Laser Cutter

[caffrey]

Do you use a standalone machine or a domain joined one ? I ask as we got delivery of a new laser cutter yesterday and on first inspection and installation of the software it seems that a) the cutter driver software has a dongle and needs administrative privileges and b) We also got photograv which appears to be one of those bits of software that only runs on a single user account. I've not really had much time to have a play with it - but I'm thinking a standalone machine would be better as it's only going to be used to control the cutter (Work can be transferred to the machine via usb sticks etc.)

 

So how do you do it ?

[plexer]

Our versalaser was connected to a domain joined PC but then it acted like a printer so you could control it from anything that could output coloured lines including word.

 

Ben

[6Foot2]

Our laser cutter is attached to a computer that is a member of the domain but when a job for the laser cutter is identified the user logs on locally. Work is transferred via USB of by administrator copying the work from the user area to the laser cutter machine over the network.

 

A bit clunky but it has been working well enough for a few years now.

[caffrey]

Cheers,

 

I'm thinking domain joined with an auto logon account that has a user area that is accessible by anyone, with restricted internet access and drive access and local admin privileges . The room is lockable so hopefully it should be okay.

[Reverend_Dan]

Ours is one with a dongle however i managed to get the drivers for the dongle installed with local admin to the machine. This allows Lasercut 5.3 for the most part work for any one logged onto the machine. It looks like people are getting sick of it and trying to hack the controller, more info here MSRaynsford: Laser Cutter Comparisons and also some excellent ideas

[Novalee]

We use a stand alone machine (previously was a laptop but was very old) - and transfer work via USB.

[mikecain]

We use a networked machine, but with local admin on the machine. works well with no issues and lasercut 5.3 seems to like it

[round2it]

What we do is

 

Laser cutter is a dangerous piece of equipment (in the wrong hands)

 

I contemplated letting the users print directly but decided this would be dangerous

 

so what we do is get the teacher to use a usb stick or a network share on the connected pc and print from that pc only

 

works very well with no accidents

[mikecain]

we use a network share that students have access to, they dropo their work into their and the teacher or technician down there print it out, there are safety deevices on the laser cutter, but the little darlings love to find ways of bypassing stuff like that.

[caffrey]

What I've set up seems to be working okay (had no complaints), had to set it to a single user because of Photograv, didn't spend much time on it but it seemed to be a single user install. Now to get them to make me some RPi cases