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Dave Garcia
06-09-2009, 1:00 PM
One and All,

Being a new member to this forum and a very happy Mac user, I've been searching for two years to find a Mac compatible laser engraver to expand my business with.

So far I've run into two problems. One, there just does not seem to be many Mac compatible laser engravers on the market totally constructed and made in the US. And two, the companies that do say they are Mac compatible required a Mac user to load additional software on their computer (Epilog and Universal) so that graphic programs, such as Corel, will run on the Mac. I'm using Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.

The only Mac compatible laser engraver that I've found are the units from Laser Pro. Their 35 watt C180 model has a Mac compatible driver due on the market this month.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for other Mac compatible laser engravers?

Thank you very much in advance.

:)

Dee Gallo
06-09-2009, 1:09 PM
Dave,

I run Bootcamp on my MacBook Pro and send jobs to my Epilog via wireless with no problems. I do have a dedicated windows machine too, which I store all my files on, but make most of my documents on the Mac using Photoshop and CorelDraw. It's very easy to pass docs back and forth using Bootcamp as compared to Parallels which I hated.

All you have to do to send a job to the laser is load the driver onto your pc side and you're all set. The only glitch is the file does not have the same name as you see on CorelDraw for some reason.. it names the job with a generic "job 1" , "job 2" title, which is not a big deal to me.

HTH, dee

Scott Shepherd
06-09-2009, 1:10 PM
Dave, I've asked for it on these forums and the response is that they don't do Mac drivers. OSX is going through the roof on sales. If you didn't see the Keynote from WWDC yesterday about their sales, you should watch it. It'll shut all the "Mac's are overpriced systems for stupid people" up. Mac sales are on fire. I've said it before, the first big boy to come out with a Mac driver is going to clean house.

I agree, I want to run a laser from OSX, but not from a Mac loaded with Windows. That defeates the purpose of having the Mac.

Dave Garcia
06-09-2009, 1:21 PM
Dee,

Thank you very much for your response.

Please don't take this personally but loading additional software on a Mac to allow it to use a Windows based software package is exactly what I do not want to do. That defeats the easy use of a Mac with regards to graphics. I've tried both Parallels and Bootcamp and found both to be somewhat easy to use but, again, there is a learning curve etc, etc, which takes time and time is money in a business, not to mention the additional costs in purchasing additional software.

Regardless, I sincerely appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing from you again as I start getting more and more into the laser engraving business.

Thanks again!

:) Dave
The Wood Block, Ltd

Dee Gallo
06-09-2009, 1:38 PM
Dave,

I am a MacUser from 1984 - and hated to give up my all-Mac status, but Corel quit working on Mac with v5, which does not work with OSX (and Classic was just awful) , same with my favorite program, FreeHand and I hate Illustrator. I'm getting to "not hate" CorelDraw now that I have to use it all the time and I still dislike the pc- interface requirement, but it does make it easier to use a laser and that's what I want to do.

No point in complaining about the lack of Mac drivers, since you can't do anything about it. Unless you are willing to wait an undetermined amount of time (if ever) for drivers to appear, the only other thing you can do is go back in time. I had an Epilog from maybe 1990 which had a Mac driver. Apparently there was not enough demand for it, so it was dropped. Epilog made a business decision probably based on customer need. When I upgraded to a newer laser, I lost my Mac driver.

I take no offense from your comments, and I hope you find a way to happy lasering with your Mac. But software and time investments are a reality in this business no matter what platform you use.

cheers, dee

Doug Griffith
06-09-2009, 2:01 PM
I'm a Mac user as well and would more than love to have a Mac driver to use with Illustrator. I currently design on a Mac and sneakernet to a PC for output. I've also used Parallels and find it too slow for processor consuming apps such as SolidWorks. Bootcamp is the way to go. It's like having 2 computers in one. Especially handy on laptops when visiting clients.

Cheers,
Doug

Doug Griffith
06-09-2009, 2:17 PM
I am a MacUser from 1984 - and hated to give up my all-Mac status
Me too! So what exactly was Clarus? dog or cow?


same with my favorite program, FreeHand and I hate Illustrator.
The exact opposite! I guess even Apple users "Think Different".


Epilog made a business decision probably based on customer need
I still don't understand how a company can ignore a platform with millions of users... and a good chunk of Mac users are in the graphics arts field.

Cheers,
Doug

Kim Vellore
06-09-2009, 2:24 PM
I have been using Vmware, I found it better than boot camp because I can have all the OS systems running at the same time and can drag and drop between OS. For example design your project with illustrator in a mac, have a window open in vmware windows, once ready to print just drag it from the MAC window to Windows window and print. Infact I have multiple computers running windows, ubuntu, and linux open at the same time and I keep working between all of them sharing a flash drive between all of them, it is a of great ease and awesome experience of having best of all OS. I could never buy a pc ever again?

Kim

Doug Griffith
06-09-2009, 2:38 PM
I have been using Vmware, I found it better than boot camp because I can have all the OS systems running at the same time and can drag and drop between OS. For example design your project with illustrator in a mac, have a window open in vmware windows, once ready to print just drag it from the MAC window to Windows window and print. Infact I have multiple computers running windows, ubuntu, and linux open at the same time and I keep working between all of them sharing a flash drive between all of them, it is a of great ease and awesome experience of having best of all OS. I could never buy a pc ever again?

Kim

Bootcamp is annoying because of the reboot issue but I keep a version of Parallels around for doing quick work. The problem is virtual machines eat resources and serious CAD/CAM apps are very hungry. They just run too darn slow... and I've got a new MacBook Pro 17 with 4 gigs of ram.

Something Bootcamp users might find useful is the ability to read and write the NTSF-3g drive it creates. Check out: http://www.ntfs-3g.org

Paul Franklin
06-09-2009, 2:40 PM
I think it is a shame that these companies are such sticks in the mud. Do they not read a newspaper or look on the internet to see what is happening around them?

I am in the middle of trying to decide what engraver to get, to have a Mac driver would make my mind up in a heart beat,

I have not had good luck running windows on a mac, it always crashes.

Maybe one of the makers of lasers will read these posts and look into making happen. We can only hope!

Paul

John Noell
06-09-2009, 7:08 PM
I too would love a mac driver. I have both a Mac (w/ Parallels) and a PC (Win 7 - MUCH better than Vista). I'd love to be using the mac when talking to my laser.

