WinPlot vs CoCut

[Colin]

Well it looks like I'm not going to have any luck getting my trusty old ScanVec Inspire 1.6 running on my new Windows 7 64-bit 'puter, so I'm going to have to slowly migrate over (completely) to CorelDraw X5 and ween myself off of my beloved old Inspire.

I have downloaded WinPlot, but how does it compare to CoCut?

 

[OldPaint]

CUT FROM COREL.........save yourself some money.(been cutting from corel 3, yes 3 not X3)new corel will do a lot of the things SIGN specific programs do, and EASIER!!!!

 

[Colin]

Yes OP, that is my full intent, as I explained in my post. My question is about the differences between WinPlot and CoCut.

 

[Techman]

I used cocut since it was ver 9. I liked it so well that I continually upgraded until X3. Comparing the two for me was of no value. I already tested just about ever other cutting software out there at one time or another and cocut always came out on top.
Cocut is not a bridge program. It is a plugin designed to run within Corel or illy or autocad.
For that reason alone it was my choice. Getting an AI or a CDR file made it al lso easy to cut. Then along came autocad with their plt files. I actually had three choices to cut with.

winplot is/was made exclusively for Summa cutters. I suspect that winplot is actually a cocut derivative. . But this is just a guess.

 

[Colin]

Thanks Techman. Ya, it seems that I have to export an eps file from CorelDraw to WinPlot - is that right? If so, I can see how CoCut would be way more desirable.

edit; added: (I do use a Summa cutter).

 

[letterman7]

Right. WinPlot is a very basic cutting program specific to Summa. I've used both and truthfully, either works for me well. I don't need all of CoCut's plug-ins... everything that I need to do and/or cut I already have done in Corel, so CC is just another program to achieve an end. As you've already found, though, you'll have to export items into WinPlot for it to work - it basically works off your clipboard, while CC you can simply click the plot icon and it will launch. Same amount of steps, just a different dance.

R

 

[OldPaint]

again ..........cuttin FROM COREL.......no need to export anything. COREL will IMPORT more file formats then most any other. i had ARTS & LETTERS 8.0. ive had PRO-CUT(similar to co cut made by same people)............and cutting direct from COREL....is what i have done mostly since 93. and all the files from 93.............still work in X3!!!!!

 

[swplus]

Fought with CoCut for a few years. Need to keep paying to keep it registered/working? C'mon now.

Cutting straight from Corel for the last couple of years. Haven't looked back once.

 

[Rodi]

I had CoCut 9 and it was excellent, it worked with many of the vector programs I worked with (Freehand 9, Corel 8, Illustrator 7.) The only reason I sold it was I found LXI Sign for a steal on ebay and it was cheaper than updating CoCut.


I never was asked to pay for upgrades from CoCut.

 

[Techman]

Fought with CoCut for a few years. Need to keep paying to keep it registered/working? C'mon now.

HUH?
Fought with it??

Just as Rodi said..
Upgrades were free for years. Free for corel verson 9, 10 ,, and 12 if I remember right. Then along came x3 and they updated the software and asked for a nominal upgrade fee. That was the only time... To me it was well worth it.

 

[swplus]

Perhaps it was because we had the old install disc and we were having to pay for the upgrade a couple of times when we got new computers. Not sure. Just know that it was a pain in the rear on several occasions.

Seems like a pretty useless program for our needs now that we cut straight from Corel Draw. No upgrades, no install problems, no payments, can use on any and as many computers as we like.

 

[OldPaint]

 

[CoCut USA]

Well it looks like I'm not going to have any luck getting my trusty old ScanVec Inspire 1.6 running on my new Windows 7 64-bit 'puter, so I'm going to have to slowly migrate over (completely) to CorelDraw X5 and ween myself off of my beloved old Inspire.

I have downloaded WinPlot, but how does it compare to CoCut?

Hi Colin,

The key difference is that CoCut, which now supports X5, CS5 and other design programs, as well as Windows Vista and 7, has drivers for over 500 cutter models. WinPlot support Summa cutters only.

