This documentation file will help you set up the database for your printer and guide you through all the different options for printing a geoWrite document.
Before we get started, you must be aware that the program will work only with geoWrite 2.0 or 2.1. Earlier versions of geoWrite have a different escape ruler and therefor will not work. Also your printer must be either a 7 or 8 bits printhead, 60, 72 or 80 dpi (dots per inch) and 60 or 80 cpl (characters per line). Your printer must also have a command that allows you to set tabs in absolute column (i.e. 27, 16, n where n = column number). This command is very important since the program requires it to change style within same line (UltimateNLQ will not work without it). And finally, your printer must have a separate carriage return and line feed commands (where carriage return does not perform a line feed).
Also, this version does not have access to different drive therefor UltimateNLQ, the database and geoWrite documents must all be on same drive.
: geoWrite application and fonts are not required to be on drive for this program to work.
Since it is impossible for me to check program on all printers supported by GEOS, there are bound to be some limitations with some printers (one that I know of is underline which will not work with the NX-1000 RAINBOW - the whole line gets underlined instead of just the desired word(s)).
@Highlights :
- program supports all geoWrite styles except outline (i.e. bold, italics, bold/italics, super/subscripts etc.)
- will print NLQ and graphics or draft and graphics
- unlike geoWrite, tabs and styles are retained when printing in draft
- program allows you to select number of pass for graphics printing in NLQ (to make them darker) and also skip all graphics
- header and footer are supported
- supports up to 4 resident fonts
- all styles and resident fonts can be used within same line
@Not Yet Implemented :
- DATE, TIME and PAGE in footer and/or header
- right and center justification
- 1 1/2 or 2 spacing (these will never be implemented)
@To Come In Next Version :
- DATE, TIME and PAGE in footer and/or header
- right and center justification (full justification will never be implemented)
- option to have odd or even number page printed (making it possible to print on both sides of a page - like a book)
- access to different drives
- access to database on different drive
- geoWrite document will be automatically re-opened after returning from database (at the moment, when a geoWrite document is opened and database is accessed, it is closed and must be re-opened by user before printing)
- all other problems found by users that can be fixed by program
THE MAIN MENU
The main menu is the first screen that is displayed when UltimateNLQ is first opened. It consists of a titl
THE MAIN MENU
The main menu is the first screen that is displayed when UltimateNLQ is first opened. It consists of a title box with room for the current opened geoWrite document name and FROM page/ TO page boxes and a option box with 7 selection icons.
@The title box :
- displays name of program with version number, author name and if a doceument is opened, the name, FROM and TO page information of that file
- to change FROM or TO page number; click in appropriate box (which will invert) and enter new page number in dialog box. If page number is out of range, number will not be changed.
@NOTE :
page selection must be done prior to selecting PRINT icon.
@The option box :
- consists of 7 selection icon as follows :
When clicked, a standard dialog box for selecting a geoWrite file will appear with names of documents on current drive (drive change is not supported in this version).
If a geoWrite document is already opened, it will automatically be closed.
Select desired file and click OPEN or CANCEL to abort opening new file and return to main menu.
@NOTE :
previous opened file (if any) will not be re-opened.
If program successfully opens new document, its name, FROM page and TO page numbers will be displayed in the title box.
When clicked, this icon will display a new dialog box with all printing options available.
@NOTE :
program will not let you select this option if no geoWrite document is opened.
The print options are as follows :
Click this icon to start printing document in NLQ.
Click this icon to start printing document in draft.
Click this icon to toggle between normal zero (default) and slashed zero. This option will have effect only if there are command parameters in the 'normal zero' and/or 'slashed zero' database (see the COMM section of the DATABASE). It is used to select type of zero that will be printed.
THE MAIN MENU
(cont'd)
THE MAIN MENU
(cont'd)
Click this icon to toggle between ASCII printing mode (default) and Commodore printing mode. This option will have effect only if there are command parameters in the 'ASCII mode' and/or 'C= mode' database (see the COMM section of the DATABASE).
@NOTE :
if document is being printed in reverse (i.e. uppercase letters are in lowercase and vice versa) this means that you have the wrong printing mode.
Cancel printing dialog box and return to main menu.
To cancel printing after it has been started - click mouse and hold until program stops and returns to main menu.
This icon allows you to select the number of pass each graphic images will have (from 1 to 4 passes). If zero is selected, then no graphics will be printed.
Passes 2 to 4 are valid only in NLQ printing mode. Draft printing mode can only have 0 or 1 (since draft is used for proof reading most of the time).
@NOTE :
all graphic images will be displayed on the screen prior to being printed
graphic images may not be larger than a regular geoPaint window. Clipping programs that creates an image larger than this will not be printed (next version will allow graphic images to be up to 300 x 180 pixels).
this option must be selected prior to selecting PRINT (default number of pass = 1)
Access the text style commands in the database (see TEXT section in the DATABASE for more information).
Access the printer commands in the database (see COMM section in the DATABASE for more information).
