer be offset when Selection Only is enabled.

Cut/Plot, RIP and Print and Engrave Output Changes

• Apply color correction in Production Manager option has been added to the advanced tab of the RIP and Print dialog. When enabled, color management will be performed by Production Manager, however any individual input profiles and rendering intents are discarded, and only the settings made in Edit>Color Settings are used.
• Repeat job has been added to the advanced tab of RIP and Print in order to repeat the output of a job. This can be used to enable a job to be trimmed after each row of copies.
• Clicking Properties button in Cut/Plot or RIP and Print will now open Default Job Properties instead of Setup Properties.
• RIP and Print can only connect to Production Manager for PhotoPRINT 6.x and Flexi 8.x.
• Weedlines no longer go though inside of letters (a, e, even u and m).
• Cut lines are no longer created across objects that cross a vertical tile line.
• Option added to Cut/Plot to cut strip crossings. This option defaults to on, but can be turned off when cutting large stencils.
• Panel margin added to RIP and Print contour cut dialog
• Weed lines/split lines are now automatically rotated when the job is rotated.
• "Panel to border" button on the Panel page has now been replaced with a "Panel to border" checkbox and the state of it is saved.
• Easy Weed has been added back to the options tab of Cut/Plot.
• Improved layout of multiple copies of a contour job so that the output matches the preview in RIP and Print dialog.
• Engrave output now shares a single panel for all tools.
• FlexiENGRAVE now includes auto serialize command.
• Engrave option now includes auto serialize command.
• Engrave option no longer includes true shape nesting. This feature was included as part of a promotion with the initial release of the FlexiENGRAVE product line.
• Engrave fill commands now properly store default settings.
• Fixed a bug where offset cannot be changed by dragging the design in File>Engrave dialog.
• Driver options set in Cut/Plot and Engrave are now preserved after using Selection Only option.

New Production Manager Features

• Desktop printing - Option added to install a desktop printer driver each time you add a color printer setup. The desktop printer contains all installed presets and ICC profiles so you can choose from any available. Setup properties has button to install desktop driver if you need to create a desktop printer driver with the current settings.
• Output size compensation now is available in Production Manager for all products, not just RIP products.
• The preview in job properties can now be dragged to change the scale of the file. Drag a corner handle to scale proportionally, or drag an edge handle to scale non-proportionally. Double click the preview to rotate the file.
• The RIP log as been changed to an output log. Instead on only logging each time a file is RIPed, now each time a file is sent to the output device a log entry will be created. This allows you to have better reporting of all jobs that are output regardless of whether they required a RIP.
• Variations - Variations allows you to adjust the hue along with saturation, brightness and vividness while viewing the results on screen in a dynamic dialog.
• Edit - You can now edit files in the queue using any installed graphic application (Photoshop, Corel, Acrobat, etc). After editing, the revised file will be automatically in the queue.
• Improved variable dot dithering when using "Error Diffusion 2"- New dithering has been optimized for use on variable dot printers in order to achieve the smoothest possible output.
• Workflow presets - presets are no longer required in order to store driver options and CMS settings with a color profile. These settings are now built into the ICC profile. Workflow presets are optional settings that store all settings. Presets can be selected at the top of all tabs in the job properties dialog. If any settings in the workflow preset conflict with settings stored in the ICC profile, an alert icon will be shown by the relevant fields.
• Easier preset management - Save, save as, rename and delete are now available as buttons besides the preset selection.
• Recent file list - the 10 previously added jobs will appear in the recent file list if you need to quickly re-add one of them to the queue.
• Queue customization - The column headings can be re-arranged by dragging, and can be shown or hidden by right clicking on the heading and selecting field chooser.
• Basic Job Properties - An efficient way to set all essential parameters in a single dialog box without having to page though each tab of job properties. To change the view to full job properties, click on the advanced job properties button at the left side of the dialog.
• Duplicate Setup - An existing setup can be duplicated with the same manufacturer, model and port. This is useful when adding setups each with different default job properties in order to customize the workflow. Click on the setup in the left pane of Production Manager to duplicate.
• Output Validation - Hewlett Packard Z2000 and Z3100 drivers support output validation. This feature will print a confidence strip that can be compared to an initial reading to report when the colors stray due to banding, media changes, or environmental changes. The strip will be automatically printed and measured, and you can select the alert level. The printer must be connected via USB or TCP/IP in order to use this command.
• Open Job Properties - Option added to add job dialog to immediately edit the file in job properties.
• Immediate access to Job Properties - Job Properties can now be opened immediately while the preview is still loading. Some options such as driver options can be change without the preview. Options such as media size are dimmed.
• Read only Job Properties - Job properties can now be opened to review settings while a job is RIPing or outputting. This allows you to confirm the correct settings were made without having to abort the job.
• Job Estimation - You can now calculate the cost of a job based on material usage plus services such as mounting and lamination. Create your own pricing structure and even add custom services such as delivery. Estimation can be done for an existing job, or before a job is added to provide a client a price over the phone.
• Support added for Dual Rolls of media loaded onto the printer. This can be enabled by turning on Dual Roll in the General tab of Job Properties.
• TWAIN scanning added in order to directly add jobs to the queue.
• Object Color Control now allows for a tolerance to be set for the input color. This enables colors in anti-aliased bitmaps to be remapped to a solid color.
• CutContour layer is now supported for AutoCAD files.
• Color mapping button has been removed from the Setup menu and can now be accessed from the Color Management tab of Default Job Properties.
• Color mapping is now stored as part of a preset.
• Repeat job has been added to the workflow tab of job properties in order to repeat the output of a job. This can be used to enable a job to be trimmed after each row of copies.
• RIP error no longer occurs on processing of some Photoshop PSD files that are added directly to the queue.
• Object Color Control now samples correct color when print is mirrored.
• Using a dither type with a localized name no longer causes ink limits to be ignored.

