Silhouette Go app now available in Beta form

For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting it, the Silhouette Go app is now available for IOs and Android users. It is still in the Beta stage. Today’s post is just to give you an introductory overview of how it looks and what it does.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click the link and purchase something, I may receive a small commission. You pay the same price. This helps me to be able to keep my business going and provide more tutorials.

What is Beta?

When companies create software and apps, they test it themselves first. Then they have other folks test it. This latter is called Closed Beta testing. Once they have gotten feedback, they release it in Open Beta for more people to try it out. The final stage is when the full version of the app or software is released for the general population. It will still have updates after that, but is considered complete.

I have been in the group Beta testing the app for awhile now. (I also Beta test the Silhouette Studio software). The app has now moved to Open Beta, which means you can test it for yourself.

Where can I find the app?

The app should now be available for anyone to download and use.

• If you have an Apple device, go here and follow the instructions. It’s within an app itself called Test Flight.
• For Android devices, go here. Or, search Silhouette Go in the Google Play store.

Don’t forget — there will still be bugs. This is still a work-in-progress. If you do use it, then it’s helpful to send feedback to Silhouette America so they know what to work on.

Let me warn you of one thing. There are some app developers who are not associated with the Silhouette company who try to add apps to the standard app stores at times. There was even one who was stealing copyrighted material from bloggers and trying to pass it off as their own. Those are NOT recommended — they are fraudulent and a rip-off, as they will usually charge you.

What can I expect (and not expect) in the app?

This is probably the biggest question of all. What is it like? What can I do with it? The primary purpose, at least for now, is for you to be able to cut directly from your mobile device to your machine. It is NOT for you to do heavy duty designing. There are 2 types of people who use Silhouette machines–

1. Those who use the machine for cutting designs exactly as you get them from the Silhouette Design Store or another source. If this is you, then the app works great. You can get designs, choose the size, set up the page and cut. Simple.
2. Those who like to customize things more or design for themselves. For you, it isn’t going to replace your computer. It’s best use is for when you don’t want to take your computer with you. For example, use it in a school where you might share the machine with other teachers. Or maybe from a desktop computer in one room to your machine in another room, without relying on Bluetooth as the connector between them.

Speaking of Bluetooth — the app DOES use it to connect to the machine. That means you must have a model that uses Bluetooth. That would be the Cameo 4, Cameo 4 Plus, Cameo 3, Portrait 3 and Portrait 2. The Cameo 4 Pro that should arrive sometime later this year will also have Bluetooth, as will all future machines.

Things you can do in the app

• Set the page size and mat size.
• Add users and see all the designs in your library, including any subfolders you create.
• Add a design from the library to the mat.
• Free move designs around the page.
• Free resize designs.
• Group and ungroup.
• Free rotate shapes.
• Mirror the shape.
• Make copies of designs so that you’ve got multiples on the page.
• Turn on registration marks for print and cut.
• Zoom.
• Select your material, action and tool.
• Mirror the design page in the Job Settings (for something like HTV). When you do this you see the preview of how it looks.
• Choose Cut, Cut Edge or Don’t Cut for each shape.
• Test cut settings.
• Repeat the cut job.

When I say “free,” what I mean is that you can do it as if you were using the options on the bounding box of a design. For example, you can grab an arrow to rotate the design, but can’t choose a specific amount such as 90°.

Things you can’t do in the app right now

NO app will ever be able to do all the Silhouette Studio software can do. It’s very powerful. Tablets and cell phones don’t have processors for full executable files, nor do they have the same amount of memory. Don’t expect them to.

• You start by adding a design from your library and manipulating it as detailed above. If you want to open another file from the library, it closes out the first. That means you can’t open 2 different designs onto the design area at the same time.
• Save the file you’ve worked on in the app to the library or anywhere else on your mobile device. However, it does stay on the design area if you close and reopen the app.
• Change the front to back order of shapes.
• Create new shapes with drawing tools.
• Add text.
• Use the knife or eraser.
• Edit points on a design.
• Trace, add fills, change line styles, create offsets, use PixScan, use Modify tools, etc. Basically, if it’s an icon along the right side of your Silhouette Studio software on your computer, it’s not there in the Silhouette Go app.
• Use the features of software upgrades (Designer Edition, etc.).
• Create or use custom settings.
• Change from the defaults on cut settings (alter force or speed, etc.).
• Use advanced cut modes (cut by line, fill or layer).

The workaround for most of these things is to do in on your computer and save it that way to your library. Then you can open the file in the app and send the job to the machine. Remember — the primary purpose is for straight up cutting, not designing.

Things possibly coming in the app

You’ll see a few icons in the app you can’t use yet. But, it gives you an idea of planned developments. For example, there’s already an icon for arranging the order of shapes. So, keep a lookout for those.

Those of us in the Beta testing group will continue to test future updates. As I am able, I will pass along what gets added.

What does it look like?

Here are a few screenshots of how the Silhouette Go app looks.

 

Stay tuned in here to the site and I’ll let you know when new Beta versions or the full regular releases are out.