Mac compatible laser engraver

[Dee Gallo]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Quark (horrible)

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

[Dan Hintz]

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]

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]

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]

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

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]

It was the father (unfortunately I can not remember his name)

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

[Dave Garcia]

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]

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.