OK- f 7.5 is out......

[Gene@mpls]

Anybody recvd it yet and care to comment? We have an
Edge and are anxiously awaiting a flexi version that will
make a move away from Omega (at least partly) possible.
Flexi rocks-
Omega is a developmently delayed cousin.

Fred I know you are a beta tester and may not like to
get too specific.
Thanks Gene:signs101:

 

[Fred Weiss]

Good morning Gene.

I still haven't received my promised CD of the final release version. The beta looks good but lacked enough documentation related to Edge printing that I haven't been using it as much as I hope to in the future for Edge printing.

As you are probably aware, I still use Flexi version 5.8.2 for all my vector digitizing and cleanup in preference to FS 7.5 or any other application I have. That particular release is the best vector editor ever written.

:signs101:

 

[dennis j]

I still haven,t recieved my official release of Flexi 7.5 yet either hope to get it soon. :signs101:

 

[Gene@mpls]

Dennis- I just recvd my copy yesterday and I am muddling thru
it right now (2pm Sat). There seems to be very sparse documentation on printing to the edge. I have managed to build
a swatch table of vinyl colors and another of foil colors- but can't
figure a way to have more than one open at a time.
I'm now looking at the estimation/invoice area- This is one of
the reasons that I still use fsp5.7, I produce my invoices from
5.7s estimate prog- and f7.0 wouldn't accomodate that. F7.5
seems closer to what I need.

 

[Gene@mpls]

Fred- I couldn't edit the last post- Wanted to mention that the
disc I got was CD#513 version 7.5v2:signs101:

 

[dennis j]

Gene, I will look in to having more than 1 table open at a time when I get my copy I do not think that you can have more than one table open at a time. When you get ready to send the job to the Edge look in the advanced tab it is set up different that in the Omega program. If you have trouble figuring it out I will try to help you out I am not in front of my Beta copy of Flexi right now but I will be later today.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Number of Open Palettes in Flexi

Gene, I haven't seen the final release but this was a big stumbling block for me as a beta tester. I had about a one hour conversation with Matthew Scher (Project Manager for Flexi) by phone and a lot of it centered around the difficulty a competent Omega or GA user would have in adapting to the very different approach taken by Flexi.

Their approach to palettes is to only have one open at a time and that you can build your own custom palette by adding both vinyl colors and foil colors to the same palette or you can just open a different palette when needed. Spot color foils have a dot on them so you can tell one from the other.

The logic of Gerber's approach is that you setup a print foil color, a vinyl assignment, normal print or overprint, cut or not cut, ...... all in Composer. This is not Flexi's approach and a lot of what you may be used to doing in Composer is done in the Production Manager instead of in the main drawing area of Flexi.

I'd love to use Flexi more for my Edge work but so far I've limited myself to just CMYK printing because I don't understand how to do all the things I am used to doing in Omega.

:signs101:

 

[Gene@mpls]

Ok- it's sunday @ 10am- snowing heavily- arrrrgghhh.

I had installed 7.0 on my edge/omega station when I was having
problems with my 7.0 installation- so I figured I'd give it a try.
Set up 3 rectangles overlapping and did a contour around all 3-
poked around in PM till I figured out how to assign spot colors,
etc and sent it to the remote (edge station) PM. Printed it and
cut it- woooo- so far so good. It acually printed process ( I figured
out why) and the contour was, well- close.

Then the computer gods caught up with me- when I sent the
new revised spot layout, it printed perfectly ( I might add that
the color alignment was *perfect*, no trapping needed) but
when I tried to cut it froze and I had to do a cold start.

I loaded the 7.5 PM on the edge comp and uninstalled 7.0,
but it will not open- after reading the 7.5 manual, I see
that you must have the dongle on the remote station rather than
the design station. This will not work for me as I use F5.x on the
design station and that will not sense the dongle thru the net-
work.
So.... an exciting start. But it is going to be harder to hone my
skills and work on 7.5/edge aspect. I will have to run cables
across the work floor- not feasable during the hustle/bustle of
the work week.
Was my excellent color alignment a fluke (wasn't a good
test sample) or has anyone else experienced this?
Do you suppose that Flexi intends to release any documentation
to go along with this wonderfull new upgrade? Seems like a
shame if they do not. Mark Rugan says on his site that he is
preparing a DVD on the flexi/edge situation. Is this our official
info source? Seems odd to me.

Time to go home and enjoy the snow I guess. Not! Gene
:signs101:

 

[dennis j]

Fred, I agree with you there is a quite a learning curve, it is starting to get a little easier. Have you found the spectratone palettes yet?

