-
Modernizing Shop- Please Help!
Hello all,
I’m basically a Web developer/graphics/electronics guy assigned to the task of modernizing and upgrading our commercial sign shop. I have tons of questions but it sounds like alot of you have gone through these exact issues. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated of course…
Here’s what they have been using for the vinyl station..
Windows 95/98
Casmate 5
VinylMaster Pro
Graphtec CE-2000-60 cutterHere is what the engravers are using….
Windows 95/98
Quality One
New Hermes
CasMate 5 (but it will not plot to the rotary engravers anymore due to timeout errors, so they have been sending CasMate files to New Hermes for output to the engravers.)We have 6 new Windows XP computers and are looking for software, CasMate 5 will not run on Windows XP.
The Vinyl station is a stand-alone station so I think we should just purchase FlexiExpert for $1,000 upgrade from CasMate 5. This would allow her to open all CasMate files and be hardly any learning curve due to the CasMate workspace. I’ve looked at SignLab and FlexiPro but I think all we need is FlexiExpert since it is the next jump up from CasMate. Sound right?
What I am really trying to figure out are the engraver stations. We have 3 New Hermes Vanguard 9200 rotary engravers, and 3 New Hermes Concept 2000’s. We now have new Windows XP machines running Quality one software on these, outputting fine to the engravers. But they use CasMate as thier bridge and conversion program, sending artwork to CasMate, then to New Hermes, etc.
What is the CasMate equivelant for rotary engravers? or the best, most user friendly bridgeware for CorelDraw that will output to these exact machines?
Thanks very much in advance…
Scott -
5 Replies
-
Casmate will not run under windows XP. This is because the dongle is not recognised with the windows XP operating system. You could always install windows 98 on all your PCs in order to allow you to run Casmate. Alternatively, signlab 5 (not sure about later versions) has an import feature that will open Casmate files (although not always correctly).
If you are planning to continue using old Casmate files I would suggest you consider configuring one PC with windows 98 to allow you to open old Casmate files and export these as .eps file for importing into other more up to date sign software.
If it wasn’t for the dongle, you would find that Casmate could run ok on windows XP 😉
-
You would have to have a look at the contollers/post processors for the engravers and see what formats they accept. I know signlab/engravelab/profilelab will work on these machines and with the spooler it might be possible to run all the machines using just one copy.
If there is a windows driver for them , then any package like Corel will work. AFAIK , the new hermes is a Gravograph?
Perhaps contact New hermes and grovograph and ask them advice. It might be an option to change controllers on all the machines if available and not too pricey , especially if they are old machines as generally improved controllers can dramatically increase the functionality of a machine and allow it to be driven from many more packages. -
Rodney is right (i think) a sign lab or even better engravelab package should run all three machines via the spooler. Its worth getting a retailer to run a demo and try outputting to all three, one after the other, to see if it works before purchasing. With engrave lab you could open ai files exported from corel and apply all the fill paths ready for engraving. I would personaly recommend engravelab for designing and engraving from, it offers so much control. Have you looked at the exchange scheme offered by Cadlink over there. They will give you a large discount if you trade in corel or other package against theirs, thing is, I don’t think you actualy have to give them your old software !! good deal!!!! 😛
-
Great, thank you. Yes there is so much more to this than just choosing some software. Having to learn about all the bridgeware programs and the controllers for the machines themselves.
Actually, I found EngraveLab and was happy to find a program that would output to vinyl cutter and engravers, but the vinyl cutter already had it, said they tried it and it was terrible. But she was just speaking from her vinyl cutting experience. So I’m going to see if EngraveLab will work with the current engraving stations, they never even tried it.
Does anyone use FlexiExpert? Would this program be exactly like opening up the XP version of CasMate 5, able to get right to work on a new program working with all the same .scv files?
-
They say that EngraveLab would not output accurate left margins on multi-plate jobs. Most of these programs include the invisible area surrounding True Type fonts so that you have to go in and manually alter these margins and kerning.
We are looking for an engraving program that would run the 2 Epilogue laser engravers, as well as the New Hermes and Vanguard rotary engravers, with accurate multi-plate left margins.
man this is more of a headache than web development… 😮
Log in to reply.