Method of controlling an operation of a copy-cutting apparatus

A method of controlling the operation of a copying apparatus which includes a tracer for tracing automatically a contour of a pattern to be copied and a working machine having a working head movable in conjunction with the tracer in a given relationship for effecting a given working operation for an object to be worked comprising the steps of;

• prior to an actual working operation;
• moving the tracer manually with respect to the pattern to be traced to detect coordinates of the tracer at respective operational points which include at least a working start point, a copy start point, and a copy end point, and storing the coordinates thus detected in a memory;
• and during the actual working operation;
• reading the stored coordinates from the memory to control automatically the movement of said tracer in such a manner that until the tracer reaches a copy start point the copying apparatus is set in a position setting mode in which the tracer is moved under the control of the readout coordinates, and after the tracer has reached the copy start point the copying apparatus is switched into a copying mode in which the movement of said working head is controlled by the movement of the tracer which follows the pattern.