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SmarTrac™ FAQ

Table of Contents

  1. Switching between Parallel and Serial Communications.
  2. Parallel Port Troubleshooting
  3. How to plot from Corel Draw 7
  4. How to plot from Corel Draw 9
  5. How to plot from Corel Draw 10
  6. How to plot from Corel Draw 11
  7. How to plot from Corel Draw 12
  8. Parts of the job shifting within the plot or plotting incorrectly while using CASmate.
  9. USB Support Troubleshooting

Switching between Parallel and Serial Communications.

The SmarTrac™ signcutter can communicate with the computer via a parallel or serial cable. Do not switch the communication type while the plotter power is on. The SmarTrac™ sets the communication default to the cable where data is first received. That default stays in effect until the power is set to off.

Turn the plotter power to off before switching communication type. Move or add the necessary cables on both the computer and the plotter. Turn the power on and continue plotting.

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Parallel Port Troubleshooting

Possible Parallel Port Problems Preventing Communication between the Plotter and the Computer

  1. If the computer you are using to communicate with the Signcutter is on a network, it is common for LPT1 or LPT2 to be "captured" in Windows 95/98. This capturing then redirects data that would go out to the parallel port, to go across the network instead. You must end any port capture for the PC to communicate correctly with the signcutter.

    a. In Windows 95/98, click the Start button and select Settings. Then click Printers to open the printers window folder.

    b. Right click the printer icon for the network printer and select properties.

    c. Click on the "Capture Settings" tab.

    d. Click on "End capture" to end the port capturing.

  2. BIOS settings can also have an effect in establishing communication between the plotter and the computer. The signcutter supports only the simplest modes of IEEE-1284 communication. You will probably want to print these instructions since they include editing your PC's BIOS prior to Windows starting. 

For some PC's it is necessary to:

  1. Click the start button and select settings and then click Control Panel to open the Control Panel window.

  2. Double click the system icon to open the system window and then click on the device manager tab.

  3. Remove the LPT port, by clicking ports, selecting the port and then click the REMOVE button.

  4. Restart Windows

  5. Before the computer starts windows, press the indicate key to enter the PC's BIOS setup. This is usually done by hitting the Delete key or Esc key located on your computer keyboard during boot.

  6. Set the port to be SPP (not ECP or EPP). Be sure there is no DMA activity associated with the port.

  7. Save the BIOS settings.

  8. Allow Windows to come up with the new settings. Windows 95 should be able to find your port and install it using the new settings.

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How to plot from Corel Draw 7

Note: Make sure Corel Draw is open, and the drawing you intend to cut or plot is ready.

  1.  Make sure all of the objects to be plotted/cut, are grouped together and selected. Place the drawing in the lower left corner of the page.

  2. Go to the file drop-down menu and select EXPORT.

  3. Name the file, and pick the folder where you want to put the file. Below the file name under “Save as type”, select “HPGL plotter file (PLT)” from the drop down menu. In the bottom right corner check the box that says “Selected only” (Make sure your drawing has been selected first) hit the EXPORT button.

  4.   HPGL Export dialog box; Under the “PEN” tab, make sure all of the pens are Unused. Save those settings in the box marked “Pen Libraries” 

  5. Under the “Page” tab; Plotter origin should be “Page Center”.  Plotter units should read “1013”.

  6. Under the “Advanced” tab; Curve resolution should read 0.001 Inches. Nothing else should have a check in it.

  7. Hit the OK button. Your plot file has been saved to the folder, and name of your choice

  8. Turn the cutter on, and setup for a new plot. Press the “Start Point” button. Open the Ioline Control Center.

  9. Click on the “Options” drop down menu, and select HPGL Setting. Select the “Center” origin, and click OK. It will ask if the panel size is right, click OK.

  10. Next change the panel size to reflect the size of the plot. (For example; If the drawing size in Corel is 100” long by 24” wide, then make the “X” axis panel size in the control center 100.0”, and make the “Y” axis panel size 24.0”. Now send the settings to the plotter by clicking on the Temporary button.

  11. Now, click on “File”, then Send Cut/Plot file. Find your plot file (the one you saved from Corel Draw earlier). Click on it, and click OK. The cutter will now start to plot or cut out the drawing.

