2 Trotecs off of 1 computer?

[Mark Langston]

The problem is that Trotec has their own printer queue software called JobControl. All print jobs to the laser go to this software, which apparently can only run 1 laser and not 2 from it.

[Brian Lamb]

OK, so you are not using the print command from your OS, like windows 10 or whatever? You do a job in Corel, then have to load the file (.cdr?) into Job control and then print the file out of it? Seems kind of bass ackwards and extra steps to me, but I've only ever experienced the printer drivers from ULS, not sure if that's good or bad, but I find them easy to use.

[Brian Lamb]

Another thought.... years ago, 1979 to be exact, we acquired a bunch of CNC machines in the machine shop. At the time you either made paper tapes and carried them out to the machine in the shop and fed them into the tape reader, or you set up RS232 communication to each machine and had a tape punch/reader machine in the office. It was better than the guy in the shop getting oil on the paper tape and then having it go wacky in the machine.

Due to about 5 machines being fed by the one punch, we had a switch box that was ABCDE type of thing, you chose which machine you wanted the code to go to and it sent it correctly. Now if the Trotec machines don't run from loaded memory (like my ULS) then this won't work. But if you load a job into the machine and then can run it without the computer hooked up, then you might be able to set up multiple USB or parallel ports driving each machine of the same computer. Seems kind of archaic in today's day and age that you can't run a whole shop off one computer.

[Mark Langston]

These models I have from Trotec can't store jobs into internal memory. Data has to be streamed. I had an Epilog once that had onboard internal memory for holding jobs and that was nice.

[Brian Lamb]

Well, then Newegg has refurbished computers all day long for under $200. Buy enough for however many machines you need and set them all up.

[Kev Williams]

Virtual machine would likely work EXCEPT for the fact they have to share output resources- so while you could connect 2 lasers, you still can only run one at a time.

Quite honestly, I don't know why Trotec doesn't allow for one computer to run multiple instances of JC to run multiple machines, AND the ability to run multiple machines from ONE instance of JC. This 1-computer-1-machine take-it-or-leave-it method just says 'hobby machine' to me, and exactly the opposite of what's necessary for high-volume work. Don't want to sound like I'm bashing, but the fact we're having this discussion tells me JC needs an upgrade

[Gary Hair]

Virtual machine would likely work EXCEPT for the fact they have to share output resources- so while you could connect 2 lasers, you still can only run one at a time.

Quite honestly, I don't know why Trotec doesn't allow for one computer to run multiple instances of JC to run multiple machines, AND the ability to run multiple machines from ONE instance of JC. This 1-computer-1-machine take-it-or-leave-it method just says 'hobby machine' to me, and exactly the opposite of what's necessary for high-volume work. Don't want to sound like I'm bashing, but the fact we're having this discussion tells me JC needs an upgrade

One machine running multiple instances of JC could be possible, multiple machines in one instance of JC wouldn’t be possible or practical. Why? JC is actively controlling the machine, quite a bit more than just being a print spooler. It’s not like the job shows up and you select the machine and that’s the end of it - you can change power and speed while the job is running, pause, restart, change focus, etc., all from within JC. If you had multiple machines in that one instance of JC, you would have to have a way to distinguish one machine from the other and that could get ugly if you inadvertently picked the wrong one to change. Even multiple instances of JC would have potential problems, but I think they wouldn’t be as bad vs multiple lasers in one JC.

If the people in this thread actually had a Trotec and were using JC, they would understand how easy it really is to use and how powerful it is compared to pretty much anything else available. Until then, sorry, but you just don’t get how it works!

[Mike Null]

After 11 years with Trotec and JC I think Gary has said it about as well as it can be said.

If the people in this thread actually had a Trotec and were using JC, they would understand how easy it really is to use and how powerful it is compared to pretty much anything else available. Until then, sorry, but you just don’t get how it works!

[Scott Shepherd]

Quite honestly, I don't know why Trotec doesn't allow for one computer to run multiple instances of JC to run multiple machines, AND the ability to run multiple machines from ONE instance of JC. This 1-computer-1-machine take-it-or-leave-it method just says 'hobby machine' to me, and exactly the opposite of what's necessary for high-volume work. Don't want to sound like I'm bashing, but the fact we're having this discussion tells me JC needs an upgrade

Right, and this is coming from the same guy who said modern lasers were a waste of money, then bought a GCC and said how amazing it is? I agree with Gary and Mike. If you, for one split second, think a Trotec isn't a machine made for production then you truly don't understand it's power. We can do things you can't even dream about on your machines. And just for the record, Universal does the same thing. So apparently two of the 3 leading laser manufactures in the world have just been creating "hobby machines" for the last 2 decades.

