Cut data generation support device, cut data generation support method, and program

Abstract

Leave areas where users can enjoy manual cutting according to their preferences. [Solution] The cut data generation support device is a device that supports the generation of cut data for cutting using a predetermined cutting device, and comprises a display unit and a control unit that controls the display of the display unit. The control unit displays a predetermined preview screen on the display unit that previews the mold generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished cut product, and also displays an operation tool on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the edge of the mold that will be left as an incomplete part by cutting it in a dashed line shape when the cutting device cuts it.

Description

【Technical Field】 , , 【0004】 , 【0006】 , , , , , 【0005】 , , , , , 【0001】 The present invention relates to a cut data generation support device, a cut data generation support method, and a program. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, a cutting device that cuts a cut design (referred to as a "pattern" in Patent Document 1) from a cutting object by a cutter according to acquired cutting data has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-15131 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】<00000​​​​​​​​​​​​​​To solve the above problems, a cut data generation support device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a device that supports the generation of cut data for cutting by a predetermined cutting device, comprising a display unit and a control unit that controls the display of the display unit, wherein the control unit displays a predetermined preview screen on the display unit that previews the mold generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished cut product, and displays an operation tool on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the edge of the mold that is to be left as an incomplete part by cutting it in a dashed line shape when the cutting device cuts it. Furthermore, a second embodiment of the present invention is a method for supporting the generation of cut data for performing a cut using a predetermined cutting device, characterized in that it includes a preview display step of displaying a mold generated by a cutting operation as an image of the finished cut product on a predetermined preview screen of a display unit, and a tool display step of displaying an operation tool on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the edge of the mold that is to be left as an incomplete part by cutting it in a dashed line shape when the cutting device performs the cut. Furthermore, the program of the third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the computer of a device that assists in generating cut data for cutting by a predetermined cutting device is configured to function as a display control means, which displays a predetermined preview screen on the display unit that previews the mold generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished cut product, and displays an operation tool on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the edge of the mold that is to be left as an incomplete part by cutting it in a dashed line shape when the cutting device cuts it. [Effects of the Invention] 【0007】 According to the present invention, it is possible to leave areas where the user can enjoy cutting by hand according to their preferences. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0008】 [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the overall external configuration of a terminal device, which is a cut data generation support device according to the embodiment, and a cutting device that works in conjunction with the terminal device. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an example of a design selection screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 4] This is an example of a design selection screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 5] This is an example of a design selection screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 6] This is an example of a preview screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 7] This is an example of a dashed line area setting screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a schematic enlarged view of a die (cut design) showing the result of cutting a die (cut design) with a dashed cut area set within the range shown by the cutting device. [Figure 9] This is an example of a preview screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 10] This is an example of a dashed line area setting screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 11] This is an example of a dashed line area setting screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 12] This is a magnified view of the mold (cut design) used to explain the edge of the mold. [Figure 13] Figure 12 shows a schematic enlarged view of the key area when the area indicated by the dashed line is designated as the dashed line cut area. [Figure 14] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the case where the edge of the mold within the dashed cut area is cut in a dashed line pattern. [Figure 15] This is an example of a preview screen that displays the cut design after setting the dashed line cut area. [Figure 16]This is an example of a preview screen displayed on the display unit of a terminal device when a mold (cut design) including a plurality of part designs is selected. [Figure 17] This is an example of a broken line area setting screen displayed on the display unit of a terminal device. [Figure 18] This is an example of a broken line area setting screen displayed on the display unit of a terminal device. 