Totally lost with a new GX-24. 14 years in the business

[IsItFasst]

First off, I'd like to say I started cutting vinyl in 2001 with a cheap cutter from SW. Then upgraded to a different cutter from SW which was a 24" Panther. I know people will say it was junk but it cut thousands of yards of vinyl over the last 10 years but it finally bit the bullet. I am also the owner of of SP-300V which is use for my print/cut combo decals but like to have a cutter dedicated to cut only material. So when the Panther stopped working I decided to "upgrade" to a GX-24. But I am lost or else something is wrong with this machine. Got it brand new today and I have all kinds of questions/issues.

I am running Flexi 8.x on an old XP computer. The GX is hooked up through a serial port (I tried USB thinking that may be the issue but read that USB makes things worse). Maybe someone can chime in and explain a few thing to me:

• Why does the machine always cut at the left most point no matter where I put the graphic on the preview panel? This question, like many others is based on past experience with my old machine. Wherever I put it on the preview panel is where it would cut it. The GX seems to only want to cut at the far left only.
• I can't get this thing to poll the size of the sheet. Always worked fine on my old machine.
• I also don't understand why there is no safety feature that stops the machine from cutting. I noticed that if the machine is cutting and you lift the media handle the machine will continue to cut even though it knows that it can't move the material anymore. Seems really odd that it keeps going. My other machine knew to stop instantly if the handle was lifted.
• On a related note it spun the material back one time cutting where the wheels weren't on the material anymore and it just started cutting into the cut strip on the machine.
• The machine just seems to just randomly pick spots on the material to start cutting. Sometimes it will start cutting right where I have. Other times it will go down the sheet a yard and pick a spot to cut. Or as mentioned above it will even back up so much as to spit on the material and just start cutting the strip on the machine.
• Also, the cutting speeds seems to randomly change. I originally was seeing some error that was making the machine cut a 1cm speed. I'm not seeing that error anymore though but it was the start of this whole fiasco. Now it seems when I set the speed to 25cm it seems to randomly change the speed to 40 a few cuts later.
• I've noticed if I try to do two cuts back to back it spits out the material really fast then I get a "motor error" message on the screen.

These are just a few issues I can think of but I know there are more than this. Can anybody shed some light on to what is going on? This is just way too many issues to start off with so this machine may just have to go back. Last time I upgraded my machine I plugged it in and was cutting normal right after that. Even learning my print/cut machine wasn't nearly this complicated.

 

[GAC05]

I don't own this plotter
but from what you have posted it seems like a communication error between the cutter and either windows or flexi.
The serial cable you are using needs to be a crossover cable and not a straight through cable.
If it is the correct cable the next thing I would check is if you installed the correct windows driver for the GX.
If that is good did you install the cutting app that comes with Roland cutters - Cut Studio?
If it is up and running I'd try to cut something simple out of it and see how that goes.
If it is good then Flexi could be the problem.
It might be sending the wrong plotting code to the plotter.
With my Graphtec I can change the plotting language from HP-GL to GP-GL under the I/O advanced settings on the keypad.
For your Roland I think it is supposed to be Camm-GL III

The only other thing I can think to check is to make sure your port settings under XP are the same as what is set on the plotter.
Check them on your potter keypad, the factory settings should be:
I/O = Auto (you could change this to serial in case Auto is off for the day....)
Baud = 9600
Data = 8
Stop = 1
Parity = None
Hand = H-wire

These should match to What Windows has set for the com port you have it plugged into.

I'm just guessing so it could be something totally different.
Good luck

Wayne k
guam usa

 

[WildWestDesigns]

We have 3 of them going and haven't had with any issues like you are describing.

We do have the connection through USB. Speed has been consistent. I've only raised the handle once on the machines (and that was merely to test) and they stopped even before it was all the way released.

It can poll, but on the machine, do you have it for sheet or roll? If it's roll, it will only do width, if it's sheet it will do width and length.

Now, I don't use Flexi, I either have used CutStudio (cheap program that came with it), or cut directly out of Ai/DRAW/Inkscape.

With the cutting on the far left, that is where they have the origin set up. I have only been able to get a change when working with CutStudio. Most of the time it doesn't bother me, so I cut directly out of Ai/DRAW/Inkscape.

Make sure you are using the correct language when sending to the plotter and have the correct driver setup as well. Like I said, I don't use Flexi, so I don't know if something is going on with the language there.

