Just downloaded trial versions of both

[ching]

CDS and SCAL, now what? Yes, cricut is plugged in and connected to my laptop via usb cable. What do I do now? I'm assumming Im to open SCAL and start to use?

Is there a tutorial??

tia

[susibi]

Open SCAL and click on the help file - that tells you what you have to do to get started. Then have a look at the tutorials and info on this Forum if you get stuck. I think that pretty much every question has been aswered in the last couple of months!
The first thing you need to do is update your Cricut firmware and the help instructions will guide you through this.
HTH
Susibi

[ching]

thanks ...i believe i did install my driver already as well. i cant find the tutorials in this forum

[susibi]

SCAL is such an easy program to use that really there are no tuts as such and so the help file is all you will need.
But if you scroll down the Board index ( in the green title bar above the posts) there is a part of the Forum for SCAL - General, SCAL Tutorials etc
Susibi

[ching]

ok....I'm stuck on the part that has me pressing the stop button and power button. The cricut has beeped at me but there's nothing that allows me to choose "update firmware." The lcd screen on the cricut machine is blank.

[kkrewtea]

I'm not sure but I don't think your suppose to have your cricut connected to the puta until it tells you to...There is info on the cricut board about how to update the firmware..

[ching]

ok, just figured out that the cricut machine lcd is not goin to tell me to update firmware, its just supposed to beep. I found the menu to actually update the firmware on the trial version of cds....so, keep your fingers crossed for me that this is going to all go well.

[ching]

I see the tuturios but there'es only 3 hreads locatied and it has nothing to do with a Dummy's version for getting started. I literally need a step by step of what to do. So far, the help section of the SCAL Software does tell me, but I wish it was a bit more specific with where to look for the update firmware part of the instructions. I was under the impression the update option would appear on my cricut machine. AT this point, I only had the cricut machine on and the SCAL software open. Common sense told me to open the CDS software and poke around. And that's where I found the menu otion to update firmware.

[ching]

whoohoo....I got the firmware to update successfully. I guess now I just have to play with SCALS, and I can begin cutting, right?

Do I still need to have CDS Software on my computer? (common sense tells me I may need to keep that in case I need to update firmware/drivers in the future?)

[susibi]

SCAL is for cutting your own designs, fonts etc.and DS allows you to manipulate the images you have on the carts.
It depends what you want to do with your machine.
Certainly SCAL gives you the option of expanding the possibilities of your machine without having to buy loads cartridges.
Have fun playing it's a whole new creative world!
Remember that when you cut with the trial version it will cut lines through your work so you can't use what you make, but you can learn how to use the program and see what it can do.
Susibi