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NETWORK.DOC Page 1 of 8 PROTECTED MODE ADI - NETWORK PLOT SPOOLING The CalComp protected mode ADI driver follows AutoCAD conventions and provides the same network plot spooling support as an Autodesk in-line driver. There are basically two methods which can be used on Novell networks: plot to file with I/O redirection and plot to file with AUTOSPOOL. Since most network system software has similar utilities, similar methods can be used on other networks. These methods, including setup information, are described in the following sections. Before proceeding, verify the following: The CalComp protected mode ADI driver is installed and has been tested with a CalComp plotter in a local configuration. A workstation is connected and logged into the network. Print servers and print queues are setup and operational. THE NOVELL CAPTURE UTILITY The Novell CAPTURE utility can be used to redirect the output of a logical DOS LPT device, such as LPT1, to a network print queue and on to the plotter. Setup: 1. Start the CAPTURE utility before starting AutoCAD. This can be done at the DOS prompt or, for regular use, it can be included in a login script or batch file. 2. Start AutoCAD and configure for plot to file from the configure plotter menu. To make this the default, answer YES when you see the following question during configuration: Write the plot to a file? Plot to file is also an option which can be setup at plot time. Since the ADI driver ignores the handshaking selection when plotting to a file, no other changes need to be made from the plotter configuration menu. 3. Configure the plot file name for LPT1 (assuming that CAPTURE is redirecting the output of LPT1). From the operating parameter menu, select option 3, default plot file name. When prompted, enter the following: LPT1 For occasional use, you can also enter LPT1 as the file name at plot time. NETWORK.DOC Page 2 of 8 4. Make sure that the plotter is connected to the print server. Check the plotter setup and, if the connection is serial, ensure that the baud rate, character framing and handshaking (xon/xoff or hardware) match the Novell printer configuration in PCONSOLE. This completes the setup for plot spooling using the CAPTURE utility. NOTES ON USING CAPTURE If the Autoendcap option is enabled (default), captured plots will be queued when AutoCAD completes the plot job. This is useful if you want to send single plot jobs to individual print queue files and plot without exiting AutoCAD. A new capture session starts automatically with each plot job. If the Auotendcap option is disabled, captured plots will be queued when you exit AutoCAD and type ENDCAP at the DOS prompt. This is useful if you want to append multiple plot jobs in a single print queue file. ENDCAP also terminates the capture of an LPT device. The Timeout option should be disabled (default) since it can cause unpredictable results. Typical captured plots appear as "LPT1 Catch" in the print queue job description. The following CAPTURE options should be used to prevent any extraneous data from being sent to the plotter. Instead of including these in the command line, they can be set up as defaults in PRINTCON. NoTabs NoBanner NoFormFeed For additional information please refer to the Novell Print Server Manual and the AutoCAD Installation and Performance Guide. THE AUTOCAD AUTOSPOOL FEATURE AND THE NOVELL NPRINT UTILITY The AutoCAD AUTOSPOOL feature can be used to output plots to unique files in a user defined plot spooler directory. Once the plot files are in the spooler directory, it is the responsibility of a spooler program, such as the Novell NPRINT utility, to move the files to a network print queue and on to the plotter. AutoCAD provides a hook with which to automate spooler execution in the form of an environment variable, ACADPLCMD. Once AutoCAD finishes writing the plot file, it generates a command using the string defined in ACADPLCMD, substituting a unique file name for the "%s" in the string, and sends it to DOS for execution. AutoCAD then returns to the drawing editor or main menu, depending on where the plot job was started. NETWORK.DOC Page 3 of 8 Setup: 1. Make a directory or identify an existing directory for plot spooling. This directory can be on a local or network drive. Both AutoCAD and NPRINT will need read/write access to this directory. For this example we will use Z:\PLOTS. 