【Mode for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0009】 An embodiment of a cut data generation support device, a cut data generation support method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 18. In the following embodiments, a case where a terminal device 50 that cooperates with a cutting device 10 functions as a cut data generation support device will be exemplified (see FIG. 1). Note that, although various technically preferable limitations are imposed on the following embodiments for carrying out the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. 【0010】 The cut data generation support device according to the embodiment supports the generation of cut data for performing a cut by a predetermined cutting device. As shown in FIG. 1, in the embodiment, the "predetermined cutting device" (hereinafter referred to as the cutting device 10) is a device that cuts (cuts) a planar cutting target medium (hereinafter referred to as the "cut target S") set in the device into an arbitrary planar shape. The cut target S is assumed to be, for example, a rectangular sheet having a predetermined size such as A4. Note that the material, size, shape, etc. of the cut target S are not particularly limited. For example, the cut target S is not limited to paper. The cut target S may be, for example, a sheet such as resin, a sticker, leather, or other media that can be cut by the cutting member 2 (a cutter blade not shown in the cutting member 2) of the cutting device 10. In the embodiment, the cut target S is supplied to the device in a state where it is adhered to the surface of a predetermined mount M and integrated. It is preferable that the surface of the mount M has some adhesiveness so that the adhered cut target S does not shift. 【0011】 In the embodiment, the cutting device 10 changes the relative position between the cutting target S and the cutting member 2 by moving at least one of the cutting target S and the cutting member 2 (not shown), and cuts the cutting target S with the cutting member 2 (the cutter blade of the cutting member 2) according to the cutting data. In the example shown in the embodiment, the width direction of the cutting device 10 is the X-axis direction, and the depth direction of the device perpendicular to the X-axis direction is the Y-axis direction (see Figure 1), and cutting is performed while moving the cutting member 2 along the X-axis direction and transporting the cutting target S along the Y-axis direction. In the embodiment, the Y-axis direction coincides with the transport direction of the cutting target S. The cutting device 10 of the embodiment includes a drive mechanism including a motor for moving the cutting member 2 along the X-axis direction, and a transport roller for transporting the cutting target S in the transport direction along the Y-axis and a drive mechanism including a motor for rotating the transport roller (neither of which are shown). The Z-axis direction is the vertical direction of the device perpendicular to the XY plane, and the cutting device 10 may further include a drive mechanism that moves the object to be cut S or the cutting member 2 relatively in the Z-axis direction to change the distance between the object to be cut S and the cutting member 2. 【0012】 Furthermore, the cutting device 10 includes a control device 11 composed of an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) or the like, a storage unit 12, an operation unit 13, etc. (see FIG. 1). The control device 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) not shown, and controls each part of the cutting device 10. The CPU reads out a specified program from various programs stored in the storage unit 12 and expands it in the RAM, and executes various processes in cooperation with the expanded program. The RAM is a volatile semiconductor memory and forms a work area for temporarily storing various data and programs. The storage unit 12 is a storage unit capable of reading and writing information, such as a flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores various data such as cutting data and various programs (for example, cutting process programs). In addition, the operation unit 13 has various buttons, etc., accepts the pressing input to each button from the user, and outputs the operation information to the control device 11. Various buttons of the operation unit 13 are, for example, a cutting start button, a temporary stop button, a set button for the cutting target S, a take-out button for the cutting target object S, etc. In addition, the cutting device 10 may include an indicator or the like. 【0013】 Also, the cutting data generation support device according to the embodiment is a terminal device such as a PC (Personal Computer) that is communicatively connected to the cutting device 10 by wireless communication or the like (hereinafter referred to as the terminal device 50). Note that the terminal device 50 communicatively connected to the cutting device 10 is not limited to a PC, and may be other terminal devices such as a smartphone or a tablet PC. The communication method of the wireless communication between the cutting device 10 and the terminal device 50 is, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). However, the communication method of the wireless communication is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be other communication methods such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In addition, the communication connection between the cutting device 10 and the terminal device 50 is not limited to wireless communication, and may be wired communication. As the wired communication, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) wired communication via a communication cable is applicable. 