Also, the newest CoCut does all this:

Plug-in for CorelDRAW 10 thru X5
Auto import from Illustrator 8 thru CS 5
Plug-ins for AutoCAD and FreeHand, plus import popular file types
Supports latest Windows, including Vista and Windows 7
Drivers for over 500 cutting plotters
Support for multiple cutters on different ports
Duplicate, position and scale objects
Save jobs for repeat cutting
Cut by color
Auto convert contours/line weights to cuttable objects
Test plot mode
Plot manager with job history
Reset origin on cutter
Setup cutting modes and tools in device manager
Segmenting (paneling) on oversized jobs
Material use (consumption) calculated
Vinyl optimization (saving)
Weed borders and lines
Poll media width (reads usable width from cutter)
Control cutter speed and down-force when plotting

Best Regards,

Jim
CoCut USA
www.cocutusa.com

 

[CoCut USA]

Fought with CoCut for a few years. Need to keep paying to keep it registered/working? C'mon now.

Cutting straight from Corel for the last couple of years. Haven't looked back once.

Hi SW Plus,

That is the rub, with upgrades to the program: if we didn't sell the upgrades, we couldn't afford to keep upgrading. It's how it goes with commercial software, i.e., Windows, CorelDRAW, Photoshop, FlexiSIGN and so on.

But if it's just moving an older version over to a newer computer, there should be no cost nor need to upgrade unless you're upgrading your Corel or Adobe software. We help users with that almost daily, free of charge, via phone or email -- 7 days a week.

Best,

Jim
CoCut USA
www.cocutusa.com

 

[Joe Diaz]

We cut right out of Corel too. We used to use Cocut, but it caused some weird buggy stuff to happen to Corel. That may have been OS related, driver related, or even user error. Our plotter is ancient so that may have played a factor also. However our plotter is a workhorse, it just keeps going with no signs of ever breaking down. I do know the day it does die, our shop will most likely morn its passing and may even hold a nice ceremony in it's honor. But when we went back to cutting right out of Corel we no longer had issues. There were a few things I liked about Cocut, and would try it again now that we have updated our OS, and version of Corel, but for right now what we are doing is working just fine.

 

[CoCut USA]

We cut right out of Corel too. We used to use Cocut, but it caused some weird buggy stuff to happen to Corel. That may have been OS related, driver related, or even user error. Our plotter is ancient so that may have played a factor also. However our plotter is a workhorse, it just keeps going with no signs of ever breaking down. I do know the day it does die, our shop will most likely morn its passing and may even hold a nice ceremony in it's honor. But when we went back to cutting right out of Corel we no longer had issues. There were a few things I liked about Cocut, and would try it again now that we have updated our OS, and version of Corel, but for right now what we are doing is working just fine.

Hi Joe,

Maybe get the latest/greatest driver. It might help. You can download it here: http://cocut.com/index.dml?unten=driver/old_driver.dml&von=html&sprache=eng

If that doesn't work, give me a call and we can sleuth it. It might be a corrupt file in CorelDRAW, i.e., in the VB module. So re-intstalling CD could help, too. But that's a pain -- so last resort only!!! :^)

Best,

Jim - 206.681.4164

 

[Joe Diaz]

Thanks Jim, We'll give it a shot. It's good that merchant members like you are a part of this community and here to offer help with their products.

 

[Jackpine]

Jim from Cocut recently answered questions for me and gave me a new approach to my situation. This is why we in business should support responsive businesses and not for price only.

 

[CoCut USA]

Thank you for the kind words, Joe and Jackpine! But I have to thank ya'll. Without you guys, I don't eat.

Best Regards,
Jim

 

[swplus]

But if it's just moving an older version over to a newer computer, there should be no cost nor need to upgrade unless you're upgrading your Corel or Adobe software. We help users with that almost daily, free of charge, via phone or email -- 7 days a week.

I just recall having the program not work suddenly while we had jobs to do. We tried reinstalling (a few times), looked for drivers, and eventually found out that we had to pay some fee to keep it working. That was fine, I suppose. Then it happened again within a year and to me that was excessive. Perhaps it was an unrelated problem but having it quit working out of the blue and nothing telling us what to do to fix it was a problem.

The program worked great while we were using it, though. No qualms with that.