Newbie Software Questions

[Stroker Ace]

I have a Graphtec cutter that I run with ProDesign software. ProDesign is somebody's inhouse version of FlexiSign. I have the following questions:

When I outline text and then cut it, the text I've outlined is also cut. I would like to cut the text that was outlined and the outline separately. How do I do that? There are several options available in the Production Manager but regardless of the option I choose, it's the same result. The option I'm using is in the Advanced Tab and I think it's called "Send all Colors".

When I select the "cut" icon, the production manager opens. If I leave it sit for even a couple of minutes without clicking on the send button, it locks up. After that happens I have to control-alt-delete into the Windows task manager, close the production manager and start over. How can I prevent the lock-up from occurring?

Thanks
Mark

 

[VinylCraft]

Try selecting the text right click and seperate outline option

 

[signage]

Do you have the original text and the outline of the text in different colors? If so on the right side if the pro. man. window you should see boxes of each color select the color you want to cut then send it to the cutter. After that color is done cutting change the vinyl and select the other color and send to the cutter.

 

[bob]

I assume that the text is one color and the outline is another and you want to cut one and then the other. If that's the case then you either do not want to use 'Send All Colors' or you need to specfiy 'Pause Between Colors' or disable the colors you don't want to cut by right-clicking on each of those colors at the upper right of the General tab and making each of them not visible.

If you choose, wisely in this case, not to use the Send All Colors feature, then you select the color you want to send by selecting the corresponding color on the upper right of the General tab.

If, bog knows why, your text and its outline are the same color and you want to send just the outline, then separate the outline and select just it to send to the cut/plot dialog.

Basically it's like this: If you want to cut multiple colors you have to send multiple jobs to the Production Manager.

If the PM is hanging up on you most likely you don't have it's interface set up correctly. Are you using TCP/IP or what?

 

[Stroker Ace]

Chris - I have not tried that.

Brian - Yes, I have the original text and the outline in separate colors and have tried to send both colors separately. When I do that, regardless of the Production Manager option I select, the outline is cut with the original text cut also. When I select the other color, only the original text is cut. That makes me feel like I'm on the right track but I'm not quite there.

 

[Stroker Ace]

Thanks Bob. I'll see if I can figure out how to do that. As far as my settings, I dont know what TCP or IP mean so I can't answer your question.

 

[bob]

Chris - I have not tried that.

Brian - Yes, I have the original text and the outline in separate colors and have tried to send both colors separately. When I do that, regardless of the Production Manager option I select, the outline is cut with the original text cut also. When I select the other color, only the original text is cut. That makes me feel like I'm on the right track but I'm not quite there.

Ahhhhh...Just what KIND of outline? With or without full backing? It sounds very much like you're specifying a outline without full backing. On the outline tab on your Design Central dialog, which box, the one with the red center or the one with the gray center? If it's the one with the gray, empty, center, choose the one with the red center.

TCP/IP == Terminal Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ... if memory serves.

 

[signage]

Mark here is a link to tutorials for signwarehouses version of Flexi it may help you.
http://www.signwarehouse.com/tech-support/HTML/Software/index.html
I don't necessarily recommend them but this tutorial may help.

 

[learned the hard way]

Select your text and go to effects/contour. When the design central-outline box opens, select outline in the dropdown. Set the width to however big you want, offset to zero, copies to 1, and miter limit changes how sharp or round the corners are. Make sure the outline is a different color from the text and hit cut/plot. When production manager opens make sure that send all colors is not selected. Now you should be good to cut text in one color and outline in another. The offset and number of copies is the key to your problem. To get the result you're looking for offset must be set to zero, number of copies to 1.
As far as the locking up, I don't know what to tell you. I'd have to be there to play with your computer to figure that one out. I don't think it's tcp/ip related. If it cuts anything at all it must be communicating. If all else fails, maybe uninstall/reinstall software.

 

[Stroker Ace]

Thanks for the tutorial info Brian.

It looks like my main problem was just what Bob said it was - the wrong backing option in Design Central was specified. Thanks Bob. I do have a problem now with the registration marks of the outline and original text not lining up. I'm using the Automatic Registration Marks option in the advanced tab of the Production Manager. Any suggestions? I'm doing pretty much exactly what Learned The Hard Way suggested and Bob's Design Central setting.

Regarding the locking up of the the Production Manager, I've now noticed that it only locks up before a job is sent. Once the job is sent, it can sit indefinately without locking up??

I've been trying to solve this outline problem for about a month and in 10 minutes it's fixed. Thank you all very much.

Mark