 

[ayukish]

A couple of your problems are because you aren't setting the origin point. It explains why the machine is feeding the material out and cutting on the cutting strip and why it picks random spots to begin cutting. You need to set the origin before and after every cut.

There is a "Pause" button on the machine. Press that and the machine will stop cutting. You then have the option to cancel the job or resume cutting.

The default origin point on the GX-24 is set to lower left. You will have to rotate your designs in Flexi to accommodate the lower left origin point.

 

[OldPaint]

your problem is not the GX-24. its the software of FLEXI, the serial connection.
i have only owned rolands(PNC-1000/PNC-1100(2).CX-300) have never cut from any other program then DIRECT FROM COREL DRAW. always been connected via printer port....NEVER any of the problems you have.
MACHINE has DEFAULT setting.... on the little control panel.....set it to them.....them you wont have the fighting going on between it and flexi.....or get corel and connect to USB/as a printer....and never look back)))

 

[DougWestwood]

Windows XP?

Having just upgraded from Windows XP, it is no longer supported by its creator or other sources.
Might be that your operating PC software is not compatible.
You might be FORCED to upgrade to the next level of Windows.

Good Luck!
- Doug
Vancouver

 

[IsItFasst]

I'd like to say thanks for those helping me sort things out. Okay, I have played around a little more with other issues surfacing. As I stated earlier I have a SP-300V by Roland so I am familiar with how they work as a cutter. I am currently using it as my cutter until I get this sorted. That machine works way more normal than my GX.

I went back and set the GX up as a USB connection since others are saying that is the problem. My other cutter was hooked up this way and worked just fine so that is how I started testing it. When I read some other posts that many were saying they were having problems using USB (and should buy a keyspan if the computer didn't have a serial port) I decided to try the serial again. But as of now it is on "USB 0004".

• Now I don't get an error when it polls but it make the sheet 141,000+ inches square in size. So you can't see anything because the preview sheet is enormous and obviously not the correct size. Totally understand it is polling only the width since I've been doing roll polling for over 10 years now.
• Even after setting the origin it is still going about a yard down before starting to cut. This could be related to the above issue since I can't see where the object is on the preview pane.
• The only good news I can say is at least it is cutting at normal speed and not throwing any codes. But due to the issue above this still is not useable.

While I know you can hit the pause button to stop the machine I found it odd it just kept on cutting after the wheels were lifted. Even more odd that I am being told it should've stopped.

Now this may be a problem with Flexi but it's odd that I never had a problem with this computer/software/cutter before. This computer is OLD but at one point I even had my Roland SP-300V hooked up to it with no problems (it's now on a separate computer). That is why I am so confused since such a simple machine is being WAY more complicated than my print/cut machine from the same company.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Having just upgraded from Windows XP, it is no longer supported by its creator or other sources.
Might be that your operating PC software is not compatible.
You might be FORCED to upgrade to the next level of Windows.

Good Luck!
- Doug
Vancouver

Doubtful. CutStudio (the basic cut software that is package with these (and other) cutters is listed as compatible with Win 7 and XP. Now some of the support cutters are only compatible with XP and those are listed. Nothing is stipulated as to the GX.

 

[OldPaint]

IT IS A BRAND NEW GX-24???? or is used? the cutting after the rollers are lifted....tells me you got problems with something on the cutter. there is an electrical strip that goes across the top of the plotter, under the top cover........on used ones, these some get some abrasions and will make machine act stupid....and yours is acting stupid))))))) if NEW.........get another one to replace it or have the roland tech take look at it.........

 

[IsItFasst]

The machine is brand new. Maybe something is wrong with it. I am known for having issues with about every third electronic item I buy not working properly.

 

[IsItFasst]

Just to update on the preview pane issue. I set that to a set width so I can see where the object I am cutting is located. No matter where I move it on the pane it jumps down about a yard and always cuts on the left. My Roland SP-300V does not do this. Wherever I place the object on the preview plane is where it will cut it on the sheet (same with my old cutter). Sounds like it may be a flexi/GX compatibility issue so I will move over to that forum to see if there is any help.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Just to update on the preview pane issue. I set that to a set width so I can see where the object I am cutting is located. No matter where I move it on the pane it jumps down about a yard and always cuts on the left. My Roland SP-300V does not do this. Wherever I place the object on the preview plane is where it will cut it on the sheet (same with my old cutter). Sounds like it may be a flexi/GX compatibility issue so I will move over to that forum to see if there is any help.