【0014】 In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 50 includes a CPU 51, RAM 52, storage unit 53, display unit 54, operation unit 55, communication unit 56, etc., and each part of the terminal device 50 is connected via a bus 57. In this embodiment, the terminal device 50 assists in generating cut data for the cutting device 10 to cut (cut) the design, and transmits the generated cut data to the cutting device 10 to control the cutting device 10, which includes a cutting member 2 equipped with a cutter blade for cutting the object to be cut S. 【0015】 The CPU 51 is a processor that controls the operation of each part of the terminal device 50 by reading and executing various programs stored in the memory unit 53 and performing various calculations. The RAM 52 provides the CPU 51 with a working memory space and stores temporary data. The memory unit 53 is a non-temporary recording medium that can be read by the CPU 51 as a computer. For example, the memory unit 53 stores various programs and data, such as a cutting application program (referred to as "cutting AP" in Figure 2 and the following description) 531 for controlling the cutting operation performed in the cutting device 10. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the cutting AP 531 causes the CPU 51, which is the computer of the terminal device 50, to function as a display control means for controlling the display of the display unit 54. Specifically, the CPU 51, acting as a display control means, displays the mold (cut design) generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished cut product on the preview screen 542 of the display unit 54. It also displays an operation tool (referred to as the "dashed line specification tool 543a" in Figure 6, etc.) on the preview screen 542 for the user to specify areas of the edge eg of the mold (cut design) that should be left as unfinished parts by being cut in a dashed line pattern by the cutting device 10. Here, the "cut operation" for generating the mold (cut design) in this embodiment is a concept that includes both the cutting operation by the cutting device 10 and the manual cutting operation by the user using a cutter or the like to cut the areas that were left as unfinished parts with dashed lines during the cutting by the cutting device 10. The data stored in the storage unit 53 includes, for example, image data of the cut design (original design data) and cut data. The control performed by the CPU 51 will be described in detail later. 【0016】 The display unit 54 is equipped with a display screen 541 composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc., and displays various information according to the display information instructed by the CPU 51. The operation unit 55 has a key input unit such as a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse, and receives key operation input and position operation input from the user, and outputs the operation information to the CPU 51. The CPU 51 also functions as a receiving means that receives setting instructions etc. based on the information transmitted from the operation unit 55. Note that a touch panel may be integrally formed on the display unit 54, in which case the touch panel formed on the display unit 54 functions as an operation unit. That is, it detects the user's touch operation on operation buttons etc. displayed on the display unit 54, and the detected touch position etc. is output as operation information to the CPU 51 and accepted by the CPU 51. In this embodiment, various screens such as various setting screens and preview screens are displayed on the display screen 541 of the display unit 54 based on the cutting AP 531 (see, for example, Figures 3 to 6). 【0017】 In this embodiment, the CPU 51, acting as a control unit, functions in particular as a control unit that controls the display of the display unit 54. Specifically, for example, the CPU 51 displays design selection screens 541a and 541b on the display unit 54, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, prompting the user to select a cut design to be cut by the cutting device 10. When the user selects a cut design, the CPU 51 displays a predetermined preview screen 542 on the display unit 54, which previews the mold (cut design) generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished product (see, for example, Figure 6). Operation tools 543, which are icons that allow various operations related to the design, are displayed on the preview screen 542. For example, Figure 6 shows the state in which the "dashed line specification tool 543a" has been selected by the user. When the "dashed line specification tool 543a" is selected by the user, the CPU 51 transitions the display screen of the display unit 54 to the dashed line specification screen 544 (see Figure 7, etc.). 【0018】 The dashed line specification tool 543a allows users to specify, for example, an area within the edge eg of a mold (cut design) that should be cut in a dashed line pattern (dashed line cut area Ar1) by enclosing it with a frame F. In this case, the dashed line specification screen 544 displays a frame F that can be arbitrarily moved and resized on the screen, allowing the user to arbitrarily set the position and range of the dashed line cut area Ar1. 【0019】 Furthermore, if the cut data of a mold (cut design) includes multiple part designs dp (see, for example, Figure 16), the dashed line specification tool 543a may allow specifying whether or not to cut each part design dp in a dashed line pattern. When selecting for each part design dp, instead of enclosing the area to be cut in a dashed line pattern (dashed line cut area) with a frame F, the entire part design dp to be cut in a dashed line pattern is selected as the dashed line cut area Ar2 (see Figure 18). 