Optiscout

[moharrow]

Hey guys just got hired on at a relatively small print shop. We have a Zund cutter that is approximately 20 years old and runs Optiscout software from about that time as well. This version of Optiscout only runs on Windows 7. Does anyone know of any training videos for this old of a system?

 

[Adam Vreeke]

If there is nothing on youtube. Colex runs on Optiscout. You can maybe refine searches with that.

Google Search

Where in Wisconsin Are you? Does no one at the shop know how to run the Zund at all?

 

[moharrow]

I'm in the Milwaukee area. Nobody knows how to run it. The guy that had some knowledge on the machine retired and I'm his replacement. I have about two days of training at another company that had way better equipment, but I didn't have to select tools for different materials or have to use the router. Most of the issues I'm having are on the router.

 

[JBurton]

There should be a pretty awful readme on the pc. I know optiscout is from a German company, so I'd reach out to zund. Googling them up, they are right in your neck of the woods. See if they can quote you a tech visit for training, I can't imagine it's too unreasonable. Failing that, is the retired guy already on a plain to the bahamas? No luck in reaching out to him?

 

[Adam Vreeke]

Well I run a Colex, not a Zund, but I can't imagine settings would be too different. What troubles are you having with the router?

 

[PHILJOHNSON]

Eurosystems has some instructional videos for Optiscout here - https://www.optiscout.com/main.dml?sprache=eng

Not sure if those videos apply to the version of Optiscout that you are running, or the particular Zund model, but probably a good place to get started as a lot of the functions between Optiscout versions are similar.

You can also submit a support ticket to request additional support and training resources on that same website. Keep in mind they are based in Luxembourg, so it usually takes at least one business day to get a response after you submit the support request.

Hope this helps get you pointed in the right direction.

Best regards,

Phil Johnson
Airmark Corporation
(800)527-7778, ext. 112
philj@airmark.com

 

[moharrow]

Well I run a Colex, not a Zund, but I can't imagine settings would be too different. What troubles are you having with the router?

When I set up my files, it almost always tries to segment the job. We're running right at the limit of what the machine can route in one segment. Our paging system hasn't worked correctly since long before I started here and I'm not sure where to start scanning the registration marks for the second segment. For example, 48x96 dibond cut to two sheets of 47.75x47.75. Should be simple right. All sorts of issues.

 

[Adam Vreeke]

A little hard to tell from the brief description, but if you have 1 piece on your artboard and you are trying to duplicate it into cutting 2. What you do is do output to device and it should bring up a second window before starting. From there, there should be an option for how many you want to cut, put in 2 (1 should be default). Then in Copy options put the number in the correct X or Y spot (there should be a helpful popup on the left to help you determine where to put it), and hit output. Put the reader over the first mark it needs to read on the first part, have it read the entire part. When it gets to the second spot, do the same thing and it should register where it needs to cut on the table.

 

[moharrow]

So here's what I'm dealing with today. The Optiscout software will open other routing jobs, but it doesn't activate the camera on this one. It immediately starts to cut with no regard for where the registration marks are. I have to save everything down to Illustrator 8 in order for my machine to pick it up.

 

[JBurton]

So, on my setup at least, it wants the reginstration marks on a layer called REGMARK, and for them to be .25" circles. Here you're using Regjistration for that layer name, and they are .125" circles.
I don't think the layer name is the problem necessarily, but the size could be.

 

[hybriddesign]

you could contact superior carbide / helicon graphics (same company) as they support optiscount. We just bought a new copy of it last year (runs on windows 10) for our 2013 zund. Honestly we don't really like optiscout but those guys there are experts in it and it seems like it works really well once you get the hang of it.

 

[Adam Vreeke]

So here's what I'm dealing with today. The Optiscout software will open other routing jobs, but it doesn't activate the camera on this one. It immediately starts to cut with no regard for where the registration marks are. I have to save everything down to Illustrator 8 in order for my machine to pick it up.

Sometimes this happens to me, make sure they are registering as reg marks with the crosshairs. If they are reg marks and doing this, you can select the reg marks, go to Plugins > Object Replacer > change them into circles. Then do the reverse, have circles selected > Plugins > Object Replacer > change into reg marks. It may just be something funky in the file.

JBurton is also correct in some aspects. Make sure they are .25" circles, the machine should still pickup .125" circles, but it is not recommended for the machine. Layer naming is not necessary (at least for Colex). Just helps if you're sorting layers.

 

[moharrow]

you could contact superior carbide / helicon graphics (same company) as they support optiscount. We just bought a new copy of it last year (runs on windows 10) for our 2013 zund. Honestly we don't really like optiscout but those guys there are experts in it and it seems like it works really well once you get the hang of it.

My boss actually had me drive out there today to pick up some bits. Apparently he's going to have them come out and do preventative maintenance and they're going to stick around for a couple of hours and train me. Awesome company!