New Production Manager Look

• Setup column added to Production Manager.
• RAM, Virtual Memory and HD usage are now shown with graphical icons at the bottom of the queue. plus now supports systems with over 4GB.
• New Windows Vista style toolbar and toolbar menus include options for nearly all operations.
• Color scheme has changed and is reflected on all buttons and UI elements within the software.
• Only a single set of column headings are shown to allow for more jobs to appear in the queue without scrolling.
• Add setup dialog has been overhauled. It now defaults to adding a setup based on which ICC profiles you installed.
• Port settings are now set in the Change Port dialog, accessible from Setup>Change Device Port.
• Save preset dialog box now shows icons for each tab.
• IP address is now shown after the setup name in the device bar.
• Date is now shown in the job queue.

Production Manager Nesting

• Job nesting algorithm has been improved to be more efficient in order to save media.
• Nested jobs now show as a hierarchy in the queue with the parent job showing the number of items in the nest.
• Each job in a nest can now be edited without having to unnest then renest the job. You can set number of copies, change size, etc. This can be done by double clicking a nest job child in the queue, or by clicking on the nest parent job and then selecting the individual job within the preview area. Changes made to the parent job will apply to all jobs such as media size and driver options.
• Changing copy spacing will now reset the nesting so that the spacing can be applied.

 

[Steve Rife]

the Flexi 8.5 readme file part 2

Color Profiler

• The color profiler has been completely redesigned in order to optimize the workflow of creating a new ICC profile.
• Color profiles no longer have a separate TRC linearization table. The linearization data is now stored in the ICC profile.
• Gray balance can now be measured and compensated for.
• ICC profiles can now be stored in either ICC version 2.1 or 4.0 format.
• Flexi 7.x and 8.x profiles and presets are not compatible with 8.5. They need to be converted to the new format in order to be used. Flexi 7.x and 8.x presets can be converted and used, and other ICC profiles can be imported as measurement data. There is a button in the color profiler welcome page that steps you though this process.
• Barbieri now supports fast scan mode.
• Ink limit test target has been changed to make it easier to find the point of ink bleeding.
• Linearization now prints additional swatches at the highlights and shadows in order to improve output smoothness.
• The profiler wizard can be stopped and resumed after any stage, and even put in the background in order to continue using Production Manager.
• Full support has been added for N-color devices such as devices that print CMYKRGB plus light inks. ICC profiles can now be created for these new color modes.
• Spot color rendering intent is no longer supported. Use Saturation intent as a substitute to get the most vibrant prints.
• Added support for X-Rite Eye-one on 64bit OSes.
• New media can only be added in the color profiler. Job properties only allows media selection.
• Multiple profiles can now be added in Job Properties by selecting add from the output profile combo.
• Pure Hue option has been removed. It is now always enabled.
• Custom Color Mapping has been removed from setup menu and placed in the Color Management tab of Job Properties so that it can be stored with the preset.
• Support added for X-Rite ISIS colorimeter.
• Support added for HP Z2100, Z3100 and Z6100 as colorimeters.

