I like to tell you what is coming before it lands, so here is a look at two things I have been working on for monument shops. Neither is finished yet — but both are far enough along that I am excited to share them.
The Artwork Finder
You know the job: a customer brings in a photo or a rubbing of a stone and wants the same design. Somewhere in years of drawings, the pieces probably already exist — the rose, the cross, the border — but finding them can take longer than drawing them again.
The Artwork Finder is built to fix that. Give it a scan or a photo, and it searches the archive for matching pieces, whatever program they were first drawn in. It shows what is already there and what still needs to be drawn, so a duplication job starts from the parts that exist instead of a blank screen.
It is already helping with orders here at the shop. Down the road, I would like you to be able to search our catalog by picture right on the website — snap a photo and find the design.
New plotter driver software
The second project is a program that sends your designs straight from your computer to your stencil plotter — starting with the Gerber GS-750 and Allen Datagraph cutters so many of you run.
A few things I am building in from the start, because they come up in shops every week:
- More than one plotter. Run a 30" and a 15" side by side, and cut different jobs on both at the same time.
- Pick the right machine. It knows how wide each plotter cuts, warns you before a design will not fit, and shows which plotter uses less stencil for the job.
- Cut what you drew. Full size, clean outlines — no surprises at the plotter.
It is early days, and I will not put it in your hands until it has cut plenty of real stencils here first.
Want to be first in line?
If either of these would help your shop — or if there is a tool you wish existed — call me at (706) 988-6642 or email brianseymour_drafting@outlook.com. I read every message, and I would love to hear what you need.
In the meantime, here is what is ready today: cut 28" stones in one piece on your GS-750, convert your drawing files online, and browse our designs, clipart and fonts.
— Brian
Gerber and Allen Datagraph are trademarks of their respective owners. The Drafting Shoppe is independent of both.