CRICUT: Design Space Chrome Plugin message

If you're accessing Design Space using the Google Chrome browser, you might be seeing a message that says "This site uses a plugin (Cricut) that will soon be unsupported."

No need to panic! Design Space isn't suddenly going to stop working.

That message is advising you that in September 2015 programs (such as the Cricut Design Space) that use a plugin called NPAPI will be unable to load.

Sounds scary... but Provocraft have plans in place that will still allow Design Space to work.

If you see that message on your screen, simply click the x at the end of that yellow message bar. O



Happy crafting!  �





This website and its posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product using the link I may receive a small commission.

I only participate in affiliate programs for products that I use and love.

Using the link is totally optional! If you don't wish to purchase through the link, you can go directly to the website and purchase from their shop. Please note there is no price difference to you between using the affiliate link and purchasing direct from the website. O

Any commission I receive is used to offset the costs of maintaining this website (domain fees etc) and file/photo storage fees for files that I share with my readers. It also goes towards the cost of giveaways and postage at Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Space Facebook group. 

I have affiliates with Cricut.com, MightyDeals and InLinkz �

CRICUT: Latest Design Space plugin

The Design Space plugin that was released today (CricutDesignSpace-0.046R) has caused a couple of problems.

Add that to whatever PC have changed at Cricut.com and the messageboard, and well....

(Just give me a minute to bash my head on the desk a couple of times...)

1. First, it appears that PC have changed the default location of Design Space. Previously the link took you to https://main.cricut.com/design#/newlanding....
   
   It now takes you to https://us.cricut.com/design/#/newlanding
   
   That's only a problem if you are trying to either a) open Design Space using an old toolbar bookmark, or b) open an old link to a Design Space file that someone has shared with you. For example.... my Box Card file! :(
   
   If you open the file using the link in the email you will get the following error:
   
   
   
   
   
   If you haven't yet opened the link from the email I sent you, you will need to change the "main" in the address to "us" eg.
   
   From http://main.cricut.com/design#/canvas/project/"projectnumber"
   
   To http://us.cricut.com/design#/canvas/project/"projectnumber"
   
   If you're getting the error when you are opening Design Space you will need to update the properties on your browser bookmark. When the new version of Design Space was installed it should have added a new icon to your Desktop. You can copy the properties from that icon into the properties of your bookmark.
   
   
2. Some fonts and images that are linked to our accounts or are free are not being recognised as owned/entitled and are throwing this error. In case you can't read it... it says "This project isn't available to purchase yet!"
   
   
   
   
   
   The only way to get past that error is to work out which font/image is causing the problem and substituting it for another.   This is now fixed! 


3. It's slooooooooooow!!!!

There are some positive changes in Design Space with this update though!

• A grid has been added to the Mat preview screen. This makes it easier to place your images on the mat. Although the grid is difficult to see with some preview colours that's easily fixed by selecting a different colour for that mat.






• When moving your image around on the canvas you'll now see the x & y coordinates.






• When resizing your image you'll see a box showing the size as you change it.






• When rotating your image you'll see a box showing the degree of rotation.

That's all that seems to have been changed this update.

There's still some basic functions that need to be added like automatic alignment and the ability to add offsets to images. Fingers crossed they're on the agenda!

CRICUT: Box Card cut file error

Hi everyone! And a big old Wow! I've sent the Card Box file to over 130 people!!! Thanks so much for your interest. And a big hello to all my new followers!

I have had a couple of emails reporting that they were getting an error when they were trying to cut the file.

The error stated that "This project isn't available to purchase yet". That confused me because I had only used the free score line image and a box from the free Cricut Craft Room digital cartridge. I did that so that anyone with an Explore could cut the file.

Well, luckily before I had time to really start to panic, Brenda, one of those lovely followers figured it out. It was the font I used in the information box at the top of the design.

Thanks Brenda for saving my sanity!!

If you don't own the font I used (A Childs Year) you will get that error. There's an easy fix though.

1. Go to the Layers box
2. Scroll down till you find the layer that starts with Box C�
3. Click the �eye� to hide that Layer.

The text box will be hidden from the canvas and won't appear as a layer when you click Go!

Good luck with the file and I hope you'll post a picture of your finished project using the InLinkz "Add your link" button in the previous post.

Have a great day!