Dave Garcia
06-09-2009, 7:29 PM
Dee,

Once again thank you for your response. And, as usual, it's always nice to "visit" with another Mac user. I'm in total agreement with all of your comments.

I have found a laser engraver that does in fact have a Mac driver as of this month. It's the LaserPro C180. I searched and searched until I just happened to stumble across this company mainly because I was looking for an all American made machine. Although most of the parts for the C180 are made in Taiwan, the laser tube and most of the drive gear is made in the US.

Another big issue was having a local (California) distributor for the obvious issues of support and training. I've been totally impressed by both, even though I have not purchased my unit as yet. When I called these folks (I'll gladly provide this info to you via email, please see below for address, if you'd like) the gentleman I spoke with gave me all the information I needed. Now I'm just waiting for financing to come through.

FYI, even though I use Photoshop Elements 6 as my graphics program of choice, this representative said that CorelDraw was the software of choice for most of his customers mainly because they were PC users. Having Parallels and or Bootcamp loaded on your Mac would make this a moot point I would imagine. For me that would be just another piece of software to purchase. I'd rather spend my limited finances on a more powerful laser tube, which I've heard is the better way to go.

Like I've mentioned previously, even though I've had my little business up and running since 1977, I'm a "rookie" with regards to laser engraving. I started out wanting a small laser to engrave items on some of the home made pens and plaques that I make. Once I started researching etc, I got hooked on expanding into other areas.

Rest assured that I will be visiting this forum as often as possible for ideas and directions, especially from knowledgable folks like yourself.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Dave Garcia :)
Owner
The Wood Block, Ltd
dbgarcia@mac.com

Dave Garcia
06-09-2009, 7:38 PM
Mac users one and all,

Please go to and read my latest response to Dee.

FYI, there is a Mac driver offered with the LaserPro C180.

I will gladly supply anyone with the contact information for the above unit via email. My email address is listed below.

All the best.

Dave Garcia :)
Owner
The Wood Block, Ltd
dbgarcia@mac.com

Dave Garcia
06-09-2009, 7:47 PM
Dee,

I noted that you also use a CarveWright CNC machine. Would you care to post some useful information on where to get 3D patterns for this machine?

I too, own a CarveWright. This was the first unit that I purchased in my "business upgrade" plan. And although I'm "graphics program challenged" at the moment, I love the CarveWright and am thinking about getting a second machine after the laser.

My main issue with the CarveWright Designer software is getting an object scanned into the software in order to make a 3D carving. Can you at least point me in the right direction?

Thank you in advance!

Dave :)

Dee Gallo
06-09-2009, 8:00 PM
Me too! So what exactly was Clarus? dog or cow?


The exact opposite! I guess even Apple users "Think Different".


I still don't understand how a company can ignore a platform with millions of users... and a good chunk of Mac users are in the graphics arts field.

Cheers,
Doug

Personally, I liked Claris and still use Appleworks 6 on my OSX. It's clean and simple for certain things.

I know I'm in the minority with FreeHand, but it was just less clunky (read windows-like) than Illustrator: too many steps to do things for my blood.(ie: click-select-click vs. click-done)

Most of the high end graphics are done with Macs, even Microsoft used Macs to do their TV commercials (true!) But Corel is easy to learn (relatively speaking) and does the job. And was heavily pushed onto the printing industry early on along with Quark (horrible), so it became "standard" despite the fact that Macs do graphics better. The majority of today's computers are not used for graphics or design. Most people who have computers have no idea how to really use them, nor make the most out of the software they do have.

WE are the minority, and even on this forum there are a lot of people who are just getting to know more of CorelDraw's features while they use it well for certain types of jobs. Witness all the posts about drawing, tracing, photo prep, type manipulation, layout, etc.

... getting off soapbox now.:)

Dee Gallo
06-09-2009, 8:13 PM
Dee,

I noted that you also use a CarveWright CNC machine. Would you care to post some useful information on where to get 3D patterns for this machine?

I too, own a CarveWright. This was the first unit that I purchased in my "business upgrade" plan. And although I'm "graphics program challenged" at the moment, I love the CarveWright and am thinking about getting a second machine after the laser.

My main issue with the CarveWright Designer software is getting an object scanned into the software in order to make a 3D carving. Can you at least point me in the right direction?

Thank you in advance!

Dave :)

Dave,

I do not have much to say about the CarveWright. It does not do the kind of work I wanted it to do. I found I needed more detail, smaller sized wood and finer resolution than it could do. That's why I am experimenting with 3D on the laser. I will probably get rid of it sometime soon. As far as the designs go, I was able to do the same types of drawings I do in Corel or PhotoShop, but it's a lot harder with their tools. Graphics knowledge is a must either way. You can buy a 3D scanner, which is expensive, and it allows you to scan an object (if you have a prototype) and replicate it. Not what I wanted.

You should talk with Al Ursich - he's got a lot of experience with the CarveWright.

cheers, dee

Dave Garcia
06-09-2009, 8:46 PM
Dave,

I do not have much to say about the CarveWright. It does not do the kind of work I wanted it to do. I found I needed more detail, smaller sized wood and finer resolution than it could do. That's why I am experimenting with 3D on the laser. I will probably get rid of it sometime soon. As far as the designs go, I was able to do the same types of drawings I do in Corel or PhotoShop, but it's a lot harder with their tools. Graphics knowledge is a must either way. You can buy a 3D scanner, which is expensive, and it allows you to scan an object (if you have a prototype) and replicate it. Not what I wanted.

You should talk with Al Ursich - he's got a lot of experience with the CarveWright.

cheers, dee

Dee,

Sorry to hear that your work with the CarveWright didn't work out as you wanted. I've been down that road with other machines and know the pain of trial and error first hand.

Could you be so kind as to provide Mr. Al Ursich' contact information? An email address would be preferred.

Thanks in advance.

Dave :)
--------------------
Hawaiian rule: To be rich, make more or desire less!