【0020】 Next, a method for supporting the generation of cut data, which is performed by a terminal device 50 that is a cut data generation support device, will be described. When a user wants to perform a cutting process using the cutting device 10, the user first starts the cutting AP 531 on the terminal device 50. When the cutting AP 531 is started, the CPU 51 controls the display unit 54 to display the display screen 541 that is displayed by the cutting AP 531 on the display unit 54. Specifically, first, a design selection screen 541a, as shown in Figure 3, is displayed on the display screen 541 of the display unit 54. The design selection screen 541a allows the user to select the type of cut design. The type of cut design refers to design genres and attributes such as "geometric patterns," "natural motifs," and "designs / letters, etc.," as shown in Figure 3. When the user selects one of the types, cut designs belonging to that type are displayed for selection. For example, Figure 4 is the design selection screen 541b that is displayed when "geometric patterns" is selected in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is the design selection screen 541b that is displayed when "natural motifs" is selected in Figure 3. If the designs belonging to each category cannot be displayed in a list on the screen, the system may allow users to switch to the next page using tabs, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Furthermore, the system may allow users to view even more designs by scrolling the screen. 【0021】 For example, if the user selects design e (hereinafter referred to as cut design De) from the "natural motifs," the CPU 51 controls the display unit 54 to preview the mold (cut design De) generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished product on the display screen 541 (see preview screen 542 shown in Figure 6). The preview screen 542 displays at least the "dashed line specification tool 543a," which is an operation tool 543 for the user to specify the area of ​​the edge e of the mold (cut design) that should be left as an unfinished part by cutting it in a dashed line pattern by the cutting device 10. Note that the operation tools 543 displayed on the preview screen 542 are not limited to the "dashed line specification tool 543a." For example, Figure 6 illustrates a case where, in addition to the "dashed line specification tool 543a," operation tools 543 such as "invert vertically," "invert horizontally," and "rotate" are displayed as operation tools 543 that the user can use to perform various operations. Note that other operation tools 543 may also be provided. 【0022】 Figure 6 illustrates the case where the user selects the "dashed line specification tool 543a". When the "dashed line specification tool 543a" is selected, the CPU 51 transitions the display screen 541 of the display unit 54 to the dashed line specification screen 544 shown in Figure 7, etc. In the dashed line specification screen 544, a frame F is displayed, and the user can move and resize the frame F as they wish on the screen. Then, among the edges eg of the mold (cut design), if the user encloses the area that they want to be cut in a dashed line pattern by the cutting device 10 and left as an incomplete area with the frame F, the area inside the frame F is designated as the "dashed line cut area Ar1" where it will be cut in a dashed line pattern. Here, the "mold (cut design)" is the part that is cut out by the cutting operation of the cutter blade of the cutting device 10 or by manual cutting by the user and remains as the final finished product. The lines and patterns shown in black in Figures 4 and 5, etc., are the "mold (cut design)". Furthermore, the "edge portion eg in the mold (cut design)" refers to the part that the cutter blade cuts through during the cutting operation, and is the cut line that connects to the cut point cp (Figures 12 to 14 described later). 【0023】 When the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is designated by the frame F shown in Figure 7, the CPU 51 of the terminal device 50 generates cut data according to the designation and sends it to the cutting device 10. When the cutting device 10 performs a cutting operation according to the cut data, the parts other than the part designated as the "dashed line cut area Ar1" are cut with solid lines as usual, and the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is cut in a dashed line pattern, resulting in an incomplete product. For example, in Figure 7, the area around the stem of the maple leaf included in the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is cut in a dashed line pattern by the cutting operation of the cutting device 10, as shown in Figure 8, and remains connected rather than being completely cut out. Note that in Figure 8, the "pattern" within the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is shown in white to make the edges eg that are cut with dashes easier to see. For the parts that remain as incomplete after the cutting operation of the cutting device 10, the user removes the cutting target S from the cutting device 10 and performs a manual cutting operation using a cutter or the like to finally complete the pattern (cut design). 【0024】 Furthermore, for example, if the user selects design a (hereinafter referred to as cut design Da) from the "geometric patterns," the CPU 51 controls the display unit 54 to preview the mold (cut design Da) generated by the cutting device 10 as an image of the finished cut product on the display screen 541 (see preview screen 542 shown in Figure 9). As mentioned above, the preview screen 542 displays at least the "dashed line specification tool 543a," which is an operation tool 543 for the user to specify areas of the edge eg of the mold (cut design) that should be left as unfinished parts by being cut in a dashed line pattern by the cutting device 10. 