I just got an email from Chris Crowley alerting all of us to the fact that there is a new unified version of Cubify Software. It works with both the original Cube and the new Next-Gen Cube.
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| Cubify Software 2.0 |
He tells me that some features are only available for the new Next-Gen Cube and are greyed out when paired when the original Cube is selected.
More as we are able to test it....
Since I fried my Cube at Hagley, Chris will be looking for any impact this new version has on original Cube owners. I had left my Cube in the truck of my car over night in sub-freezing temperatures and then brought it into a warm room and immediately tried to start it up. We think that condensation was the problem and shorted something. The Cubify engineers are looking at it now so that the precise cause can be pinpointed.
But, for now, be warned if your printer is brought in from a super cold environment, it's probably a good idea to let it warm up a while, allowing any condensation to evaporate, before firing it up.
The printer is normally located in an outside studio where temperatures go down below freezing. But, both the ambient temperature of the room and the Cube are the same in that situation. As I warmed the room up, the printer was also warmed. So, I'd never seen an issue.
I should have known better because we had the same issue with video tape recorders in the past. The tape would actually stick to the rotary drum due to moisture! Sigh....
I can hardly wait to get it back. I love that printer.
UPDATE FROM "Mike"
Thanks to Chris for the early heads-up!
I downloaded the new software (ver. 2.0.0) yesterday, and installed it. I did have a couple of problems others may not have, but I'll flag them here anyway.
1) After installation, Windows 7 wouldn't run the program, saying the program was having problems. In the end, I figured out that setting the "compatibility" setting for the Cube.exe file to "run as Administrator" fixed that. The Cube support folks told me they already were aware of that, and the next release will fix that.
2) If you use WiFi (WPS, at least) to send files to the printer, be aware that after you install the 2.0.0 software, you MUST do a firmware update on the Cube to the 1.09 firmware. Until you do you can still link your PC and the original Cube printer, but file transfers via the "Print" immediately fail, and there's no info regarding why. I've passed that info on to the Cubify support folks also.
I've only just gotten those problems out of the way and haven't had time to print more than one quick test file, and won't get back to it for a while soon. So Chris will likely have more to say about how it all works.
THANKS Mike. (The comment is below; but, important enough to also highlight here!)
Thanks to Chris for the early heads-up!
ReplyDeleteI downloaded the new software (ver. 2.0.0) yesterday, and installed it. I did have a couple of problems others may not have, but I'll flag them here anyway.
1) After installation, Windows 7 wouldn't run the program, saying the program was having problems. In the end, I figured out that setting the "compatibility" setting for the Cube.exe file to "run as Administrator" fixed that. The Cube support folks told me they already were aware of that, and the next release will fix that.
2) If you use WiFi (WPS, at least) to send files to the printer, be aware that after you install the 2.0.0 software, you MUST do a firmware update on the Cube to the 1.09 firmware. Until you do you can still link your PC and the original Cube printer, but file transfers via the "Print" immediately fail, and there's no info regarding why. I've passed that info on to the Cubify support folks also.
I've only just gotten those problems out of the way and haven't had time to print more than one quick test file, and won't get back to it for a while soon. So Chris will likely have more to say about how it all works.
As you can see, your experience was important enough to fold it into the main article as an update!
DeleteALL of us thank you!
Tom
I just realized I should clarify the first item I mentioned, the windows 7 Cubify start-up problem: It apparently doesn't happen to everyone. The Cube support folks said it only happens on some customer's computers. So many (or perhaps even most) of you may not even experience that problem. But if you do, you'll know what to do.
ReplyDeleteSigh...I should collect my thoughts better before doing a post.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, here's a bit more info about the start-up problem:
In my testing I found I could also fix it by setting the Cube.exe to run in Windows XP (SP3) compatibility mode. So I'm guessing anyone running that OS won't ever see the start-up problem.
My PC, where it showed up, uses Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing at all wrong with your initial observations. Your later observations simply refine it. Sometimes it is more important to alert people that something is up than wait until every facet is understood. That is why you will often see UPDATES on my posts.
Actually, seeing the refinements unfold with your testing is quite interesting and a great example of positive troubleshooting. In particular, finding that it might be limited to 64-bit operating systems is a great help... and, perhaps even to the developers!
Update:
ReplyDeleteThis morning I started the Cube client software and it informed me version 2.0.1 was available. So I downloaded and installed it.
This new version has fixed the requirement that the Cube.exe file be "run as Administrator", at least on my Windows 7 PC.
Right after installation it started up without problem when I clicked on the desktop icon.
Yay! That was a quick fix/update from the Cube folks.
That WAS a fast turnaround! I saw the same thing and it installed without incident. But, I do wish that my brain worked that fast. I have to remember to reset the settings after installing the updates. It defaults to 2nd Gen with supports. So, we have to remember to reset that to Original without supports. (I do my best to avoid rafts and supports!)
DeleteI made virtually the same mistake. :) I did remember to set it to the 1st generation Cube, but forgot the rest and started a print, then noticed the raft and stopped it.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed another change that may have been around for a while and I just hadn't noticed it:
I didn't have to do anything to set up a WiFi link before linking to the Cube -- no telling my router to start looking and then telling the Cube to set up a WPS link. As soon as the Cube had been powered-up for a brief while, it was already listed in the Cube Application's "Configure" box. So I just selected it and clicked on "Connect" and presto, the link was established.
A small thing, but a nice simplification.