Gerber TABLET Program

[Arlo Kalon]

I just obtained a Gerber digitizer, but there was no program disc with it. Gerber does not make or support them anymore! Anybody got one I can get a copy of?
Thanks,
Dave Kellems

[Fred Weiss]

http://www.allcompu.com/myicons/bookworms3.gif Are you talking about their old, old, old, old GDS system? It uses a 20 x 20 inch tablet.

[Arlo Kalon]

Yep - that's it! I'm lightning fast at digitizing, always actually enjoyed it. Plus, unlike scan to cut, I never end up needing to edit anything. I have a new out of the box (but quite "old") digitizer minus the program disc!

[Fred Weiss]

I'm not at all sure there ever was a program disk. It was built to run on an Apple 2-E which was a 64K state of the art computer when I bought a GDS in 1984. They may have improved on that as the next few years went by but I think that system has been history since the early 1990's.

The tablet itself is great but you need to go shopping for drivers so it will be recognized on a Windows system. Then you could use it with any application that supports tablets.

[Arlo Kalon]

It's "official"... from a Numonics (the digitizer mfr.) driver download site: they consider the tablet to be obsolete and will not support it - including no driver availability! Believe me, I've looked everywhere. Only hope is for someone to have old Gerber programs that include the "Tablet Option" disc (there WAS one Fred - it was likely just the driver I'd imagine. As I said, Gerber told me they won't support it anymore too, and they even told me I'd have to find someone with the disc for it). Really ticks me off... I know it's a dinosaur concept to use this piece of equipment, but it was fast and very accurate. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find it someday - after all, I found the digitizer.
Dave / Ft. Worth, TX

[Tony Teveris]

Never did much with tablets on GA or Omega but I do know we did not have a driver, Omega's Composer communicates with the tablet directly through the comm ports but the tablet option MUST be set on your security key.

In GA there is a program called GspSetup, go in there and get your system information, does it say anywhere in the list "Tablet Option" ?

Second since we used a number of tablets over the years give me all the info you can (any numbers, name, etc) and I'll try to get some info.

Lets start there.

[Arlo Kalon]

Hi Tony... thanks!! oh, yes, +Tablet is in the Sec. Block Info, as well as being listed in System Files (tablet.dll, v.4.0, 1993). It does not show up however in Installed System Devices along w/ plotter and Edge tho. This is GA Premier, v.6.21a. This is all I have on it, and I've double checked all connections - including that the serial port is set to Comm1, where a tablet has to be. All I can figure is like Fred said, I'm missing the driver?
Dave

[Tony Teveris]

It will not show up in the installed devices list.

What I want is any info off the back of the tablet. Over the years we used different tablets with different protocols. This is why I need the info off the tablet.

[Tony Teveris]

The best info I can find for the 12x18 tablet on GA / Omega:
12x18 tablet Numonics Model C-3045
Gerber P/N P40208D
Documentation I'm looking at is data 6/96

this was a flexible tablet w/ grid mounted on a hard plastic backing to
make it rigid.

The 2200 series you mentioned was used on the GDS systems but never supported on the GA / Omega systems as far as I can tell.

I'll do a little more digging but I think your out of luck.

[Arlo Kalon]

hhhmmmmmmmmm... makes me wish I hadn't eventually reformatted the disks of the last Gerber program I had on floppies! It would be worth it to me to set up 1 processor just for digitizing, because I have about 300 pieces of artwork I need to do that way. I'd hate to think there's now way to get this digitizer up & running - it was literally new out of the box, had been in storage forever. If I have to, I'll find another way to accomplish this - but like I said, I'm lightning fast at digitizing with this particular tablet setup.
THANKS!!!

[Fred Weiss]

Have you considered buying a new or refurbished Wacom?

Refurbished Units (http://wacomdirect.wacom.com/wacomdirect/reftablet.asp?)

New Units (http://wacomdirect.wacom.com/wacomdirect/tablet.asp?)

[Arlo Kalon]

Yeahh, I have. Just really have this nostalgic inner need to make this one work! Last one like this I had was during that exciting, intoxicating, dream about signs every night phase some of us were fortunate enough to have experienced (and I KNOW none of that makes any sense!). But if Tony tells me it's a dead end, I guess it'll become a wall decoration.

[Arlo Kalon]

Can basically any digitizer be used with Graphix Advantage, especially since a Gerber rep told me they no longer sell or support 'em? Was gonna bid on one on ebay since it looks like the Gerber tablet I have is never gonna get pucked with again on points on any artwork!

[Tony Teveris]

Only Numonics tablets made for us by Numonics. There is a special chip inside (comm protocol and command set) thats just for us.

Sorry Dave

[Bill Heishman]

I would give http://www.vtablet.com/overview.htm a try. I have used an older version for about 4 or 5 different tablets that I have obtained. It covers just about everything. My version 4.15 does not list any Gerber tablets, but maybe the newest one does.

I have used this same driver for a Calcom 3' x 4' table digitizer, Kurta IS/ONE, a couple of older Kurta's and Calcom 12" x 12" , you name it. It works great and provides many more features than any oem driver.

It is well worth the price ($65.00) if it will work for you.

[Arlo Kalon]

Thanks Bill! I've looked this program over and the digitizer I have is listed. I just have to find out from Tony Teveris if the chip placed in it for Gerber means it will ONLY function on Gerber software.

[Bill Heishman]

Cool. It really is a neat program. With it you can set up a lot of scripted functions. ie. arch text, size and weld. or whatever else you can think up. I just like it because it allows me to buy just about any old digitizer and make it work.

I even bought a Wacom pen tablet for Mac, found an adapter for it and used it on my pc.

[Arlo Kalon]

Bill... I downloaded the demo of this software - you're right, it is a very, very useful program for almost any tablet ever made! However, apparently the Numonics I have is somehow forbidden to function for anything other than the Gerber program it was serialized for. DANG!!! Thought I was onto a solution.

[Bill Heishman]

Throw that one away and look around for a cheap solution. Ppl let those tablets go nowcheap because they no longer work with the o.e.m. drivers. My Kurta IS/ONE driver was written for Windows 3.1. If I didn't have Virtual Tablet, it would have gone out with the trash.

[Arlo Kalon]

Okay Bill... I just won an ebay auction for a Numonics tablet similar to the "Gerberized" one I have already. Guess I'll be setting the Virtual Tablet program up for real now and getting busy digitizing all these vehicle graphics drawings I have. Thanks for steering me in this direction.

[Bill Heishman]

Great! Glad I was able to help you. Email me if you have questions about the program. Although it has features I'll never use, I may be able to help if you if needed.

[WAdesigns]

Hi Dave
Just joined the site.
I have the program that runs the tablet by Numonics. It is on 51/4" disks it is for the Apple IIe. You will also need the prodos disks as well.
email me if you would like copies.
Too old indead Hu! to them.