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Vinyl Cutting Software

O

Old Printer

Premium Subscriber
I have an old Roland Camm1 Pro CX400 plotter that Roland no longer writes drivers for. We have gone through havinx an XP dedicated machine for it but we need to move on to Win 7 & above without pitching a perfectly good plotter. I have heard that third party software exists that will have it's own drivers for this machine and Win 7 Pro. We work in Corel X7 and it would be nice to be able to print directly from that, but if we have to export from Corel to XXX to cut we will live with it. Any experience and recommendations short of something like Flexi. We are way too deep into Corel to change our base program. Thanks Dave
 
OldPaint

OldPaint

New Member
WIN 7, ROLAND CX-400 AND COREL........any version from 7 to X7........AND YOUR UP AND RUNNIN!!!!!!
you will need to go to
http://download.rolanddg.jp/en/cutting.html#gx34500
download the driver you need for WIN 7 32 bit or 64 bit. install it.
in COREL.........you will need to set up a page the size of the vinyl you intend to cut, mine is set at 23.50 X 110.00 PAGE.
any thing you intend to cut to roland..........MUST HAVE A HAIRLINE and no color........if you send to print(print command in corel, will be sending to plotter).....with color it will cut TWICE....over same line(((((
been cutting from COREL to rolands since version 3 of corel and a PNC-1000)))))) I KNOW WHAT IAM TELLING YOU....
 
WildWestDesigns

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
OldPaint said:
WIN 7, ROLAND CX-400 AND COREL........any version from 7 to X7........AND YOUR UP AND RUNNIN!!!!!!
you will need to go to
http://download.rolanddg.jp/en/cutting.html#gx34500
download the driver you need for WIN 7 32 bit or 64 bit. install it.
in COREL.........you will need to set up a page the size of the vinyl you intend to cut, mine is set at 23.50 X 110.00 PAGE.
any thing you intend to cut to roland..........MUST HAVE A HAIRLINE and no color........if you send to print(print command in corel, will be sending to plotter).....with color it will cut TWICE....over same line(((((
been cutting from COREL to rolands since version 3 of corel and a PNC-1000)))))) I KNOW WHAT IAM TELLING YOU....
Click to expand...

Also bare in mind as well, rather you are cutting from DRAW, Ai, or Inkscape directly from those programs using the print function, it cuts in the order of object creation (or layer sequence depending on if you manipulated it or not). That's the only draw back with not using a plugin or dedicated program for the more complicated design, it doesn't necessarily cut in a sequence that's either good for tracking (if that is an issue) or for quality output if you are nesting several within a run.

You also miss out on extra functionality as well, but it does depend on what you are intending to do and/or if you don't mind "manually" setting it up within those vector programs.

This won't always be an issue (or ever), but I thought I would mention it.

Also, I've never set a hairline to objects that I wanted to cut have had it cut twice on my Roland. I don't know if that's a quirk of the cutter or what.
 
J Hill Designs

J Hill Designs

New Member
yeah I just tried the print driver to cut from corel - very very quircky -- I wouldn't want to try to use it in a production environment.

fill doesnt matter, it just wont recognize fill data at all
 
eahicks

eahicks

Magna Cum Laude - School of Hard Knocks
It kinda baffles me that someone wants to make graphics like a pro, yet won't spend the money on the right tools to do it. Just buy Flexi and be done with it. Prints, cuts, designs. It's not perfect, but all this rigging of second rate software makes me glad to have all the tools to do it right.
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
Years ago I researched which software would be best. At the time Cocut was the obvious winner. The package did so much more than anything else for a better price.
Cocut is one of the greatest of cutting software. It has been around for decades. It works perfectly every time.
There is no need for customer service because it is that good. But they do have a website with a forum with some posts for the occasional noob who has a challenge.
IT plugs in perfectly to corel draw, illustrator, autocad, indesign so you get more than a few options from which to cut your needs.
Once you get it you own it its yours. Often Cocut gives you free upgrades to boot. For example. When Corel went up a version Cocut gave out a free update to the newer version.

I started with version Cocut pro 9 and now use version for Cocut Pro x3. No desire or need to upgrade any more. In the past 20 years I spent no more than about $600 bux in total for cutting software between their free updates and paid updates and with their Christmas season sales. So once you get it the high cost disappears.

The package does so much automatically that it will save you from mistakes.
The other cutting softs cannot compare. They make you take it or leave it. They make you pay for customer service. They make you pay for every upgrade.


