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PrintGL 1.26
pen plotter emulator
for IBM/DOS systems
(C) Copyright Ravitz Software Inc. 1990,1992
Ravitz Software Inc. BBS/FAX 606-268-0577
P.O. Box 25068
Lexington, KY 40524-5068
USA Compuserve Cary Ravitz [70431,32]
p-1
Contents -------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction ..................................................... 2
License and Registration 3
What Is New ...................................................... 4
Installation 4
Operation ........................................................ 5
How To Get HP-GL Plotfiles From Your Graphics Software 6
Messages ......................................................... 6
Syntax 7
Overview of Options .............................................. 8
/A - Location Option 8
/B - Tiling Option ............................................... 8
/C - Pen Color Option 9
/D - Output Destination Option ................................... 9
/F - Output Format Option 10
/I - Scaling Point Location Option .............................. 12
/J, /K - Printer Code Prefix, Suffix Options 12
/L - Page Layout Option ......................................... 13
/M - Magnification Option 14
/N - Page Number Option ......................................... 14
/O - Origin and Orientation Option 14
/P - Plotfile Option ............................................ 15
/Q - Number of Copies Option 15
/R - Internal Resolution Option ................................. 15
/S - Pen Shading Option 15
/T - Temporary File Option ...................................... 15
/W - Pen Width Option 16
/X - User Interface Options ..................................... 16
/Y - D/Y and S/E Switch Settings Option 16
/Z - Chord Angle and Enhanced Font Option ....................... 17
PrintGL Menu Interface (PMI) 18
PMI Specific Functions .......................................... 18
PMI Input and Output Choices 19
PMI Plot Options ................................................ 19
PMI Pen Options 19
PMI Page Layout Options ......................................... 20
PMI Other Options 20
Large Paper ..................................................... 20
Tips On AutoCAD 21
Answers ......................................................... 21
Useful Prefix and Suffix Codes 22
Display Output .................................................. 23
PostScript Output 23
HP-GL and HP-GL/2 Output ........................................ 24
ZSoft PCX Bit Map Output 24
Printer Output .................................................. 25
Color Processing 29
HP-GL Commands .................................................. 29
Compatibility and Technical Information 30
User Support .................................................... 30
p-2
Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------
PrintGL is a shareware pen plotter emulator for IBM/DOS systems. It
prints or displays HP-GL (Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language - 7475,
17440 subset) plotfiles on most PC graphics devices. HP-GL is widely
supported by CAD, drawing, plotting, and other graphics programs
including AutoCAD, Microstation, Generic CADD, MathCAD, Schema,
OrCAD, and SAS. PrintGL will print on Epson and IBM 9 pin printers,
Epson, Fujitsu, IBM, NEC, and Toshiba 24 pin printers, HP LaserJet,
DeskJet, color DeskJet, PaintJet, QuietJet, HP-GL/2 devices, and
HP-GL plotters, IBM ExecJet, Quietwriter 2 and 3, LaserPrinter, and
plotters, Canon LBP, BJ, and BJC printers, Kodak Color 4, PDP
ProTracer, Tektronix ColorQuick, and PostScript printers. It will
also display plots with a CGA, EGA, VGA, enhanced VGA, or HGC, and
output a ZSoft PCX bit map file or or an Encapsulated PostScript
file with preview bit map.
Even if your graphics program supports your printer, you will
probably find that PrintGL is faster, gives better print quality,
and/or gives more formatting flexibility. PrintGL uses the best
graphics modes available for each printer that it supports and uses
transfer data compression to improve print speed on many printers.
And it gives options such as orientation, magnification, position,
and pen width, color, and shading. If you need printed graphics
output from personal software, you can output HP-GL and use PrintGL
to do the printing. This gives immediate support to a wide range of
printers. And it lets you use the HP 17440 command set while still
supporting lower function plotters.
PrintGL interprets all of the HP 7475 and 7440/17440 (ColorPro with
GEC) command set that is applicable to plotfiles except for
character set 8 (Katakana). None of the digitize, output, or device
control commands (except plotter on and off) are supported as these
are only used with direct control of a plotter. And the error mask
command is not supported. In addition to the HP 7475 and 7440/17440
commands, PrintGL handles paper feed, label origin, and extra space
commands and proportional fonts.
