Has anyone purchased from this company?

[agteach]

plasmadxf.com

They have a good price on files, just wondering if it is a legitimate company. I do not want to download a bunch of viruses and junk.

[acourtjester]

Sometime if you Google the name of a company it will say if there are complaints about them.
https://trustedrevie.ws/reviews/plasmadxf.com

[adbuch]

I could not find any independent reviews for this company. Their website looks very professional, and they are based in the UK. If anything I would order one of their more inexpensive packages to try them out. If you do, you are welcome to PM me with one of the files and I will have a look at it to see how clean it is - meaning free of excess nodes, overlaps, intersections, etc.

David

[robertspark]

it is a very clever website.

I had a look and it listed the location as Australia, then the UK
I just took a screenshot and again it says the files were created by a team of architects in Australia....

Screenshot_2023-05-12-06-57-48-697-edit_com.kiwibrowser.browser.jpg

Screenshot_2023-05-12-07-09-37-722-edit_com.kiwibrowser.browser.jpg

I did a whois search and got this:
https://who.is/whois/plasmadxf.com

listed as iceland

did a search of the phone number listed and got this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%2B354. ... hl=en#ip=1

seems to be a fair number of websites with questionable ethics associated with the owner of that website address (or at least their phone number)

you can get a 25% discount if you view the free samples
https://plasmadxf.com/blogs/news/free-s ... 6674&_ss=r


I did notice an address listed in the UK under the contact info
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/property/uprn/72273024/
house which is just been sold

you get a 60 day refund policy if you are not happy with your purchase.... then under the FAQ.... as it's digital media there is no refunds.... sorry....

I would say buyer beware, but good luck.... he who dares wins!

I'd recommend buying a plasma spider membership and just trawling the free dxfs section as you'll get a few years membership and be part of the community....

if you do buy anything from them be aware that under the privacy policy they will sell your data (there are also a mixture of laws that are applicable from different countries..... if the site was genuine I would expect them to be UK laws for a UK based website, not the eu.... or California laws.... as they have no jurisdiction for a UK company and are unenforceable .... looks nice though

[adbuch]

Based on Robertspark's in-depth research, I would recommend steering clear of them. There are many other reputable sources for dxf/svg vector files, and as been suggested since you have already paid the $20 membership fee to join Plasmaspider, that is a real bargain as there are literally thousands of nice cut ready files and members here to help you if you get stuck or need advise on how to modify or edit a file to suit your particular needs. You can use the search tool to look for files that interest you.

Good Luck!!

David

[robertspark]

Just to add to this, I subscribed to their request for an email for spam / updates etc, and it included a footer with another post code for the company, this time a business post code:

problem is, this post code is
Tachbrook Park Dr, Royal Leamington Spa CV34 6SN

which is about 3 hours drive (145miles) from the other post code given......

Not unusual to have a limited company with one address and another address in the UK.... but ...
The footer also includes "PLASMADXF LTD"...... the "LTD" implies that the company is registered with Companies House (UK government register of companies, and is a company of Limited Liability (i.e. it would need to be registered and it's directors would need to be registered too....)

and its not registered ......

this is quite funny because it does not take much to register a company with companies house in the UK and there are some funny examples of "Adolf Tooth Fairy Hitler" being listed as company directors {and others....

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ ... s-26277263

Adolf Tooth Fairy Hitler still listed here (with some interesting addresses for the active directors)
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... 3/officers

And Osma Bin Laden had a short lived company with an interesting address
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments


And James Bond with an Occupation of Security Controller
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments

It doesn't take much to register a company as limited..... (£12 I think it is at present).

[acourtjester]

Thanks for the research Robert, and it seems the internet has just shown there are more rocks for creatures to live under.

[Joe Jones]

The website is interesting. This is one of those libraries where you will buy a boat load of graphic files that you will most likely NEVER use. However, it has a huge assortment of vector art files you can manipulate to your liking.

The files in the sample downloads are NOT perfect, despite all of their claims of "architects" doing the work. The files have extra nodes, and errors, and islands. to be fair to them, I suppose if I were to put together some 10,000 art files, people could find THOUSANDS of errors in them. It is difficult to get every file PERFECT.

This evidently comes out of Australia. I am going to buy their Full Access package for $89.00. If there are 9,000 files in there, it comes to a penny per file, and so I do not expect perfection, and with DesignEdge, it is easy to find and correct errors, and $89.00 is NOTHING! Considering that it also includes any files they may create in the future, I think the price is more than fair!

After I download the 10GB+ of files, I will sift through them a bit and come back with my review.