www.Cocut.com
 
OldPaint

OldPaint

New Member
oh because i CAN DO PRODUCTION work from corel all day long for close to 25 YEARS....and you come up with these lame problems.........that are OPERATOR ERROR not program..........really????
i said.......cutting from corel needs any object asigned a HAIRLINE. NO FILL ........IF PAY ATTENTION IF you give it a hairline & FILL, IT WILL CUT TWICE................so when you send to plot.......ONLY HAVE A HAIRLINE NO FILL. simple. COREL WILL NOT RECOGNIZE FILL...without a hairline....but when you do both......it sees 2 objects))))
as for this..........
"it cuts in the order of object creation (or layer sequence depending on if you manipulated it or not)" in 25 years of cutting from corel
this has never been a problem))))
as for features.......in 20 years of cutting vinyl, all those super duper things any sign program does with text manipulation.......i think i only did 2-3 jobs that required more then corel)))))))
as for the driver setup ........it is pretty straight forward and simple........once you do the setup on the page you intend to cut from.....with NO FILL, HAIRLINE, ADJUST FONT SIZE AND SIZE YOU WISH THE PAGE TO BE.....it works no different then sign lab, flexi .......when you send to plot.
co-cut, was EURO-CUT/PRO-CUT...back in the 90's when corel 5 was new. corel 5 was not able to cut vinyl. reasom being corel leased there code for that section of corel to CO-CUT....corel 6 was also unable to cut vinyl. when corel 7 came out.....that part of the code was added back. i remember going to the orlando sign show, 93-94 i think, and co-cuts big point of buying it was......IT WORKS FLAWLESSLY INSIDE COREL.... it shoulda.....hehehehehehehe
 
J Hill Designs

J Hill Designs

New Member
OldPaint said:
i said.......cutting from corel needs any object asigned a HAIRLINE. NO FILL ........IF PAY ATTENTION IF you give it a hairline & FILL, IT WILL CUT TWICE................
Click to expand...

nope, I sent shapes with fill and hairline, it cut once. I sent shapes with only fill, it didnt cut.

It doesnt recognize the fill. it says so in the help file.

it is a CLUNKY way to cut. end of story. Im glad you suffer through it, and I'm glad I dont have to

:thumb:
 
WildWestDesigns

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
J Hill Designs said:
nope, I sent shapes with fill and hairline, it cut once. I sent shapes with only fill, it didnt cut.
Click to expand...

I've never had that problem. In fact, most of my object are fills or offsets of fills. I have never once needed to assign a hairline stroke. Cutting out of DRAW, Ai, or Inkscape. That part has worked flawlessly for what I needed.


Old Paint, the issue that I bring up, isn't operator error, it's how it's recognized, in order of creation. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are trying to minimize production time, it can be a pain to re-organize the layers in a more efficient workflow. Or if you are wanting it to "over cut" a section. You have to add that extra overcut yourself in order to do it. It all depends on your workflow. Can it be done? Yes it can. But there comes a certain time to where you have to manually do things takes more time. I do a lot of things manually and still do. Nothing wrong with that, but you have to recognize that if something does shave off time in the long run, it does pay for itself.

I have plugins that provide a better GUI within Ai. They don't necessarily add functionality (some do, but not all), but they do "update" how things are done in an easier workflow environment and that does help shave off time.
 
O

Old Printer

Premium Subscriber
Thank you to all who have taken the time to reply to my question. I have a couple of suggestions to investigate. I have been able to download the drivers from Roland and cut(print) directly from Corel X7/Win 7 Pro. It works and I must admit I have not put a lot of time into learning its ins and outs, but it is very, very basic. Flexi is a great program and we run a OEM version on our Mutoh UV flatbed, but it is way more than I need to solve this problem. It seems I can recommend a program costing a few hundred dollars to my boss and solve our vinyl cutting roadblock. Just what we need. Vinyl is such a small part of our business and we have good solutions in place to fill the other graphics requirements that I really don't feel deprived. Maybe we will one day take our entire shop the Flexi route, but at the moment it is overkill and too much to tackle the learn/train curve. Thanks again and please keep up the suggestions if anyone knows of something else I should consider. Dave
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
Cocut is the one. You asked for a good solution,, Cocut is the most versatile and the most cost effective.
 
OldPaint

OldPaint

New Member
wid west....you always that anal??????????)))))))))ion 20 years of cutting vinyl........what you talking about, has never ever come up to be an issue.......in my work flow.........and corel does everthing i need it to do.
as for co-cut why buy a program, that is the same(cutting code) as corel for more money????heheheheheheehe
 
WildWestDesigns

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
OldPaint said:
wid west....you always that anal??????????)))))))))ion 20 years of cutting vinyl........what you talking about, has never ever come up to be an issue.......in my work flow.........and corel does everthing i need it to do.
Click to expand...

When it comes to production time, I can be for the most part. It does depend on the particular project. The longer the blade isn't on that vinyl (fabric and/or template material) and/or needle stitching out that pattern means that no money is being made, orders aren't getting filled as quickly as they can.

Also, bare in mind, I deal in a different industry for the most part and that has tainted my view on things as well. I could use a $500 program that just has 1 input (manual input, 1 click = 1 needle insertion) that I can get to do everything that the full blown $15k to $20k programs to do (yes that price range for full versions of digitizing software is correct, although more are towards the $15k now), without function codes though (stop/slow/fast etc).* Sounds like a good deal right? The most asked pattern size is a front left chest. Those are usually 7k stitches. That's 7k mouseclicks to complete that pattern. That's going to take some time. In today's prices, that pattern would run anywhere from $24 to $35 dollars depending on complexity, some will actually do cheaper then that, some will be more, it does depend on who you go to. Regardless how long it took me to actually create the pattern. Rather I spend 20 minutes or 4 hrs creating it, that price is still the same. That's the way my industry is. So the quicker I can actually get something done and move on to the next project without sacrificing quality, the better everything is.




*I'm talking about commercial grade software here. Not consumer grade, that brings up a whole different situation.
 
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