Special note: When you send the plot file to the cutter, the first thing it will do is find the center of the page you selected in the control center. For example, if the “X” axis panel size is 100”, the first thing the plotter will do is scroll out 50” of vinyl. Then return to the start and cut out the design.

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How to plot from Corel Draw 9

Note: Make sure Corel Draw is open, and the drawing you intend to cut or plot is ready to be exported.

  1.  Make sure all of the objects to be plotted/cut, are grouped together and selected. Make sure your drawing does not have any fills in it, and select the “Hairline” pen outline for all the objects. (If it doesn’t have an outline, it won’t plot). Place the drawing in the lower left corner of the page.

  2. Go to the file drop-down menu and select EXPORT.

  3. Name the file, and pick the folder where you want to put that file. Below the file name under “Save as type”, select “HPGL plotter file (PLT)” from the drop down menu. In the bottom right corner check the box that says “Selected only” (Make sure your drawing has been selected first) hit the EXPORT button.

  4. The next window to come up will be the HPGL Export screen. Click on the “Page” tab, make sure the Plotter Origin has “Bottom Left” checked. Plotter units should read 1013.

  5. Click on the “Advanced” tab, and make sure none of the boxes are checked. Curve Resolution should read .001 inches. Click “OK”.

  6. Make sure the Ioline Cutter is powered on, and is setup with a start point. Open the Ioline Control Center.

  7. At the main screen click on the File drop down menu. Select “Send Cut/Plot File…”

  8. In the Send Cut window, locate the file that you named in step 3, and select it. Then choose “OK”. The plotter should start cutting or plotting if everything was set up right.

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How to plot from Corel Draw 10

Note: Make sure Corel Draw is open, and the drawing you intend to cut or plot is ready.

  1. Make sure all of the objects to be plotted/cut, are grouped together and selected. Place the drawing in the lower left corner of the page.

  2. Select the drawing and go to the file drop-down menu and select EXPORT.

  3. Name the file, and pick the folder where you want to put the file. Below the file name under “Save as type”, select “HPGL plotter file (PLT)” from the drop down menu. In the bottom right corner check the box that says “Selected only” (Make sure your drawing has been selected first) hit the EXPORT button.

  4. Under the “Page” tab; Plotter origin should be “Page Center”. Plotter units should read “1013”.

  5. Under the “Advanced” tab; Curve resolution should read “0.0” Inches. Nothing else should have a check in it.

  6. Hit the OK button. Your plot file has been saved to the folder, and name of your choice

  7. Turn the cutter on, and setup for a new plot. Press the “Start Point” or “Set Origin” button. Open the Ioline Control Center.

  8. Click on the “Options” drop down menu, and select HPGL Setting. Select the “Center” origin, and click OK. It will ask if the panel size is right, click OK.

  9. Next change the panel size to reflect the size of the plot. (For example; If the drawing size in Corel is 100” wide by 24” tall, then make the “X” axis panel size in the control center 100.0”, and make the “Y” axis panel size 24.0”. Now send the settings to the plotter by clicking on the Temporary button.

  10. Now, click on “File”, then Send Cut/Plot file. Find your plot file (the one you saved from Corel Draw earlier). Click on it, and click OK. The cutter will now start to plot or cut out the drawing.

NOTE: Once settings are changed in the HPGL export window of CorelDraw, the settings will stay the same for all other files.

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How to plot from Corel Draw 11

Note: Make sure Corel Draw is open, and the drawing you intend to cut or plot is ready to be exported.

  1. Make sure all of the objects to be plotted/cut, are grouped together and selected. Make sure your drawing does not have any fills in it, and select the “Hairline” pen outline for all the objects. (If it doesn’t have an outline, it won’t plot). Place the drawing in the lower left corner of the page.

  2. Go to the file drop-down menu and select EXPORT.

  3. Name the file, and pick the folder where you want to put that file. Below the file name under “Save as type”, select “HPGL plotter file (PLT)” from the drop down menu. In the bottom right corner check the box that says “Selected only” (Make sure your drawing has been selected first) hit the EXPORT button.

  4. The next window to come up will be the HPGL Export screen. Click on the “Page” tab, make sure the Plotter Origin has “Bottom Left” checked. Plotter units should read 1000.

