KNK Studio and ACS Studio Users NEED to Read This!
*** UPDATE: If you’ve already read this post, check out the FAQ’s I’m adding at the bottom as I receive private emails. Your questions may have already been asked. 🙂
On April 16, 2018, KNK USA was informed by CADlink that they will no longer assist owners of KNK Studio 7 or 8 or ACS Studio with recovering registration files. This applies to both those with dongled versions and dongle-less versions. CADlink has also stated that those customers who suddenly have registraton problems, but wish to continue using KNK Studio for designing and/or cutting, will need to upgrade to Signlab 10 Cut Pro at a cost of $200 USD for the software plus shipping for the software CD and a dongle. The shipping cost to those in the USA is $30. It will vary in other countries.
Since that date, I’ve been working on a document called Surving Post-CADlink Support to help ALL of you… including those who are currently successfully using these older versions. Some basic things you need to know:
The document is a bit detailed but I needed to cover all scenarios for owners of both dongled and non-dongled versions. I regret the hassles that this change is going to cause users of KNK Studio. However, note that I also can see CADLink’s side of this situation. This is not unlike other software companies needing to abandon support of older versions at some point. I personally went ahead and paid the $230 to upgrade and I’m glad I did because there are features, such as node editing, that I want to continue using. Thus, I will still be happy to answer questions about this newer version.
Please feel free to post any questions here or you can email me at smccauley45@cox.net.
FAQ’S
Q: Do I really need to upgrade to use my KNK Studio?
As long as KNK Studio is working, you’re good to go. This is just a warning that if you buy a new computer or you have certain Windows updates get installed or you have to reformat your hard drive, then your dongle-less registration files will become invalidated and you will no longer be able to use KNK Studio. That’s when you’ll need to make a decision. But it’s very important to also read the Surviving CADlink Support document to fully understand ALL of the options you have. For example, you MIGHT still be able to register your original Activation Pin and keep using KNK Studio.
Q: Is the upgrade really worth the cost?
That’s a personal decision for you to make after you read my document, understand your options, and then ask me additional questions, as needed.
Q: Does this mean I can no longer use KNK Studio to copy and paste to MTC?
As long as your KNK Studio remains registered, you’ll be fine. Once that registration is wiped out with a Windows 10 update (or you buy a new computer or you have to reformat your current computer), then you can still open a KNK file and copy/paste into MTC once or twice before KNK Studio will shut down. But then you can again reopen KNK Studio, open your file, and do it once or twice more before KNK shuts down. Obviously, it would make sense to select all shapes in a file and copy/paste just once but then you’ll have to reorganize shapes by color or whatever. If this is too tedious and you still want to be able to open your existing KNK files or use the same functions you like in KNK Studio, then you’ll need to upgrade to Signlab 10.
Note also that you can copy/paste into Inkscape instead and it has the ability to select by color and assign to a new layer which would make large files easier to reorganize.
And finally note that SignLab 10 opens KNK files so if you upgrade, you still have that option to use your original .knk files.
Q: Is there a way to batch convert .knk files into a different format, such as SVG or PDF?
No. I’m not aware of a batch converter. But also consider just converting on an as-needed basis. Even if your registration no longer allows you to cut or design using KNK Studio, you can still open a KNK file and copy/paste the contents over to Inkscape or MTC.
Q: Is Windows 7 safe from this?
Yes and no. It should be as long as you don’t have any updates get installed AND you don’t do a reformat of your hard drive or reinstall KNK Studio. Sometimes doing a Restore can also invalidate the registration files, so be cautious.
Q: Is the Signlab 10 cut pro similar to Studio? I know Studio so well and I’m worried I won’t have time to relearn a new program.
Yes, Signlab 10 is essentially KNK Studio with some additional features. It will open any existing KNK files and you can do all the same things. There are some noticeable changes such as an improved Layer panel. But otherwise, I’ve not seen anything missing. For example, I immediately checked node editing and all the same tools were there plus a new one! With time, I’ll be checking these things out but transitioning should be fairly easy for people, if people choose that route over MTC or SCAL.
Q: I’m very interested in SignLab 10 if it opens more design files.
I’ve not yet done a side-by-side comparison but I did check and it can now open SVG files.
Q: Does SignLab 10 only have a dongled version?
Yes. There is no longer a non-dongled version. That being said, dongles are VERY precious… if you lose it, you have to pay full price ($500) for a new one. So you should treat it like a piece of jewelry! And, if you plan to pull it out of your computer frequently, then it’s best to use a USB hub or extender instead so that you’re not frequently tugging on the dongle.
Q: I have only ever used SCAL (or MTC) with my cutter. Does this change affect me?
No, it doesn’t. KNK Studio and ACS Studio are separate programs from SCAL and MTC.
