Cut2D Desktop Startup

[JimG]

Just a small niggle. I've been using Desktop for a month or two and one thing niggles me amost everytime I start. I do all my drafting in AutoCAD LT and normally work in metric with units as millimetres. When I load the metric DWG files I almost always get the "Drawing too large" message and the metric job sizes are shown in inches. Once I select millimetres in Job Setup, then all is well. However, I can't remember having this niggle in previous versions of Cut2D, where the software seemed to remember the previous units used. I've dug through the help files to see if there is some form of setup file which can pre-set preferences but with no luck so far.

But I like the software - especially the "recalculate all paths" after a job setup alteration. I no longer have to trawl through edit/calculate for a pile of tool paths after changing something like safe height.

Jim.

[ThomR]

Jim:

Have you checked the Windows registry? Vectric stores a lot of data in there, like all applications did way-back-when.

I don't have Cut2D, instead I have the 3D edition. But, it looks like it might be using a registry key named NewModelInMM, which appears to be either 1 or 0. It's a bit unclear whether the "In" in the name means "use", or "Inches". Either way, if it's a 1, flip it to 0, or vice-versa depending on what you find.

Below is a screenshot from the Windows registry editor ("regedit" is the command name), showing the path to the Cut3D area where it lives. Maybe check yours and see if there's a similar setting under a area with Cut2D in the name. Notice that there are actually TWO different areas that Cut3D uses, but the upper one in the tree seemed to be empty. To be clear, your entry should live under a cut TWO D area.

Close down the Vectric Cut2D software before you make the change, and when you restart, hopefully it will do the right thing. There is no "save" in the registry editor as a whole; changes are written to the registry as soon as you make them. Be careful in there .

Cut3D registry setting for new model units

Hope that helps!

Thom

[Adrian]

How are you loading the DWG files? Are you double clicking them or are you starting Cut2D and importing them?

[JimG]

Have you checked the Windows registry? Vectric stores a lot of data in there, like all applications did way-back-when.

I don't have Cut2D, instead I have the 3D edition. But, it looks like it might be using a registry key named NewModelInMM, which appears to be either 1 or 0. It's a bit unclear whether the "In" in the name means "use", or "Inches". Either way, if it's a 1, flip it to 0, or vice-versa depending on what you find.

Thom,

I've had a look with Regedit and Cut2D Desktop doesn't seem to have a NewModelInMM setting in the registry. I also have Cut3D and I've found the setting in its section in the registry. The older versions of Cut2D which I had - V1.0 and V1.5 - had a list of settings similar to Cut3D but without NewModelInMM. The latest version - Cut2D DesKtop - in its settings has a sub folder called NewFileMaterialBlock in which there is an "InMM" setting. That was set to "0" and I re-set it to "1" and, Hey Presto, my Cut2D starts up in metric. Many thanks for the pointer which got me there.

Jim.

[JimG]

How are you loading the DWG files? Are you double clicking them or are you starting Cut2D and importing them?

Adrian,

Have a look at my response to Thom. I've found the answer. I normally start my DWG and DXF files from inside Cut2D.

Jim.

[ThomR]

Very Cool! Glad it was in there somewhere....sometimes all it takes is some poking around to find those hidden settings we all know are there somewhere.

I never did understand why companies wouldn't publish the structure and meaning of their registry entries. They play as much a role in config of the software as any options dialog. They let us modify the post-processor files, they let us change the options, and in some cases they even publish a full-on API for extending the software, like with the gadgets in VCarve/Aspire. Yet for some reason, that stuff is off limits. They used to claim "it's dangerous", but guess what: it's dangerous specifically because they refused to tell anyone how to safely work with it.

Thom

Have you checked the Windows registry? Vectric stores a lot of data in there, like all applications did way-back-when.

I don't have Cut2D, instead I have the 3D edition. But, it looks like it might be using a registry key named NewModelInMM, which appears to be either 1 or 0. It's a bit unclear whether the "In" in the name means "use", or "Inches". Either way, if it's a 1, flip it to 0, or vice-versa depending on what you find.

Thom,

I've had a look with Regedit and Cut2D Desktop doesn't seem to have a NewModelInMM setting in the registry. I also have Cut3D and I've found the setting in its section in the registry. The older versions of Cut2D which I had - V1.0 and V1.5 - had a list of settings similar to Cut3D but without NewModelInMM. The latest version - Cut2D DesKtop - in its settings has a sub folder called NewFileMaterialBlock in which there is an "InMM" setting. That was set to "0" and I re-set it to "1" and, Hey Presto, my Cut2D starts up in metric. Many thanks for the pointer which got me there.

Jim.

[Adrian]

There should be no reason to edit the registry. That value is set from the last job as far as I know. So if you start Cut2D, set it to mm and then exit the next time you load it it will be in mm.

[JimG]

There should be no reason to edit the registry. That value is set from the last job as far as I know. So if you start Cut2D, set it to mm and then exit the next time you load it it will be in mm.

Adrian,

That's what I was used to in my previous versions of Cut2D - V1.0 and V1.5. In digging around in my registry, I note there are two entries for Cut2D Desktop in my registry. One is called "Cut2D Desktop" and the folder only contains four settings and a V8 folder with two settings. The other folder is called "Cut2D DesktopV8" and this folder contains a very full list of settings including the "Material/InMM" setting which I changed. Perhaps the two entries are confusing the software when saving settings. I have Cut2D Desktop installed on two other computers, one running XP and one running Vista. I'll check what the registry entries look like in them and whether they stick with the last measurment system was used. I only use these installations to work with CRV files already generated from the Cut2D Desktop on my main PC so I've never actually tried calling up an original DRW or DXF file on them.

Jim.