Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCraft

obleck
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:51 pm

Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCraft

Post by obleck »

Hello,

Newbie here, I couldn't find any answer elsewhere here.

I am cutting some curved shapes out of basically card stock with SCUT3 and an eCraft cutter, and I am having trouble with "tabs" as eCraft calls them, or "gaps" in the lines as they seem to be referred to in SCUT. More generally, call it "perforations". i.e. I don't want pieces to fall out and there is no mat or anything holding it together. Hence little tabs spaced around.

Details:

- Shape loaded up and edge traced. Then I convert the trace to a dashed line from solid, say 300 with 3 gap.
- set eCraft to zero tabs just in case.
- load and cut.

However, it's not cutting the 300x3. It seems to be doing its own thing, which is shorter cuts and more tabs, regardless of what I set the line parameters to. Put another way, the gaps don't match what is showing in SCUT.

If I set it to a continuous line though, it cuts those just fine (and pieces fall out of course).

Am I missing something obvious? I looked at every possible feature I could find.

Thanks kindly in advance.
SandyMcC
Posts: 1114
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by SandyMcC »

It's been years since I tested an eCraft for Janome's consideration and I was testing from eCraft's own software. So, I'm not much help. However, I did some research for you and found an eCraft blog that was highly recommended and it appears the owner also used SCUT3. Maybe try searching articles there and even contacting the owner of the blog to see if she still actively helps her readers:

http://purplepaperparadise.blogspot.com/
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
obleck
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:51 pm

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by obleck »

Update:

I did some more tests, with the following results:

-If I leave the lines as continuous, it seems to be fine.

-If I change any of the cuts to dashed lines, it seems to insert a bunch of garbage, which seems to be consistent with "watermarking". In particular, it seems to put the tabs where I want them, but it also adds a bunch more, which I believe is what was confusing me in my original post. It also adds a few random slices across parts of the piece.

- Just to make sure it wasn't something with the file I'm trying to cut, I exported it to .png, created a new project, and re-imported it as an image to trace. Same results with solid vs. perforated cutting tests, except the "garbage" was different.

The later would be understandable for an unregistered copy, but this copy is registered as far as I can tell. i.e. I can go to "about" under the help tab and it gives me the previous owner's name and serial number.

One thing might be that there are somehow multiple copies that are/were on various PC's that are all under the same licence key somehow, so the license server it telling the software to fail? It'd be nice if that that the software told you if that was the case...

Any ideas? I emailed support but they talk about 3 days response time.

Maybe I need to spring for the $59 to buy SCUT5.
SandyMcC
Posts: 1114
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by SandyMcC »

If the issue was tied to registration, then the continuous line cut would not be fine... you would be getting watermark cuts through the shape.

Again, because this forum is not very active, I urge you to find an eCraft forum, Yahoo group, Facebook group or perhaps the owner of that blog I recommended so that someone who HAS used SCAL3 can help with this issue, based on their knowledge of using the software with an eCraft. If you DO get it working, I highly recommend SCAL5 because it is loaded with designing functionality and it's a great price for what you get.
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
obleck
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:51 pm

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by obleck »

Hello,

I dug this out again... still no solution. I also purchased scal5, and same results.

Attached are some pix:
Attachments
"Cut" tab preview of what it's going to actually cut.  Not missing lines/segments.
"Cut" tab preview of what it's going to actually cut. Not missing lines/segments.
cut_preview_with_tabs.jpg (9.88 KiB) Viewed 5270 times
"Preview" of shapes with tabs (300 cut, 2 tab dashed lines)
"Preview" of shapes with tabs (300 cut, 2 tab dashed lines)
preview_with_tabs.jpg (17.24 KiB) Viewed 5270 times
obleck
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:51 pm

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by obleck »

Arg... submitted before done.

I dug this out again and haven't found an answer. I did upgrade to SCAL5.

Pix attached.

craftwell ecraft with firmware 2.0

I've fooled around with resolution, node simplification, and anything else that looked promising, but to no avail.

I am going to try manual stencil tabs, though this is not quite what I want.

I did pay for licenses... sure would be nice to get this resolved by the technical team. My guess is that somehow the cut algorithm for the ecraft "loses" some of the line segments because of some sort of file resolution or round off issue. If I knew how to make it a higher resolution workspace, I'd be happy to try.

Thanks
Attachments
"Cut" preview without tabs (i.e. solid lines).  This is fine except my cutter jams up.
"Cut" preview without tabs (i.e. solid lines). This is fine except my cutter jams up.
cut_preview_without_tabs.jpg (6.35 KiB) Viewed 5270 times
"Cut" preview with tabs of what actually is going to get cut.  Note missing segments.
"Cut" preview with tabs of what actually is going to get cut. Note missing segments.
cut_preview_with_tabs.jpg (9.88 KiB) Viewed 5270 times
"Preview" of shapes, with tabs (i.e. dashed lines, 300 cut, 2 tab)
"Preview" of shapes, with tabs (i.e. dashed lines, 300 cut, 2 tab)
preview_with_tabs.jpg (17.24 KiB) Viewed 5270 times
SandyMcC
Posts: 1114
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by SandyMcC »

I need to have a look at the file. Since I don't use ecal, please save it in SCAL5 using File>Save As and then email it to me at smccauley45@cox.net. Thanks! Hopefully, I can figure out what's going on here.
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
obleck
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:51 pm

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by obleck »

Hi Sandy,

I did send you a file this weekend. Let me know if you didn't get it. Thanks!
SandyMcC
Posts: 1114
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by SandyMcC »

I did NOT get the file. :( Will you please send it to sandy.mccauley@gmail.com instead? Thanks!
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
obleck
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:51 pm

Re: Problem cutting lines with "gaps"/"tabs" in SCUT3 w/ eCr

Post by obleck »

Ooops, just saw this. I'll resend to both.
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