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Nick Andraka
03-20-2019, 11:11 PM
At tech shop they had AI on everymachine, including each computer that ran a laser.
I have 1 copy of AI on my office computer, where I will do design work, daughter and son each have a copy on their laptops, where they will design at.

So now the question is, what is a basic program to load on my Engravers computer, that I can load AI files in to burn from??

Something I never thought about till now,, hate to buy another AI lic just to burn from?

Dumb question, I know, but I am clueless on this.

Nick

Bert Kemp
03-21-2019, 1:01 AM
you just want to load your dxf files to the engraver correct? what do you have for engravers? You might look at Lightburn, or maybe Inkscape

Nick Andraka
03-21-2019, 7:07 AM
Bert,
The current engraver is an Epilog Radius.
The win7 computer that connects to the engravers Parallel port is a stand alone machine, used strictly to "print" (engrave/burn) AI files that are produced on other machines.

I will check out Lightburn and Inkscape, I had forgot about them, it's been over a year.


Nick

Nick Andraka
03-21-2019, 7:31 AM
Checked out Lightburn, really liked it,, But of course it does not support American machines :(

Tony Lenkic
03-21-2019, 8:30 AM
Nick,

All western machines have print driver where you set your power/speed dpi/ppi. Machines are set as a typical desk top printer.
From your graphic program you choose a printer and send the file and print driver takes over.
Most people use Corel Draw doe to lower cost but your AI can be used to do same.

Nick Andraka
03-21-2019, 9:21 AM
Tony,
Back when I used a ULS at Tech Shop, used AI for my design and printed from AI, VIA ULS's printer driver.
I have a copy of AI on my office machine, that I would design from.
But I need to load a "drawing program" of some sorts on the computer that will be hooked to the Epilog. I do not want to buy another lic for AI just to print from.
I am looking for a basic drawing program to print AI files from. I like Lightburn, but it looks like it is tailored to communicate directly to the engravers controller board, not through the Engravers printer driver.

While I am at it, AI is fine for my daughter, she is a graphic artist and photographer, she uses AI and PS all day, everyday.
Me,, I really need to find a basic 2D drawing program tailored to making cutting/etching designs. While I did "learn" AI, without using it everyday,, it's to overwhelming.

Nick

Ian Stewart-Koster
03-21-2019, 9:43 AM
I think you are possibly making this much more complicated than it need be.
Whatever PC is connected to the laser will have something to drive the laser.
If ULS/Trotec/Epilog, the laser will be set up or installed as a printer.

From the vector software in that PC, (Illy, Corel, Inkscape, whatever...) you go File>Print>choose settings etc.

Nick Andraka
03-21-2019, 10:31 AM
Ian,
I understand I will be just be printing from the vector program.
Previously there was a legal copy of AI on every machine, including the machine connected to the engraver.
Now that I am paying for it all, I do not want to buy another AI lic to just print from,, so I was looking for a "Cheap" vector drawing program that would play nice with AI files.

Nick

Kev Williams
03-21-2019, 7:32 PM
I think you are possibly making this much more complicated than it need be.
Whatever PC is connected to the laser will have something to drive the laser.
If ULS/Trotec/Epilog, the laser will be set up or installed as a printer.

From the vector software in that PC, (Illy, Corel, Inkscape, whatever...) you go File>Print>choose settings etc.
In bold blue above is not necessarily true, the Epliog needs a specific-to-it print driver, and Nick is starting with a fresh computer and a new-to-him machine that came with nothing in the way of software or drivers.

Nick, I'm not sure if you downloaded the driver for your machine yet, if not, here's a zip file of the driver I found: --> 406205
(how to install--? ;) )

As for a program, you MUST use some sort of graphics program like Illustrator or Corel, for editing purposes and for coordinates locating; it's hard to center some engraving on a 6x6" piece of substrate sitting in the laser without the laser knowing where the substrate is located in the first place!

HOWEVER- once your print driver is installed, you can send jobs to the laser from ANY source that will print to a paper-printer; Word, Excel, Notepad, etc... your machine won't care what program is sending the info, and the computer could care less which printer it's sending info to... But without any coordinate info from the program, WHERE the engraving is going to land is anyone's guess...

So the short answer, AI or an older version of Corel will work fine. I know nothing about Inkscape, but it might work too...

Nick Andraka
03-21-2019, 7:39 PM
Kev,
D/Led the Radius driver,, working on manually installing it.
Deciding what program to put on the engravers computer to print from,, what ever I use it needs to play nice with AI files created in AI.