Software - disussion of Pros and Cons

[Lucille]

Just thought I would let you know as you asked me to, that I still haven't had a reply, not even a acknowledgement that they have received my email.

[sandymcc]

Lucille,

Who did you contact about this?

[Diane Allen]

I rarely use RM to design (although I have been having a go at DozyRosy's lattice designs). I tend to design in either MS Publisher or Corel Presentations, convert to JPEGs/bimaps, and then do the autotrace bit in RM.

I also have a program which creates 3D decoupage and pyramage. It's a bit of a fiddle to convert these to jpgs. You have to save the sheet as a pdf. I then open up the pdf in PSPX and convert it there.

I also have PSPX but don't use it to create things for the robo.

I just wish RM had an erase feature so you could easily get rid of unwanted lines.

I have also scanned a lot of my old "cereal packet" templates directly into robo and autotraced them. They sometimes need a bit of tweaking but not too much.

I have also scanned iris fold designs into RM and traced round them to create neatly cut apertures. This has worked well for me.

[Lucille]

Lucille,

Who did you contact about this?

I used the contact technical support that is in KNK help.

[sandymcc]

The owner of Accugraphic is in China, so that may be the reason you haven't heard back. But I can tell you a few things... first of all, if I didn't realize that .gra was listed in the Import options in KNK Studio GE, then I can assure you that Accugraphic didn't either. I did all of the testing of GE for them and, when we received the VERY first beta version, it had .gra listed as an option for opening, as well as .knk. I expressed both surprise and delight, only to then be told it was a BIG mistake and that CADLink could not give us .gra as an available option because it belongs to Graphtec.... and it is NOT to be made available in other programs. Sounds just like the gsd issue, huh?

[Lucille]

I understand what you mean but I thought KNK Studio GE was done for CR users with the drivers and everything, it doesn't make sense not to be able to import GRA, are you sure that it isn't just a bug?

[sandymcc]

I called Accugraphic and they confirmed that CADLink said the .gra format belongs to Graphtec and it cannot be included in other programs. (Chad will email you back about this.) The fact you found it in GE is simply an oversight on the part of CADLink. It should never have been listed and was probably still there because GE was created from Design Master and, if you look in Design Master, you'll also find .gra listed as a file format you can import.

This brings up a good tidbit to share. When you OPEN someone else's .gra file, your Sign Blank properties will change to whatever that file designer used. However, if you use File>Import to open a .gra file, then your Sign Blank will retain the properties you've set. This can be very handy for those who have set up their Sign Blank a particular way and want it to stay that way all the time.

[Lucille]

That was sloppy of them.

That is something I don't like about DM and KNK that it doesn't default, but retains the settings of the last file you create or open, probably just a personal thing, but it's not for me.

[Janet1]

That was sloppy of them.

That is something I don't like about DM and KNK that it doesn't default, but retains the settings of the last file you create or open, probably just a personal thing, but it's not for me.

That confused me for a long time and I really don't like this feature.

Janet

[sandymcc]

Well, I LOVE the fact that you actually have an option in DM and KNK Studio! In RoboMaster, when you open someone else's file it ALWAYS imports in the size that the designer chose. You don't even have the option to import a gsd file into RM in your existing document size.

[Senorita Lynn]

I have KNKStudio and love it to bits.
I wasn't really using my CR to its capacity before I got it, but now I know I will learn something new everyday. The knowledge support from Sandy, Dawn and many others is amazing.
If I had to criticise it, then it would be not being able to open gra files, but that is the only thing I can think of.

[Lucille]

I have KNKStudio and love it to bits.
I wasn't really using my CR to its capacity before I got it, but now I know I will learn something new everyday. The knowledge support from Sandy, Dawn and many others is amazing.
If I had to criticise it, then it would be not being able to open gra files, but that is the only thing I can think of.

Have you used any other software and what was your opinion of that?

[sandymcc]

Can we have a discussion about software NOT machines and no linking to sites that sell software, just a discussion about what does what. There are now so many programs we can buy, I thought it would interesting to know who has what and if there is anything that can only be done in that program and no other. I am not going to say anything about a program being easy to use, because any software is easy once you learn how and it seems a bit unfair to use that as a comparison.

I also thought I could put together a comparison chart with the results and if it is OK with Graphtec I will post it for future reference.

KNK (expensive) DM (affordable) - Not many free tutorials on the web. Only recently got this, it has some nice functions, but there are a few functions that I find cumbersome to use and you have have fonts installed to use them, this I don't like. There isn't anything I can create with it so far that I can't do with Inkscape. Would like to hear more from experience users.

I have been looking at the Funtime software and I really would love to get hold of a trial version, the list of functions sounds good.

Lucille,

You say there are not many KNK/DM free tutorials on the web, yet I wrote detailed, step-by-step User Manuals (over 69 pages) for KNK Studio, KNK Studio GE, and Design Master that have received EXTREMELY favorable feedback. I have been told that the best thing about these user manuals is that I DID write them as hands-on tutorials, rather than how most other user manuals have been written. My Craft Robo 101, 102, 103, etc, Wishblade 101, 102, 103, etc, Inkscape 101, 102 tutorials are still, to this day, grabbed by new owners because of the lack of decent user manuals or clear tutorials elsewhere and I wrote these User Manuals in the SAME style as these early tutorials, but with more content. Note that I am NOT putting down the tutorials at THIS message board. Not at all. I'm only pointing out that I consider your statement about the lack of free tutorials to be misleading to members here who are still shopping for software.

Besides the User Manuals, I provide two free videos at the store and MORE free videos every week at my blog. I also provide daily (and I mean even on Christmas Day), daily support to EVERY owner of Design Master, KNK Studio GE, and regular KNK Studio at 5 different Yahoo groups! There are TONS of free information/tutorials, and support available to the owners of these programs.

And I also question why you choose to label KNK Studio as expensive. Considering its vast functionality and the fact that it's based on a $1300 CAD program, I think the cost ($152 USD for GE and $199 USD for the regular version) is EXTREMELY fair. Don't forget that it's dongled software, thus you can install it over and over as needed without having to activate or deal with the re-issuing of license files. Further, it comes with 1100 fonts and 3900 cutting files. AND it cuts fast and smooth to all cutters. The members of my GE Yaho group rave about how much more they love GE over Inkscape.

I'm just saying that, in my opinion, it has become EXTREMELY clear to me that you started this thread with the intent of making it a KNK Studio/Design Master bashing session. I find it offensive that you ask Senorita Lynn if she's tried other programs, but I don't see you asking that of anyone who has posted how much they love Funtime or Inkscape.

[Senorita Lynn]

Just for the record, I had Inkscape and RM running before purchasing KNKStudio.
I found them so very slow when cutting and noisy too. This software makes the cuts much quieter and quicker.
Although there was always support on this forum for using Inkscape and RM, and I did appreciate that lots, I found that the support with KNK was excellent too. The same question could be asked several times over and still answered with patience and with understanding that not everyone likes to read the manual.
Talking of manuals, I have never in my life read a manual from front to back. But I have now. The manual that Sandy has written is so easy to follow and actually makes you want to read more to find out what other great things you can achieve.
It must be really interesting for new cutter owners to read this thread and wonder what software they want, if any; I hope that it is possible for them to make an informed choice.

[Lucille]

Thank you, it is a shame more people didn't expand on what they thought of the software they had used it's 'pros and cons' That is what I was hoping for, so we could compare honestly.