Gene, so far we have had good luck with the line up also. Have you figured out how to use Abrasion Guard yet it is in the main screen under Effects and is called Finisher.

:signs101:

 

[Bob Gilliland]

An outsider looking in, so asking with sincerity.

How is the online Help in regarding to given any insight to the new thermal support with the software? I’m under the impression that print documentation is minimal, if anything, at this point and wondering if the Help file is the same.

I am quite happy with SignLabs efforts in supporting thermal, however, and I have mentioned this to company personal on more then one occasion, their documentation and Help system leave a lot to be desired. “If” a program is intuitive, or simple in nature, perhaps arguments can be made for poor or lack of solid documentation. However, this isn’t the case for thermal printing and the options it affords, let alone all the other “goodies” these programs pack.

I have become spoiled by Gerber’s approach to online Help. In addition to the standard [F1] for “regular” Help, a press of the [SHIFT]+[F1] key combination takes you to “context” help, or, right to the area of the Help file relative to where you are or where you click. This goes along way in breaking the “programmer calls it this” while the end user “calls it that” syndrome This could go a long way in shorting the learning curve (provided the Help file was relevant) and perhaps get more people to consult the Help system instead of avoiding it like a plague.

 

[Gene@mpls]

Hi Bob- the documentation is dismal- and the prog (thermal
print wise) is not what I would call intuitive. Gene

 

[Bob Gilliland]

Gene,

Building a better mouse trip is only part of the process. Unless it’s communicated with the end user on how best to use the mouse trap, the mouse trap gets a bad rap.

Perhaps Scanvec and CADlink will address the issue and bring their respected Help files and documentation up a level or two to be more beneficial for the end user.

Remember how “intuitive” and “fun” (or was that frustrating) it was when you first started learning Flexi? Give it a little time and it very well could fit like an old glove. I saw and heard many long time “frustrated” SignLab users when it came to interfacing with a “thermal” mindset. After having a “Gerber” mindset in regards to thermal output, it does take some time and effort in learning new ways. Sometimes the new ways are better (after learning and understanding), and sometimes they aren’t. When it’s a “not better” situation, that is when its time to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and inform them of such. Giving some solid and sound feedback should benefit both parties. “They” get a better product to offer and “you” can take some pride in knowing you help influence the product. More benfits could come as well, but those are usually on a case by case situation and very from company to company and time period to time period.

Wish you Flexi guys lot’s of luck. I always viewed having some competitive options as a good thing, and hope that to really be the case.

If it ever gets to frustrating, think how much fun it would be to hand paint a dozen “Pool rules” signs. Should help to put things back into perspective real quick.

 

[Gene@mpls]

Continuing Flexi 7.5 pokeing around

Ok- another weekend of tinkering. Got pretty good at spot
color work (still seems like the registration is better without
trapping than Omega) but printing the same tiff in Omega,
at 70lpi using gerbertone STC, looks way better than it does
printed thru Flexi. I couldn't figure out how to change any LPI
settings in Flexi- so may not be a fair test.
The remote Production Manager works well (dongle on remote
station) so I don't need to run another cord ( or 2, with the
cutter). Sure wish there was more documentation- like Bob G
says- time to draft a email to ScanAm I guess. Gene:signs101:

 

[dennis j]

Gene, I got my disks and also have been playing around with Flexi.

If you get to the Rip and Print window and go to the advanced tab look for the dither type make sure the window is set to Angled Screen then press the Screen button. In the window that pops up you can set the Angle and the Frequency ( Lines per Inch).

I have not had a chance to print any tiffs yet but I did get it figured out how to print Gradient fills using one or two spot colors here are the steps I used don't know if it is the proper way but it worked.

Select Gradient fill in the Fill/Stroke Editor. Under the fill scroll down window there are four buttons the third one from the left is the one where you can select RGB, CMYK, Single spot or Double spot. After selecting either single or double spot choose the spot colors. When you go to the Rip and Print window turn off Color correction and check the box to Enhance dither quality. This will give the Gradient fill a nice even flow. If the Enhanced dither quality is not checked with Gradient fills the banding is terrible.

As far as the foil and vinyl tables go they are not set up seprately like we are use to in the Omega software I guess that is one thing that I would like to see changed.
:signs101:

 

[Gene@mpls]

Thanks Dennis- I'll try that. It would be nice to share whatever
info we can figure out- since documentation is not very good. Gene
:signs101:

 

[Bob Gilliland]

Not sure what everyone else wants out of a forum, but this is what I like; folks helping each other out to overcome obstacles. Nice job!

Maybe we can get some Scanvec~Amiable folks on board to lend some additional insight and assistance.