David Lampitok
06-10-2009, 1:26 AM
I am on a Mac also so the process of getting my work to das laser is akin to driving a Maseratti to a hill then slowly pushing a yugo to the top all the while encountering useless signs that must be adressed just so I can adjust my art with a brick ! What fun to spend an extra 15 minutes for EVERY file , Set that hoop on fire I am ready! and Why does corel not recognize the name of an Illustrator file,, AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Thanks I'm done now

George Beck
06-10-2009, 9:23 AM
I am a mac user and I love it. I use boot camp and VMware on a macbook pro 8 gig. I too wish for a mac driver. Interestingly, I was at the recent NBM show and was asking vendors about the lack of mac drivers. One CNC router mfg. told me the problem for developers was with Apple who keeps close control on all mac software. This limits the the development of non MS DOS software but gives apple control over the environment and thus the smooth operating environment we all love (lack of conflicting drivers etc.). He also said that this seems to be loosening with the explosion of IPhone software so there is hope in the future. I thought that interesting.

George

George Beck
06-10-2009, 9:27 AM
I run Bootcamp on my MacBook Pro and send jobs to my Epilog via wireless with no problems.



Dee

How do you send files via wireless to your epilog?

George

Clyde Baumwell
06-10-2009, 9:43 AM
George
I don't know if I believe the response you heard at the NBM show---after all look at all the laser and ink jet printers that have mac drivers plus the MAC operating systems have a ton of drivers included-most of the time my Mac just sees the newly attached printer

Dave
We have to work with the lasers we have so the MAC driver you found would not help most of us

Dee
Corel V 11 (which is what I use) had a MAC and PC version. The Mac version works (with a few minor hiccups) in OS X.

Sun Microsystem makes a FREE virtualization software (like Parallels or VM Ware) called VirtualBox. I run Corel & Photograv on that with XP

I work in Illustrator CS4 on the MAC side but have to save as an .ai file Version 9 for Corel to recognize the vectors.

Thats my work around---oh and I have an OLD OLD PC connected to my laser

Clyde

Dee Gallo
06-10-2009, 10:06 AM
Clyde- I slipped by that version and went to the pc version because of Classic wanting to take over whenever I started it. I never went back to try it after the first OSX... maybe my own mistake, eh?

George - I have ethernet for my computers and lasers using a NetGear hub thingy. My Mac is wireless, in a different room from the wireless router and lasers (3 different rooms). I installed the Epilog driver on the Bootcamp side of the Mac, and a friend who knows more than I do set the laser driver up to send the jobs as if to a remote printer. I can't tell you how this works, but now that I am typing this, it must be via ethernet. It did involve those long numbered addresses. I'll bet one of the computer squints here can explain it to you. Sorry I'm not more help!

cheers, dee

Doug Griffith
06-10-2009, 10:18 AM
Quark (horrible)

Hmmm... I happen to think Quark is a great program. I've used it since v1.

Dan Hintz
06-10-2009, 2:13 PM
Dee,

Keep me in mind should you decide to get rid of the CarveWright... my father considered getting one when they first came out, but the price stopped him. He's retired now and putting his old wood shop back together, so he may take an interest in a used CW if the price is right.

George Beck
06-10-2009, 3:29 PM
Clyde You may be right. BS abounds at trade shows. I am currently at a Universal Laser Seminar so I will ask.

Dee Thanks anyway. I do everything wireless from my mac and since it is a laptop I just carry it to the laser. My preferred working method is on the deck with a Corona (hey I am retired after all). So I am hoping to take the laser wireless as well.

Thanks

George

Sarah Holbrook
06-12-2009, 11:57 PM
Dave, where did you see the info about the C180 Mac driver? I couldn't find any info on LaserPro's site, and when I talked to my rep he said that there isn't such a thing. They've been busy working on the Vista and 64-bit Windows drivers, and it sounded like any thought of a Mac driver would be long after that.

(I was disappointed to hear this, as I'm a Mac person too. However, my copy of VMFusion 2 arrived today so it's not all bad. My MacBook Pro 17" arrives in a couple more weeks. Woo!)

Dave Garcia
06-13-2009, 12:57 AM
Dave, where did you see the info about the C180 Mac driver? I couldn't find any info on LaserPro's site, and when I talked to my rep he said that there isn't such a thing. They've been busy working on the Vista and 64-bit Windows drivers, and it sounded like any thought of a Mac driver would be long after that.

(I was disappointed to hear this, as I'm a Mac person too. However, my copy of VMFusion 2 arrived today so it's not all bad. My MacBook Pro 17" arrives in a couple more weeks. Woo!)

Sarah,

Sorry. I should have been a little more clear on this. When you look at the basic LaserPro web site for the C180, there is no mention of a Mac driver. How I found out about it was by calling the two North American distributors in California, one in the San Francisco Bay area and the second in the LA area, on a discontinued LaserPro desktop unit that I was looking at originally. It was by speaking with both offices that I found that the C180 was a new machine and that a Mac driver was in fact being developed for the C180 due for sale this month.

Please call Mr. Parker Koser at one of the two following telephone numbers:
Cell phone: 714-905-4611
Office: 951-245-4622

Here is the web address: www.laserprona.com (http://www.laserprona.com)

This is a father/son operation with Parker, the son, in LA and his father in the Bay Area. It was the father (unfortunately I can not remember his name) that gave me all the details and information on the LaserPro C180 and the Mac driver. Apparently the LaserPro people are well aware of the need for a Mac driver and have focused their attention on same.

In my two years worth of research I've also attended a number of wood working shows where the various laser companies, such as Epilog and ULS, have demoed their machines and I got the same answer concerning Mac. They didn't see a need to market a Mac driver. LaserPro apparently has taken a different route in this regard. So far they are the only folks who have addressed this issue.

And congratulations on the purchase of your MacBook Pro 17". I'm using a MacBook Pro 15", with an external WD 250 gig hard drive and a Viewsonic 19" external monitor, when I'm at home that is. In an airplane the smaller screen works just fine.

Sincerely hope you get the straight word from these LaserPro folks that you need concerning the Mac driver in order to make your decision on which unit and software to buy.

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Jeanette Brewer
06-15-2009, 1:46 PM
It was the father (unfortunately I can not remember his name)

FYI ... the father's name is Kurt.

Dave Garcia
06-26-2009, 7:39 PM
FYI ... the father's name is Kurt.

Jeanette,

Thank you very much. Had a brain dump, and then misplaced my notes.

