Full Version: Universal Smart Tube
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#9]
9 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#6] 9 Mar 2007
Allow me to offer a proper, "Welcome to the forum." :-)
It was truly a pleasure to meet you in Las Vegas and talk shop, not only about ULS products, but the industry at large.
I think it's crucial to have industry supplier input and support of the site and I thank you for taking time from your hectic schedule to address our questions.
I should point out that the big countdown to the ULS secret, was in anticipation of the materials-based print driver database, which was unveiled at the ARA show in Las Vegas.
I was impressed by the brief overview!
Do the automatically-adjusted settings to the print driver database apply to only the factory-installed material settings, or are user-installed additions to the database also automatically adjusted?
EDITED: 9 Mar 2007 by DGL
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#10]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
Hi Tony,
Our new systems use entirely electronics for “smart” two-way communication. It is possible to fit a smart technology laser cartridge into an older system (using an electrical adaptor harness) but you won’t get any of the “smart” technology benefits unless you have one of our new systems. We’re still building the previous-generation laser cartridges that will fit your system without an adaptor harness and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
All the best,
Dave
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#11]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
Is everyone named Dave on this forum? :O
The smart technology laser cartridge detects the cartridge’s nominal manufactured power rating. The power output from these cartridges is quite stable so it’s not necessary to measure the output on an ongoing basis. There are also image enhancement controls that you can use to fine-tune the performance of the materials-based print driver if necessary. But for the most part you can simply swap different power lasers in and out of the system without making any adjustments and still get excellent cutting, marking and engraving results.
All the best,
Dave
From: UncleSteve [#12]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#11] 12 Mar 2007
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#13]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
Hi David,
Thank you for the warm welcome! I’m delighted to participate and will try to provide more timely replies in the future.
To answer your question, the materials-based print driver will automatically set the correct power, speed and other setting for all of the materials in the standard database. You can modify any of these settings (using the manual controls) and then save the results in the user-defined materials database, and run the file again at a later time.
Here’s an example: You engrave some wood plaques for Saint Mary’s Hospital using the “Hard Wood -- Cherry, Maple, Walnut” setting on the materials-based print driver. A couple of weeks later you re-run the plaques, but these particular samples are a drier batch of wood, so you back off the power a touch and increase the speed, then save the file as “Saint Mary’s – Dry Wood” in the user-defined materials database. Now you’re set for the next time you want to engrave that particular batch of wood plaques. Note too that you don’t have to open CorelDRAW or whatever graphic software you used to create the file – a real time-saver.
Hope that answers your question.
All the best,
Dave
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#14]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
Hi UncleSteve,
You can upgrade your ULS system from 25 to 40 watts at any time simply by swapping out lasers. You can swap out lasers in under a minute without using any tools or worrying about optical alignment. The benefits of increasing power from 25 to 40 watts are fairly substantial – you’ll be able to cut and engrave faster and deeper. I’m fairly math-lexic so I’m not sure if you’ll experience a “60 percent” increase in terms of reducing cutting and engraving times by upgrading from 25 to 40 watts, but your throughput should certainly increase.
All the best,
Dave
From: UncleSteve [#15]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#14] 12 Mar 2007
BTW, I get the 60% by taking 60% of 25 ( 3/5ths) and adding it on to the 25 Watt starting point... :-)
This sounds like a great opportunity for someone to get into the laser end of the business at a lower entry cost and upgrade as needed without having to sell/trade/etc. the lower power system.
I have often seen comments here and in other forums about "I sure wish I bought a more powerful unit" .....
Also lowers the chance of a change of brand when the upgrade is made... buy you didn't hear ME say that! ;-)
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#16]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#13] 12 Mar 2007
My question was, once I set paramaters for "dry wood" does the Smart Tube recognize those settings as automatically-adjustable, in the same way it would recognize factory-set parameters?
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#17]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#13] 12 Mar 2007
Noted. Will there be a stand-alone application to handle the manipulation of these settings? Will the settings be stored in one file or as individual files as they are stored now? Will there be facilities for creating tables of all the settings? Will there be options to apply global changes to all of the settings?
Any chance of getting the file format for the ULS Advanced driver print files (VLM files)?
Any chance of getting VBA access to the ULS print driver in CorelDraw?
Just thought I'd ask..........
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#18]
12 Mar 2007
To: UncleSteve [#15] 12 Mar 2007
Be careful. I think there's a size limitation for some models. The smaller entry-level lasers have less room available for the laser tube. An upgrade from a 25W to 45W may require more room than what is available in the laser housing.
