Need to hook up Cricut to use trial version?

[kraftygirl]

I am thinking of purchasing SCAL (just got a baby bug a week ago!) but downloaded the trial version first. Every time I start playing with it, it locks up (says not responding). I do not have my computer hooked up to my Cricut, since I wasn't intending to actually try the cutting...just wanted to play with the features and make sure I can use them on my computer (I'm not very computer literate!). Is it necessary to hook my computer to my bug if I'm only playing around with words/objects on the virtual mat and not actually cutting? Or is something else wrong?

[scrappinbykris]

No, you don't need to hook up to play with it in trial mode, I was doing the same thing for weeks before xmas which is when I got my baby bug, I spent a couple of weeks playing "virtual cutting games" with SCAL trial and Inkscape to see what was what!

ONly thing I can think of is the issue it seems to have with Vista! Are you running Vista, if so, right click on the SCAL desktop icon, go into properties and select the Compatability tab, then tell it to run in compatability with Windows XP SP2, it should solve that problem, if that is what is causing it! Mine kept doing the same thing when I was playing "virtual" cutting games, once I spent some time in the forums, I came across this hint and haven't had a problem since.

HTH Cheers Kris

[kraftygirl]

Yes, I AM running Vista (hate it!) and the fix you suggested worked! Thank you SO MUCH Kris, I would never have figured that out on my own! Have only played a little so far but don't see how I can possibly avoid buying this product. It just opens up so many creative possibilities. I hope to eventually be able to use Inkscape too, to convert and maybe even make some new files of my own. One big plus is the tremendously helpful assistance on the forums provided by folks like you. Seems like the designer is interested in customer satisfaction as well...makes a big difference.

Again, thanks so much for your quick and helpful response!

Kraftygirl Karen

[scrappinbykris]

Hey there Karen, So glad it worked for you This forum is unbelievably excellent and absolutely loaded with very talented and knowledgeable folk. Oh and I despised Vista when I got it last year, it fried my brand new computer's hard drive, but once replaced (for free thank goodness), I have never looked back, I think the secret is to do what I do.... treat it like XP! I still search things on the system, exactly the same way I did with XP, I like to know exactly where something saves to etc etc, so I force it to work how I want it to, seems to work for me...all else fails...kick it!

Check out the Tutorials Section when you get a chance, helped me to work out the very basics of Inkscape so far, to the point where I can pinch a pic, photoshop it, inkscape it, then cut it... but like I said, very basic for me so far. Worse comes to worse, it doesn't work, then go looking for more tutorials until you solve the next issue lol I know I will be doing that for no doubt months

Hope you really enjoy your new crafting capabilities with this program....happy crafting

Cheers Kris