Anyone using MasterCAM with a Laser?

[Greg Madison]

I have an Epilog Mini 50W, but it locks up everytime I try to "print" to it via MasterCAM. Epilog says that it's the driver (duh!), but doesn't have a fix. Anyone know of a workaround to cut from MasterCAM?


Greg

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Send it to Corel Draw as a DWG or DXF file may work. Did it ever work for you? I am going to see if I can go direct from Rhino someday. I heard it will work so I would think that yours may also. It will all depend on if Mastercam's print dialogue is recognized by your Epilog print Driver. You may need to get a driver that recognizes Gcode. I am trying to get Lasertype6 to send the Gcode to my Trotec. I know it will work but I just have to check the right boxes but no extra time for that yet. You may also need to have mastercam write a post for it. Epilog and MasterCam should talk to each other and see what it takes for their stuff to talk to each other.

[Larry Bratton]

Correct me if I am wrong..but Mastercam is a program used primarily for CNC routers and the like. I own Enroute which is also a tool path program. It is not intended to use with a printer and did not work well with printers. Laser engraving and cutting machines use a PRINT driver. Corel Draw is a program written to be printed from, thats the reason it works so well. I believe that Epilog machines are designed with Corel in mind also. So, true, you cut from Mastercam but not in the same sense as you do when you print from Corel. Stay with Corel IMHO.

[Greg Madison]

I did try exporting from MasterCAM to a DXF and a DWG but I don't have Corel, I have Illustrator. Illustrator saw the files as corrupt and wouldn't let me open them. (I HAVE opened other DWG and DXF's so it's something about MasterCAM X4 and my CS2 version of Illustrator.)

MasterCAM IS a CAM program and I primarily use it for creating G-code for my CNC mill. BUT it prints drawings just fine to a laser printer. So I wanted to use Epilog's print driver...seems like there should be no difference since MasterCAM thinks it's writing to a printer...BUT...locks up the Epilog every time.

The Epilog runs fine from Illustrator or from Photoshop, etc.

Dang it. I hope one of the forum members has an idea. Certainly it seems like an obvious thing to vector cut on the laser engraver directly from a CAD/CAM program like MasterCAM.....

Greg

[Josh Richard]

I don't have experience with MasterCam, but I have learned that Illustrator will not accept all DXF versions. Try experimenting with the export version in MasterCam; see if there is some way to change export DXF options.


Also try opening a new Illustrator document and use the file place process.

[Chuck Thomas]

Deffinetly try exporting from Mastercam as a DWG/DXF in an older version. There seem to be compatibility issues with newer version files. When I import an Illustrator file into Mastercam I have to save it as an older version also.

[Roy Brewer]

I have an Epilog Mini 50W, but it locks up everytime I try to "print" to it via MasterCAM.

Gregg,

Depending on when it locks up, try this:
set the Dashboard preferences from windows(Control Panel)
Open the file in CAM and print to Epilog w/o opening preferences.

Depending on how MasterCAM loads printer info, you may even need to run CAM after setting those preferences.

win7-64bit? X5? If win7 Pro, try 32bitXP mode w/32bit Dashboard.

[Greg Madison]

Josh and Chuck,

I tried to save in a different version of DXF or DWG, but MasterCAM X4 wasn't very helpful in doing that. I couldn't get a compatible file for Illustrator CS2.

Roy,

GREAT Idea! ...but it didn't work. No matter how I set it up it locked up the Epilog as soon as I send any data at all. BTW lock-up means NOTHING works, not even turning on the red pointer....

I DID get a workaround though. It's pretty kludgey, but it works. I printed from MasterCAM to "CutePDF". It's a printer driver that makes a PDF file when you print. I placed that in Illustrator, released the clipping mask and ungrouped, and I had the drawing! All that was left is scaling to get it back to the right size.

So, thanks guys for trying. At least I got it to work somewhat.

Greg