  5. Click on the “Advanced” tab, and make sure none of the boxes are checked. Curve Resolution should read “0.0” inches. Click “OK”.

  6. Make sure the Ioline Cutter is powered on, and is setup with a start point. Open the Ioline Control Center.

  7. At the main screen click on the File drop down menu. Select “Send Cut/Plot File…”
    In the Send Cut window, locate the file that you named in step 3, and select it. Then choose “OK”. The plotter should start cutting or plotting if everything was set up right.

NOTE: Once settings are changed in the HPGL export window of CorelDraw, the settings will stay the same for all other files.

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How to plot from Corel Draw 12

Note: Make sure Corel Draw is open, and the drawing you intend to cut or plot is ready to be exported.

  1. Make sure all of the objects to be plotted/cut, are grouped together and selected. Make sure your drawing does not have any fills in it, and select the “Hairline” pen outline for all the objects. (If it doesn’t have an outline, it won’t plot). Place the drawing in the lower left corner of the page.

  2. Go to the file drop-down menu and select EXPORT.

  3. Name the file, and pick the folder where you want to put that file. Below the file name under “Save as type”, select “HPGL plotter file (PLT)” from the drop down menu. In the bottom right corner check the box that says “Selected only” (Make sure your drawing has been selected first) hit the EXPORT button.

  4. The next window to come up will be the HPGL Export screen. Click on the “Page” tab, make sure the Plotter Origin has “Bottom Left” checked. Change the Plotter Units number to 1013.

  5. Click on the “Advanced” tab, and make sure none of the boxes are checked. Curve Resolution should read “0.0” inches. Click “OK”.

  6. Make sure the Ioline Cutter is powered on, and is setup with a start point. Open the Ioline Control Center.

  7. At the main screen click on the File drop down menu. Select “Send Cut/Plot File…”
    In the Send Cut window, locate the file that you named in step 3, and select it. Then choose “OK”. The plotter should start cutting or plotting if everything was set up right.

NOTE: Once settings are changed in the HPGL export window of CorelDraw, the settings will stay the same for all other files.

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Parts of the job shifting within the plot or cutting incorrectly while using CASmate/Inspire software. 

Problem: Parts of the job shifting within the plot or plotting incorrectly using CASmate. These problems most likely stem from a communication problem between CASmate and the Ioline plotter. CASmate recommends checking the following order:
 

  1. Sorting - Make sure the SORT command is turned OFF in the Plotmate Dialog box. If you want to sort the file, you should select the Automatic Ordering command located under the Edit, Arrange menu option.

  2. Check the Config.sys to make sure FILES is equal to 50 or more.

  3. Remove any temporary files in the TEMP directory.

  4. If running Windows 3.1 or 3.11, go into the Control Panel, select Port, highlight the port the plotter is connected to, then click settings. Make sure Handshaking is set to Hardware and not Xon/Xoff. If you are running Windows 95, go into the Control Panel, System, Device Manager, highlight the port, then click Properties. Click on Port Settings Tab and make sure Flow Control is set to Hardware. You should also click Advanced and turn OFF "Use Fifo Buffers".

  5. In CASmate, select Setup from the MISC menu into the Setup in CASmate, highlight the driver, click Communication and change from Hardware to Polling.

  6. While in the Setup menu you can switch from plotting via the Job Manager to Plot Direct.

  7. If you are using Windows 3.1 or 3.11, CASmate recommends replacing the COMM.DRV in the Windows\System directory with the one on the CASmate Disk #1 or CASmate CD (either in the root directory of the CD or the OTHER directory). If you are running Windows 95, CASmate recommends the new Job Manager in #8 before replacing the COMM.DRV.

  8. If you are running CASmate 6.0 - 6.04, you can replace the JOBMAN.EXE located in the CASWIN directory. This file is in the OTHER directory on the newest CASmate CD.

ANY OTHER QUERIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO CASMATE TECH SUPPORT
http://www.scanvecamiable.com

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USB Support Troubleshooting

If you have a newer Macintosh or PC that does not have a serial port, but instead has USB ports, you will need to purchase a USB to Serial adapter to connect an Ioline plotter to your computer. We have tested our software successfully with the following adapters:

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