Problems with AutoCAD to Trotec JobControl

[Carlo Urmy]

Hi everyone,

I've been trying to set up some new Trotec lasers, and am having a horrible time trying to get them to print from AutoCAD. I'm running AutoCAD 13 and JobControl 10, but I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with experience in printing from AutoCAD to JobControl, or even from AutoCAD to any other laser.

Basically, I am able to print fine from Illustrator, but when I try and send any job from AutoCAD, the job never appears in the queue in JobControl. Interestingly, if I send my drawing without opening JobControl first, JobControl will automatically open up, as if it recognizes that a job is being sent, but the job never appears in the interface. I've tried different lineweights and colors in AutoCAD, I've tried plotting windows, extents, and views, as well as different document sizes, but nothing seems to work.

I understand that not a lot of engravers use AutoCAD, and almost nobody has JobControl 10 yet, so I'm in a pretty specific situation right now, but I'd love to hear from anyone with experience using AutoCAD or JobControl in any version. What are the things that you have to do to get AutoCAD to print properly? More generally, have any Trotec users seen problems where entire jobs wont transfer to JobControl?

Thanks

[Mike Null]

Carlo

Welcome to Sawmill Creek. I don't have any AutoCad software nor do I have JC10. I have imported AutoCad to CorelDraw then sent the file to JC 9.4.

[Michael Kowalczyk]

I don't have JC10 "YET" and I don't use Autocad 13 but do use DXF and DWG files and stayed at a Holiday Inn once, so my suggestion would be to call Trotec Tech support and I am sure one of them can tell you, if it works, how to do it or maybe Autocad13 is too new to have drivers released for it.
And welcome to the Creek and to TUG...aka Trotec Users Group.

[Carlo Urmy]

I don't have JC10 "YET" and I don't use Autocad 13 but do use DXF and DWG files and stayed at a Holiday Inn once, so my suggestion would be to call Trotec Tech support and I am sure one of them can tell you, if it works, how to do it or maybe Autocad13 is too new to have drivers released for it.
And welcome to the Creek and to TUG...aka Trotec Users Group.

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.

I've had a brief conversation with Trotech Support already, and more or less all I got was "I dont use AutoCAD, so I couldnt tell you." I'll probably just call back tomorrow and hope I get a different technician. I've generally heard very good things about Trotech's customer service so I'll admit to being a little surprised by how much of a dead end that turned out to be.

The most frustrating thing for me, which I didnt mention in my original post, is that I was able to get jobs to send from AutoCAD a few days ago using (as far as I can tell) identical settings, and now I'm getting nothing.

Non-repeatable results do not for happy troubleshooting make.

[Scott Shepherd]

Carlo, I can't answer your question for sure, but I've had that happen many many times and in my case, it's always been color related. I find the Trotec to be quite sensitive on the color settings. We have a Universal and we have both color palettes loaded. If I open a job that was drawn with the Universal color palette, and send it to the Trotec, I'll get exactly what you are describing. If I go back into that file and change the colors to use the Trotec palette, then it goes over fine and works fine.

I can't rule out that it's something else, but I can say that I have seen that exact action many, many times (I'm a slow learner and keep doing the same thing, expecting a different result :) ).

[Mark Sipes]

I am assuming we have ruled out any Windows updates that have been posted since the last time it worked.

Can you go to the Trotec / Spool directory and see if there are any files in there that are of 0 K size... also check Work directory. Get Back

[Carlo Urmy]

Scott, Thanks for the insight. That seems like a probable cause, since I know so little about color settings in AutoCAD. However, if I send a document in CMYK color from Illustrator (for example) the job will appear in JobControl. The vector lines may be missing from it, or it may cut improperly, but the job does show up. It seems odd to me that the job doesnt appear at all when sent from AutoCAD, but maybe I'm expecting too much consistency from a finicky piece of software.

Mark, thank you for your response. Could you offer a little more information about how I could check those two directories/what they are? I'm afraid I dont know what you mean...

[Mark Sipes]

You should be able to go to "My Computer" "C: drive" " "Programs" "Trotec" "Jobcontrol version" "Spool and Work" directories

The spool directory is where the Job Que files reside in Trotec

[Scott Shepherd]

Scott, Thanks for the insight. That seems like a probable cause, since I know so little about color settings in AutoCAD. However, if I send a document in CMYK color from Illustrator (for example) the job will appear in JobControl. The vector lines may be missing from it, or it may cut improperly, but the job does show up. It seems odd to me that the job doesnt appear at all when sent from AutoCAD, but maybe I'm expecting too much consistency from a finicky piece of software.

Mark, thank you for your response. Could you offer a little more information about how I could check those two directories/what they are? I'm afraid I dont know what you mean...

If you are just making something red or black in autocad, then that's most likely the problem. Color values are very important and the red in autocad is likely not the same red as your CMYK in Illustrator. If your colors are right in autocad, it should go through fine.

From what you are describing, I'd bet a doughnut that it's color related and nothing more. I think there's nothing in the job you're sending because it doesn't see any colors it knows to be laserable. That's my guess. I could be completely wrong.

[Keith Outten]

Carlos,

Kristina Jones is with Trotec at their corporate office in Michigan. She has an account here so you can send her a Private Message.
.

[Jon Colley]

There is an issue with certain versions of ACAD in the way that they send the file name to print drivers. If you go to the Printer Properties under the About tab and switch it to Ask for Job Name, this should fix the issue. There is a way to make the Auto Job Name work but it involves editing an INI file. Just PM me and I can give you the details.

[Mark Sipes]

No Transfered job name found in Que?

Can you verify that the print driver for Trotec is set up for the "Trotec Local Port" and is set to "direct print" in properties "advanced"

What do you have the line thickness set to. .005 and larger for raster, .003 or smaller for vector (color is critical red must be 255, 0, 0, )

[Carlo Urmy]

There is an issue with certain versions of ACAD in the way that they send the file name to print drivers. If you go to the Printer Properties under the About tab and switch it to Ask for Job Name, this should fix the issue. There is a way to make the Auto Job Name work but it involves editing an INI file. Just PM me and I can give you the details.

Jon,

I'm not entirely sure what I just did, but I took your advice and I am now sending jobs without issue. It's still a bit of a puzzler, because it was definitely working with Auto Job Name before, but it seems like you win the prize this time.

Thanks to everyone else for the help and advice.

-Carlo

[Steve Pallot]

There is an issue with certain versions of ACAD in the way that they send the file name to print drivers. If you go to the Printer Properties under the About tab and switch it to Ask for Job Name, this should fix the issue. There is a way to make the Auto Job Name work but it involves editing an INI file. Just PM me and I can give you the details.
Hi Jon, I'm having the exact same problem that Carlo was having but I'm using the Trotev Rayjet Mini Manger instead of Job Control. It prints fine from any other program except Autocad. I'm using AUTOCAD 2012, it has worked in the past using 2009 but I can't get it to work this time.
You said to switch on the setting Ask for Job name under print properties. Is this in autocad or job control? I can't seem to find it anywhere. Maybe mini manger is different.
Thanks

[Scott Shepherd]

Maybe mini manger is different.
Thanks

Yup, it's different, that's in Job Control.

[Morris Mac]

Have you tried JC 10.3 ?