By the way, seeing as how you seem to know this individual may I ask if you are either a Mac and or a LaserPro user? If yes on both accounts could you be so kind as to share some of the pros and cons on each?

I recently spoke with Kurt, and he informed me that the LaserPro C180 is the last of the LaserPro units that is being configured with a Mac driver. When he told me that I had to ask whether LaserPro was going to drop the Mac driver after the C180. He told me absolutely NOT!

LaserPro has found that there is a very good market for a Mac driver and they are going to fill it, which will certainly make all Mac users very happy. I wonder how much longer the other laser manufactures are going to keep there heads in the sand. If LaserPro can do it, so should everyone else I would think.

One other question. Which graphics software packages do you use?

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd
--------------------------
MacBook Pro OSX+
LaserPro C180 (soon)
Photoshop Elements 6
Logo Design Pro

Jeanette Brewer
06-29-2009, 11:47 AM
Dave,

No, I'm not a Mac user nor am I a LaserPro user. Sorry I can't help there. I know Kurt Koser (actually, my dad knows him much better than I do) because we were colleagues many years ago (we were both Xenetech distributors).

Best of luck w/ the LaserPro. We'll look forward to hearing how that works out for you.

Dave Garcia
06-30-2009, 2:00 AM
Dave,

No, I'm not a Mac user nor am I a LaserPro user. Sorry I can't help there. I know Kurt Koser (actually, my dad knows him much better than I do) because we were colleagues many years ago (we were both Xenetech distributors).

Best of luck w/ the LaserPro. We'll look forward to hearing how that works out for you.

Jeanette,

Got it and thanks!. The next time I speak with Kurt, I'll pass along your name and say hello for you and your Dad. People sure get around in this industry don't they.

I'm still a rookie in this field Jeanette. Basically I have to learn what a "vector" file is and why files have to be "vectored" before using them on a laser. Comments?

All models of LaserPro lasers now have a Mac driver, the only laser company that I've found that does, which is why I've elected to buy from Kurt Koser and LaserPro. But what I need to find out is what file that driver needs to work with. I'm guessing, based on everything that I've been reading is that it has to be some sort of vector file. Comments?

This is a great forum for "new folks" like me. I've learned a tremendous amount just reading through all of the postings. Thanks to you, and everyone else, for participating in this forum. It contains a wealth of information and advice.

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Jeanette Brewer
06-30-2009, 1:58 PM
Dave,

Has Kurt done a demo for you yet? You should go by his place (or have him do an onsite demo for you) to show you the Mac driver. I haven't had any luck finding info on the Mac driver on any of the LaserPro websites I could access so I'm not sure how the driver handles the files.

Still keeping in mind that I know nothing about the Mac driver they have, I've never heard of a laser that requires a vector file. Most (all?) lasers can easily engrave a bitmap file.

As you've already figured out, I'm not the technical person here -- the tech guys reading this message are likely cringing! ;) I'll leave the rest of the technical explanations to those guys but still highly recommend running those Mac / vector questions past Kurt while he's doing your demo for you.

Let us know what you find out! Inquiring minds want to know...

Dave Garcia
07-01-2009, 12:19 AM
Dave,

Has Kurt done a demo for you yet? You should go by his place (or have him do an onsite demo for you) to show you the Mac driver. I haven't had any luck finding info on the Mac driver on any of the LaserPro websites I could access so I'm not sure how the driver handles the files.

Still keeping in mind that I know nothing about the Mac driver they have, I've never heard of a laser that requires a vector file. Most (all?) lasers can easily engrave a bitmap file.

As you've already figured out, I'm not the technical person here -- the tech guys reading this message are likely cringing! ;) I'll leave the rest of the technical explanations to those guys but still highly recommend running those Mac / vector questions past Kurt while he's doing your demo for you.

Let us know what you find out! Inquiring minds want to know...

Jeanette,

No, neither Kurt or his son have done a demo for me. And no, there isn't anything on the LaserPro website that states anything about a Mac driver. I got that information directly from Kurt when I called him.

Yes, i will have either Kurt and or his son do a full demo for me before I purchase the machine. Both gentlemen promised me any and all hands on training and demo necessary before money changes hands. I'm good with that.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Jeanette Brewer
07-02-2009, 11:21 AM
Dave,

I saw in another post -- http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1167248&postcount=5 -- that you had purchased the laser. Did you get your demo already? I was hoping we'd see more info about that Mac driver here since I still haven't been able to locate any info on any of the LP websites...

Inquiring minds still want to know! ;)

Dave Garcia
07-02-2009, 11:17 PM
Dave,

I saw in another post -- http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1167248&postcount=5 -- that you had purchased the laser. Did you get your demo already? I was hoping we'd see more info about that Mac driver here since I still haven't been able to locate any info on any of the LP websites...

Inquiring minds still want to know! ;)

Jeanette,

I think I got the cart before the horse with that statement. I hadn't actually purchased the LaserPro as yet when I wrote that reply, but have set up a demo from the SoCal LaserPro folks for the later part of July, when the Mac driver will be available for the C180. The C180 is the last of the LaserPro line to have the Mac driver written for it. All of their other units do in fact have a Mac driver. This is directly from Kurt. Also, FYI, I'm headed to Alaska, to Reno, and then to Japan, so probably will not take delivery and actually have the unit up and running until either late September and or early November. But rest assured that once it's up and operational I'll be posting any and all the information I can in this forum for all of you and the other Mac people to read.

Once again, there is NO Mac driver info on the LaserPro web pate. That information comes directly from Kurt and his son. Please give them a call directly for any information you need. Kurt is the individual that I've been working with on this issue. He has been a wealth of information and help.

So far I have not found any other laser company that offers a Mac driver.

My focus at the moment is learning the graphic design software and how all of it works with the laser. Just to show you how much of a "rookie" that I am, I didn't know what a vector file was. Comments?

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Doug Griffith
07-03-2009, 11:30 AM
This has turned into a LaserPro C180 thread.

What I get out of it is consumers are making hardware purchasing decisions based on Mac compatibility. Epilog, ULS, and the other big players should take notice. There is market share to be had. I still don't know how they can ignore millions of users. Many being in the graphics arts fields.

Dave Garcia
07-03-2009, 11:19 PM
This has turned into a LaserPro C180 thread.