PrintGL can be run from the DOS command line (and .BAT files) or
from PrintGL Menu Interface (PMI). PMI is a menu driven program that
lets you choose options, select a list of plotfiles, and run
PrintGL. This simplifies the selection of options and lets you run
multiple plotfiles without intervention. PMI lets you save five
configurations, so after initial setup you can use it with minimal
effort.
This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help
you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not
provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the
ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a
CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
p-3
License and Registration ---------------------------------------------
PrintGL (including PrintGL Menu Interface) is provided as is. There
are no warranties expressed or implied.
PrintGL is copyrighted by Ravitz Software Inc. You may copy PrintGL
only for use under this license agreement.
PrintGL is distributed as shareware. You may use PrintGL without
charge on a trial basis to determine its suitability for you. If you
continue to use it after your evaluation, you must purchase a
registered copy for $50. This registration covers use by a single
person (on multiple computers) or installation on a single computer
(may be used by a group of people). There is no cost to use a later
1.** version after registering any 1.** version.
You may distribute PrintGL as a stand alone product if you keep the
entire package together, unchanged, including this license
explanation, and do not charge more than $10. You may not distribute
PrintGL as part of another product.
To purchase a registered copy of PrintGL, send your name, address,
and $50 check to:
Ravitz Software Inc.
P.O. Box 25068
Lexington, KY 40524-5068
USA
You will be sent a printed manual and disk (always the latest
version). Specify 3.5 or 5.25 inch disk. If you previously
registered PrintGL, you may send $15 to get a current disk and
manual.
Multiuser licenses are $50 for the first copy (with disk and manual)
and thereafter $40 per copy with disk and manual or $25 per copy
without disk or manual.
For users outside the USA, please make checks payable in US dollars,
and except for Canada, please use a check from a US bank if
possible. Don't forget to include your country in your address.
If you register through a business, be sure to include your name.
PrintGL Printer Driver is a special version of PrintGL, modified for
use as a printer driver. It may be licensed for use in commercial
programs. Send a note to request more information on this.
p-4
What Is New ----------------------------------------------------------
For version 1.26:
GEM IMG output (/FG) has been dropped
low resolution (180 dpi) Canon BJ, BJC drivers have been dropped
/FG drives the Pacific Data Products ProTracer
/FU is an improved HP LaserJet 2 driver
/F7+ is a two pass (double ink) BJ/ExecJet driver
/FB+ is a BJC driver with sparse line to line overlap
/FV* drives VESA EVGA 1024x768 displays
/FV+ (VESA EVGA 800x600) is fixed
/F0 drives any HP-GL/2 raster device
/F8 adds supports for the HP 7220
the PostScript XP macro (set via prefix code) sets the paper tray
the nominal resolution of PS, HP-GL, HP-GL/2 may be specified
line width N turns a pen off
the O suboption of /L has been dropped
pen overwrite mode (opaque pens) is the default
For version 1.24:
multiple copies (/Q)
supports the Tektronix ColorQuick (/FR)
color 24 pin drivers use true black instead of CMY mix
PMI includes five configurations
revised shading patterns
reverse image is allowed on /F4, /FD, and /FL
PostScript output lets you set the nominal resolution
/DX1,..,/DX4 provide xon/xoff serial port drive
/DH1,..,/DH4 provide hardware handshaking serial port drive
The latest version of PrintGL is available from the support bulletin
board at 606-268-0577 (1200..9600,N,8,1 24 hours/day, XMODEM or
YMODEM (1K XMODEM) download), packed in .ZIP format.
Installation ---------------------------------------------------------
Copy the files PRINTGL.EXE and PMI.EXE to your working disk or
directory. They are all that you need to run PrintGL.
PRINTGL.EXE is the command line driven executable file. PMI.EXE is
the executable file for PrintGL Menu Interface. PMI needs to be able
to find itself (PMI.EXE) and PRINTGL.EXE, so both of these files
should be in a directory that is in your DOS PATH. If you prefer,
you can set the environment variable PRINTGLP to be a path that
tells PMI where to find itself and PRINTGL.EXE. If you have PRINTGLP
defined, PMI ignores the PATH.
