Adobe Illustrator Adding in extra vector cuts

[Doug Griffith]

Roy, I don't think you stepped in it. You just grazed it with your foot.

Re:
"Not necessarily because it is the most powerful, the most widely used or even because we like it, but because it doesn't require all the workarounds necessary by several market leading programs (including but not limited to AutoCAD & Illustrator)."

I see it differently. The hardware manufacturers are also responsible for developing the drivers that go with. The "workarounds" are needed by third party programs (ie. AutoCAD, AI) that adhere to industry printing standards (ie. Postscript). The hardware manufacturers should fix their drivers and thus remove the need for "workarounds". I'd say the purveyers are only recommending what the manufacturers recommend themselves.

[David Fairfield]

My post was an attempt to explain why purveyors of laser systems continue to strongly recommend CorelDRAW.

I noticed. However, you put the cart before the horse, Roy. The need for diligence when preparing an .ai file for a laser engraving job says nothing about the quality of either Corel of Adobe. It does say something about the quality of the laser driver programming. The industry can recommend whatever they want, but most of their customers come to them with a definite preference.

because it doesn't require all the workarounds necessary by several market leading programs

The workarounds are simple enough to eliminate them as a factor in choosing Corel over Adobe. On the other hand, figuring them out is an unnecessary problem that should not be left to laser purchasers to deal with on their own. Printing Adobe files should at least be explained in the laser's user manual, if the manufactuer is unwilling to provide drivers that work interchangably with Adobe and Corel. Given that this isn't the case, I get the feeling some people in the laser business are out to make money pushing Corel.

While I can see how that was interpreted, the use of the thread in my seminar was not for humor. Any question/answer session always spawns the question "can I run my laser with Illustrator," I can now say "yes, here's how."

I'm glad I could help give them a definite answer.

Dave

[Roy Brewer]

The hardware manufacturers are also responsible for developing the drivers that go with.

Dave,
To give you and any other Epilog owners that use Illustrator/aCADD a "heads up" that a, as yet unannounced, Print Driver is on the Epilog web site that addresses many of the aggravations you've experienced.

Additionally, the new print driver has a checkbox for cutter path optimization that provides an enormous improvement in productivity.

All on Epilog's automatic driver notification list will be alerted to this driver next week. I'm just giving creekers a weekend to see if they can break it before it is offered to the public.

[Chris J Drew]

It kinda grates that someone who already uses Illustrator should feel forced to even consider buying/learning Corel just because they bought a laser, or be faced with clunky "workarounds".
Hopefully the new Epilog driver will sort this out - for Epilog users at least! ( I just started playing with it! )

But one must bear in mind that ( certainly in the UK ) many people buy a laser machine without first already using/owning what to them is "high-end" design software.

Corel is cheaper than Illustrator & isn't crammed with features that your average laser user won't even need, and the learning-curve is nowhere near as steep for new users. It imports a myriad of filetypes & so is an effective way of running a laser with predictable results, irrespective of how the artwork is originally created.

As for "Corel Vs. Illustrator"...
I started using both packages around the same time, coming from a background knowledge of 3D modelling software.
I personally prefer Corel, the pen tool alone puts Illustrator's to shame, but it's down to personal preferance & more importantly what you're familiar with.
I've installed lasers for customers who use both and neither.
It's like the "Mac Vs PC" thing, ie boring but funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PADkpyVWAwQ
^(warning, contains profanity)

No-one would disagree that improved functionality & support for users of Illustrator/AutoCAD/Freehand etc is long overdue & most welcome.