Please lets try again :)

Requests for finding a Font or Shape to use in Sure Cuts A Lot
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Honey1601
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 4:19 pm

Please lets try again :)

Post by Honey1601 »

Thank you for being so understanding Gaz. 8-) As a newbie I don't really know my way around the forum.

I had read the posts upside down & Not seen the first post from the other lady.

I had only seen your comment & Replied. Then felt really bad when I realized my mistake & Also that I couldn't delete or edit it plus I couldn't find it!

Note to oneself ... I must learn how to use the forum, before I jump in head first! :oops:

Ty, Yes Please lets start again :) Rightly so, I have had no help from Colin and I really was quite shocked when I had read what the lady had emailed me about the internal disputes as the email was very detailed and Id only emailed to ask about joining the forum.

I don't have time to get involved, I work from home & I care for my Hubby & Mum. Plus run my business. Not beng nasty, just factual, I'm a busy lady and I just want to learn how to use my cutter :)

I get a few hours each evening, that I literally have to cram everything into before the next day.

I've messaged Colin for help a few times, explaining how long Ive had my cutter and if he can maybe help me to move on from where I get stuck but he just tells me to watch their tutorials :(

It doesn't show me what I need to do though, It shows the basic running etc and I follow the directions, but my Paper, vinyl or whatever I've tried to cut just gets spat back out at me!

My Mum actually bought it for me as a gift, she thought it would help to cut down my processing times but I've had it for ages and it just sits there collecting dust :roll:

Its so frustrating as I see all the beautiful things that other crafters have made and people sayng how they would like to buy one but they're so expensive. Thanks to my Mum I have mine, otherwise i doubt Id have one either :)

I cant even cut a letter... Every now and then I think right I'm going to have another go and I end up back where I started,

so I thought I'd try & find out this way , as other peeps would hopefully be more helpful, which I'm pleased to find they are.

Thank You and apologies again for earlier.

I'l checkout Newbiecat on You tube ( ty for the tip :) )

I run windows 7 and I've downloaded Scal ( I'll need to check the name. sorry ) I think I also have MTC downloaded to.

I really never had a clue when I got my machine & didn't evn know that I needed software to run it!

How dim am I eh.. . I've now got it all connected up and it worked fine when someone else used my cutter.

I'm hoping that with help I will be soon be cutting hehe

First thing I'm going to do is make some Celebration banners and hang them out when finally cut something! :lol:

Thanks fr your help & Chat to you soon :)
dragonlord666
Posts: 499
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:18 pm

Re: Please lets try again :)

Post by dragonlord666 »

we all make mistakes and it's hard reading posts as you don't get the meaning behind a post so best we leave that in the past :)

OK I answered on the other thread but in short, I have no love for Colin and am NOT surprised he gives no help - he kind of thinks everyone else should be his Customer Service.

yes, we are passionate about what happened and it does still sting but I'm looking at this as you are left with a machine that does nothing. so let's see if we can get this sucker working. - hopefully everyone can put their feelings aside and jump in with tips and ideas to get you going.

I use a mac and you are windows 7 so this could be fun :) but I'm sure we'll get there.

now with windows I know you have to set ports (not so much on a mac and it's done different, of course)

so before I go research how to set up windows/scal/BC I know you said the machine DID do something but does it work now or is windows saying "what device?"

but about that frustration, yes it will come back as things go wrong but, best way to deal with it is, walk away, maybe for 10 minutes, maybe an hour or a day but just walk away. normally you find that either the "how to" or understanding will just pop into your head or it will just seem clearer once you have had that break away from it. as you get frustrated, things just keep going wrong as you do the same things over and over again but you think you are doing things different.

you can use MTC (I think you need the KNK plugin) but I've not used it so can give little to no help there LOL

if you just downloaded the software from craftedge you most likely have scal3 (Sure Cuts A Lot 3)

Oh and big thing here (well, I think so) - take the blade out and put in a pencil into the clamp, or half a pencil (that lid should open but a 'stubby' pencil will work) - reason for this is, you can do less damage to mats etc with a pencil and can SEE exactly what the cutter is doing. plus you can use the same piece of paper over and over until you don't know what line is what.... fip it over and go again - unless you set the pressure to high and rip the paper, but.... :)
once you "get" what the machine is doing ans where, then you can change the pencil for the blade and cut your banners :)