In addition to the above files, these files are part in the package,
and must be included if you distribute PrintGL as shareware:
PRINTGL.DOC documentation
ADD.DOC additional documentation since last release
HPGL.DOC HP-GL reference
HPGL.CHR HP-GL character set plotfile
SAMPLE.PLT sample plotfile
ORDER.FRM order form
README.* quick information
p-5
Operation ------------------------------------------------------------
PrintGL reads a plotfile, does arc, character, fill, etc. to line
conversion, stores the data in a coordinate list, and if needed,
puts the list on disk. It then reorients the data and determines the
plot size. Next the data is resized and relocated. For vector output
formats (HP-GL, PostScript) data is output from here. For bit mapped
devices (most printers, displays, bit maps) the coordinate list is
rasterized and output in swaths. You are likely to see the printer
print a swath and stop while PrintGL is processing the next swath.
Esc stops PrintGL at the next good break point, leaving the printer
ready for new data. Ctrl-Break stops PrintGL as quickly as possible.
You generally need to do a printer reset after a Ctrl-Break.
When you display a plot, press Enter or Esc to return to the DOS
text screen, or any of the four cursor movement keys to scroll
across the plot. Press S to cycle between full, half (the default),
quarter, and eighth page scrolling.
PrintGL works within a printer's current margins and starts at the
current vertical print position. If you decline the form feed
suboption of the /L option then PrintGL leaves the printer at the
start of the line directly below the plot. All printing is done in
printer lines that cover the full height of the printhead.
PrintGL will not automatically change a printer's operating mode. On
multimode printers, the right operating mode must be set before
running PrintGL or with the prefix code (/J) option.
Internally PrintGL uses two byte coordinates on a 1016 dots/inch
grid. This allows for plots with coordinates of over 30 inches - far
larger than an HP 7475 can handle. However, if you are using PrintGL
to emulate a large plotter, you may overflow the internal coordinate
system. This condition is not checked, and it will cause garbage
output. You can change the internal resolution to 508 dots per inch
(giving 60 inch maximum plot sizes) with the /R option (/R508). This
only helps store the original plot internally. The next step in
PrintGL converts these coordinates to the requested size in the
resolution of the output device, and these coordinates must also fit
in the two byte coordinate list.
p-6
How To Get HP-GL Plotfiles From Your Graphics Software ---------------
To use PrintGL, you must be able to output HP-GL files from your
graphics application. Most CAD, drawing, and graphing software lets
you do this. Just tell the application to output your picture to a
plotter. In either the configuration process or the output process,
you will need to specify that: you have an HP 7475 or HP 7440/17440
plotter; and that you want the output to go to a file instead of a
COM port (some programs name the file automatically and some ask you
for a name). Once you have the file, you can print it with PrintGL,
either from a DOS shell or after exiting the application.
Messages -------------------------------------------------------------
PrintGL displays a number of messages to keep you informed of what
it is doing. The output looks like this.
Reading SAMPLE.PLT
Plotfile has 1 page(s) Processing page 1 2283 data records
Overall magnification 0.9964
Print window Horizontal 0.00 7.54 Vertical 0.00 10.14
Plot area Horizontal 0.42 7.13 Vertical 0.61 9.54
Output format /FT HxV dpi nominal 180x180, actual 180x180 color
Writing to device LPT3
The first line is the plotfile that is currently being processed.
The second line tells how many pages are in the plotfile, which page
is being processed, and the number of data points in that page. The
number of data points is roughly equivalent to the number of pen
moves and is shown to give you an indication of the plot's
complexity.
The overall magnification is either the magnification that you
specified with the /M option or the effective magnification after
fitting to the print window with /MF. The print window line gives
the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the print window, always
starting at 0,0 and in inches. The plot area gives the horizontal
and vertical coordinates of a box that just covers the plotted data.
This uses the same coordinate system as the print window, so you can
tell where the plot is relative to the print window.
The output format and resolution are given and then the output
destination is noted (except for screen plots). If three plane color
is being used, the word "color" is displayed. If you have a black
only printer, but the output format allows color (this is common
with 9 and 24 pin printers), using color will triple the PrintGL run
time with no improvement in print quality.
During processing, PrintGL informs you when it is processing and
writing data, and you can watch the progress from 0% to 100%, along
with the elapsed time.
p-7
Syntax ---------------------------------------------------------------
The calling syntax of PrintGL is:
PRINTGL plotfile /option1 /option2 ...
