CDS help: new question post #8

[123SA]

Is this possible?

I typed each letter of MICKEY separately because I wanted to weld them and some of the letters looked better if I rotated them slightly.

So I have the whole thing welded, but I did it in the middle of the page. Is there a way to make CDS understand that this is now one piece and I want to move the whole thing at once and not letter by letter?

Is there a way to copy the whole thing?

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

No not yet. Thats still a missing feature.

They desperatly need a group function.

 

[123SA]

No not yet. Thats still a missing feature.

They desperatly need a group function.

Well I am glad to know that i am not completely inept -- but seriously, what are they waiting for? It doesn't seem like an unreasonable request. I also just realized that making a shadow for that is not easy either. I'd have to cut it, make the shadow around it, delete it and then cut the shadow -- is that right? Or I guess save it with another name would help.

I see the great things that you and others do, but I just don't have the patience. For all of that work, I can just the letters individually. I use it mostly for fitting a lot of things on the page, setting up page designs, testing different sizes and seeing what is on the carts. I don't do much creating or welding.

OMG, I just re-read this -- I am such a whiner!

 

[hopemax]

The trick for creating shadows is that you can open additional mats in the same file. There is an icon on the left, the top one in the column, I think. Then you want to select "keep mat background as preview" from one of the drop downs. Then create the shadow on one layer, and the top layer on another layer. Keep previewing and moving things around until you get it the way you want to. When you go to cut, it will only cut the things on the selected mat. So cut once for the top layer, and cut again for the shadow.

It is not the easiest program to use, they need better programmers, I get the feeling it's a one man show sometimes. I have created some files, but mostly I use it for positioning the regular cuts to maximize space, or making sure my scrap I am trying to use is big enough to cut what I want.

BTW, their "fix" for grouping, was to create up and down nudge arrows. Still a PITA, and I don't think it works on pieces you want to rotate/skew. I haven't played around with them too much.

Sorry if this post doesn't make much sense, I have CDS on the desktop and I am posting from the laptop, so I don't have CDS open to actually look where the icons are.

 

[hopemax]

Here is a blog that talks about how to use the nudge arrows to keep everything in one grouping, for moving around, resizing. But I think this only works when you aren't trying to rotate things, since the rotate affects the whole group and not just one part of it. But if you don't want to rotate, it might be useful. I'm trying to do this, for some titles I am making for the DL swap, but we'll see how frustrated I get...

http://capadiadesigns.blogspot.com/2008/08/cricut-design-studio-update-0808-group_21.html

 

[123SA]

The trick for creating shadows is that you can open additional mats in the same file. There is an icon on the left, the top one in the column, I think. Then you want to select "keep mat background as preview" from one of the drop downs. Then create the shadow on one layer, and the top layer on another layer. Keep previewing and moving things around until you get it the way you want to. When you go to cut, it will only cut the things on the selected mat. So cut once for the top layer, and cut again for the shadow.

It is not the easiest program to use, they need better programmers, I get the feeling it's a one man show sometimes. I have created some files, but mostly I use it for positioning the regular cuts to maximize space, or making sure my scrap I am trying to use is big enough to cut what I want.

BTW, their "fix" for grouping, was to create up and down nudge arrows. Still a PITA, and I don't think it works on pieces you want to rotate/skew. I haven't played around with them too much.

Sorry if this post doesn't make much sense, I have CDS on the desktop and I am posting from the laptop, so I don't have CDS open to actually look where the icons are.

THanks -- I new about the new page, but not the "keep..." function. WHat frustrates me about this the most is, I can read and follow directions. Why doesn't provocraft provide the kind of detailed directions you get from posting questions here, on the cricut board or on some of the blogs?

I know nothing at all about programming, but it does seem that there are things this program should be able to do. Maybe the programmers need to spend more time with the end users.

 

[123SA]

Here is a blog that talks about how to use the nudge arrows to keep everything in one grouping, for moving around, resizing. But I think this only works when you aren't trying to rotate things, since the rotate affects the whole group and not just one part of it. But if you don't want to rotate, it might be useful. I'm trying to do this, for some titles I am making for the DL swap, but we'll see how frustrated I get...

http://capadiadesigns.blogspot.com/2008/08/cricut-design-studio-update-0808-group_21.html

Wow! That is a great tutorial. I think I will work on that tonight.

This is what I am talking - -why do I have to pester you, who sends to some blog that someone somewhere wrote -- ProvoCraft should be doing this!

 

[123SA]

New Question -- since I updated the CDS software I can't choose a size smaller than 1 inch. I am using that default size +/- thing. Is there some other way to get 3/4 in letters?

 

[hopemax]

I wish! You can resize smaller, by grabbing the one corner of the group that lets you resize in proportion, and keeping an eye on the height field, but then it's hard to get it exactly .75".

I've been working on my title...with the nudging, I have not found a way to rotate an individual part. Attempts have lead to bad results. I couldn't even undo properly.

 

[123SA]

I was able to make a title for the character swap --I did exactly what the blogger did with the word portion only - -i am going to try adding a frame later. I've ignored the kids for too long.


IT WORKED!!!