Question Flexi Registration Mark Tool

[2ny]

Hi.
We upgraded our Flexi software last year from 10.X to 12.X, since the endex of upgrading from Flexi 10.X was announced.
There was not much new features in the program, and all seamed very similar to the earlier version. However, there are some small things that puts some pebbles in the machinery. I.e. the processing of "Registration Marks" in the plotter driver dialog/output. In Flexi 10.X you could send a design with manually placed cut/weedlines in different colors, and then plot the file with Send all colors, single panel, single job, and the plotter would cut the Reg. Marks only once. Now in Flexi 12.X the Reg. Marks are cut once for every different color that are represented in the chosen graphic you want to plot.
Of course; you can argue that this is the way to do it, and that the old ways are.... well old, but I have several old files with special colors in the logos that is a pain to rework and get into only one color so that the Reg. Marks will only plot once when I produce these. In shorter and smaller files it is not so critical, but in logos that are 1m+ the reg. Marks do seldom look good when the plotter has returned after several length passes and plottet the Marks twice. The command that tells the plotter driver to plot the Reg. Marks once for each color in the same operation should not be so difficult to remove I think. I have asked support on this issue also, but have not got any reply. Anyone else noticed this or have any thoughts?

Best regards
Tony

 

[fuzzy_cam]

I may or may not be on the same page with you, but have you tried separating the cut contours into groups of colors and trying the below in the rip and print window? What I have pictured is a standard CutContour grey and a CutCountour Magenta. The separate colors allow for separate driver options that you can pause when you send to your cutter. Our plotters (Q64) will ask when we're ready to cut the next color.

 

[2ny]

I may or may not be on the same page with you, but have you tried separating the cut contours into groups of colors and trying the below in the rip and print window? What I have pictured is a standard CutContour grey and a CutCountour Magenta. The separate colors allow for separate driver options that you can pause when you send to your cutter. Our plotters (Q64) will ask when we're ready to cut the next color.

View attachment 138356

Thanks for your reply CamTX.
You refer to rip and print, but I suppose it is similar. However I am just plotting vinyl through the Flexi driver and do not require the CutContour graphic. I am using the Reg. Marks to mount multiple colours of vinyl together when I mount the graphics to a surface. The files I use are often contains several misc weedlines because of special forms etc. I have made an example here I hope explaines it closer. Here I have a logo that is blue, red and have a white outline on half of the logo that goes over a window. I also have laid in some weedlines in black. This is a typical file where I now have some difficulty plotting in Flexi 12. I can separate the objects and just choose the blue text to plot, but that means I also have to make the weedlines i have made in black exactly the same color as the logo, or else the plotter cuts the Reg- marks twice. This means I have more clutter on the screen/in the files also. IMO a little more cumbersome...

Tony

 

[fuzzy_cam]

Thanks for your reply CamTX.
You refer to rip and print, but I suppose it is similar. However I am just plotting vinyl through the Flexi driver and do not require the CutContour graphic. I am using the Reg. Marks to mount multiple colours of vinyl together when I mount the graphics to a surface. The files I use are often contains several misc weedlines because of special forms etc. I have made an example here I hope explaines it closer. Here I have a logo that is blue, red and have a white outline on half of the logo that goes over a window. I also have laid in some weedlines in black. This is a typical file where I now have some difficulty plotting in Flexi 12. I can separate the objects and just choose the blue text to plot, but that means I also have to make the weedlines i have made in black exactly the same color as the logo, or else the plotter cuts the Reg- marks twice. This means I have more clutter on the screen/in the files also. IMO a little more cumbersome...

Tony

Oh, okay. I think I am with you more now. If you are just plotting (not using RIP & Print) Flexi will only recognize one color when more than one is selected to cut, but in the Cut/Plot window you should see the options as well. You can click on the individual drawing colors and they should appear in the preview pane.

As another workaround, if you haven't altered the default shortcuts, you can press the letter D on your keyboard to bring up Select By Attributes. This will allow you to select all of the same stroke or color values, etc. and would allow you to change them all to a single color each time you needed to cut. I would make a copy of what you're cutting so you always have an original.

 

[2ny]

Oh, okay. I think I am with you more now. If you are just plotting (not using RIP & Print) Flexi will only recognize one color when more than one is selected to cut, but in the Cut/Plot window you should see the options as well. You can click on the individual drawing colors and they should appear in the preview pane.

View attachment 138359

As another workaround, if you haven't altered the default shortcuts, you can press the letter D on your keyboard to bring up Select By Attributes. This will allow you to select all of the same stroke or color values, etc. and would allow you to change them all to a single color each time you needed to cut. I would make a copy of what you're cutting so you always have an original.

Yes, the output window is exactly the same. But the problem is not to choose and send over only one color at the time. (I am using Flexi shortcuts frequently, and are very satisfied with the versatilty in the program.) The fact remains that I have to take with me more than one colour into the plotter window, and send all to plotting in one job, and then I want only 1 cut of the reg marks. Not one for each colour in the same cut operations. I suspect I am caught in something that support would call "old wrong ways" of the earlier plot driver output, and that these new settings are the "correct" way? If I turn of all of the colors but one in the plot dialog I am back to square one. :! If I disengage "Send all colors" I loose the purpose of the weedlines in different colors. I can not figure out why the reg marks should plot once for every color in the same plot operation. It makes no sence to me.

Tony