txturbo

Cutter programming language

Recommended Posts

Does the laser point use HPGL or something different? I’m want to cut directly From Fusion 360 or Autocad.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I have it figured out now. I was saving as a dxf file and was getting a blank file when I imported into SBE. Just took me awhile to find the right settings.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

dxf files are not ideal for vinyl cutting. They don't actually have curved lines, the "curves" are just short segments, and often times lines are not connected so the blade lifts and drops at the start/end of each little segment. DXF can work, but if you can save off as an EPS you're life will be much easier.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

And to answer the first question, according to the LP Manual it can use DM-PL or HP/GL and it automatically identifies what is being used.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
11 hours ago, darcshadow said:

dxf files are not ideal for vinyl cutting. They don't actually have curved lines, the "curves" are just short segments, and often times lines are not connected so the blade lifts and drops at the start/end of each little segment. DXF can work, but if you can save off as an EPS you're life will be much easier.

That’s part of the problem. EPS isn’t an option when I export or save it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

is .svg an option?

Inkscape is always an option to design in. It's a free, open source, but fairly powerful design software.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, haumana said:

is .svg an option?

Inkscape is always an option to design in. It's a free, open source, but fairly powerful design software.

No it isn’t. I downloaded Inkscape a couple of days ago but haven’t tried it yet. That was next on my list. I was trying not to add another software between steps. The design software can export G-code for 3D printers and CNC but not a vinyl cutter or graphics format.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I guess what I really need to figure out is how to get my vinyl cutter to show up in windows as a plotter. I can send files directly to large format plotters which use the hpgl format. But when I try to plot a design my vinyl cutter isn’t showing in my list of available printers/plotters. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, txturbo said:

I guess what I really need to figure out is how to get my vinyl cutter to show up in windows as a plotter. I can send files directly to large format plotters which use the hpgl format. But when I try to plot a design my vinyl cutter isn’t showing in my list of available printers/plotters. 

Your plotter uses a usb emulation chipset, won’t show up as a regular usb device

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said:

Your plotter uses a usb emulation chipset, won’t show up as a regular usb device

Will it show up with a serial connection?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

never tried but should if you are using a direct serial connection to the computer and not an adapter

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
29 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said:

never tried but should if you are using a direct serial connection to the computer and not an adapter

 

Ok. I guess I’ll try that next. I have an old computer that has a serial port. I guess I could set that up just for cutting.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've not looked into this further, but be warned, even this may not result in smooth curves. If you want truely smooth curves in your files you'll have to design in a vector program, not a cad program. If you're designing everything to scale you probably won't have any issues, but if you design something that has a circle say 1" in diameter and then want to scale that up to cut it to say 10" diameter, the tiny lines that made up the circle will now likely be long enough that you'll notice the circle is not a circle, but rather an n sided polygon.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My LP has never appeared as any device in Windows, whether it was connected via serial or USB. I kind of felt like it was a stealth device :P

Nobody looks forward to learning new software, especially me. That being said - the cutter is a very simple machine, and if you really want to cut out as many steps as possible in order to cut/plot to it, then Sign Blazer will get you there if you don't want to spend any additional money. It's free, it's a little antiquated, but it works. Time and time again, when people require troubleshooting, I will recommend they try to test their issues out in Sign Blazer. You can design it, and you can cut/plot from it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now