Another problem with Robo

[Nige]

Now I find that on screen, my cutting area grid can be moved up and down and left to right via the 2 blue sliders, not just a little, but off the screen completely so it vanishes and I have to search for it, it's like the grid has shrunk like in 'Honey, I shrunk the kids'.
Not realising this, I loaded an A4 vinyl sheet into the Robo and when it finished, only half the page had been cut with half the design missing. When I came to look at the file on screen I noticed that the cutting grid had shrunk? Which button have I pressed to make it do this? As you can see in the attachment, the slider bars send the grid off the page when used...
sidecars.JPG
And now these 2 plastic things have appeared???

[AndiDee]

Hi again Nige. Okay, where to start.... the blue sliders do allow the position of the grid to be altered but, normally, when you open Studio you will be presented with a page with the grid in the centre. The plus and minus buttons (top left next to the hand if you look at your image above) allow you to close in on a file (+) (for node removal for instance) but it is easy to lose the image if you don't know the programme very well, so the sliders allow you to move the design so that it is always visible - if you close in a bit and then move the image you will always keep in touch with where it is.. the minus button will allow you to zoom out and, if you have lost the design, you can normally locate it easily and then zoom back in keeping it centred as you go.

With regard to part of the file not cutting, could it be that part of it was outside the cutting area? If you haven't ticked the box to the left, named "show cut border" you won't see the limitations of the virtual cutting mat - the red line around the mat - and it is easy to have a bit of the design positioned outside the border at which point the cutter won't know to cut it.

As a little bit of advice (from someone who has now had a cutter for some 10 or 11 years (and has made most of the errors that you are finding) it is often better to do a test piece on, for instance, copy paper, which doesn't then sacrifice your expensive vinyl. It might mean that your settings have to be adjusted for the real cut but it might help you to spot any errors before they become costly. It is also a good idea to have a really good play with all the settings and options so that you get to know your programme inside out - that said, I still learn new stuff even now. As for the two white plastic "things", they emulate the position of the rollers on the Cameo or Portrait, but on the virtual mat, and confirm the orientation, so may be to do with your setting for your mat (or your file if it is a purchased one) ... I hardly ever get them and they seem to come if I happen to use a commercially acquired design, which I rarely do. It really would help you to go off onto t'internet and have a look at YouTube vids that cover Studio, the various machines and different techniques. There is so much info out there. By the way, it looks like you haven't moved over to Version4 of the software yet, neither have I so all the settings I've mentioned should be the same as yours.
Andi

[DJG]

I agree with all that Andi has said although in my case I would use a pen to draw my design instead of using copy paper to test it

[Nige]

Thank you both
It must have been a glitch of some sort as it seems to have returned to normal......except for one thing, the red cutting line seems to have extended to top and bottom of the grid whereas before there was a decent gap. I've checked all the settings and everything appears ok, I only cut vinyl on A4 sheets on my Craft Robo, nothing else at all, and I always design my own items, I have never ever bought or used commercially available ones, so that couldn't be the reason for the glitch.
I've gone through all the settings and preferences and can't find where to alter the red cut line manually, but I can live with that, I just have to remember not to put a design close to the top line, otherwise it cuts the mat and not the vinyl LOL
Last question. I go to my preferences and change the cutter to Blue Cap and 9 on the pressure, but when I come back to a design later, it always reverts to the Silhouette Ratchet Blade?? I save my preferences and Apply.....but they change. Oh and one thing. My Robo is never connected to my computer. I always put a design onto an SD card to cut as there is no room for the Robo anywhere near the computer, it's on a table the other side of the room, would this cause the cut settings to change?
Many thanks for your help, I do appreciate it,
Nige

[DJG]

I don't know if it would cause the size to change although it does save as a different format ie GSP format