Plotter Configuration

Adding a Cutting Machine

PatternSmith 11 supports only Autometrix Ethernet enabled cutting machines.

To add a cutting machine, turn the machine on and click the Add button to start the discovery process.

When the Discovery Wizard starts, click Discover a Network Plotter to select the machine from a list (easiest). If you know your machine’s IP address you can choose to Configure a TCP/IP Plotter. If your cutter doesn’t appear in the list, make sure it is turned on and all Ethernet cables are connected then click the Refresh button.

After you have selected your cutting machine, you can change your machine’s name to something more familiar. This is also where you will enter the offsets for you different tools. You can use either your pen or your laser pointer to locate the local home (your starting point) for a cutting job.

The relative offsets for each tool mount point are the X/Y distances from the pen or laser pointer to each mount point. If you are using the pen as your pointer, enter the Offsets to the Pen as zeroes. You will find instructions for measuring offsets in your cutter’s User Manual. Contact Customer Service if you need help determining the correct offsets for your system.

Plotter/Cutter Properties

Before you can use your cutter, click the Properties button to set up your plotter/cutter properties correctly.

Connection

Here you see and change the IP address of your cutter. You can also verify and renew the connection. These are used to update the cutter information if changes have been made to the machine controller and to test network connectivity.

If you have a Projector system installed, Connect To Projector will appear. If the checkbox is checked, the projector will automatically be turned on when PatternSmith is open. If you need to verify the connection to the projector, click the View Projector Status button.

Table Limits

Here you can see the actual cutting width and length for your system. The values were filled in by the Discovery Wizard automatically. You can’t change those values.

Speeds

The max speed and acceleration values were filled in by the Discovery Wizard when you added the plotter/cutter. However, you can now enter lower values.

Tool Mount Points

All cutting systems have three types of tool mount points: marking, steered, and drilling. PatternSmith needs to know the relative position of each before it can send cutting commands properly. These are typically entered during the discovery process.

Selecting a Plotter/Cutter

If your facility has multiple cutting machines on the network, you may need to select the cutter you want to use. From the dropdown, click on the name of the desired plotter/cutter.