Transferring Files

[nat_wheatley]

I need a better way to transfer files from my design computer to my control computer(and vice versa).

Typically, I'll design a job, transfer it to the control computer (via thumb drive), create a label layout, which then is transferred back to the design computer (via thumb drive).

The thumb drive very often causes a communication error when it taken in or out of the control computer...

[Brady Watson]

Well...If running Win XP, you MUST eject the drive from the computer before physically removing it. Otherwise it WILL cause USB/COM problems. This type of 'sneaker network' is obviously the cheapest/easiest low tech solution. Look for the little green arrow down in the system tray by the clock that will let you 'safely eject' the USB. Click on it & find your device.

The other thing you can do is setup a personal network between your design computer and bot computer. All you need is a router in between the computers to facilitate communication. You do NOT have to be hooked up to the internet - but you can on your design computer & just turn that off on the bot computer. You just save your SBPs to a 'Network Shared' folder and you can get to it from either computer.

It is also possible to get a personal cloud hard drive that each computer can access over the network. This may be easier to do that networking between say a Win7 and XP computer if you aren't computer savy.

-B

[nat_wheatley]

Should have mentioned I'm running Windows 7 on both...

[Brady Watson]

That makes it way easier...especially if you have a Win7 disc you can insert into each computer to make network setup a breeze.

-B

[nat_wheatley]

So my internet comes into the shop via internet cable.

Plug that into a router, then send a cable from the router to each computer?

I realize that might be a ridiculously simple question...

[Logan Y.]

Nat,

You can either run a cable to to each computer from the router or if it is a wireless router and both computers have wireless capability you can hook them up that way. Either way once they are hooked all you need to do is set them to the same homegroup or enable file/printer sharing which basically accomplishes the same task. Here's a windows link with instructions on it. If you have any questions on router, setup, etc. just ask away.

Home Network Setup (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/start-here-to-set-up-a-home-network-in-windows-7)

[nat_wheatley]

Thanks very much.

[Ajcoholic]

Ive been using USB drives (power sticks - thats the same as what you are calling a thumb drive, right?) for three years now to transfer my files back and forth all the time from my two computers.

I don't have internet at my shop and my house is 12 miles from my shop.

I haven't had any issues with file corruption. I use Sandisk brand drives mainly and a few other brands.

Is this something rare or do more people have issues? I also use Win 7 and just yank the drive out each time.

[Brady Watson]

I've never had a problem on a Win7 computer just pulling them out. XP though needs to be ejected.

Dell has crappy USB hardware. Upgrade to a 2.0 expansion card and plug the bot into that. Your problems should go away with it on it's own non-shared bus.

-B

[adrianm]

If you're using VCarve or Aspire and you're saving the toolpath directly to the thumb drive you need to then save the actual VCarve/Aspire file somewhere other than the thumb drive or shut down VCarve/Aspire.

This is because the last used drive is held open (in common with most Windows program) and you won't be able to eject the drive. Pulling the drive out without doing one of the operations mentioned can cause problems if you carry on working in the same session.

I've only had issues with errors on the control computer if I pull out the drive while the 'bot is actually doing something. If I pull it out while nothing is running it's fine. I have an HP PC these days but that always worked on the two Dell's I used before as well.

I've recently setup a closed network with NAS and a couple of custom programs that do the save/transfer/load and run all automatically. I click Save Toolpaths in Aspire and the toolpaths are stored on the NAS with no file dialogs appearing. I then go to the control PC and press my custom Load button. The toolpaths are automatically loaded and executed with no file dialogs again.

[shilala]

I have my control laptop and design laptop networked.
To make things even easier, I created shortcuts on each laptop that open the shared folder on the other computer. That way I can drag and drop files right in the other computer's shared folder.
I always drag the files out of the shared folder to my control laptop's desktop and use them from there, because I make changes at that laptop on the fly.
Then when I'm all done with a project, I drag the project folder back into the shared folder, and pull them out and archive them on my design desktop.
That's a lot of words for a couple clicks. :D

[barrowj]

I do the same although the control computer is a high end engineering desktop and I quite often use it to design also. I never do anything on it while the bot is running but otherwise it is hooked up to my network and I can exchange files from my house computer to the shop (100' away behind my house). I have auto updates turned off and any unnecessary services shut off too. Haven't had any issues other than making the mistake of running a file from my home computer. I too have a shortcut to my home computer so i can copy the files back and forth. I just purchased a new HP ENVY x2 so I can use Aspire and not have to be at my desk, it is a 15.6" tablet with a bluetooth keyboard and Windows 8.1. I had 8gb put in it and it came with a 500gb hd. I'm really exicited about this one. At least my HP employee discount helped on the cost....

Joe

[shilala]

That tablet is gonna be a nice addition to your setup, Joe!!!

[David Iannone]

I've never had a problem on a Win7 computer just pulling them out. XP though needs to be ejected.

Dell has crappy USB hardware. Upgrade to a 2.0 expansion card and plug the bot into that. Your problems should go away with it on it's own non-shared bus.

-B


I am running XP, and I also happen to be running a Dell. And I do sometimes just pull the thumb drive out without without ejecting it first. I also have some com errors here and there......HMMM

I actually just got a new control computer ready and reformatted almost ready to hook to the Bot (but still gonna use XP).
I will be ordering the expansion card, and from now on will ALWAYS eject the drive first.

Thanks Brady,

Dave

2001 PRT with 4g Board upgrade

[Ernie Balch]

A free program called Dropbox is a good way to send files between computers and keep a safe backup copy in the cloud.

I just save my files in the dropbox folder on the design computer and the shopbot computer automatically syncs up and is ready go by the time I can walk over to it.

[Roy Harding]

I'm networked at home/shop. My shop computers and home computers all live on the same network.

I do my designing using VCarve Pro on my shop office Mac (under Parallels), my Bot is controlled by an old XP Pro machine. The Bot computer is on the network, but cannot access the internet (XP is no longer supported by MicroSoft - so there's no need for that computer to get onto the internet). I have removed everything from the Bot computer that is not necessary to run the Bot - that's all it does.

On the Bot computer, I have a directory named "Toolpaths", which is shared on my network. When I save toolpaths from VCarve Pro, I save them to the "Toolpaths" directory, which shows up as a network drive on the design computer. Everything else (.crv files, program files, etcetera) on the design computer is saved on the design computer (or various network drives which are also on the network).

I settled on this approach after trying to use USB (thumb) drives, as well as a network drive which existed on an NAS. I have found that having the files physically located on the BOT computer has significantly cut down on some communications errors (related to file reads) I experienced in the past while using the other two methods. For instance, when using the "thumb" drives, I'd get significantly more communications errors - my guess is that having both the Bot and the "thumb" drive on the USB ports may have caused my VERY OLD Bot computer to generate more errors when accessing the machine and the disk simultaneously. When using a network drive not physically located on the Bot computer, I got FEWER communications errors, but still enough to be annoying. My guess in this case is that the NIC card in the computer probably needed upgrading - it's not something I pursued as I decided to go with my present set-up.

For what it's worth, I'm loathe to put any money into the Bot computer, as it lives in a very dusty environment and will eventually fail. It is the second control computer I've had in over six years - both were/are cheap "re-build specials" I acquired from TigerDirect for around $100.00.

I've been using my current set-up for more than a year now, and only occasionally get the communications errors we're all familiar with.

[nat_wheatley]

FWIW I tried unsuccessfully to set up a Linksys router in the shop (internet comes into the building through an access point which I think is causing the router complications) but took Brady's suggestion of adding an expansion card, and the communication errors do seem to have disappeared when removing the thumb drive.