CRICUT: Design Studio - Errors

This tutorial originally published on my old Design Studio blog 16th January 2011.

There are several errors that pop up in Design Studio occasionally. I thought I'd start a list and the possible causes and fix for them.

1. "Out of memory"

Just before you see this error your DS screen will go blank apart from a red X. 

This usually happens when you are stretching a rectangle from the George cartridge and you are viewing the page at 100% but it can happen any time. Luckily not too often!

How can you fix this without losing all your work?

• Click the Continue button. The message box will go away and you will see a blank screen with just the Red X.
• Select File, Save (or Save As and give it a name if you haven't saved the file previously).
• Once the file has saved select File, Close
• Select File, Open and open your file. Your work should reappear up to the point just before you got the error.
• Change your view to Fit View and delete the offending rectangle.
• Save your work again and continue.

How do you stop this happening?

Try using the square shape from George instead of the rectangle. 

2. "String was not recognized as a valid date/time."

This error pops up when you open a file that was created in a country that uses a different date format to yours.

Here's a link to a previous post I did on this error and how to fix it: http://thenon-craftycrafter.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/cricut-design-studio-fixing-date-errors.html

3. "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" 

  

 

This one usually means that you don't have the cart used in the design in your DS cartridge library - either because you have removed that cart from the c:/programfiles/cricut software/Cricut DesignStudio/Cricut Fonts directory OR because you need to update DS to include that cart.

Make sure Design Studio is up to date (including the two cartridge updates.)

If you removed carts from the Cricut Fonts directory here's the info on adding them back in. (It's towards the end of the post): http://thenon-craftycrafter.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/cricut-design-studio-speeding-up-ds.html

CRICUT - Design Studio - Fixing Date errors in DS

This tutorial originally posted on my old DS blog 4th February, 2009

If you try to open a file created by someone who lives in a country that uses a date format different to yours, you will most likely get an error that looks like this:

When you get this error you have no choice other than to close Design Studio. After you have closed it, re-open it so it's loading while you doing the next part - that way you don't have to go make a coffee while your waiting for it to load...

According to Wikipedia the following countries use the mm/dd/yyyy format:

Belize
Canada
Federated States of Micronesia
Kenya
Palau
Philippines
Puerto Rico
United States

Most everywhere else uses the dd/mm/yyyy format (the correct way - but let's not go there... ) :)

To be able to fix the date error, you need to change the date within the file. Here's how:

You will need a Hex Editor program such as:

Free Hex Editor Neo
Cygnus Hex Editor
Hexedit

There are many more available. Just google "free hex editor".

I'll be using Free Hex Editor Neo for this tutorial as it's Windows based.

• Start your hex editor software.

• Select File, Open (or click the Open file toolbar button)

• Navigate to the directory you saved the .cut file to, highlight the file and click the Open button

You should see something like this:

The section you need to change is circled below:

In this example the date is in mm/dd/yyyy format - 10/22/2008. We'll change it to the dd/mm/yyyy format - 22/10/2008.

It doesn't matter what date you put here, so long as it's in the correct format for your part of the world (or how you have set the date regional settings on your computer).

We're going to change the 22 to a 10. That way the date will read 10/10/2008 - acceptable for everyone's computer. I save all the files I share in this way. I just make sure the month and day are the same number eg. 10/10/2008, 02/02/2008. I also change the year if necessary so that the actual date has occured. Not sure if that's necessary, but I do it anyway.

• Click on the first 2 in 22.

It will be highlighted.

• Type a 1 - the 2 will be overwritten
• Type a 0 - the other 2 will be overwritten

The parts you have changed will turn red.

Now the important part. You need to save the changes to this file.

• Select File, Save As

You can give the file a new name if you like, which means your original file will still be intact, or give it the same name, which means it will overwrite the original file.

We'll give it the same name.

• In the file name box type the original name of the file. (You will see the original file name on the tab at the top of the Hex Editor screen)

• Make sure the file name still has .cut at the end

• The Saved As Type will stay as "All Files"

• Click the Save button
• Select File, Close

If you forgot to save the file you will be prompted at this stage to do so.

If you saved your file as a new name, you will have two files to close. In that case you can also select File, Close All (or File, Close - twice.)

You will be asked if you want to save both files. You can say No to the original file but make sure you save the amended file.

• Now you can go back to Design Studio (it should be open by now) and open your file.