Try something first to see if that is the issue.

Since you bought new, you should have got a copy of CutStudio. Load that on your computer. I assume you are using Flexi to design (or do you use something else?), so export as an EPS file and load that up into CutStudio and use CutStudio to manipulate it and see how that goes.

At least that should limit it to something going on with Flexi and the GX.

 

[IsItFasst]

Correct, I have been using Flexi (or Vinyl Express LXi) since day one. So I use it for about everything. I'll install CutStudio and see how that works and report back.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Correct, I have been using Flexi (or Vinyl Express LXi) since day one. So I use it for about everything. I'll install CutStudio and see how that works and report back.

The only bad thing is if it is indeed something wrong with the machine itself. Then no matter what we suggest or you do will mean a whole lot.

As much as we hate to think of things being bad right out of the box, it is either a communication issue or the machine itself has it's own "issues". I have had no issues with my GX 24s and they have been workhorses for what I have to do, so I hate seeing something like this.

 

[Mosh]

Been doing this since 1988 the problem is the cheap software. Not trying to be an a$$ but 99.9% of the cutting problems posted on here are from people trying to use cheap software. SignLab or Fexi NO WAY you have this issue. Just my 2 scents. Like saying you have a car...a YUGO or a Corvette, or even just a mini van big difference. (BTW I have owned all three of those vehicles LOL)

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Been doing this since 1988 the problem is the cheap software. Not trying to be an a$$ but 99.9% of the cutting problems posted on here are from people trying to use cheap software. SignLab or Fexi NO WAY you have this issue. Just my 2 scents. Like saying you have a car...a YUGO or a Corvette, or even just a mini van big difference. (BTW I have owned all three of those vehicles LOL)

If I'm not mistaken, he is using Flexi or maybe a rebranded Flexi I dunno.

If it's a rebranded Flexi, it may not have total support for that machine.

Although, I have had success with cutting directly from Inkscape into my GX 24s and you can't get much cheaper then that software.

 

[IsItFasst]

Yes I am using Flexi 8.1 on this computer/machine (Cloud on my print/cut Roland). The LXi software is Flexi just rebranded for Signwarehouse. Haven't used it in years but it's what I started with which is why I moved to Flexi since I knew it.

As for the machine I don't think that's the issue. Figured out how to work CutStudio and it seemed to work right. When I moved the object to the right the machine cut at the right. It polled proper width too. As I said before I'm just not sure why one Roland worked fine with this software while another doesn't.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Yes I am using Flexi 8.1 on this computer/machine (Cloud on my print/cut Roland). The LXi software is Flexi just rebranded for Signwarehouse. Haven't used it in years but it's what I started with which is why I moved to Flexi since I knew it.

As for the machine I don't think that's the issue. Figured out how to work CutStudio and it seemed to work right. When I moved the object to the right the machine cut at the right. It polled proper width too. As I said before I'm just not sure why one Roland worked fine with this software while another doesn't.

Based on your other thread, it looks like the old version of Flexi didn't support the GX (if I'm reading that correctly). If your other Roland was an older one that might help reconcile as to why it worked fine on one, but not on the other.

 

[Stephenedwardgraphic]

When you load your vinyl the LCD panel will show how wide the material is in millimeters. I cut from Illustrator so I will set the art board in Illustrator to this width and then make sure that your art is to the bottom of the art board. When you cut with the plugin it should do it correctly. We connect ours to our Mac with USB.

Make sure you are lining up your vinyl straight in the cutter. If its not straight it will eventually walk itself off of the rollers when it's going back and forth. There are lines in the front and the back of the machine for lining up, so make sure the edge is on the same line in the front and back. Your cutter should stop when you lift the media handle. The only problem I have had with the cutter is that sometime when you send the cut it doesn't go -- which just requires me to unplug the cutter -- but this isn't very often. We have been running our cutter for almost 10 years -- and lots of vinyl -- it is a work horse...

 

[IsItFasst]

Based on your other thread, it looks like the old version of Flexi didn't support the GX (if I'm reading that correctly). If your other Roland was an older one that might help reconcile as to why it worked fine on one, but not on the other.

Well the GX-24 is listed as one of the cutters in 8.1 so it has the driver for it and I think the SP-300V is a newer model than the GX so that really shouldn't be the issue. But for whatever reason upgrading to cloud fixed most of the issues other than I still can't poll size.