crazy question

[Geneva Olson]

Does anyone know the rhyme or reason to how plotters plot? I watch it cut out one letter and then go all the way to the other end and cut another letter..

 

[Gino]

Magic.

 

[Solventinkjet]

It all depends on the plotting software but a lot of them cut based on when the element was created in the order of all elements, or it cuts by layer etc. Mimaki's have a, "Sort" function that sorts it in the most efficient way but most plotting software has the same function and might call it something else.

 

[James Burke]

Those parameters are (or should be) addressable in your software.


JB

 

[Boudica]

Does anyone know the rhyme or reason to how plotters plot? I watch it cut out one letter and then go all the way to the other end and cut another letter..

This has always intrigued me too. My basic understanding is what what solvent said... Has to do with the order of the elements, and the direction of the path. I prefer to settle with magic though.

 

[GAC05]

Like those above, it should be in your plotting software. There are also should be sorting options you can set from the keypad on the cutter at least there are on the Graphtec models.

In Casmate (great grandfather to Flexi), it had an option to display a number on all the paths in a plot and you could re-order them by clicking the number and changing them one by one to what you wanted. Worked ok with simple cuts but not so good for a plot with hundreds of paths.

 

[Boudica]

Like those above, it should be in your plotting software. There are also should be sorting options you can set from the keypad on the cutter at least there are on the Graphtec models.

In Casmate (great grandfather to Flexi), it had an option to display a number on all the paths in a plot and you could re-order them by clicking the number and changing them one by one to what you wanted. Worked ok with simple cuts but not so good for a plot with hundreds of paths.

Love the new avatar!

 

[Johnny Best]

You guys watching the plotter is like a cat with a laser.

 

[Boudica]

You guys watching the plotter is like a cat with a laser.

Pretty much

 

[Gino]

Watching a plotter cut, a printer print or just any mechanical machine work is just like watching money being made while you're printing it

 

[Geneva Olson]

It all depends on the plotting software but a lot of them cut based on when the element was created in the order of all elements, or it cuts by layer etc. Mimaki's have a, "Sort" function that sorts it in the most efficient way but most plotting software has the same function and might call it something else.

I figured this was sort of the way it went. I have these really large graphics that I'm printing and plotting. The

This has always intrigued me too. My basic understanding is what what solvent said... Has to do with the order of the elements, and the direction of the path. I prefer to settle with magic though.

Im glad i'm not the only one it intrigues. And like Gino said, its making money when it plots. (unless it plots wrong! LOL)

 

[Billct2]

I remember when we were building our own fonts the designer made sure to work in alphabetical order because the plotter would cut in order of creation. Same with tracing designs.
My plotter has a "sequence" plot selection which cuts everything in order . Saves a lot of wear and tear on the machine. I also don't run the plotter full speed, we're not so big that we need the thing to run at warp speed and that also save on the wear.

 

[Geneva Olson]

I remember when we were building our own fonts the designer made sure to work in alphabetical order because the plotter would cut in order of creation. Same with tracing designs.
My plotter has a "sequence" plot selection which cuts everything in order . Saves a lot of wear and tear on the machine. I also don't run the plotter full speed, we're not so big that we need the thing to run at warp speed and that also save on the wear.

I'm not sure what full speed is. When I have big jobs, I run it fairly quickly but not the fastest speed. If it's small intricate plotting, I will slow it way down.
And you bring up a good point. I know people say it's "magic". but ultimately I'm looking at wear and tear on the machine. Going back and forth cutting one letter then another letter at the other end of the graphic seems like a "waste" of time. But I don't know for sure.

 

[Johnny Best]

Like someone said, you can adjust how it is cut through the software.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

It is magic

 

[John Miller]

My software has a sequence plot. Great so the cutter doesn't run all over the place, makes tracking more accurate on long runs.

 

[Stacey K]

Funny you ask! I noticed my new Summa cutter cuts differently than my Graphtec did and I wondered why that was...

 

[MNT_Printhead]

With CNC, at least on the Eskos, you can layer elements to determine the order of cuts - very helpful for problem substrates.

 

[Johnny Best]

"whats all these crazy questions they askin me? This is the craziest party that could ever be"

 

[binki]

I tell the machine to cut with least movement and it still moves all over. I also have some materials that need 3 or 4 cuts and it does one pass, then the next and so on. I just don't look anymore. VersaWorks 5.x