【0025】 Figure 9 illustrates the case when the user selects the "dashed line specification tool 543a". When the "dashed line specification tool 543a" is selected, the CPU 51 transitions the display screen 541 of the display unit 54 to the dashed line specification screen 544 shown in Figure 10, etc. On the dashed line specification screen 544, a frame F is displayed, and the user can move and resize the frame F as they wish on the screen. Then, among the edges eg of the mold (cut design), if the user encloses the area that they want to be cut in a dashed line pattern by the cutting device 10 and left as an incomplete area with the frame F, the area inside the frame F is designated as the "dashed line cut area Ar1" where it will be cut in a dashed line pattern. As mentioned above, the edges eg are the cut lines connected to the cut points cp (see Figures 12 to 14). 【0026】 When the user specifies any range by enclosing it with a frame F on the dashed line specification screen 544, selection buttons 545a and 545b appear on the display screen, allowing the user to either "confirm" the range specification or modify the range specification ("undo"). Figure 11 shows an example where the user selects the "confirm" button 545a. When the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is specified, the CPU 51 further displays a preview screen 546 (see Figure 15) on the display unit 54, showing the edges eg within the "dashed line cut area Ar1" of the mold (cut design) as dashed lines. Note that while Figure 15 shows an example of showing the edges eg within the "dashed line cut area Ar1" as dashed lines, the method of showing the edges eg within the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is not limited to dashed line display. The preview screen 546 only needs to be displayed in a way that allows for distinction between the portion inside the "dashed line cut area Ar1" and the portion outside the "dashed line cut area Ar1". For example, if the portion outside the "dashed line cut area Ar1" is black, the edges eg inside the "dashed line cut area Ar1" may be shown in red, thus distinguishing them by color. 【0027】 Furthermore, for example, if a user selects design c (hereinafter referred to as cut design Dc) from the "geometric patterns" on the design selection screen 541a, the CPU 51 controls the display unit 54 to preview the mold generated by the cutting device 10 (cut design Dc as it appears when cut by the cutter blade of the cutting device 10) on the display screen 541 as an image of the finished cut product (see preview screen 542 shown in Figure 16). In cut design Dc, the cut data of the mold (cut design) includes multiple part designs dp. In such cases, as with cut design Da, the area to be cut in a dashed line pattern (dashed line cut area) may be specified by enclosing it with a frame F (see Figure 17), or instead of enclosing it with a frame F, the entire part design dp to be cut in a dashed line pattern may be selected as the dashed line cut area Ar2 (see Figure 18). 【0028】 When specifying a dashed line cut area Ar1 by enclosing it with a frame F, the frame F may be set across multiple part designs dp, as shown in Figure 17. For example, the example shown in Figure 17 shows a case where a portion of the lower side of the upper left part design dp and a portion of the upper side of the lower right part design dp are specified as the dashed line cut area Ar1 by the frame F. Figure 18 also illustrates a case where the upper left part design dp is cut normally, while the lower right part design dp is cut in a dashed line pattern. When the "OK" button 545a is selected in Figures 17 and 18, the CPU 51 further displays a preview screen on the display unit 54 showing the edges eg within the "dashed line cut area Ar1" or "dashed line cut area Ar2" of the mold (cut design) as dashed lines. 【0029】 Once the cut data is determined, the CPU 51 outputs the cut data to the cutting device 10. The cutting device 10, having received the cut data, performs the cutting process (cutting operation by the cutting device 10) according to the cut data. That is, for example, as shown in the preview screen 546 of Figure 15, if a portion of the edge portion eg of the mold (cut design) to be cut by the cutting member 2 (cutter blade of the cutting member 2) of the cutting device 10 is designated as an area to be cut in a dashed line and left as an incomplete area, the cutting device 10, having received the cut data from the terminal device 50, will cut the edge portion eg within the designated dashed cut area Ar1 in a dashed line, for example as shown in Figure 14, leaving the user to perform the cutting work (manual cutting operation), while cutting the remaining cut lines (edge ​​portion eg outside the dashed cut area Ar1) with a solid line as usual. 【0030】 For example, in Figures 13 and 14, the mold portion is shown in black, and the parts that will be cut out in the finished state but have not yet been cut out are schematically shown with diagonal lines. Before the cutting operation by the cutting device 10, the area around the mold is not cut out, as shown in Figure 13. In contrast, after the cutting operation by the cutting device 10, as shown in Figure 14, the edges eg are cut in a dashed line pattern within the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 12 (dashed line cut area Ar1), and the parts connected to the dashed-line cut edges eg remain connected without being completely cut out. On the other hand, outside the area enclosed by the dashed line, the edges eg are cut with a solid line, and within the area cut with a solid line, the mold is completely cut out, leaving only the mold. 