What I get out of it is consumers are making hardware purchasing decisions based on Mac compatibility. Epilog, ULS, and the other big players should take notice. There is market share to be had. I still don't know how they can ignore millions of users. Many being in the graphics arts fields.

Doug,

You're absolutely right! Either I was looking in the wrong place or there just isn't any other company besides LaserPro that is catering to Mac people; at least I haven't found any in my two years worth of research for a laser engraver.

Mac was made for the graphic arts field. The PC is a johnny come lately in that regard, although because of its market share, the PC has tons of graphic software now written for it.

I'll be purchasing my LaserPro sometime in August and probably will not take delivery before I leave for Japan in September. Once I get back and get the C180 up and running I'll be posting everything I can for all of you Mac people out there.

FYI, the C180 is the last of the LaserPro line to have the Mac driver written for it which should be ready sometime this month. All of their other models already have the Mac driver. I'll be visiting the LaserPro folks in SoCal sometime this month to get a complete demo once that driver is available for the C180.

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Sarah Holbrook
07-05-2009, 11:24 PM
Dave, could you keep us updated on the demo? I was hoping to get a demo last week but unfortunately got stuck at home with the shingles :(. I talked to Kurt on the phone and he confirmed that the driver was planned for release later this month but of course with software it's hard to promise a deadline :).

They did engrave a test file I'd sent and mailed it to me which was great. I see noticeable jaggies on the vectored "2", "7", and a diamond I had in the test file, but I understand this is quiet common for lasers even if they're run at very low speeds. Epilog just sent of the samples from my test file a few days ago so that should show up soon and I have the demo from Universal tomorrow. It will be so great to see the samples next to each other. If they're close enough I'm likely to go with the C180 for the Mac driver (and save $$ to avoid buying Illustrator again!).

Robert Ray
07-06-2009, 10:49 AM
They did engrave a test file I'd sent and mailed it to me which was great. I see noticeable jaggies on the vectored "2", "7", and a diamond I had in the test file, but I understand this is quiet common for lasers even if they're run at very low speeds.If they're close enough I'm likely to go with the C180 for the Mac driver (and save $$ to avoid buying Illustrator again!).


Wow, that's the first I heard of jaggies on a C180! The reason I purchased my C180 is because it's stiff XY mechanism with naturally vibration dampening plastic rollers is much less prone to vibrations that cause jaggies. Should have seen the Epilog Mini 24 do it's jaggies, running my tuning fork test file! I have not seen any yet, and I vector 90% of my work. I have had my C180 for over a year now, and I also have 2 friends with the C180 systems that also have not had any jaggies. You should try your file on an Epilog Mini 24 to compare jaggies!


As far as the Mac Driver, that is a plus, as I use Windows now, but Saturday I was talking to Kim Vellore, who swears by the MAC, so I just might try it out. I have a copy of Corel 11 that is MAC compatible, so I'm good to go there, and I also have 2 Laserpro Venus systems, so I can get the MAC drivers for them now. Kim has me fired up on MAC now, so I just have to play with it... and Windows 7, which I pre-ordered already. Computers are another hobby of mine too.

-Robert Ray

Rob Bosworth
07-06-2009, 1:47 PM
I am going to be very careful with this note (NOT).

So you are going to commit to buying a machine because there is a promise that a software will be available in the next month. A software that has been overlooked by ALL of the other companies that make similar machinery.

Mac users make up the majority of software used by the graphics industry, at least it was and probably still is. Windows based software is used by the majority of the industrial community. Engineers have learned their trade on PC's or Unix based computers. That is why all of these laser engraving systems are designed to be run on Windows based computers, because they were designed by Engineers and engineering based companies.

I have owned Windows based PC's since my early DOS based computers. Two years ago, we bought a MacBook to be used when traveling. It has been a wonderful notebook to keep connected to the outside world almost anywhere we went. We also can fire it up as a Windows XP format, to run laser engraving systems in the field. It has worked OK for that, not fabulous, but OK. I don't see a tremendous amount of difference between the two operating systems, except that I understand the names of my applications in Windows but have more trouble with the names of applications in my MacBook. Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, Word,... are pretty self evident. But I am totally confused as to what Safari means. I am getting better, but I still do a lot of stumbling around trying to figure out how to accomplish something. I can't ever remember how to do file manipulations in OSX. It just takes me forever to actually get something done with my MAC. We were getting fairly frustrated about all of the capabilities offered and were undiscovered on our MAC, so we went to the Apple Store for a 3 hour lesson. Our MacBook was three of four months old, and they spent the entire lesson showing us the great features for their new operating system Leopard(?) It was really cool to fan things out and fan things away, but I still learned so little, because I had some other animal's name operating system in my MacBook. So now I use it to find Wi-Fi and stay connected on the road. I wish I could use it for more.

Maybe someday this old dog can learn a new trick.

Dave Garcia
07-06-2009, 9:40 PM
Sara,

I spoke with Parker Koser this morning. According to him, the C180 Mac driver will be in his place of business on 15 July, at which time he is going to call me and set up a demo date. Morgan Hill is just a little too far for an up and back trip. But Corona and or Walnut are just a couple of hours down Hwy 101 from me.

Parker even suggested that I take along my MacBook Pro so that we can connect it to the C180 and try it out. Can't beat that kind of service anywhere!!

As soon as I see the demo, I'll post something here for everyone to see.

Sorry that this is turning into a LaserPro C180 thread.

Oh, and by the way, Parker also told me, as did his Dad, Kurt, that CorelDraw was the software of choice for most of the lasers that they sell. I'll be using Photo Shop Elements 6 and or a couple of other Mac logo software packages.

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Dave Garcia
07-06-2009, 9:47 PM
Wow, that's the first I heard of jaggies on a C180! The reason I purchased my C180 is because it's stiff XY mechanism with naturally vibration dampening plastic rollers is much less prone to vibrations that cause jaggies. Should have seen the Epilog Mini 24 do it's jaggies, running my tuning fork test file! I have not seen any yet, and I vector 90% of my work. I have had my C180 for over a year now, and I also have 2 friends with the C180 systems that also have not had any jaggies. You should try your file on an Epilog Mini 24 to compare jaggies!


