Question Alternative to Flexi for Windows

[Dale D]

The issue didn't come from replacing something that "worked" It was due to 6+ months of problems that Flexi techs verified on their own PCs. Im glad you never had issues with Flexi, but just because you didn't have issues doesn't mean they didn't exist. Removing the 32 bit memory limit by going to 64 bit helped drastically with the processing of nodes.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Absolutely idiotic that these problems still exist in 2021. It's not as if the computer or software was invented six months ago.

That's because human nature changes glacially.

Something I deal with on a regular basis is Adobe CC. Students design a layout on their laptop which has auto updates for CC. They get to campus and can't open their files because IT doesn't update as often.(which is smart) Lately InDesign on campus won't open IDML files built on the latest version. If it does it corrupts them in the process. Tell me how that's a good thing.

Welcome to the wonderful world of rolling release software (and OSs depending on what you/they run).

 

[WildWestDesigns]

The issue didn't come from replacing something that "worked" It was due to 6+ months of problems that Flexi techs verified on their own PCs. Im glad you never had issues with Flexi, but just because you didn't have issues doesn't mean they didn't exist. Removing the 32 bit memory limit by going to 64 bit helped drastically with the processing of nodes.

Well, to be honest, Flexi wasn't even using all of what a 32bit program could use as it was. So it may or may not have been isolated to just a mere fact of it needing to be on a 64 bit arch. Could be a memory leak that needs to be fixed, but a program written for a 64 bit arch could hide that a little bit better then a 32bit program (depending on the resources of the machine in question). I'm speculating here, so take that for what it's worth.

 

[rjssigns]

The issue didn't come from replacing something that "worked" It was due to 6+ months of problems that Flexi techs verified on their own PCs. Im glad you never had issues with Flexi, but just because you didn't have issues doesn't mean they didn't exist. Removing the 32 bit memory limit by going to 64 bit helped drastically with the processing of nodes.

I understand what you're saying but I still stand by what I said. Just because it's new doesn't mean it's more functional or works better. Case in point our Indigo in the lab runs great on Win 7 Pro and that's a $650,000.00 rig so the price of an OS is not even in the equation.
I ran Win7 until the security issues forced me into Win10. Does my computer run better? Nope.

Find someone with Flexi 12 and see what happens. Might be better might be worse. But as others have said it also has a lot to do with who built the file.

Lost of these SAAS clowns have painted themselves into a corner. They boasted about how you would always have the latest tools and how much better it would run blah blah blah. Now it becomes a value proposition where the provider is expected to perform to "earn" their monthly fee. So now the rats are scrambling to push meaningless, often regressive updates to the masses.

I could go on but I absolutely abhor any SAAS model. Not going to change my mind as I deal with this crap everyday and its tiring.

 

[Sidney]

CorelDraw is really good. You don't even need Rip software

 

[Roper1967]

Also keep in mind, with a 32 bit application, it does not matter how much ram you put in a computer, a 32 bit application cannot address more than 4GB of memory. Windows can and can even swap other stuff up to higher memory addresses to free up more for the 32 bit app that is running.

One thing I have found that can help with really complex vectors in Flexi, if I am just moving some things around to group them for print, is to turn off show fills so it does not have to render/rerender all of the complex shadows, transparency, etc. Cannot see what it what since it is all just outlines but things move very quick then. I've determined the issue to more specifically be with transparency effects and how Flexi tries to render them while moving things around on screen. Can also the "design editor" window and simply turn those particular layers visibility off while moving things but you have to make sure to turn them back on.

Another bug I've found is with Illustrator files with multiple artboards. We often use artboards to chop things up for certain jobs. When opening in Flexi do NOT tell it to open all artboards at once. It will do it but random parts will be missing shadows or other effects with transparency. Open the first artboard, then import the same file again and import the next artboard, repeat, repeat, etc which can be tedious if the file has dozens of artboards.

Well from my experience it comes from the way designers are taught and ILLUSTRATOR! I think I started with version 1.2 or something in college during the dark ages. Coming from a design BKG I had trouble going to print in offset 30 Years ago with illustrator! It only changed when I purchased my own wide format and started doing my own stuff and realized that illustrator is a issue ! Getting files from other designers that were just built wrong ... and it causes problems on our end . They don't care about nodes they may have a 1000 when it can be reduced and smoothed out with 100 . They use pen for a stroke instead of a contour, they design with mask...Not to mention the "isdjfhgidu" FILLS!!!! Its not that they are wrong for doing it this way. They are just uneducated when it comes to going to print in the sign industry. If I have trouble importing , I usually have to open it in illustrator and get in to it and remove mask or reduce nodes and try re-saving . Its a pain in the .... Education is the key!