Spaces between parameters are not required. The plotfile may be
specified with the /P option if it is inconvenient to make it the
first parameter.
If a given option is entered more than once, only the last entry is
used. And if an option is invalid (but not incorrect), it is
ignored. This lets you set up a batch file with your preferred
options but override them as desired. For example, create PHP.BAT
with the line:
PRINTGL /FL /M1 /P %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
Then PHP can be called just like PRINTGL but it defaults to HP
LaserJet format with magnification 1.
The DOS environment variable PRINTGL is examined by PrintGL and if
it is nonblank then it is put in front of the command line
parameters. If you put "SET PRINTGL=/FL/M1" in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
then PrintGL will default to LaserJet format with magnification 1.
This is ignored when running under PrintGL Menu Interface.
If you do not enter any parameters or if any parameter is incorrect,
PrintGL displays its option reminder screen.
Below, [ and ] enclose optional suboptions and | separates mutually
exclusive suboptions. The options and suboptions may be in any order
except that multiple numeric suboptions are ordered and numeric
suboptions must follow character suboptions where the characters may
be digits. "c" refers to a suboption character, "x" and "y" to
suboption numbers, "i" and "j" to suboption integers, "b" to a
suboption byte, and "f" to a DOS file or device name.
For numbers (x, y), a decimal point is allowed but is not required,
and scientific notation is not allowed. "-" is allowed but not "+".
For integer input (i, j), only base ten integers from -32768 to
32767 are allowed. "+" is not allowed. A byte (b) must be a base ten
integer from 0 to 255 or a hexadecimal number prefixed with $ from
$00 to $FF. Further range checking is done for most options to flag
unreasonable input. If an option has multiple numeric suboptions,
these may be separated with commas or blanks.
********************************************************************
It is very important to choose the right output format (/F option).
It is likely that the default output format will work on your
printer, but it is equally likely that it will not produce optimal
results. Please look carefully at the entire list of output formats
before choosing one, and do not assume that because a format works
that it is the best one to use.
********************************************************************
p-8
Overview of Options --------------------------------------------------
PrintGL's options fall into several categories. The first is input
and output choices. The input is chosen with /P, the plotfile, and
/N, the page number. Output options are /F, the output format
(printer model), and /D, the destination port, device, or file.
The second category is the page layout. /L controls the size and
location of the print window (hard clip limits), and the option to
box the window, send a form feed, reverse the image color, and use
opaque lines. Tiling is set with /B and copies with /Q.
The third category defines how the plot looks within the print
window. /M, the magnification, sets the size of the plot. /A
determines the location of the plot within the print window. /O sets
the origin and orientation, and is used to rotate or mirror the
plot. /I sets the plotter's initial scaling points.
The fourth category defines the pens, /W for the width, /C for the
color, and /S for the shade.
And the last category determines how PrintGL processes the plot.
This includes the temporary file /T, the default and minimum chord
angle /Z, the plotter Y/D and S/E switch position /Y, the internal
resolution /R, user interface options /X, and /J and /K let you set
up and reset the printer for special situations.
/A - Location Option -------------------------------------------------
/A[O][x,y] - location - default /A
The A option determines the location of the plot in the print window
via a point on the plot that is aligned with a point in the print
window. You can specify the plot alignment point with x,y in inches
from the plot's origin (before PrintGL applies magnification), or
let it default to the plot center. For the print window alignment
point, you can default to the center or specify the origin with O.
/A puts the center of the plot at the center of the print
/AO0,0 puts the plot 0,0 at the print window origin
/B - Tiling Option ---------------------------------------------------
/B[i,j,x] - tiling parameters - default /B1,1,0
/B lets you specify tiling options that break a large plot into
pages. Each page is defined by the page layout option (/L). I and j
specify the number of tiles (pages) horizontally and vertically. X
specifies the overlap in inches. Displayed plots are sized based on
the tiling, but only the first tile is displayed. Use the cursor
keys to scroll the plot.
/B2,2,.5 breaks the plot into 4 pages with .5 inch overlap
/B is the same as /B1,1,0 and produces no tiling
p-9
/C - Pen Color Option ------------------------------------------------
/C[O|T]c.. - color - default /CK
/C specifies the color of each pen. The colors are B for blue, C for
cyan, G for green, K for black, M for magenta, R for red, W for
white, and Y for yellow. Unspecified pens use the last selected
color (/CRGB is the same as /CRGBBBBBB). If the output format does
not allow color then nonwhite colors are changed to black.