Access the printer parameters in the database (see PARA section in the DATABASE for more information).
Exit program and return to Desk Top.
THE DATABASE
This sec
THE DATABASE
This section will guide you through all three pages of the database. Please note that whenever a command is in bold face, it must be put in. UltimateNLQ checks for them before exiting database and will not update it or allow you to print if those are not present. They are required by program for printing. All others are optional.
@To enter database :
- from main menu, click on either TEXT, COMM or PARA icon; each one accesses different commands where :
TEXT = access printer commands for text styles
COMM = access printer commands for type of printing
PARA = access printer parameters for type of printer
- the screen will clear and a new window will appear with boxes, parameters and commands
@To update a command :
- click on desired command box and enter new command in dialog box
- each command parameter must be separated by a comma and no spaces are allowed (i.e : 27,108,50)
- the only special command is the
@tab setting
where you type the 'n' as an 'n' but will be displayed as '255' (i.e. absolute tabs in column command = 27, 16, n; you would type : 27,16,n and the program would display 27,16,255)
- all other commands accepts numbers only
@To remove a command :
- simply click on box of desired command and press return (without any commands) in the dialog box
@NOTE :
any parameters from database that are not supported by your printer
must be removed
. Any parameters that have data in it will be sent to the printer and if your printer doesn't recognize it, it may hang or print undesired garbage.
@To exit database :
- simply click on DONE or SAVE (DONE will simply make changes in memory while SAVE will update database)
- a new window will appear with any errors in required parameters
@Here is a breakdown of each page and their command parameters information.
italics on : printer command to print italic characters
italics off : printer command to turn off italic (same as PLAIN
in geoWrite)
bold on : printer command to print bold characters
bold off : printer command to turn off bold face
superscript on : printer command to print superscript characters
subscript on : printer command to print subscript characters
script off : printer command to turn off superscript or subscript
underline on : printer command to print underlined characters
underline off : printer command to turn off underline
@tab setting :
printer command to set printer to specific
column number
THE DATABASE
(cont'd)
THE DATABASE
(cont'd)
reset printer : printer command to reset the printer; some
printers requires this command to switch between
character printing and graphics printing or
between each graphic buffer therefor this
command is sent by program (if present) before
every new character lines or graphics buffer
@NLQ printing :
printer command to set printer for NLQ
printing
@draft printing :
printer command to set printer for draft
printing
graph. printing : printer command to set the printer for
graphics printing; since graphics command is
not required by all printers, it is therefor
optional and is not checked but must be
present for any graphics to be printed if
printer requires it
text spacing : printer command to set the printer for the
correct number of line spaces for character
printing
graph. spacing : printer command to set the printer for the
correct number of line spaces for graphic
printing
normal zero : printer command to set the printer to print
all zeros without a slash through it
slashed zero : printer command to set the printer to print
all zeros with a slash through it
ASCII mode : printer command to set the printer for ASCII
character printing
C= mode : printer command to set the printer for Commodore
character printing
@NOTE
: normal zero, slashed zero, ASCII mode and C= mode are selected from the PRINT dialog box from the main menu (see PRINT from MAIN MENU section for more detail)
@print bit :
type of printing head (7 or 8)
@dots per inch :
number of dots per inch (60, 72 and 80)
@char. per line :
characters per line (60 or 80)
@carriage return :
carriage return (no line feed) command
@line feed :
line feed command
@form feed :
form feed (page break) command
res. font #1 : printer command for resident font #1
res. font #2 : printer command for resident font #2
res. font #3 : printer command for resident font #3
res. font #4 : printer command for resident font #4
@NOTE :
Resident fonts are automatically selected using the ID number from the supplied fonts. These are hard coded in program therefor ID numbers for those fonts
must not be changed
or else program will not recognize them and will not be switched in. You may update supplied fonts to your liking as long as you don't A) change their ID numbers or B) change their width.
If you click on a resident font and erase it, all subsequent fonts will also be erased (i.e. select res. font #2 and press return in dialog box will erase fonts #2, #3 and #4).
If you have more than 4 resident fonts, it is up to you to select the ones you want by entering their commands in the appropriate section.
FINAL NOTES
Database must be present for program to work. I strong
FINAL NOTES
Database must be present for program to work. I strongly success that you make a backup copy in case it gets destroyed. Since you cannot run program without it, you cannot create a new one either.
Do not remove or change disk from drive while operating this program since database is written back to it without checking if it is present or it is the same and therefor might overwrite other parts of disk making it unusable. This problem will be corrected in the next version.
This program is supplied by me to all Q-linkers free of charge. The only thing I would like you to do in return is when you have a database working for your printer to please take a few minutes to upload it on Q for other users to access (and therefor saving them any problems).
Also this program is copyright and may not be be altered in any way, shape or form or distributed on a disk that is sold to users without my
written
consent.
Any comments or suggestions are welcomed. Please send them to MarcFB on Q or post them with the program.
(.txt)