As far as the Mac Driver, that is a plus, as I use Windows now, but Saturday I was talking to Kim Vellore, who swears by the MAC, so I just might try it out. I have a copy of Corel 11 that is MAC compatible, so I'm good to go there, and I also have 2 Laserpro Venus systems, so I can get the MAC drivers for them now. Kim has me fired up on MAC now, so I just have to play with it... and Windows 7, which I pre-ordered already. Computers are another hobby of mine too.

-Robert Ray

Robert,

It seems that Corel Draw is the industry standard for graphics software in the laser engraving business. Unfortunately they have dropped their Mac version. So when I read your comment about Corel 11 that is Mac compatible, I have to ask the question. Where can I get a Mac compatible copy of Corel?

Thank you in advance.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Doug Griffith
07-06-2009, 10:52 PM
Robert,

It seems that Corel Draw is the industry standard for graphics software in the laser engraving business. Unfortunately they have dropped their Mac version. So when I read your comment about Corel 11 that is Mac compatible, I have to ask the question. Where can I get a Mac compatible copy of Corel?

Thank you in advance.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Just because it is the industry standard does not make it better. If you plan on using an older version of Corel, I can see you having problems with the newer operating system and drivers, as well as getting support from users. Most people have upgraded. Go with whatever software the driver programmers used and confirm that works. You should probably talk to the LaserPro people and get their opinion.

Dave Garcia
07-07-2009, 10:32 AM
Just because it is the industry standard does not make it better. If you plan on using an older version of Corel, I can see you having problems with the newer operating system and drivers, as well as getting support from users. Most people have upgraded. Go with whatever software the driver programmers used and confirm that works. You should probably talk to the LaserPro people and get their opinion.

Doug,

One thing I'm definitely not is someone that goes along with the crowd just because "everyone is doing it". But, I'm also not one to recreate the wheel. Because of folks like you, and the rest of the knowledgable and helpful SMC forum people, I'm getting a LOT of really good information that's just making my search for the best Mac compatible, Mac friendly, user (me) friendly laser and software package that I can all that much easier and better. Can't loose there, right?

I will be visiting the LaserPro folks towards the end of this month for a demo, not only of the machine but also the Mac driver interface. Parker Koser has also invited me to take along my MacBook Pro so that we can "attach" it to their C180 with the Mac driver and have a go with it. So, I'm not "smart" with this as yet, but will be soon, I hope.

Once this demo is complete, I'll post a full report here on this forum.

And again, thank you very much for your comments and help.

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Doug Griffith
07-07-2009, 1:02 PM
If you plan on bringing your MacBook with you for the demo and run a test off it, be sure to have a vector application already installed. Bitmap as well. I suggest Illustrator.

Dave Garcia
07-07-2009, 4:54 PM
Doug,

Thanks for the head up!

I have Photo Shop Elements 6, which has a bitmap feature. Not sure about the vector part as I'm still "learning". Will this work or will I really need "Illustrator"? Your comments and direction would be greatly appreciated.

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Doug Griffith
07-07-2009, 7:48 PM
You need to be able to set the line weight to hairline (In Illustrator .001" will work). Elements won't allow you to do this. You might have luck with some other less costly alternative. But then I doubt the driver has been tested outside of Illustrator. You need to ask LaserPro.

Dave Garcia
07-08-2009, 12:39 PM
You need to be able to set the line weight to hairline (In Illustrator .001" will work). Elements won't allow you to do this. You might have luck with some other less costly alternative. But then I doubt the driver has been tested outside of Illustrator. You need to ask LaserPro.

Doug,

Once again, thank you for the heads up! I'm learning as quickly as possible. More importantly, please keep the outstanding "words of advice and direction" headed my way!

I'm sure that the LaserPro folks will add to my knowledge base considerably during the demo.

Thanks again!

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Scott Shepherd
07-08-2009, 12:53 PM
Inkscape is a free vector program that should work. It's PC and MAC compatible. Google "Inkscape".

Dave Garcia
07-08-2009, 8:51 PM
Scott,

Thanks for the information. I'll check it out soonest!

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Robert Ray
07-09-2009, 3:28 PM
Robert,
when I read your comment about Corel 11 that is Mac compatible, I have to ask the question. Where can I get a Mac compatible copy of Corel?

Thank you in advance.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

When I bought my first laser in 2003 from Kurt Koser, he also sold me Corel 9 and the upgrade version of Corel 11 that was both MAC and Windows compatable. I don't know if the regular version is also MAC compatable, but the Corel 11 Upgrade package I have is.

-Robert Ray

Dave Garcia
07-10-2009, 10:31 AM
When I bought my first laser in 2003 from Kurt Koser, he also sold me Corel 9 and the upgrade version of Corel 11 that was both MAC and Windows compatable. I don't know if the regular version is also MAC compatable, but the Corel 11 Upgrade package I have is.

-Robert Ray

Robert,

Thank you very much for this information. Am also glad to see that I'm not the only one that has had any business dealings with the North American LaserPro folks, specifically Kurt Koser and his son Parker.

I'm also very happy to see that there are other folks out there in the laser engraving business that use a Mac. With your Mac version of Corel, do I take it that you do not use a windows based graphics software package at all, or do you also have Boot Camp and or Parallels loaded on your Mac to run windows based software?

With regards to the newer versions of Corel, no, they are not made for the Mac. Not sure why that is........... it just is I guess. From what I've been reading in this forum, going back to use an older version of Corel on a newer Mac platform is probably not a good idea. That being the case I'm still searching for a graphics software package that will allow me to do those things necessary to work well with my LaserPro C180. I tentatively have a demo scheduled here shortly with Parker down in SoCal (which is only a couple of hours from where I live) and I'll be able to speak with him extensively on the interface requirements for a Mac with the LaserPro new Mac driver.

Stay tuned! And please keep all of this good info headed my direction!

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Daniel Lee
07-10-2009, 1:54 PM
I have a LIKE NEW EPILOG Legend 36 EXT 60 Watt Laser System For Sale.
Would that work for you. I have Corel X3 with it which should run on a Mac.

You could call EPILOG and find out.

Scott Shepherd
07-10-2009, 2:09 PM
I have Corel X3 with it which should run on a Mac.


Sorry, doesn't work on a Mac.

Dave Garcia
07-11-2009, 12:36 PM
I have a LIKE NEW EPILOG Legend 36 EXT 60 Watt Laser System For Sale.
Would that work for you. I have Corel X3 with it which should run on a Mac.

