JobControl Jobs Missing

[Chad Jarrett]

Using Windows 7 64 bit Professional and JobControl X, if a job is on the plate, where does the file reside? If Windows auto-restarts, or JobControl hangs with a job on the plate, the active file is no longer available upon restart. Looked in spool and recycler, not appearing in job que, and Windows search doesn't find the file? Any suggestions?

[Mike Null]

Under the view menu is job history. Does that do what you want?

[Mark Sipes]

I know in my case with the older versions... the file is gone if it is on the plate and the power goes off or the system locks up.

Sorry

[Scott Shepherd]

I suspect it's gone for good too. What version of JCX are you using? What version firmware also? I don't recall having any crashing issues where it drops the entire JCX out.

[Steve Morris]

I am using JCX and if the pc caves the job on the plate is toast, at least I have not been able to find it and I am very good at looking ;)

[Tony Lenkic]

If you have original file in Corel or any other software you created it just send it to laser again.

[Mark Sipes]

I should have thought of that....

[Chad Jarrett]

Thanks for the timely responses everyone!

Trotec Engraver 10.1
JobControl 10.1.0.1

Job History is greyed out, most likely because a job is running right now. I will check when this current process is finished. Seems crazy to me that an industrial manufacturing program would delete job files! I realize I can just reprint from CorelDRAW but this creates problems with remembering what settings were used, let alone the .cdr file could be updated/changed, saved as untitled, or not saved at all. And, as a side, learned from this, Windows 7 search is flawed. Searching for *.tsf or *.cdr doesn't search the entire computer. I've read up on adjusting parameters and indexing options and still haven't been able to aquire all files of a certain type on the computer. Now I'm doubly befuddled!

[Mark Sipes]

When my computer has a "problem" and I am in Corel X6... It auto saves a backup for a one time use upon reload. if you say no.... it is gone... This is not the Regular Auto Save.

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks for the timely responses everyone!

Trotec Engraver 10.1
JobControl 10.1.0.1

Job History is greyed out, most likely because a job is running right now. I will check when this current process is finished. Seems crazy to me that an industrial manufacturing program would delete job files! I realize I can just reprint from CorelDRAW but this creates problems with remembering what settings were used, let alone the .cdr file could be updated/changed, saved as untitled, or not saved at all. And, as a side, learned from this, Windows 7 search is flawed. Searching for *.tsf or *.cdr doesn't search the entire computer. I've read up on adjusting parameters and indexing options and still haven't been able to aquire all files of a certain type on the computer. Now I'm doubly befuddled!

10.3 is out there, you might want to upgrade to that. 10.2 fixed some buggy issues, 10.3 seems to have refined some of the smaller issues as well as adding it some excellent new tools. With 10.3, I think you need the new 10.3, the new driver, and an update to your firmware (so don't do it on Friday afternoon!).

What material settings did you lose? The material settings aren't stored in the job, they are stored in the material database, so no material settings should be lost. It really should be as simple as sending it over again and picking the same material you used, unless I'm not understanding your work flow.

[Scott Shepherd]

I don't know if this helps, but I looked at a job on the plate and it resides in the directory :

C:/ProgramData/Trotec/JobControl/10.3.0/Work/

Same area as your spool file, just check the folder named "Work". If it's not there, I'm guessing it's gone.

[Chad Jarrett]

Material Settings were not lost. That issue is a problem with my work flow or lack of know how. Usually from CorelDRAW the file would be saved as a .cdr, then printed with the Engraver Driver. A "suitable" material setting is chosen and sent to Job Control. From here a test sample is run, and if satisfactory, nothing changes. If a power or speed adjustment is needed, here in lies my mistake. I will go to material settings within Job Control and adjust settings or make a new material and type in the adjusted figures. I wasn't aware of a way to have those parameters stick to the job file. If the job is ran again at a later time, the initial settings are used. If there is a way to append or update the job file from within Job Control please let me know.

Update:

Job History doesn't show the file. Work folder had the current job filename in it. Did a test; placed a dummy file in Job Control on the plate, clicked on it on the plate to highlight it, went to Windows Task Manager and ended the Job Control process, shut down the computer and restarted it, went to Work Folder and the dummy file was STILL there. Repeated this process with an unclicked job on the plate and then with a dummy in the just ran finished job state and each file was in the Work folder respectively. Each time on start up of Job Control it asked if I wanted to delete the file or place it back in the que. These tests DO NOT mimic what happens when Windows updates/auto restarts with a finished job on the plate, or in a locked computer state/program crash. There I don't see the dialog to place the file back in the que or delete it upon Job Control starting up. If it happens again I will look in the Work folder before starting up Job Control.

Btw: I emailed Trotec tech support for the updates, as I don't see any way to update from within the program. Are updates specific to model type and specific machine serial number or would 10.3 work across the product line/model?

[Scott Shepherd]

Chad, it took me quite some time to get my workflow down and not too long ago, I had a huge "aha" moment and something clicked in my head and I immediately changed how I deal with materials. I'll do a video soon and put it in the Trotec Training thread that's up top of this forum. I know exactly the issue you are dealing with, I've dealt with the changing material setting issue for some time. I think I solved it, so let me get some time to get that video done and I'll get it up.

If it's a Speedy that fairly new, I think you're okay with the updates.

[Chad Jarrett]

A video example would be an awesome and much appreciated addition!

Speedy 400 80 watt machine, btw.

[Bob A Miller]

Just a quick note... I am running ver 10.3 on my 400 with 64 bit windows 7 & it has been fairly solid. Even allowing for a new user, things have been good

[Chad Jarrett]

10.3 is out there, you might want to upgrade to that. 10.2 fixed some buggy issues, 10.3 seems to have refined some of the smaller issues as well as adding it some excellent new tools. With 10.3, I think you need the new 10.3, the new driver, and an update to your firmware (so don't do it on Friday afternoon!).

Steve/Scott, what are the new tools you speak of in 10.3? Another issue I'm finding is job names being cut off with "..." instead of showing the full name. I know this may be due to a windows path issue, so I now have the .tsf files going to a folder straight from the c: drive to eliminate as many subfolders as possible. This still hasn't fixed the problem. I like to have the job names and file names describe what it is, dpi, test, final, array, company name, project name, etc. This is great in theory, because I can just read from a detailed windows list and know what file I need to load, but in JobControl this is no help. If I have to make a change in CorelDRAW and send another program, if I keep the same name it just adds a different number to the end, and if I change the filename description, the part usually changed is at the very end, which makes it impossible to tell in JobControl. You mentioned doing another video, and I'm not sure if I missed it, or you just haven't yet. I am grateful for all your input on this site. Much appreciated!

[Robert Walters]

Slightly off topic...

Chad,

This may help you find files better, and it's portable too:

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Steve,
If you are having issues there are two ways to save them.
1 from the que right click and optimize it. it will change the name a little and you will have a vector optimized file. It will typically run faster also.
2. you can save the file to an archived file. just go to the File menu and save plate. I use this to save repeatable job setups so they don't take up memory in the que.

I am posting this from home so I don't have the actual name of the function in the right click menu in the que. If you have any questions, I can check it tomorrow.
Hope this helps and ...

[Darryl Hazen]

Looks to me like you should be looking into why Windows needs to auto restart instead of troubleshooting JCX. Auto restart can be disabled.