【0031】 After cutting by the cutting device 10, the user removes the object to be cut S from the device and manually cuts the dashed-line portion using a cutter or the like to finish the cut design. In this embodiment, it is assumed that when removing the object to be cut S, the object to be cut S is removed from the cutting device 10 together with the backing sheet M, and the final cutting work is also performed on the backing sheet M. If the final cutting work is also performed on the backing sheet M, there is no need to prepare a separate workbench or the like, and the user can immediately move on to manual cutting work (cutting work by the user) after cutting by the cutting device 10 (cutting operation by the device). 【0032】 As described above, the terminal device 50, which is a cut data generation support device in the embodiment, is a device that supports the generation of cut data for cutting by the cutting device 10, and comprises a display unit 54 and a CPU 51 which is a control unit that controls the display of the display unit 54. The CPU 51 displays a predetermined preview screen 542 on the display unit 54 that previews the mold (cut design) generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished cut product, and also displays an operation tool 543 (dashed line specification tool 543a) on the preview screen 542 for the user to specify an area (dashed line cut area Ar1) of the edge portion eg of the mold (cut design) that will be left as an incomplete part by cutting it in a dashed line shape when the cutting device 10 cuts it.Therefore, it is possible to easily set the cutting process by the cutting device 10 (cut operation by the device) to leave an incomplete part, and the demands of users who want to enjoy manual cutting work (cut operation by the user) can be met. Furthermore, after the cutting operation with the cutting device 10, if the object to be cut S is removed together with the backing sheet M and the final cutting operation is also performed on the backing sheet M, there is no need to prepare a separate workbench or anything similar, and the process can be easily moved to manual cutting. 【0033】 In this embodiment, the dashed line specification tool 543a, which serves as the operation tool 543, allows users to specify the area to be cut in a dashed line pattern (dashed line cut area Ar1) by enclosing it with a frame F. Therefore, the device's cutting operation can intentionally leave certain areas unfinished, allowing the user to easily set the position and range where they want to perform the cutting work themselves on the preview screen 542 of the display unit 54. 【0034】 In this embodiment, when the cut data constituting the mold (cut design) includes multiple part designs dp, the dashed line specification tool 543a, which is the operation tool 543, can specify whether or not to cut each part design dp in a dashed line pattern. Therefore, for designs that are divided into multiple part designs dp, it is possible to easily set areas to be cut in a dashed line pattern and left as incomplete areas (dashed line cut area Ar2) without specifying a range with a frame F. 【0035】 Although the present invention has been described in detail based on embodiments above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified without departing from its essence. For example, in the above embodiments, an example was shown in which cut designs as shown in Figures 3 to 5 are displayed as selectable on the design selection screen 541a displayed on the display screen 541 of the display unit 54, but the selectable cut designs are not limited to those exemplified herein. Furthermore, the genre and attributes of the designs may be other than "geometric patterns," "nature motifs," and "designs, letters, etc." Moreover, the selectable cut designs are not limited to those stored in the storage unit 53 of the terminal device 50, but may be acquired from, for example, a network, or newly registered designs created by users, etc. 【0036】 Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a case where one area to be cut in a dashed line pattern (dashed line cut areas Ar1, Ar2) can be set for one mold (cut design), the number of dashed line cut areas Ar1, Ar2 that can be set for one mold (cut design) is not particularly limited. Multiple locations may be specified by a frame F, etc. Also, locations specified by enclosing with a frame F and locations specified for each part design dp may be mixed. Moreover, the method of specifying the area to be cut in a dashed line pattern is not limited to enclosing with a frame F or specifying for each part design dp. For example, it may be possible to set (specify) that only the outer frame is cut with a solid line, and the inner pattern etc. is cut with a dashed line, or to set (specify) that the mold part with a width (thickness) or more is cut with a solid line, but the mold part with a width less than the predetermined width is cut with a dashed line, etc. 【0037】 Furthermore, when the cutting device 10 cuts in a dashed line pattern, multiple types of dashed line pitches (fineness) may be provided, and the user may set the pitch arbitrarily. The dashed line pitch (fineness) may be specified by a specific numerical value, or it may be set by specifying a level such as beginner, intermediate, or advanced. The finer the dashed line pitch, the closer it is to a solid line, making it easier to see where to cut, thus making it easier for the user to cut manually. Conversely, the coarser the dashed line pitch, the more difficult it becomes to accurately cut the edges eg of the mold. For this reason, for example, if the beginner level is selected, the edges eg within the dashed line cutting areas Ar1 and Ar2 may be cut with fine-pitch dashed lines, and if the advanced level is selected, the edges eg within the dashed line cutting areas Ar1 and Ar2 may be cut with coarse-pitch dashed lines. 