You could call EPILOG and find out.


Daniel,

Although the Epilog is a fine machine, it does not have a Mac interface driver. Most Mac users that have an Epilog run some sort of software package, such as Boot Camp and or Parallels on their Mac's in order to run a Windows based graphics software package, such as Corel Draw, that the Epilog does have a driver for.

Corel Draw 3 does in fact work on a Mac, but there is no support for it from the company anymore as Corel has elected to drop their marketing of a Mac version of Corel Draw. And loading Boot Camp or Parallels to "work" with a Windows based software package defeats the many advantages over a PC of being a Mac user in the first place.

The ONLY laser engraver that I've found during my two years of research that has a driver interface for a Mac computer is the LaserPro series of products.

If you are interested, contact the LaserPro folks at laserprona.com. They have been great in helping me out.

Thanks for the info on your laser for sale. I'm sure you'll have no problem selling it on this forum. Lot's of new folks to the laser engraving business looking for a good used machine.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Doug Griffith
07-11-2009, 1:26 PM
The ONLY laser engraver that I've found during my two years of research that has a driver interface for a Mac computer is the LaserPro series of products.

I'm a Mac user myself and would like to avoid using a VM or a PC but your posts are becoming advertisements for a particular manufacturer. I, personally, am not interested in product hype for an as yet to be released product. It's all speculation until it actually ships.

Scott Shepherd
07-11-2009, 2:20 PM
Doug, I think the product already exists, just not for that one last model from them. I think the rest of their product line is already compatible.

Dave Garcia
07-11-2009, 6:56 PM
Doug/Scott,

Am very glad to see/hear that there are other Mac users on this forum who were able to find and use whatever laser engraver they were able to get to interface with their Mac, regardless of the software package they chose to use.

My sincere apologies to anyone that I've offended by carrying on this conversation concerning one particular laser brand. My intent was to get answers from knowledgable people like yourselves, not "advertise" and or "put forth" commercially related information to get members to purchase any one particular companies product.

I will get off and stay off this forum from here on out.

Thank you very much for everyone's help. You've all reinforced my basic feeling that there still are some wonderful and helpful individuals in this great country of ours!

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd
Vietnam '69 - '75
USN Retired

Scott Shepherd
07-11-2009, 7:29 PM
Dave, no need to leave! If you search Epilog, you'll find 1000's of posts and people talking about them. No worries about mentioning one product at all. It's a laser forum, we talk about lasers, and I'm following your adventure quite closely, and I want to know the results of your findings. It will influence my next purchase, so stick around!

Doug Griffith
07-11-2009, 7:51 PM
Dave, It's all me. I'm the guy who mentioned name slinging, not Scott. I don't think you should leave either, I was just making an observation and should have kept my mouth (or fingers) shut.

Dave Garcia
07-12-2009, 12:25 PM
Scott/Doug,

Gentlemen. Please read the following "correction" to my recent comment about "leaving" the forum.

Original comment: "I will get off and stay off this forum from here on out."

What it SHOULD have read: "i will get off and stay off mentioning a particular product in this form from here on out."

Thank you very much for your kind words.

No, I have no intention of leaving. The information that everyone has provided has been first rate and very professional. It has allowed me to make some rather informed decisions up to and including whether or not I really want to spend the money to get a laser or not; which I might add, that decision has not been totally made as yet. Once I meet with the company rep for the laser I'm looking at in SoCal, get that demo using my own computer with my own software, and then meet with my financial advisor etc, etc, then I will decide IF I want to go down this road. After the "hands on" demo, I'll get back to this forum and try to explain as best I can the good, the bad and the ugly about the particular computer and laser interface I'm looking at.

This forum has been a great help in all aspects of my research. I'm at least conversant in some of the terms on software and hardware BECAUSE of this forum. There is no way that I can thank everyone enough. But, thank you all very much just the same!

Dave :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

John Noell
07-12-2009, 4:13 PM
"I will get off and stay off mentioning a particular product...." Personally, I would hope that at least SOME of the time it is okay to do just that. I want to know about any particular product that is especially good, bad, or unique. Shipping to Fiji is quite expensive. And, I pay 75% of the product duty rate on the shipping cost! Yes, I have to pay duty on the freight cost. Mistakes in ordering something that won't do what I expect could put me out of business. We do not need advertising but we do need solid factual information. (And as a long-time Mac user who started with the very first Macs - darn those screens were tiny - I am quite interested in anything Mac compatible.)

Dave Garcia
07-13-2009, 12:17 PM
Personally, I would hope that at least SOME of the time it is okay to do just that. I want to know about any particular product that is especially good, bad, or unique. Shipping to Fiji is quite expensive. And, I pay 75% of the product duty rate on the shipping cost! Yes, I have to pay duty on the freight cost. Mistakes in ordering something that won't do what I expect could put me out of business. We do not need advertising but we do need solid factual information. (And as a long-time Mac user who started with the very first Macs - darn those screens were tiny - I am quite interested in anything Mac compatible.)

John,

Fiji??? Now there's a great place to live and work! Bet you do a lot of work for projects for divers, right? Spent a couple of vacations on Vanuatu(?) a few years back and cycled through Suava both times. Great places!

How did you manage to start a laser engraving business in Fiji?

With regards to discussing named products here on this forum, you're right. This is the place to do it for sure, especially for folks like yourself so far away. I currently split my time between California and Japan, with small businesses in both locations. And lasers in Japan are EXTREMELY expensive to buy, and to get repaired. Consequently the research etc, on this forum. Also, because I am a small business, I can not afford to have one computer here and another there. Using my MacBook Pro laptop works extremely well, thus the constant search for a Mac compatible laser engraver.

If there is any way that I can help you with international business or parts etc, please just let me know.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Jeanette Brewer
08-03-2009, 6:09 PM
FYI, the C180 is the last of the LaserPro line to have the Mac driver written for it which should be ready sometime this month. All of their other models already have the Mac driver. I'll be visiting the LaserPro folks in SoCal sometime this month to get a complete demo once that driver is available for the C180.

Dave,

How did the demo go? If so, I'd be curious to hear your report. The only report I've heard, so far, is from the NBM Long Beach Show where an attendee saw the "Mac driver". He said it's not really a driver but a $300 add-on that processes Illustrator files from a Mac to the laser. He said it's some kind of "hardware box"(?) that does it for you.

