coreldraw set starting positions ?

[Kasey Maxwell]

is it possible to make set starting positions for the engraver ? For instance.........if I engrave frames often of different sizes then could I make a template in coreldraw for my frames with a set center position to have the machine move to when needed ? I mean the rotary does it, so is there a way to do this so I don't have to move the red dot everytime I need a new frame engraved and eyeball it to get it lined up with margins ? Thanks

[Steven Cox]

I'm not sure about the Epilog but with my Laser I have the machine set to home position at top left. So my working area is 500mm x 300mm so I set my page in corel to that. Anything that I draw within the page the laser recognises so I can set any object to a different colour but in the laser output mark that item as output NO. Again the laser recognises the object is still but won't output it. So what I do is set an outline to the page size and set that as output NO then I can place any other object on the page and set that to different colour with output YES and then the laser will go straight to that object and cut or engrave as needed so I don't have to line anything up as such.

[Kasey Maxwell]

actually the epilog uses center engraving, left center, top center, center center and page center all of witch use the center of the table for reference, id even be happy if I could get it to go to the upper left of the table when you 1st turn it on and use that point for the mark to start if I put a frame in the upper left corner, but if I do that now it thinks it is in the center of the frame instead of the upper left, maybe the best way would be to make different frame jigs set to the center of the table, at least that way I wouldn't need to eyeball the edges of the frames

Thanks

[Chuck Stone]

There are several pieces I do repeatedly .. wooden box parts, frames, trophy parts etc.
What I do is get a sheet of card stock and lightly vector the outline of the object onto the
card stock (in the center) and save that file as my template.
When I need to do something on that piece, I open the template and put in the text or
graphics. Center it or align it as needed .. then delete the outline. I put the card stock
back on the table and I can see exactly where I need to place the object. So .. I see it on
the screen and I see it on the table.

.. of course.. I'm building a library of card stock templates now..

[Seth Adler]

Epilog units (and I think most manufacturers) default to the top left as the home position. Since Epilog is run as a printer, I don't think it can pull a defined position from your file. The template suggestion seems like a good potential work-around.

[Carrol Fleming]

For repetitive jobs of the same size I set my page size in Corel to the size of the items to be engraved - make sure you set the page size to the same as the Corel page size in the Epilog Print Properties, or it will not engrave in the correct place, and make sure your item is positioned with its top left aligned with the top left of the laser bed - this is easy with flat objects, with something where the base is possibly smaller than the top I use a piece of card held against the side of the object and try and line it up. Hope that is clear. (as mud)

For a number of small objects I always make a template, usually out of acrylic if I am going to use it often.

[Tim Bateson]

Interesting idea. I could see the possibility if this were possible.

...all of which use the center of the table for reference...

You assume center is always used with a full page job and that page is set to the same size as your table. Actually it uses the center of what-ever you have selected in Coral/Photoshop.... Box, text, graphic, work area ...

[Carrol Fleming]

actually the epilog uses center engraving, left center, top center, center center and page center all of witch use the center of the table for reference, id even be happy if I could get it to go to the upper left of the table when you 1st turn it on

If you don't select the Center Engraving options in the Print Properties the Epilog uses the top left as your start point.
But if your Corel Page Size and Epilog Print Options Piece Size are not the same you will run into problems with lining up.

[Kasey Maxwell]

page size........that's it ! ! never thought of that, I usually leave my page size at 12x24 so I should be able to make my page size the same as the frames, this should work perfectly !

Thank you !