I wouldn't trade my Trotec for any other machine on the market. Period. It's that powerful of a machine and Job Control system. Job Control is great because it's running your laser off the computer. So 15 years after buying a machine, your functionality is the exact same as a brand new machine because the upgrade is in Job Control, not physically on the machine, like these machines that require you to be stuck on Windows 95 because their hardware can't handle anything newer. I call that a brilliant move instead of forcing customers to be stuck on legacy equipment or buy new machines.

The sad part is that you'll never own one and see the real benefits. But then again, you've said before that you couldn't deal with a fast machine because it would require too much of your time. You could take a bulldozer and drag 80% of those machines stuffed in your garage out and replace them with 1 machine and get near the same output

[Brian Lamb]

Right, and this is coming from the same guy who said modern lasers were a waste of money, then bought a GCC and said how amazing it is? I agree with Gary and Mike. If you, for one split second, think a Trotec isn't a machine made for production then you truly don't understand it's power. We can do things you can't even dream about on your machines. And just for the record, Universal does the same thing. So apparently two of the 3 leading laser manufactures in the world have just been creating "hobby machines" for the last 2 decades.

Ok, so now I'm even more confused, what does Universal do the same? My Universal has memory, you download jobs to it and they could be run from the laser without any attachment to the computer.

I do agree that worrying about old computer software is stupid... the ULS will run on any windows from all the way back to Windows 10. I would be dumping anything that required me to run Windows 95 or vista or whatever ancient crap that hasn't been around sine the 90's.

[Scott Shepherd]

Ok, so now I'm even more confused, what does Universal do the same? My Universal has memory, you download jobs to it and they could be run from the laser without any attachment to the computer.

I do agree that worrying about old computer software is stupid... the ULS will run on any windows from all the way back to Windows 10. I would be dumping anything that required me to run Windows 95 or vista or whatever ancient crap that hasn't been around sine the 90's.

What year is your Universal? Our 2007 model PLS4.60 has no memory and runs off a job control system. You can’t run the machine without a computer. The benefit you gain is being able to see the last 2000 jobs you have run, pull them up without opening Corel, move them around the plate and save or adjust everything about them.

[Brian Lamb]

I can't remember for sure, 2003 or 2006, I talked to ULS with the serial number, but I can't find where I wrote it down. It's a X-600. After I run at the job, I just save the file and it has all the location changes and any power settings saved at the same time. Yes, I would have to open corel to recut at another time, but that's pretty easy, it's open all the time in my laptop that I use to run the machine, no different than searching through job control to find the program.

[Scott Shepherd]

Yes, I would have to open corel to recut at another time, but that's pretty easy, it's open all the time in my laptop that I use to run the machine, no different than searching through job control to find the program.

It's very different. Are your settings stored in that corel file? Nope. They are stored in Corel. The point was that ULS no longer makes machines that work the way yours does. ULS and Trotec all run a Job Control system. They do it for a reason. Because it works.

It's always people who don't have it that say it's not worth it and it doesn't work. It's like comparing the features of a smart phone to a flip phone. Are they both phones? Yes. Does your phone work? Yes. Can I do more with a smart phone than you can do with your flip phone? Absolutely. Exact same thing with Job Control systems.

[Brian Lamb]

It's very different. Are your settings stored in that corel file? Nope. They are stored in Corel. The point was that ULS no longer makes machines that work the way yours does. ULS and Trotec all run a Job Control system. They do it for a reason. Because it works.

It's always people who don't have it that say it's not worth it and it doesn't work. It's like comparing the features of a smart phone to a flip phone. Are they both phones? Yes. Does your phone work? Yes. Can I do more with a smart phone than you can do with your flip phone? Absolutely. Exact same thing with Job Control systems.

Scott,

I never said it's not worth it and it doesn't work.... I'm just trying to understand and educate myself about the different varieties of machines and software. As for my settings being saved in that Corel file and your answer is Nope, that's not correct, my settings are most certainly saved in that Corel File. Any file I have cut, if saved after I have made any adjustments, can be opened again and all my settings are remembered and ready to go.

I just went and watched some video's on Trotec's Job Control... about the only advantage I see without actually using it is that it has a material database integrated into it, so you just choose the material and it sets your settings. That would be handy, but my Steno pad next to the machine has all the settings in it that I've dialed in for my machine also... not much of a stretch to grab the pad, and in my print preferences screen, set the power accordingly.

I don't see it as much different than saying six of one, half dozen of another....

[Gary Hair]

I can't remember for sure, 2003 or 2006, I talked to ULS with the serial number, but I can't find where I wrote it down. It's a X-600. After I run at the job, I just save the file and it has all the location changes and any power settings saved at the same time. Yes, I would have to open corel to recut at another time, but that's pretty easy, it's open all the time in my laptop that I use to run the machine, no different than searching through job control to find the program.

Another big difference with Job Control is that you can save the plate (complete with layout, speed, power, etc.) to your customer folder - simply double click on it to open in JC and it's ready to go, no muss, no fuss, just click the play button and off it goes!