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It looks like you’ve also written to tech support; we’ll follow up there.
First, the AxiDraw does not have hands — you can certainly use it to create things that look handwritten.
Just because Inkscape has a lot of features doesn’t mean that you need to use them. For a lot of users, the process is to open a new document of the right size, click to select the text tool, click on the page to indicate where to put the text, and then start typing. That’s not much different from any other system that you might want to use for positioning text on a page.
Also, if your document is 99% the same, you can *save* the document, and then open it up for making little edits before you print the next page.
Many of the parts — things like bearings, rivets, cord, and so forth are available in small quantities. There is plenty of woodworking involved.
Some parts are custom made, and some are a little hard to find. We *do* have remaining stock of many of these, and can sell them to you if you need them. These include the WCB 2.0 winches and their hardware, the various parts of the main carriage, the rod end sliders, the cable guide, the EBB control board, motors, etc.
We also have stock of the water dishes, paints, and other consumables, as well as most of the hardware. We do not currently have the large wooden parts nor the 6 mm steel shafts.
I recommend that you look carefully over the bill of materials and the stackup, identify what you need, and contact us about the parts that you aren’t able to find in appropriate quantities. While there’s a lot to be said for making the custom parts from scratch, a lot of them are actually available for purchase.
This kind of error is certainly not related to firmware version.
The EBB does not distinguish between being installed on an AxiDraw, EggBot, or WaterColorBot. The fact that the AxiDraw software recognizes it (and assumes that you have an AxiDraw) does not indicate any kind of problem.
I would recommend that you update the Linux machine to Inkscape 1.0, and use the current version of the AxiDraw/EggBot/WaterColorBot software bundle, available here: https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation#Linux
Please give that a try, and let me know if you run into any difficulties.
A grayed out extension means that it isn’t installed correctly. That usually means one of the following:
* You installed an older version of the software, for example the extensions for Inkscape 0.92, rather than the extensions for Inkscape 1.0.
* You didn’t copy over all the files, just the “.inx” files
* You copied a folder containing all of the required files, rather than the required files.
It’s likely a failed servo; they do wear out over time. If it’s a recent purchase, contact tech support and we can send you a replacement.
Otherwise, you might want to get a spare from us here: https://shop.evilmadscientist.com/productsmenu/903
Since you also emailed us with the same issue, I’ll follow up there.
We’ve followed up with the email that you already sent us.
The six “lowest” LEDs on the green ring are numbered and positioned:
* D93
* [LED10]
* D39
* [LED3]
* D83
* [LED8]
* D38
* [LED6]
* D73
* D37If those six LEDs are the ones not lighting but you do not have any issues on the blue ring, it suggests that your connection to the “LED3” ring has a problem. Check carefully the soldering at pin LED3 as it enters the green board.
We tend to leave ours out without dust protection, so we’re probably not the best people to ask. One tip, though. If you store the AxiDraw with the arm fully right and forward, the cable guides will be at their flattest, which makes the requirements for a cover less demanding.
You might consider asking in the drawingbots discord; there are quite a lot of AxiDraw users there: https://discordapp.com/invite/XHP3dBg
This is an unrelated error.
It has to do with whether or not the correct software components are located. It has nothing to do with USB, USB permissions, or so on. It does not make sense to try things like running as root, logging out, rebooting, or unplugging the machine. Those _will not_ address this issue.
Are other Inkscape extensions working at present? You might try Extensions > Render > Gear > Gear… , for example
Can you please say:
* How you installed Inkscape 1.0
* Which version of the AxiDraw software you have installed (on the Linux side)
* The exact text of the error message you are gettingIn any case, I would suggest that you unplug the AxiDraw from both power and USB until the LEDs fade (probably 5-10 s), and then connect _only_ the USB cable (until you have good communication). Wait at least 30 s before trying to access the USB port. This resets the AxiDraw, and allows time for the computer to recognize the newly-connected device.
You might also try logging out and back in, or rebooting in Linux.
A possibility is that some kind of permissions issue is preventing Inkscape specifically from accessing your serial port. You might try running Inkscape as root, or try plotting from the CLI to see if that is the case.
We have seen some cases where distributions do not allow non-root access to USB devices by default, but everything that I see about mint suggests that usually dialout is sufficient ( e.g., https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=312551 ).
Without knowing more about your situation, it’s hard to guess.
Which software are you using? How are you determining that you are “completely unable” to connect? Have you tried a different USB cable? Is there an issue with the AxiDraw itself?
We were planning a release this spring, but had to put it on temporary hold due to a few things including the pandemic. We’re hoping to try again, perhaps this winter.
At the low end, we’ve seen a cheap inkjet printer placed in front of the AxiDraw, to “print” a blank page in front of the AxiDraw.
At the high end, we’ve seen commercial robot arms ($2k – $40k) used to place paper or other materials in front of the AxiDraw.
In the middle, we’ve seen custom paper feeders and commercial sheet feeders from print shops.