Joe

[Glenk]

They have some free sample files you can look at. I know one of the sets has an .ai and eps file which is nice as having the original illustrator file can be handy as an illustrator user. Not all the files always have the same array of formats.

https://plasmadxf.com/blogs/news/free-s ... c-machines

[Joe Jones]

After spending a few hours looking at these files, I can safely say that I am GLAD I only paid $89.00 for the "thousands" of DXF files.

YES, there are a lot of interesting designs. However...

1. The files are NOT cut ready. They contain lots of rogue nodes, crossovers, and other errors that make each file require some WORK in order to make it useful for a cnc plasma table or a laser, or even a drag knife or a felt tip pen. I do feel that these files, or this entire collection would be a nice addition to anyone with DesignEdge level vector file EDITING ability. If you do not have that skill, or that level of control built into your vector editing software, then I would strongly advise against purchasing these files.

2. The files contain double images, or open paths OVER closed paths. Again, DesignEdge can easily correct this error, but it is a bit of a PITA to have to do this to files before you use them. I don't know what "Architects" designed these files, but they don't know how to make CUT READY cnc plasma files.

3. Again, the assortment of designs is quite pleasing. Lots of detail in the images, and ONLY AFTER they are cleaned up, they will produce wonderful "eye candy" metal art or laser art. If there are 9,000 files (I did not count them) then they cost me about one cent each, so I am willing to overlook the amateur mistakes I have found in nearly all, but not "all" of the files. Some of them are very well drawn, but the actual number of correctly drawn vector files is few.

4. All of the files are accessed via a Google Drive where you download ZIP FILES and then unzip them onto a hard drive or USB drive, or whatever. The files are mostly grouped as some combination of a CDR file, a DXF file, an EPS file, a JPG file, a PDF file (for visual printing and display), a PNG file, and a SVG file. Some of them offer an AI file too, but the available file formats for each file are not consistent.

5. There are a LOT of amateur mistakes in these files. Some of them may not affect your particular plasma machine or laser, however the PlasmaCam tables and DesignEdge software would struggle with most of these files AS DOWNLOADED.

6.Most of the files were drawn in METRIC units, so they import into your cnc software as HUGE images. I had to scale down EVERY file by nearly 2000% just to fit it onto my cutting table work area.

7. Many of the files share the exact same names, so if you are going to build a collection of files into one folder, you will have to RENAME every single file.

8. Their "3D Files" are not true 3D. They are 2D line art that you can etch or route into the back side of clear acrylic to place onto a light base, and the light would then illuminate the etchings from below. I credit them for their creative art work. The files are very nice.

The image below from their collection is called "Elf Girl." It is artsy ... and it would probably be great for a laser to etch into wood. It looks more like tattoo art to me. However, you can see places where repairs must be made in order to cut it with a plasma table, such as on the shin, below the ankle.

Conclusion: I am pleased with the assortment of potentially cut ready, beautiful art that is included in this file package.

Their price of $89.00 is quite fair for what you get. ESPECIALLY if you preview the samples and remember to apply the 25% off COUPON at the time of purchase!

I did not notice the 25% off coupon that you are given when you look at (read: download) the free samples. until after I purchased it. The coupon popped up in a window BEHIND the purchase window, so I did not SEE the discount code at the time of purchase. I believe this was planned, perhaps so that EVERY purchase would not receive the discount, but I won't make an issue of it. The discount was EARNED, but it did not automatically appear in the CHECKOUT window as it should have. I was not happy with THAT! I will not bother to request a refund, and I also gave them a $20.00 tip for the files (BEFORE looking at them.) I do not regret giving them the tip, but as I stated earlier, I am GLAD I ONLY paid $89.00 for these files.

Joe

ELF GIRL JPG.jpg

[Joe Jones]

Another example

BRANCH BIRD CAGE JPG.jpg

[Joe Jones]

Those must be Australian candy canes

"Architects!"

Joe

CANDY CANES UPSIDE DOWN JPG.jpg

[robertspark]

seems they are just collated and converted to black and white then saved as vectors?

I am not sure if they own the copyright for the images..... or if they are someone elses

https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:A ... hRxA&hl=en

https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:A ... kXPw&hl=en

[robertspark]

there is a lot of "wall art" that can be used from the 3d printing community for plasma and laser

https://thangs.com/search/wall%20art?scope=all

some have dxfs available and some art STL files.

STLs can be converted to SVG and then on to dxfs very easily

[Joe Jones]

The thing about a photo, or a drawing, or a sketch, etc., is that there is NO central registry of art where one can determine the original author or artist who created the image. You cannot submit an image to a website and have it return, "PROPERTY OF ...."