As a Mac user, he said there was no way that would work for him.

Just wondered if you found something different at your demo?

Dave Garcia
08-04-2009, 12:19 PM
One and all,

To everyone who has watched this thread for the last couple of months, hopefully the following will fill in some of the blanks.

Last Friday, I attended the NBM Show at the Long Beach, CA, Convention Center for the specific purpose of running to ground my search for a laser engraver compatible with a Mac.

As a recap, for two years I've been searching for such a machine and thought I had found one in the LaserPro C180, specifically speaking with Kurt Koser and his son Parker of LaserProNA. Unfortunately their parent company "sort of" sold them down the drain a little leading them to believe that in fact they were going to provide a Mac driver for their LaserPro machines. Well they did...... sort of.

What LaserPro did do was provide an "add on" driver to their driver package which allows a Mac computer to "talk to" the LaserPro but ONLY when the Mac is using Adobe Illustrator software. In other words to use your Mac with a LaserPro machine, you MUST be using Adobe Illustrator and ONLY Adobe Illustrator as your graphics software package. This add on driver costs an additional $300.

Technically speaking, yes, the LaserPro folks did in fact provide a Mac driver....... for Adobe Illustrator ONLY. If you have, and or are using any other graphics software besides Adobe Illustrator, it will not work from your Mac.

Both Kurt and Parker were once again extremely professional in discussing and answering all of my questions, in person this time. They also seem to sell a quality product in the LaserPro machines. Unfortunately the machine that I was interested in, the LaserPro C180, they did not have at the show and I was unable to see what it could do. They both did say that the C180 would do everything that the machine they did have on display would do.

After spending about an hour with both Kurt and Parker, I visited the Universal, Epilog and GCC displays. I was now religated to Boot Camp, Windows XP, Corel Draw, on my Mac. So with that fact and two years of researched information on laser engravers, I was armed to the teeth with questions etc, etc, and had a very interesting time speaking with Epilog, Universal and GCC.

One other point that really surprised me. In my discussions with all of the laser vendors at this show they DO in fact read the SMC forum. I won't mention names but they did mention a number of people by name, including myself, that post to this forum. In other words, they follow what all of us say here for business purposes? Good on them! Also good business practices don't you think?! Maybe they will see that Mac is a major player in the graphics business and act accordingly. Just thought you'd like to know.

At most shows like this they usually have a couple of pretty good show specials. And LaserPro, Epilog, GCC and Universal did. For me it all boiled down to how I felt in dealing with the people that were representing each manufacter at the show, and how they could help my business. The added bonus to shows like this are that one usually runs into other people who have purchased from each of the various vendors who gladly provide some pretty good off the cuff information. Such is the case here as well. I even ran into a couple in a trophy and engraving business from my home town! Very small world for sure.

Without going into all of the details, here is what I'm leaning towards. The Epilog folks seem to have the best bang for my buck, specifically the new Zing 30 watt unit with the 24" x 12" table. For those that would like the prices they quoted me, please send me a PM and I'll forward that information to you. The main thing that pushed me towards the Epilog were the comments I received from the various "other" folks on the service received before and after the sale by the local distributor, and the manner in which the individual at the Epilog show display discussed and answered ALL of my questions. He even brought over another one of their reps who in fact uses a Mac with the Zing 30 watt 24x12 unit, which they did in fact have on display. I had also taken along a couple of the wood pens that I make and asked them if they would allow me to engrave on them as a trial. To be fair, all of the vendors allowed me to do this. But the Epilog folks also did a couple of other items that I would normally do in my business, and this was really impressive.

I'm sure that I did not answer everyones questions on the Mac compatible laser unit. If you see something you'd like additional answers to please do not hesitate to ask. I'm a strong believer that reinventing the wheel is a total waste of time.

To all of you who have helped get me to this point, my sincere thanks for all of the assistance, information and guidance. This has been a learning as well as entirely enjoyable experience.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Patrice Nesbitt
04-30-2013, 9:00 PM
Okay, I am jumping into a discussion rather late but hopefully by now, someone has developed a more compatible system for Macs. Does anyone have any better solutions than they did four years ago? Do I need VM-ware in order to run laser engravers?

Mike Troncalli
05-01-2013, 7:29 AM
I run a new MAC 27" with Parallels and Windows.. It isn't hooked up to my laser, but I would bet it would work just fine if you did...

Joe De Medeiros
05-02-2013, 9:58 AM
Okay, I am jumping into a discussion rather late but hopefully by now, someone has developed a more compatible system for Macs. Does anyone have any better solutions than they did four years ago? Do I need VM-ware in order to run laser engravers?

It's pretty much the same, you need to run Windows, either with Boot Camp or virtual client Parallels/VM-ware, I prefer boot camp.

James Daubney
03-02-2021, 6:07 PM
Dave, I've asked for it on these forums and the response is that they don't do Mac drivers. OSX is going through the roof on sales. If you didn't see the Keynote from WWDC yesterday about their sales, you should watch it. It'll shut all the "Mac's are overpriced systems for stupid people" up. Mac sales are on fire. I've said it before, the first big boy to come out with a Mac driver is going to clean house.

I agree, I want to run a laser from OSX, but not from a Mac loaded with Windows. That defeates the purpose of having the Mac.


Agreed, why would anyone want to run a known virus (windows)on their Mac?

Keith Outten
03-02-2021, 6:33 PM
This is a very old thread but there is some news. I saw a video on the Trotec Web Site recently about new software that Trotec has that works over a network with a Mac or Windows computer. If your interested contact Trotec for more information.

Dave Garrett
03-09-2021, 1:17 PM
I too have successfully used vm-ware on a mac that enabled me to send illustrator files made on the mac OS side to Job Control (Trotecs' print driver) and happily laser away without a pc in sight. It can be done. (with additional software of course) But you won't want to design on the windows side because of performance issues among other things. Dragging and dropping between OS's or utilizing cloud storage worked for me. FWIW im now back on PC and it is a better workflow overall for my needs.

Chase Williams
10-30-2021, 5:51 PM
Trotec Ruby now plays nice with macs via Chrome. Keep in mind the physical machine connected to the laser needs to be windows but theoretically you can do just about everything with your Mac.