Splitting Centerline Text Across two Project boards and erratic machine behavior

[jgowrie]

I am revisiting an old problem I have been having in hopes that maybe someone, either user or software/machine designer, has a solution or explanation for why the following happens.

The last time I tried to figure this out it was basically explained as something tech support couldn't answer and nobody on the forum seemed to be having the issues I was having. It's been about a solid year now since I noticed this erratic behavior and it happens EVERYTIME I split a centerline text object across two project boards.

For my solution, I have resorted to shifting the text object left or right ( left if it's the left side of the project and right for the right side ) so any damage caused by the machine to the edges of the board can be ripped off at the table saw later and I don't remove a percentage of the text.

This can be difficult to understand from my explanation so I made a movie which clearly shows the machine raising and lowering the cutting bit just off the board while the rollers move as though the machine is trying to place the design on the board. Since the particular bit in use is the 90 degree it unfortunately comes in contact with my board and chamfers the edge. I did not film the second project board that makes up the right side of the project but the chamfer which results on that board is much worse and will require that I rip at least 1/8 off the board to remove it.

The recording is just over 5 minutes and I started it about 1 minute in, after 1 letter was just carved. This is the exact behavior the machines exhibits every single time I have split a centerline object across two project boards. Without fail - it happens every single time.

Besides the obvious damage this can cause to a project board, it can more than double the carve time of a project. This was a small project with each project board projected to finish in less than 18 minutes. The machines timed the finished projects at an average of 30 minutes each so this issue is also eating away at my 200 hours of warranty.

I know I can't be alone in this since there are so many additional users of the machine now, so I am hoping this time someone else will be able to chime in with either ideas or just as an additional voice complaining so tech support takes a closer look at what is causing this and addresses it in an update to either Designer or the Centerline Plug-in.

Here is the video link to Youtube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhAJSiLdZ3w
The original mpc files are attached if anyone cares to watch what happens, or take a look at how I put the project together, though it's about as simple as it can get.

[lynnfrwd]

We are looking into this issue and will get in touch with you.

[jgowrie]

Thank you !


We are looking into this issue and will get in touch with you.

[mtylerfl]

Hi John

I do recall when you first posted about this. Thanks for posting the video - makes it clear now, what you are actually observing.

While LHR investigates, perhaps a workaround will be to not type "whole lines of text"...rather, type just what will fit on each section of your sign. Perhaps that will eliminate the problem for the time being. Hope so!

[jgowrie]

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the help and response. I know you tried helping last time around also. With a small number of my projects that approach may be an acceptable workaround. It would get pretty tricky though if any arch is applied.

The big problem I have with this issue though is, most of my projects are centerline based but they are images and not text so they can't be worked with in the way you suggest. The only way to work them into my projects is by laying them on the virtual designer project board and hang half the object off the workspace.

I think I recall you have done an issue about combining multiple boards to create larger signs. Did you ever try hanging the text off the edge of the designer project board in any such cases where you attempted this?


I just want a software fix for this issue because it seems like an obvious bug to me that should be addressed. The machine has performed a similar operation when using a carving pattern and it did so successfully without any erratic "off board" movement seen in this example above. The last time I was told they couldn't fix the problem and I was going to have to live with it which I wasn't too happy with but I guess if I am the only one that points this problem out then that may just be the end result again.

[mtylerfl]

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the help and response. I know you tried helping last time around also. With a small number of my projects that approach may be an acceptable workaround. It would get pretty tricky though if any arch is applied.

The big problem I have with this issue though is, most of my projects are centerline based but they are images and not text so they can't be worked with in the way you suggest. The only way to work them into my projects is by laying them on the virtual designer project board and hang half the object off the workspace.

I think I recall you have done an issue about combining multiple boards to create larger signs. Did you ever try hanging the text off the edge of the designer project board in any such cases where you attempted this?


I just want a software fix for this issue because it seems like an obvious bug to me that should be addressed. The machine has performed a similar operation when using a carving pattern and it did so successfully without any erratic "off board" movement seen in this example above. The last time I was told they couldn't fix the problem and I was going to have to live with it which I wasn't too happy with but I guess if I am the only one that points this problem out then that may just be the end result again.

Hi John,

I'm confident the folks at LHR are as anxious as you/we are to find what may be causing this and come up with a solution.

I have not tried running Text off a board during a split-sign setup. (I split up the text so that each 'segment' fits on each sign section.) I'm guessing most folks are probably doing the same and could explain why others haven't been reporting the behavior you are experiencing (that I know of anyway).

Thanks again for your video and the further clarification of the issue. That should help the programmers get a jump on troubleshooting while they investigate the cause.

[RMarkey]

The issue is still being investigated, but for now, Michael's suggestion is the best - break up text into segments so they can be applied across multiple boards.

The easiest way to do this is layout your text as large as you would like it, then add small segments of text, lining them up to get the arc, angle, and dimensions to match the original. Then copy/paste across boards.

[jgowrie]

OK. Well please keep trying to solve this because while the solution offered might work with most text layouts, it won't work with an image ( font dingbat ) that is imported as centerline text.

I have run only one project where I split a carving pattern across the face of two doors ( Great Seal Of America ) and the machine handled that properly so it would seem it should be able to handle other objects placed on the designer project board in a manner that has them overhanging.