This is why it is so difficult for artists to be PAID for their work. It is SO EASY to rip it off.

Joe

[ben de lappe]

You guys know how you put your best effort into producing a product, whether it be fire pit, wall art etc. only to be undercut and out sold by thin wal mart junk? As a full time file creator that's how this (and other) collections appear to me because there is absolutely no way someone is going to put the work in to ensure low node count, no intersections, no double lines, no drop outs or not having to connect ten thousand segments for this price. What one is getting with this purchase is simply artwork (who's?) that's been traced by a program (or multiple?) and packaged for sale. I can guarantee WAY more time went into packaging them up than went into "drawing" them and I use that term very loosely.

One gets what they pay for.

[Joe Jones]

I could correct all of the files but I think I will only tackle the issues that arise in the particular files I may wish to use or modify.

Joe

[robertspark]

its just another one of those popup shops or websites that is run by "looky looky men"....

[Joe Jones]

its just another one of those popup shops or websites that is run by "looky looky men"....

WHAT IF I were to correct ALL of the file errors, SCALE the images, and fix the inconsistency of the file types in each folder. Could I legally SELL the corrected batch as my own collection?

Ah, then again ... for one penny each, I guess it is not worth my time.

Joe

[robertspark]

its just another one of those popup shops or websites that is run by "looky looky men"....

WHAT IF I were to correct ALL of the file errors, SCALE the images, and fix the inconsistency of the file types in each folder. Could I legally SELL the corrected batch as my own collection?

Ah, then again ... for one penny each, I guess it is not worth my time.

Joe

Joe, I don't believe you could.... because the objects in the files would not be of your creation.....

But then..... it depends on how well someone can actually fight copyright / intellectual property infringement....

If it were me.... they would have to fight me right through the courts and to every court of appeal until all avenues were exhausted..... And they would still get nothing as I have nothing.... {....play the system as well as everyone else....} the other party would end up being a vexatious litigant . With the internet a wash wish copyrighted material that is all over the place it would be someone really hard pushed to be able to prove that IS your image and you have sole ownership of it....

remember for a penny each...... if you sold 100 of them, thats a pound..... and the whole package at £80 a pop puts your take home at £8,000...... if you were sold 1,000..... you are in the £80,000 take home..... looks good to me.

At some point the market will be saturated and will be sharing the files so would you care..... just move onto your next "scam" {err sorry.... business venture.... }

[Joe Jones]

I would only do something like that LEGALLY. I am wondering about ANY library of vector files. It is not as if these "architects" in Australia sit around all day long, creating original art files. I have seen several of the images that I HAVE opened, elsewhere. Did they copy it from another site, or did the other site copy it from them? HOW do we determine the original source of the file?

I don't know about licensing, shared files, etc. I am not sure anyone can really make an argument about a file being "stolen" or used in violation of a Copyright, unless the person can PROVE that the design came from his or her own hand, and that person can produce the ORIGINAL FILE.

I think artists would be better served, to include some icon that represents each artist individually. The files would be shared freely WITH the icons, and those who believe the artist should receive some compensation for the design would then go to some website to send a contribution via PayPal or whatever. Contributions would come exclusively from people with character and a sense of honor.

I draw vector files, but I RARELY share them for this exact reason. People are just too comfortable ripping off designs if they can, without ANY compensation to the author of the art file.

Joe

[martyy]

Just the first 2 files Joe posted from this collection show up in a reverse image search from a handful of other vendors. Somebody is repacking these and selling...

[Joe Jones]

Just the first 2 files Joe posted from this collection show up in a reverse image search from a handful of other vendors. Somebody is repacking these and selling...

Most likely.

Joe

[adbuch]

I know of several instances where folks have taken existing artwork and traced it, reduced node count, etc. and offer it for sale as their own. I suppose what they are selling is their creative work they put into tracing, editing, etc. So even though they were not the original artist, they offer it for sale.

David

[tinspark]

I suspect not of English speaking decent, only because of their sentence structure. It is correct to say, "In the UK", like they did in the other screenshot.
however it is not ok to say, "in the Australia". Native English speaking individuals would automatically know that.
At least here in the US, we would have said, "in Australia", and not have added "the".
If they just said that they were from somewhere like, China, or the Philippines, as an example, I would have not though t twice about it.
But I have never bought a pack like this and prefer to draw my own stuff, or find something somewhere that I can modify enough, where I would not be infringing on someone else's work.
Automatic red flag when I see little hints, like bad grammar as shown in this instance, and try to pass themselves off as being from a different location.
I stay clear of ones who start out with a lie. It can only get worse from there imo.....But that is just me