Additional colors can be created with shade mixing. These colors use
shading patterns to mix the eight pure colors. The format for a
mixed color is .?? where each ? represents any of the eight pure
colors. The first color is printed with the pen's shading pattern
(/S option) and the second is printed with the inverse shading
pattern. If the shade value is 0 (solid) it is replaced by 2 (one
dot checkerboard) which produces the most uniform mixed colors.
Mixed colors need line widths of at least 2 (4 for 2 dot shading
patterns) to look good, and they may have visual artifacts on edges
near a 45 degree angle.
By default, colors are overwritten into the print, so they appear
opaque. You can switch to translucent colors (ored into the print)
with the T suboption, and then back to opaque with the O suboption.
Make this mode switch in front of the pen that you want to change.
For PostScript devices and plotters, the color processing is done by
the device, not PrintGL. PostScript devices use opaque colors and
plotters use translucent colors.
" means repeat the previous color.
/CK sets pen 1..40 to black
/CKOR.MB""T.KY sets pen 1 to black
pen 2 to opaque red
pen 3..5 to opaque magenta on blue
pen 6..40 to translucent black on yellow
/D - Output Destination Option ---------------------------------------
/D[+]f - destination - default /D1
The D option specifies the output printer port, device, or file. The
+ suboption causes files to be appended rather than overwritten (it
has no effect on device output). 1, 2, and 3 select the BIOS printer
routines. X1, X2, X3, and X4 select xon/xoff controlled serial port
drive. H1, H2, H3, and H4 select hardware controlled serial port
drive. You can also use the DOS devices LPT1, COM1, etc.
PrintGL cannot set up the serial ports. This is usually done in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT with MODE (probably MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P).
/D is ignored for display output.
/D2 sends output to the second parallel port via BIOS
/DLPT3 sends output to the DOS device LPT3
/D+TEMP.PRN appends output to file TEMP.PRN
p-10
/F - Output Format Option --------------------------------------------
/Fc[-|+|*][!][~][`][x,y] - output format - default /FN~
The F option specifies the output format. -, +, and * are resolution
modifiers, ! selects a compression mode driver, ~ turns off color
processing, and ` turns off four plane color processing. These
suboptions are allowed even if they have no effect.
For 800x600 VGA (/FV+) you can append the display mode number. This
must follow the format character. It may be entered in hex with a $
prefix. For PostScript (/FS) and HP-GL/2 (/F0) you can append the
nominal device resolution. Matching the nominal resolution to the
printer may yield small improvements in print quality.
You can append the horizontal and vertical resolution of the output
device in dots/inch. This overrides the normal output device
resolution, but does not affect the structure of the output. These
numbers should follow all other suboptions. In addition to letting
you choose any resolution for a bit map, this feature lets you
compensate for print size error. For example, a 360x360 dpi printer
consistently under indexes so that a 6 inch high box comes out 5.94
inches. Using 360,363.6 (6/5.94*360 = 363.6) removes the error. For
print size correction, you also specify a number from .5 to 2 which
is interpreted as the nominal resolution time this number. For
example on a 360 dpi printer, 1.0,1.01 is the same as 360,363.6.
Drivers marked below with ! have a compression mode driver, selected
with "!". This may be very useful, but it depends on your printer.
These drivers compress the output data by breaking bit map strips
with printhead positioning commands. This saves data transmission
time, but some printers spend more time positioning the printhead
than is saved by not sending the data.
A number of printers use compression mode by default. It can be
turned off with ¡ (ASCII 173).
Drivers marked below with ~ are color devices. Using ~ suppresses
color processing, substituting black for all colors except white.
The ` suboption switches from 4 plane color to 3 plane color, so
CMYK devices become CMY and RGBI devices become RGB.