So, once we get the communication sorted we should be up and running, then onto "interesting things"

Gaz
Image
Cutters: Phoenix Silver Bullet 18", Black Cat Cougar 18", Silhouette Cameo & Cameo 4
Software: SCAL 5 Pro, Inkscape, Gimp
Computer:IMac running Mojave
dragonlord666
Posts: 499
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:18 pm

Re: Please lets try again :)

Post by dragonlord666 »

OK so, some things for you to check to see if they will get the cougar working - try one at a time and see, in no order other then how I typed them!

1) the cougar will require a driver to work, you should download that and install it if you have not already. Colin should be able to provide a link to the driver used for his machine.

2) when you plug in the machine to the computer do you get that beep that signals that a usb device has been detected?

3) try a factory reset. I think it's the same for that machine, turn off the cutter, hold the origin button (one with the target on it), turn on the cutter, keep holding the origin button until the screen reads reset about 30 or seconds to 1 minute.

4) when you plug in the cutter does it show up in the device manager

if the 2nd and 4th one are a no, try another port, sometimes the ports just don't want to work with the cutter, so try another and see if that works.

make sure the ports are working by plugging in something else, printer or external drive etc and see if they work.

if anyone on this forum can post how Honey can check the ports on windows 7 that would be great, as being mac user I've not done that since XP :)
(it used to be go into system then devices and then search down the list for ports or USB)

Gaz
Image
Cutters: Phoenix Silver Bullet 18", Black Cat Cougar 18", Silhouette Cameo & Cameo 4
Software: SCAL 5 Pro, Inkscape, Gimp
Computer:IMac running Mojave
Honey1601
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 4:19 pm

Morning :)

Post by Honey1601 »

Morning Gaz :D Thank You for understanding :)

sorry its been some time since Iv'e been back, just been really busy with work and its hard to get a minute free at times.

My cutter will cut, a fiends hubby used my cutter and cut out a word in vinyl.7

He wasn't very good at explaining and I didn't like to keep asking but I know it does cut. When I click on the tab to see the list of cutters my cougar is on the list

I'm getting a bit confused with the programme's I should be using sorry.

I think its probably because I've watched and tried out so many tutorials with no luck that I'm getting confused.

with what I should be using I just found a good tutorial that explained how to make a cut for people upgrading to a cougar

The lady used inkscape and signcut in her tutorial, should I use these programmes to so I can follow exactly or should I use something different?

Now that you know my cutter does actually make a cut, I'll wait to see what you advise before I jump in and try the above, its already set up to cut and I'm not sure if I need to reset it.

Thanks for your help, I'm determined to use my cutter by hook or by cook hehe it may take a while but I have patience if nothing else I quite agree with walking away and leaving things, I do that when my art isn't going right, I paint and sometimes when I go to paint nothing goes right! when I first started I'd spend hours trying to fix things but usually Id be so frustrated id be almost in tears where I would get into such a state and only make more mess!

I learned fast if things don't go right. leave it and go back later, its amazing the times I have sat puzzlling over something only for the answer to pop in my head the minute I'm not looking for the answer :D
dragonlord666
Posts: 499
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:18 pm

Re: Please lets try again :)

Post by dragonlord666 »

so the cutter works on your machine, that's good.

as to software, it's really your choice. I personally have inkscape, scal3, scal 3 pro and signcut pro but not really used signcut for a while.

so maybe lets see if we can get the cutter working with scal3 and then you can work out the others from there.

open up scal3 and I think you have to install the cutter(s) you use (cougar in your case but make sure it's the right cougar, I think colins ones are called pros?)
then we need to set the ports in scal to match the one your cougar is on. I think there is a video on either craftedge website or youtube about this but we can work through it - I'd just need to research online for how to set it up as I've not use windows for years :)

Gaz
Image
Cutters: Phoenix Silver Bullet 18", Black Cat Cougar 18", Silhouette Cameo & Cameo 4
Software: SCAL 5 Pro, Inkscape, Gimp
Computer:IMac running Mojave
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