Job Control, what is it?

[matthew knott]

I often see the trotec job control software mentioned, but 'in a nut shell' what is it? Does it replace Corel or work with it, is it like the epilog print driver?? I've asked a guy that owns one and he cant explain it to me, he just mumbles on that is does this and that.
Cheers

[Scott Shepherd]

Matthew, Job Control is used by Trotec and by Universal. I'd personally never own a machine without it. With typical lasers, you hit print and send the job to the laser, hit start and it runs. With job control, when you hit print, it sends the job to a program, which we refer to as Job Control. With the Universal and the Trotec, the Z-Axis is programmable. So you can see the job on the laser, you can modify settings, you do anything you want with that job. If you want to move it to different places on the table, you drag and drop it where you want it. If you want to engrave at one level, vector mark at another level, and then vector cut at another level, you can do that too.

On the Trotec, let's say you have 6 jobs, different customers, all from Gold/Black engraving stock. You can send the jobs over from Corel, Illustrator, or wherever and they are in a job queue. Then you can drag and drop those 6 different jobs onto the table, and run 6 different jobs at once, without having to create one "master file" in corel to send over. When you are done with the job, you can drag it back to the queue and use it again at a later date without ever having to open corel (we do this all the time for repeat work).

They have their material databases (included, and also the ones you build over time if you wish), all there. For instance, I might get a material I haven't seen before, I'm in a rush to finish it, I get it done and move to the next thing. 3 weeks later, I might get a repeat order or someone uses the same material. I can open job control, go back to that job, grab all my settings, bring them to my current job and I'm all set. If I want, I can save it to the database for future work too.

You can duplicate items, vector sort for optimizing job paths when vector cutting, and a whole host of other things.

For me, I cannot (will not) live without a programmable Z-Axis or the ability to refer back to previous jobs. That's help me quote other jobs so many times I can't count.

Since both systems run off the computer, when you turn the machine off, nothing is lost.

They know where they are, so if the table is down 6", and you put a job in with 1/16" thick engraving stock, it knows the table is at 6", it knows the stock is 1/16" and it automatically brings the table up until the material is in focus. It's very slick and it works fantastic. No more focusing, just put the material thickness in your material settings and you're all set.

It is more than that, but those are a few things it does that mean a fair amount to me. I'll do some youtube clips when I get a chance and show you.

[matthew knott]

Thanks Scott, sounds pretty neat. So its like an buffer between the graphics program and the laser that allows much better control of you files.
We have an old Epilog and I really dont like the simple print driver, not enough control, and when we saved a job as a simple corel file if we had tweaked the power or speed in the print driver this was lost and we had to keep notes. We also have an el'cheapo Chinese laser that has its own program to run it RDcam i think, with this you import graphics but if you make changes to powers/speeds etc everything is saved, so if we re-run the job everything is ready to go. The programmable Z sounds a very useful bit of kit

[Michael Kowalczyk]

http://www.troteclaser.com/en-US/Laser-Machines/Accessories/Laser-Software/Pages/JobControl.aspx