Driver Changes

• Vinyl Master drivers have been renamed to Desay.
• Machine Automation drivers have been renamed to Multicam and are listed in add setup as engravers.
• Spot colors are no longer swapped on the Summa DC3 / DC4.
• Contour job is on longer mirrored on the Summa DC3 / DC4.
• Summa DC4 now can support up to 8 spot colors in a job.
• Mimaki JV5 now prints with the correct job offset when using 2-bit colormodes.
• Mimaki JV3 / JV4 now better handle timeout so that the job will not stop if the printer is offline for an extended period.
• Canon printers now have support for full colormode support (CMYKRGB)
• Roland GX-24 now honors advance after plot setting.
• New Hermes Vanguard drivers now output holes properly when depth is disabled.
• Graphtec FC7000 and CE5000 now include a driver option to set the cutting condition in order to use settings configured on the cutter.
• Graphtec FC7000 and CE5000 now properly support the cross cut option in the after job tab of cutter driver options.
• Roland VersaCamm SP 540V now has BillBoard print mode for high speed printing.
• Graphtec FC7000 no longer prints segment area marks in the wrong direction.
• Graphtec FC7000 cross cut driver option now operates properly.
• Summa USB port can now be detected with Windows Vista.
• New Hermes and Gravograph drivers now include driver option "Pause before engraving".
• New Hermes: Dwell time setting is now sent to the device.

Roland GX cutters

• The GX cutter will no longer need to be in Rotate 90 mode in order to cut. You can set the cutter to Rotate 0 (the default hardware setting) and it will now work for both regular cutting and contour cutting.
• Poll size no longer swaps material width and height.
• When opening the Cut/Plot dialog box, we now show the preview at the lower left corner with zero offset. Dragging it to the right will increase the offset amount. This is behavior similar to Cut Studio.
• Contour cut marks design has been tweaked so that there are no longer a series of arrows at the end of the print. Instead, the first mark is indicated with a small arrow to indicate where to position the cutter before starting the mark detection.
• All 4 marks are now detected for better accuracy. The current release detects only 3 marks which could lead to some inaccuracies.
• Contour cut can now be up to the maximum of 1.5M instead of 762cm because we no longer require the print job to be loaded into the cutter sideways. That removes the software limitation and allows us to cut to the full length supported on the hardware.

 

[PMG]

Well how can i get the free upgrade , that was stated in the email i have.

 

[Steve Rife]

Really? Wow your almost as good as tech support....

sorry about that. It won't allow .WRI files to be attached, so I took a few moments to format the full text as a post. Enjoy!

 

[PMG]

Steve whats your business phone # directly to the phone you use so people can voice their opinions . I am a very unhappy customer at this point.

 

[Steve Rife]

Steve whats your business phone # directly to the phone you use so people can voice their opinions . I am a very unhappy customer at this point.

Sure thing...
My contact information here is:
+1 610 521 6300 x178 (phone)
+1 610 521 0111 (fax)
StevenR@SAIntl.biz

 

[PMG]

I must say there was a Big miss communication between My self my tech and SAI, Sorry for the confusion.Rep you hit the nail on the head on your post,LOL

 

[lilb93]

I have had flexi since it was 6.01. When the updated to 7 I purchased the upgrade as did many of you also. When they went to 8.0 I also stepped up to the plate and paid again. Now in the upgrade from 8.1 to 8.5 is another cost upgrade. NO WAY. When I asked them why was there a charge at the SGIA show in Orlando, the rep stated they had way too much Pirated software and had to recoup some money. I told him stright out there was no way I was paying for an other upgrade, that I purchased no more than 4 months ago. He said it is too bad and that is the way the ball falls.

Well I was never a fan of Pirated software. Guess what SAI ? I will never purchase you software again PERIOD.

 

[Flame]

I have 8.0. Don't ever plan on upgrading again. If I get a printer that cannot be used with Flexi, I'm selling it on ebay for most likely 1/20th of what I paid for it, and buying Wasatch or CoCut.

How is it that Illustrator and CorelDraw don't have to sell patches and fixes for bugs every few months? Funny, even Macromedia doesn't inform me every few months about a new upgraded that's NEEDED for $500. Why not get it right the first time, or if you screwed up, fix it for free?

