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Questions and Answers to Cenon CAM

2014-09-05



Platform (Apple Mac OS X)


Mavericks (OS 10.9) + Cenon <= 4.0.1: Cenon Documents are displayed empty.
Reason: Apple removed crucial functionality (without announcement).
Solution 1: Stay with Mountain Lion (OS 10.8)
Solution 2: To keep Cenon (<= Version 4.0.1) running, you have to turn off Cenon's graphics cache:
         Menu "Cenon" -> "Preferences" -> "Disable Caching"
Solution 3: Update to Cenon >= 4.0.2
[2013-10-28]

Lion (OS 10.7): the Library folder is invisible in Finder.
Solution: You can still access library files from the Open-Panel of Cenon. If desired, you can also link the library folder to your Documents folder.
[2012-03-15]

Snow Leopard (OS 10.6): The image functions of Snow Leopard were completely rewritten by Apple, this created some minor problems with Cenon (fixed since Cenon 3.9.1).
Solution: Update to current version of Cenon.
[2010-02-25]


Import


The imported DXF graphic is displayed in a wrong size
Go to the preferences of Cenon to change the unit of the DXF import. The DXF format has no defined unit, that's why you have to tell the importing program the unit of the file.

An Alert Panel says: "DXF Datei exceeds the maximum size ..."
The file will be scaled down by factor 1/10 during import, as the maximum size of the system would be exceeded. You can set the correct unit of measurement for your DXF file in the preferences of Cenon. The DXF format has no defined unit.

The size of imported fonts is not correct
You can tell the exporting program to flatten all text to a path.
If you are using HPGL or DXF, the cause is that no font information is inside the file, so Cenon will use the default font. If you are using PostScript, it is possible that the desired font is not installed on your system. In the latter case you can install the font as Type 1 font.

Graphics which are generated using Freehand contain intersecting lines
In Freehand don't use the output option Split Complex Paths. Otherwise Freehand splits large paths into several smaller paths to limit the complexity of generated PostScript files.

I can't import HPGL files
The extension of HPGL files must be .hpgl, or .plt. The case (lower case) is important on Unix systems!


I can't import PostScript-Files generated with Corel Draw.
Go to the preferences of the EPS export of Corel Draw and disable the setting for the image header (?). If you have this option enabled Corel Draw will add garbage to the PostScipt file.


Pre-Manufacturing


The tool radius is corrected more than expected
Newer versions of Cenon include the stroke width when correcting the tool radius. You can set the stroke width of an object to 0 using the Inspector.

The tool radius isn't corrected
You have to fill your graphic objects to allow a tool radius correction.

Some characters have ugly sparcs in their output path
Your data contains lines or curves which are smaller than the tool radius. You should remove these elements from your graphic. As an alternative you can switch to the bitmap (raster) algorithm of Cenon (preferences option).

For my newly generated tool, the tool correction does the wrong thing or nothing at all
Check the type of the tool (the pop up menu in the tool parameter panel). If you want to cut you shouldn't set the type of a drill for example!


Production


The wrong configuration file is used
Probably your configuration file was found on a second place with the same name.
Device configuration files basically can reside in two places in the file system: 1. HOME/Library/Cenon/Devices/xyz (HOME is your home directory)
2. /LocalLibrary/Cenon/Devices/xyz
Configuration files in the first directory have priority and will be used if a file with the same name resides in the second directory.
This allows a user to modify a configuration file without changing the installation of Cenon.

The spindle doesn't start automatically or isn't controlled by the application at all
Check the preferences of Cenon, if the correct machine type with support of your spindle is used.

After updating Cenon, the machine doesn't work any more
Check the preferences of Cenon to use the right type of machine.

My machine sometimes makes strange noises, and the results are of low quality.
The output speed is too high and must be reduced.

Not all of my graphics is processed, but all the eyes in the layer panel are open
Check in the control section of the Data Panel, whether the output is limited to the selection only.

The machine stops in the middle of the output (there appear messages in the console window of the Workspace), or the machine moves to wrong positions
Probably you experience an EMV problem of the PC, and disturbances come in over the serial interface.
You should use a shielded serial cable (please use the cable coming with the machines of vhf). Connect your PC on a seperate plug than for example the vakuum cleaner. Also the use of a seperate serial card may help.
Usually a small company don't have to buy an expensive industry PC to get rid of those problems.

CNC 450: If I stop during output, the machine stops with delay
Cenon has to send some vectors in advance to the controller, so the machine can't stop before processing those vectors. To shorten the delay, you can modify the maximum size of lines in the layer details section of the Data Panel.


Platform (OpenStep)


A double click on a file opens the file in the text editor and not in Cenon
Select the file in the File Viewer of the Workspace. Then go to the Tool Inspector (Pop Up Menu Tools) of the Workspace (not Cenon), and move the Cenon symbol to the left. Doing this you set Cenon as default application for the selected file type.

After a check for disks, no disk symbol appears in the shelf of the File Viewer
Disks are not displayed when their file name is missing or not appropriate. You can find your Disk in the root directory (/).

Transport of Cenon files to DOS disks
Before you can copy a Cenon file to a DOS disk, you have to truncate the file extension (.cenon) to 3 characters (.cen). To use the file you have to change back the extension to .cenon.
If possible, you should use Unix or Apple formatted disks to transport files.
The prefered way to transfer files is a LAN (Ethernet).

Killing a process
If it happens that you have a process hanging around as a zombi, you can kill this process. Go to the process list of the Workspace using the menus 'Tools - Processes'. If you have to kill Cenon, you must kill the output process (controller) too.


E-Mail Hotline


If your problem isn't answered to your convenience, you can simply send an e-mail, and we will help as fast as possible.
If possible add an example to your description.

E-Mail to the Cenon support



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