2. Define the environment variable, ACADPLCMD, for the spooler program (NPRINT) using the SET command. SET ACADPLCMD=NPRINT %s Note that the "s" is lower case and there are no spaces around the equal (=) sign and no trailing space at the end of the line. If you want the plot files deleted from the spooler directory once they're in the queue, use the Delete option with NPRINT. For example: SET ACADPLCMD=NPRINT %s D For regular use, you can add the appropriate SET statement to the AUTOEXEC batch file. If you do, be sure to use two percent (%) signs, since DOS batch files use the percent sign to indicate parameters passed to the program. For example: SET ACADPLCMD=NPRINT %%s Set ACADPLCMD=NPRINT %%s D 3. Start AutoCAD and configure for plot to file from the configure plotter menu. To make this the default, answer YES when you see the following question during configuration: Write the plot to a file? Plot to file is also an option which can be setup at plot time. Since the ADI driver ignores the handshaking selection when plotting to a file, no other changes need to be made from the plotter configuration menu. 4. Configure the plot file name for AUTOSPOOL. From the operating parameter menu, select option 3, default plot file name. When prompted, enter the following: AUTOSPOOL For occasional use, you can also enter AUTOSPOOL as the file name at plot time. NETWORK.DOC Page 4 of 8 5. Configure the plot spooler directory. From the operating parameter menu, select option 4, plot spooler directory. When prompted, enter the path and name of the directory created in step 1, including a trailing backslash. For example: Z:\PLOTS\ 6. Make sure that the plotter is connected to the print server. Check the plotter setup and, if the connection is serial, ensure that the baud rate, character framing and handshaking (xon/xoff or hardware) match the Novell printer configuration in PCONSOLE. This completes the setup for plot spooling using AUTOSPOOL and the NPRINT utility. NOTES ON USING AUTOSPOOL AND NPRINT Spooled plot files appear in the spooler directory and print queue job description with unique file names. Spooled plot files are given unique names by AutoCAD in the format VXXXXXXX.YYY, where V indicates a vector plot file, XXXXXXX is based on the current time, and YYY is the network node name. For example: V1234567.RAY. The default network node name is AC$ and can be changed from the operating parameter menu, option 6. The following NPRINT options should be used to prevent any extraneous data from being sent to the plotter. These should be set up as defaults in PRINTCON. NoTabs NoBanner NoFormFeed If the spooler program doesn't delete the old plot files from the spooler directory, you will need to do this manually to prevent filling up the hard disk. Besides NPRINT, you can also use your favorite spooler program. Just define it in ACADPLCMD. ACADPLCMD can also be used to start a batch file, which in turn can perform some setup before starting the spooler. Or, instead of using ACADPLCMD, you can have a spooler program running on a remote node, queueing up plot files from the spooler directory. For additional information please refer to the Novell Print Server Manual and the AutoCAD Installation and Performance Guide. NETWORK.DOC Page 5 of 8 REAL MODE ADI - NETWORK PLOT SPOOLING The CalComp real mode ADI driver provides network plot spooling support using plot to file with I/O redirection. There is basically one method which can be used on Novell networks. Since most network system software has similar utilities, a similar method can be used on other networks. This method, including setup information, is described in the following sections. Before proceeding, verify the following: The CalComp real mode ADI driver is installed and has been tested with a CalComp plotter in a local configuration. A workstation is connected and logged into the network. Print servers and print queues are setup and operational. Plot to file with AUTOSPOOL is not supported. THE NOVELL CAPTURE UTILITY The Novell CAPTURE utility can be used to redirect the output of a logical DOS LPT device, such as LPT1, to a network print queue and on to the plotter. Setup: 1. Configure the ADI driver for plot to file. Run the configuration program, CCPCFG. From the communications menu, select the File option, save the settings and exit. There is no need to reload the driver, since it always reads its configuration file before plotting begins. 2. Start the CAPTURE utility before starting AutoCAD. This can be done at the DOS prompt or, for regular use, it can be included in a login script or batch file. 3. Make sure that the plotter is connected to the print server. Check the plotter setup and, if the connection is serial, ensure that the baud rate, character framing and handshaking (xon/xoff or hardware) match the Novell printer configuration in PCONSOLE. 