Very frustrating... a company that has potential, can make software, but keeps messing it up, time after time after time. Inspire runs better than the newest version of Flexi...

 

[EndlessOptions]

buying Wasatch or CoCut.

How is it that Illustrator and CorelDraw don't have to sell patches and fixes for bugs every few months? Funny, even Macromedia doesn't inform me every few months about a new upgraded that's NEEDED for $500. Why not get it right the first time, or if you screwed up, fix it for free?

Is the problem pirated software or is it that they are losing market share because there are better companies making better products.
Isn't that what happened to the automobile industry, there are all kinds of excuses but if you make a good product and sell it at a fair price and back it up with good service can you really go wrong?

 

[B Snyder]

Flexi 7? 8? I vowed to never send another dime to Scanvec Amiable after version 5.8!

 

[Replicator]

Bug Fixes

• 
  [*]Registration marks no longer disappear after using the view filter.
  [*]Flexi no longer freezes when resizing certain patterns.
  [*]Z resolution for engravers now displays properly when units are set to metric.
  [*]Import of multiple Casmate files no longer causes Flexi to exit.
  [*]Label text no longer offsets if too long.
  [*]Island fill has been improved to not leaves holes in some objects, or skip other objects.
  [*]Outline has been improved to give the correct result for certain paths.
  [*]Auto Serialization no longer crashes when system32\MSFLXGRD.OCX is not registered.
  [*]Auto Serialization will no longer freeze when using stroke text with medium kerning.
  [*]Auto Serialization will no longer split text at a symbol such as $ or (). It only splits text at a space.
  [*]Degree symbol in DesignCentral is no longer corrupted when regional setting is partially set to a 2-byte locale.
  [*]Icons are now retained after customizing the Flexi 7.x workspace.
  [*]Dimension tools now properly store default settings.
  [*]Multiple copies of drill points now output correctly
  [*]Bitmap>Make transparent now works on large bitmaps.
  [*]Production Manager will no longer freeze on launch due to an SHK driver issue.
  [*]Improved compatibility with Photoshop plugin filters.
  [*]Output to a desktop printer will no longer be offset when Selection Only is enabled.
  
  Steven E. Rife
  Product Manager, FlexiFAMILY
  SA International
  ----------------------------------------------------
  2 International Plaza, Suite 625
  Philadelphia, PA 19113 USA
  

So in other words if myself or any other customer bought your fantastic product for over $4000,

and had this many BUGS in it after literally years of development . . . Your company SAi is not willing

to offer a FREE UPGRADES to address the issues that you yourself have acknowledged that you sold

to unwitting customers for the largest retail software cost in the history of the planet . . .

SWEET ! ! ! That'll be remembered in the future . . . !

 

[schurms]

Jump ship and never look back.

 

[signguy27]

Well i think it is bull shlt that i can't get a new computor right now without spending another $400, because i can't run 8.1 on vista. what pisses me off more than anything is i just bought flexi Pro 8.1 only 6 months ago and now after spending that kind of cash with them they wont even help me out. u guys should hook us up with a update for 8.1 to run on vista. i mean com'om is that askin to much! well jsut my .02 it prob. wont get me anywhere but hey, it is just 2 cents.

 

[Replicator]

Anyone else feel like chiming in on this issue !

This is an important matter for our industry and I want to know what everyone thinks

of Stevens response and the SAi mentality towards it's customers . . . !

 

[signage]

I don't have Flexi! But I feel that any software purchased for $1,000.00 and up should be supported for at least a couple of years and possibly one free upgrade to keep customers happy! Just because an operating system change/upgrade doesn't constitute other software suppliers from continuing to support the older software for operating system for several more years. Especially with software geared toward a specific profession.

 

[zmatalucci]

class action lawsuit?

 

[signage]

One other thing if you chose to change to a new OS or computer system I do not feel that that is the fault of the software manufacture! If you purchase new wheels and tires for your car and a few months later decide to purchase a new car and the wheels and tires you previously bought don't fit, it isn't the anyones fault but yours, you wouldn't expect the tire/wheel seller to exchange the old ones for new ones! But SAI should support their software being purchased from a reputable vendor for mote than a few months! I think we should all boycott them and start buying from other sign software developers that support their software for longer than a couple of months!