【0038】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when removing the object to be cut S after the cutting process in the cutting device 10, the object to be cut S is removed from the cutting device 10 together with the backing sheet M, and the final cutting work is also performed on the backing sheet M. However, it is not essential to remove the object to be cut S together with the backing sheet M. For example, after cutting in the cutting device 10, only the object to be cut S may be removed from the backing sheet M and moved to another workbench or the like for manual cutting. In this case, it becomes necessary to prepare a workbench or the like for manual cutting, but because the parts are connected at the dashed line designated areas, it is possible to easily peel the object to be cut S from the backing sheet M while preventing it from tearing. In particular, if the cut design includes fine and delicate parts that are prone to tearing when peeled from the adhesive backing sheet M, the delicate parts may be specified to be cut in a dashed line pattern, and the cutting device 10 will cut the outer perimeter and main frame of the cut design with a solid line, and the remaining parts will be manually cut by the user using a cutter or the like after peeling the object to be cut S from the backing sheet M. In this way, only the outer edge of the design needs to be peeled from the backing sheet M, so the cut object S can be peeled off the backing sheet M without tearing. Furthermore, when cutting fine details with the cutting device 10, fine scraps are generated, and if these scraps stick to the backing sheet M, which has an adhesive surface, cleaning becomes time-consuming. In this regard, if the cut object S is moved to another workbench or similar surface before finishing the fine details, it is possible to prevent fine scraps from sticking to the backing sheet M, and the effort required to clean the surface of the backing sheet M can be reduced. 【0039】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the example given was that the program (cutting AP531) is stored in a terminal device 50, such as a smartphone, which is separate from the cutting device 10, and the terminal device 50 functions as a cut data generation support device. However, the cut data generation support device is not limited to being a separate device from the cutting device 10. For example, the program (cutting AP531) may be stored in the storage unit 12 of the cutting device 10, and the control device 11 of the cutting device 10 may function as a cut data generation support device, cooperating with the cutting AP531 to support the generation of cut data. In this case, the cutting device 10 may also be equipped with a display unit that displays a preview screen or the like. 【0040】 Furthermore, while the above embodiments disclose an example in which flash memory or the like is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, the invention is not limited to this example. Portable recording media such as CD-ROMs can also be used as other computer-readable media. In addition, carrier waves can also be used as a medium for providing the program data according to the present invention via a communication line. 【0041】 Furthermore, the specific details such as the configuration, arrangement, order, and numerical values ​​of the processes shown in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Moreover, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols] 【0042】 10...Cutting device, 50...Terminal device (cut data generation support device), 51...CPU (control unit), 54...Display unit, 542...Preview screen, 543a...Dashed line specification tool (operation tool), e.g....Edge

Claims

[Claim 1] A device that assists in generating cut data for cutting using a predetermined cutting device, Display unit and A control unit that controls the display of the display unit, Equipped with, The control unit displays a predetermined preview screen on the display unit that previews the mold generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished product, and also displays an operation tool on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the edge of the mold that will be left as an unfinished part by being cut in a dashed line during cutting by the cutting device. A cut data generation support device characterized by the following features. [Claim 2] The aforementioned operation tool allows you to specify the area to be cut in a dashed line pattern by enclosing it in a frame. The cut data generation support device according to feature 1. [Claim 3] When the aforementioned cut data includes multiple part designs, the operation tool allows specifying whether or not to cut each part design in a dashed line pattern. The cut data generation support device according to feature 1. [Claim 4] A method for generating cut data to assist in generating cut data for cutting using a predetermined cutting device, A preview display step in which the mold generated by the cutting operation is displayed as an image of the finished cut product on a predetermined preview screen of the display unit, A tool display step in which an operation tool is displayed on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the edge of the mold that will be left as an incomplete part by being cut in a dashed line shape when cut by the cutting device, A method for supporting the generation of cut data, characterized by including the following: [Claim 5] A computer for a device that assists in generating cut data for cutting using a predetermined cutting device, A predetermined preview screen is displayed on the display unit to show a preview of the mold generated by the cutting operation as an image of the finished product. Furthermore, an operation tool is displayed on the preview screen for the user to specify an area of ​​the mold's edge that should be left as an unfinished portion by being cut in a dashed line pattern by the cutting device. This tool functions as a display control means. A program characterized by the following features.

Images