4. Start AutoCAD and select a drawing to plot. Configuring the plot file name for LPT1 (assuming that CAPTURE is redirecting the output of LPT1) is done at plot time. Enter LPT1 when the final prompt appears: Enter output file name <CCPADI.PLT> ==> CCPADI.PLT is the initial default plot file name. Subsequent default plot file names will be the last file name used, in this case LPT1. This completes the setup for plot spooling using the CAPTURE utility. NETWORK.DOC Page 6 of 8 NOTES ON USING CAPTURE If the Autoendcap option is enabled (default), captured plots will be queued when AutoCAD completes the plot job. This is useful if you want to send single plot jobs to individual print queue files and plot without exiting AutoCAD. A new capture session starts automatically with each plot job. If the Auotendcap option is disabled, captured plots will be queued when you exit AutoCAD and type ENDCAP at the DOS prompt. This is useful if you want to append multiple plot jobs in a single print queue file. ENDCAP also terminates the capture of an LPT device. The Timeout option should be disabled (default) since it can cause unpredictable results. Typical captured plots appear as "LPT1 Catch" in the print queue job description. The following CAPTURE options should be used to prevent any extraneous data from being sent to the plotter. Instead of including these in the command line, they can be set up as defaults in PRINTCON. NoTabs NoBanner NoFormFeed For additional information please refer to the Novell Print Server Manual and the AutoCAD Installation and Performance Guide. NETWORK.DOC Page 7 of 8 BATCHPLOT - NETWORK PLOT SPOOLING Batchplot doesn't directly support network plot spooling. However, Batchplot can output plots to files in a user defined plot spooler directory. Once the plot files are in the spooler directory, it is the responsibility of a spooler program to move the files to a network print queue and on to the plotter. When the ADI driver is setup for plot to file, Batchplot forces the driver to write its files to the AutoCAD plot spooler directory. Since Batchplot also generates the plot file names, plot to file with I/O redirection and plot to file with AUTOSPOOL are not supported. Before proceeding, verify the following: The CalComp protected mode or real mode ADI driver and Batchplot are installed and have been tested with a CalComp plotter in a local configuration. A workstation is connected and logged into the network. Print servers, print queues and a spooler program are setup and operational. Setup: 1. Make a directory or identify an existing directory for plot spooling. This directory can be on a local or network drive. Both AutoCAD and the spooler program will need read/write access to this directory. For this example we will use Z:\PLOTS. 2. Configure the ADI driver for plot to file. A. Protected mode ADI driver: Start AutoCAD and configure for plot to file from the configure plotter menu. Answer YES when you see the following question during configuration: Write the plot to a file? Since the ADI driver ignores the handshaking selection when plotting to a file, no other changes need to be made from the plotter configuration menu. B. Real mode ADI driver: Run the configuration program, CCPCFG. From the communications menu, select the File option, save the settings and exit. There is no need to reload the driver, since it always reads its configuration file before plotting begins. Start AutoCAD. NETWORK.DOC Page 8 of 8 3. Configure the plot spooler directory. From the operating parameter menu, select option 4, plot spooler directory. When prompted, enter the path and name of the directory created in step 1, including a trailing backslash. For example: Z:\PLOTS\ Save the settings and exit. 4. Make sure that the plotter is connected to the print server. Check the plotter setup and, if the connection is serial, ensure that the baud rate, character framing and handshaking (xon/xoff or hardware) match the network spooler printer configuration. This completes the setup for plot spooling using Batchplot. NOTES ON USING BATCHPLOT Batchplot file naming conventions: Normal plots: Drawing file name with .P00 extension. For example: COLUMBIA.P00 Normal plots (multiple copies): Drawing file name with .PXX extension, where XX is the copy number starting with 00. For example: COLUMBIA.P00 (first copy) COLUMBIA.P01 (second copy) Nested plots: BATCHPLT with .YYY extension, where YYY is the sequence number starting with 001. For example: BATCHPLT.001 (first nested plot) BATCHPLT.002 (second nested plot) AutoCAD default plot file names such as LPT1 and AUTOSPOOL are ignored. The AutoCAD spooler automation hook, ACADPLCMD, is not supported. The spooler program should be transparent to the plot data, i. e., it shouldn't send any extraneous data to the plotter. If the spooler program doesn't delete the old plot files from the spooler directory, you will need to do this manually to prevent filling up the hard disk. For additional information please refer to your spooler program documentation and the AutoCAD Installation and Performance Guide.