I find this discussion interesting. I hope the following is as useful as it is long.
I would like to see a poll on how many framers actually make the cut/clip art a part of their days sales. I have found that in my 8 years of working with CMC's that 80- 90% of all designs that are cut are configurations of rectangles and ovals.
Yes, I know that there are currently complete businesses being built on the picture block font, or as some call them - letter mats. But these are the exception not the rule. And, I hesitate to say - this is a fad. I am not trying to step on anyone’s toes here. I could be wrong about the fad part. Some big people in the framing industry thought CMC's were a fad when Wizard and Eclipse were just starting out.
Every CMC will cut a rectangle no problem. Many of them cut Ovals too. Once the cutting head on the CMC has been made to cut an Oval, boats, planes, trains, and true type fonts are also possible.
Why do many CMC vendors write software that has a separate program for single opening mats versus multi-opening mats? Isn't a single opening mat just a multi-opening mat with one opening? Why do some CMC vendors create a crevasse between these two types of mats - the root file formats are even different. What happens to my file that was created originally as a single opening when I want to add a second opening, or a clipart, or a font to it? Do I have to recreate it completely in the multi-opening side of the software? Do I loose features in the multi-opening software that are available to me in the single opening software?
I would also like this poll to ask how many people use CAD to design things that are not in the standard software, or how many people use an outside service like mine to have CAD designs created for them. Do the people selling these custom designs recoup the investment in this type of work or is it a lost leader used to create word of mouth advertising. Is this work a competitive advantage? Is this why people are reluctant to share their custom clipart on MikeL's web site?
Technically, you can create a single opening mat, a multi-opening mat, or any custom design in CAD. You can align openings, merge openings, rotate & mirror openings, cut, paste, copy, and array openings in CAD. You can move designs created in CAD from a Wizard to an Eclipse, or from any CMC to any other CMC. CAD protects your investment in designs. The software written by the CMC vendors is in essense a macro based CAD system - the macros are created specifically for framers. The problem is that the files created by the CMC vendor are saved in a custom file format designed by that CMC vendor. They only work on machines built by that CMC vendor. They keep you locked in to that vendor for years to come.
Do you know that it is actually possible to create a mat program using MS Excel, or any other spreadsheet fo that matter? I have spreadsheet that will create mat files for the MatWriter, Eclipse, Wizard, Mat Maestro, and the Flecther F-6100. (If anyone is interested in this topic let me know.)
The last thought that I would like to discuss is: why don't any of the industry leading trade magazines have an independent lab set-up for evaluating CMC's for the framing industry? After all this is, I think, the most expensive piece of equipment that a framer relies upon to do his/her job. If Decore, PFM, Volume, or any of the other magazines would be interested in doing this I would be glad to run the lab for them and write the articles.
Although I designed the MatWriter and the Eclipse, I have not worked for Eclipse for 4 years now. I now evaluate, service, and provide custom mat programs for all of the CMCs equally - even the ones that are not supported by their original manufacture.
In conclusion, there are good parts and bad parts to all CMCs. The fact that everyone thinks the one that they chose was the best should tell you that they are all good products capable of doing the job being asked of them.