From: UncleSteve [#19]
12 Mar 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#18] 12 Mar 2007
Just one more question to ask when looking at a machine: "What is the limit for upgrading the tube on this particular model?" :-)
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#20]
12 Mar 2007
To: UncleSteve [#19] 12 Mar 2007
http://www.ulsinc.com/english/laser_systems/product_line/VersaLaser.html
Cross-Platform Compatibility With All ULS Air-Cooled Quick Change Laser Cartridgesâ„¢ (Patented)
10 or 25 watts - VL-200
10, 25, 30, 40 or 50 watts - VL-300
Auto Focus and Red Dot Pointer standard
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#21]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
David,
If I understand your question correctly the answer would be yes, the system would adjust for the new settings. For example, let’s say you manually override the materials-based print driver settings for the wood plaques and save the parameters in a file named “dry wood.” You adjusted and saved these settings with a 25 watt laser installed in the system. Later, when you want to re-run the plaques, you have a 50 watt laser installed. In that case the system would automatically change the settings so the plaques would engrave correctly using the 50 watt laser. Hope that answers your question for you.
All the best,
Dave
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#22]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
Carl,
It sounds like you want to access the materials database source code to edit and create your own settings – definitely a no-no. You can easily modify the existing settings and save them as individual files so there’s really no reason to try to modify the actual materials database. If you do come up with a material that isn’t covered by the materials database you can contact our service department and they will make the modification. But modifying the source code is not something we would want or expect the average user to do.
BTW, good catch on entry level system power limitations. UncleSteve didn't specify a particular ULS system in his post. The new VersaLaser model VLS2.30 is available with up to 30 watts of laser power. The VersaLaser model VLS3.50 is available with up to 50 watts of laser power. You are correct, higher wattage laser cartridges are too big to fit VLS. The new Professional Series systems are available with up to 120 watts of laser power using dual lasers.
All the best,
Dave
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#23]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#22] 12 Mar 2007
I realize ULS doesn't want anyone monkeying with the print files (the print driver file that is sent to the laser), but it would be nice to be able to modify (speed, power, etc) without having to print the file from CorelDraw again. I know, I know, if I wanted more features, I should have paid for them with the more expensive version.
It would also be handy to be able to manipulate the print settings through VBA in CorelDraw. I hardly think I speak alone (or do I?), but it sure would be nice to save the laser settings with individual CorelDraw files that would be loaded automatically when you wanted to re-print that file. Or, if you wanted to print from a common file, be able to reference that common file name to retrieve the laser settings. I realize that you can save, rename the print files, and resubmit them to the laser PROVIDED there are no changes to the file.
Okay, I'm dreaming. I'll wake up.... sometime.... maybe.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#24]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#21] 12 Mar 2007
I appreciate the answer. :-)
From: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#25]
12 Mar 2007
To: ALL
Sorry, I misunderstood your question. Let me take another crack at it.
I wasn't trying to modify ULS's data, just be able to document and manipulate mine. I was also referring to two different things: the laser settings file (mine) and the actual job/print file that is sent to the laser.
Okay, got it!
It would be nice to be able to modify (speed, power, etc.) without having to print the file from CorelDraw again.
With the new materials-based print driver on our Professional Series systems, you don’t have to print the file from CorelDRAW when you want to modify the settings. Just click “load†to pull up a list of job files (what you call print driver files) and select the one you want to run. Switch to “manual†mode change the speed, power and ppi settings, then click “okay†to print the modified file to the laser.
It would also be handy to be able to manipulate the print settings through VBA in CorelDraw.
I confess I don’t do any CorelDRAW Visual Basic scripting so I can’t comment on that point, but I will pass on your request to our engineering staff.
It sure would be nice to save the laser settings with individual CorelDraw files that would be loaded automatically when you wanted to re-print that file.
In essence you do get the system settings with individual CorelDRAW files when reprinting a job. Before you print, you can preview the job onscreen using the print preview function. What you’ll see is an image of the CorelDRAW job file, not the actual file itself, but that won’t matter as long as you're not going to change the artwork. Just tab over to manual control to see all of the system setting (power, speed, etc.) that are automatically loaded with that file. And as mentioned above, you can modify and save those settings if you wish before printing.
All the best,
Dave
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#26]
12 Mar 2007
To: David Wilhite (DAVID-ULS) [#25] 12 Mar 2007
I was pretty sure that override settings were already available on the more expensive systems. I was hoping for more control on the lower-end systems, but I understand the limitations.
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