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Post by lightning on Sept 5, 2016 4:03:50 GMT -9
Has anyone experienced this or has a solution?
My Portrait has started scaling the horizontal (short side of page) movement. The vertical (long side of page) is fine. So all my previously working cutfiles are now producing squashed results and are not useable anymore.
Is this a hardware problem? Overuse? Could this be a software thing? (I have checked all the usual culprits like scaling of imported dxf files and it all looks good AND it is not working for previously working files)
Help!
Would be a shame if the cutter is broken after such short time ...
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Post by oldschooldm on Sept 5, 2016 7:04:48 GMT -9
I've not heard of this, but I can tell you that it COULD be coming from the Studio software. What version are you running? Have you tried an earlier/latest version? We've seen a bad release or two in the last 3 years, but nothing as bad as this.
Be sure to run a calibration - just to be sure.
Hypothetically, the horizontal drive belt could be damaged/slipping - but I don't think that would be consistent. Is it making any unusual noise? I've found all hardware-related problems with slipping that I've encountered are always accompanied by a distinctive "grind" sound - and that's when I jump and power-off the cutter. :-P
Customer service has been helpful for several folks here as well. If it's hardware, they tend to diagnose it quickly and either solve it or exchange the machine.
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Post by mproteau (Paper Realms) on Sept 5, 2016 8:01:50 GMT -9
You might want to try setting your blade depth to one so it doesn't have to cut much, just for diagnostic purposes. Try cutting a sample page and see if the blade can travel around a large square and a large circle. Also, look at the blade to see if there's any fibers building up on it.
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Post by lightning on Sept 5, 2016 8:39:32 GMT -9
I doubt it's the software version. I have not changed it. The number is 3.7.227ssde
I had scaling issues when the import options would be changed due to some reset, but they are ok and when they were wrong they would scale uniformly not only in one direction. I also checked with existing tested files and they have the same problem.
I would have guessed it must have to do that the rubber band moving the knife is getting loose (or too tight) or there is something else obstructing the movement.
I cannot see anything, fibres or so. But it's difficult to see when it's on the cut.
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Post by oldschooldm on Sept 5, 2016 10:05:57 GMT -9
You might want to try setting your blade depth to one so it doesn't have to cut much, just for diagnostic purposes. Try cutting a sample page and see if the blade can travel around a large square and a large circle. Also, look at the blade to see if there's any fibers building up on it. Cutting a circle is a great idea.
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Post by Christopher Roe on Sept 5, 2016 10:07:22 GMT -9
Get ahold of one of those Silhouette sketch pen sets, stick one in the tool holder, draw a square in Studio, and send that to the cutter. Measure the square. If it's off in the Y axis, it's a roller thing, but if it's off in the X axis, it's a drive belt thing. Also, print the page from Studio with a line thickness of 2pt (try to match the pen width as closely as possible), then measure the printed square. If it's off in either dimension, it's the printer.
I believe Squirmydad has replaced the drive belt in his cutter at least once.
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Post by squirmydad on Sept 5, 2016 19:37:00 GMT -9
I believe Squirmydad has replaced the drive belt in his cutter at least once. Nah, I was looking at it and then the Portraits went on sale at Amazon so I snatched up a new one instead of repairing the old one. Plus, when I was looking for a belt, they were priced at half the cost of a new machine.
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Post by Christopher Roe on Sept 5, 2016 19:48:09 GMT -9
Half the cost of a new machine for a length of grooved rubber?
Bandits. They're making out like bandits.
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Post by lightning on Sept 6, 2016 5:06:35 GMT -9
I am afraid the shipping costs to and back to US would also make a new portrait more attractive.
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Post by Vermin King on Sept 6, 2016 5:17:24 GMT -9
I'd still check out customer support before doing that
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Post by lightning on Sept 13, 2016 23:49:25 GMT -9
So I finally came around to make the test with the square and circle from within Studio ... and everything is perfect. Then I went and created a square and circle calibration sheet the way I usually create my PDFs through Illustrator ... and everything is perfect.
?!? All I did today before I started was move the black block holding the knife a little to the right and left to see if there was anything stuck under it.
I then tested with a cutfile from the recent gates and walls set ... and also fine.
I will go back and try the files I tried last time, but it seems the mystery has solved itself mysteriously.
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Post by andrax2000 on Sept 14, 2016 3:10:37 GMT -9
?!? All I did today before I started was move the black block holding the knife a little to the right and left to see if there was anything stuck under it. Maybe that's all it took. Mine stopped finding registration marks and after a few hours of troubleshooting, I finally blasted it with compressed air and it started working. I think it may have been cat hair on the sensor. Maybe you had some hair or dust in the mechanism that was slowing it down that you busted lose when you moved it.
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Post by lightning on Sept 15, 2016 11:59:28 GMT -9
... and now it does not connect at all on my work pc. No problems on my laptop. Crazy piece of work this!
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