Whenever I design a board using the free software, I save the file as a .pdf and take to Kinko’s to print full size. However, the latest board I created does not save correctly. I chose to print as .pdf and when I go to save it to my desktop, an icon appears but the file size is 0 bytes and can not be opened in Adobe. As far as I know, I’m not doing anything different than before, but this time it’s not working. As a test, I opened an old file and tried resaving as a .pdf and it worked fine. For some reason, this new board is not working. Weird.
Is anyone familiar with this problem? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
I was having this problem infuriatingly often for a long time actually. Yesterday, while working on a board that this had happened to me on more than once, I clicked on “slices” and noticed that one of the slices toward the end of the board was off the end and didn’t have a cross-section, but just two parallel lines that went across the screen. I had shortened the board or something and that one resulting nonsensical slice had ruined the PDF and crashed APS too!
I deleted that slice (select malfunctioned slice at tail or nose, then “slices>delete current slice”)
Saved the board, saved it to PDF, overwrote the existing PDF, works now. A couple of other boards, same story. Hope that works for you too.
I did notice a weird slice in the last inch of the tail that was just two parallel lines across the screen. Sounds like the same issue. I’ll try your method when I get back home. Thanks for the tips!
I think you will not be disappointed!
Sorry about the bugs boys.
I’ll look into those.
I would love to see screenshots of those parallel lines, not something we’ve encountered yet. Sounds kind of weird.
Also, we just updated the website so if people are having download problems please let me know.
Jimmy
www.aps3000.com
I just got everything up and running again and finally put the icon on my desk top. So far everything is running smooth… Now all I need is the guys down there to go full time and mow out all my boards… I got blanks coming out of everywhere and more on the way!!! I NEED MY OWN MACHINE!!! Haha!!
I think on OUTLINE I had put a slice or two near the tail to engineer the vee or something, and then I maybe shortened the board by moving the tail corner’s tangent point up–something like that, and instead of deleting the slice, it crashed the program if I tried to PDF it or view that slice.
I think that’s what it was because I just did that (all that and then tried to view that slice) as an experiment and APS crashed (gray screen, computer is making loud whooshing like it always does when that happens)!
But now that I figured out that’s what it is, it won’t be happening anymore.
thx jimmy
Have you tried the lastest version of Shape 3D? Version 7.22. I use it and love it. Download a trial @ www.shape3d.com
I have a 3DM American Made CNC (solid machine). We have some really well built machines here in the USA.
If your really into design download a trial of Rhino3D @ www.rhino3d.com However the learning curve is a bit longer. You can do reverse engineering with this one. Design engineers use this one the most. However if you have $13,300 to throw down check out: www.surfcam.com
Look at all your options first. See what fits your application?