/F0 ~ HP-GL/2 ......................................... 600x600
/F0i ~ HP-GL/2 ixi
/F1 ~ IBM 9 pin ....................................... 120x72
/F1+ ~ IBM 9 pin (2 pass) 120x144
/F1* ~ IBM 9 pin (4 pass) .............................. 240x144
/F2 IBM Quietwriter 2 240x240
/F3 IBM Quietwriter 3 ............................... 240x240
/F4- IBM LaserPrinter (PPDS mode) 150x150
/F4 IBM LaserPrinter (PPDS mode) .................... 300x300
/F5 !~ IBM 24 pin alternate 1 180x180
/F5+ !~ IBM 24 pin alternate 1 (2 pass) ................. 360x180
/F5* !~ IBM 24 pin alternate 1 (4 pass) 360x360
/F6 ! IBM Proprinter X24 .............................. 180x182
/F6+ ! IBM Proprinter X24 (2 pass) 360x182
/F6* ! IBM Proprinter X24 (4 pass) ..................... 360x364
p-11
/F7 Canon BJ (Proprinter mode), IBM ExecJet ......... 360x360
/F7+ Canon BJ (Proprinter mode), IBM ExecJet (2 pass) 360x360
/F8 HP-GL .......................................... 1016x1016
/F8i HP-GL enhanced (7550 enhanced mode) ixi
/F9 !~ NEC 24 pin ...................................... 180x180
/F9+ !~ NEC 24 pin (2 pass) 360x180
/F9* !~ NEC 24 pin (4 pass) ............................. 360x360
/FA- ~ HP DeskJet 500C, Mannesmann Tally MT92C 150x150
/FA ~ HP DeskJet 500C, Mannesmann Tally MT92C ......... 300x300
/FB ~ Canon BJC 800 360x360
/FB+ ~ Canon BJC 800 (line overlap) .................... 360x360
/FC CGA display 62x25
/FD- Canon LBP (ISO mode) ............................ 150x150
/FD Canon LBP (ISO mode) 300x300
/FE ~ 128K EGA color display ........................... 62x45
/FF !~ Fujitsu 24 pin 180x180
/FF+ !~ Fujitsu 24 pin (2 pass) ......................... 360x180
/FF* !~ Fujitsu 24 pin (4 pass) 360x360
/FG PDP Protracer (Proprinter mode) ................. 360x360
/FH Hercules graphics card display 70x45
/FI- HP LaserJet 3, DeskJet .......................... 150x150
/FI HP LaserJet 3, DeskJet 300x300
/FJ Canon BJ (BJ130 mode) ........................... 360x360
/FK ~ Kodak Diconix Color 4 192x192
/FL- HP LaserJet ..................................... 150x150
/FL HP LaserJet 300x300
/FM 128K EGA monochrome display ..................... 62x45
/FN ~ Epson 9 pin 120x72
/FN+ ~ Epson 9 pin (3 pass) ............................ 120x216
/FN* ~ Epson 9 pin (6 pass) 240x216
/FO !~ Toshiba 24 pin .................................. 180x180
/FO+ !~ Toshiba 24 pin (2 pass) 360x180
/FO* !~ Toshiba 24 pin (4 pass) ......................... 360x360
/FP !~ HP PaintJet 180x180
/FQ HP QuietJet (PCL mode) .......................... 192x192
/FR ~ Tektronix ColorQuick 216x216
/FS ~ PostScript ...................................... 600x600
/FSi ~ PostScript ixi
/FT !~ Epson 24 pin .................................... 180x180
/FT+ !~ Epson 24 pin (2 pass) 360x180
/FT* !~ Epson 24 pin (4 pass) ........................... 360x360
/FU- HP LaserJet 2 150x150
/FU HP LaserJet 2 ................................... 300x300
/FV ~ VGA display 62x62
/FV+ ~ VESA 800x600 VGA display ......................... 78x78
/FV+b ~ 800x600 VGA display - mode b 78x78
/FV* ~ VESA 1024x768 VGA display ....................... 100x100
/FW ~ Epson 9 pin alternate 120x72
/FW+ ~ Epson 9 pin alternate (3 pass) .................. 120x216
/FW* ~ Epson 9 pin alternate (6 pass) 240x216
/FX !~ IBM 24 pin alternate 2 .......................... 180x180
/FX+ !~ IBM 24 pin alternate 2 (2 pass) 360x180
/FX* !~ IBM 24 pin alternate 2 (4 pass) ................. 360x360
/FY append Encapsulated PostScript preview bit map 72x72
/FYi,j append Encapsulated PostScript preview bit map .... ixj
/FZ ~ ZSoft PCX 100x100
/FZi,j ~ ZSoft PCX ......................................... ixj
p-12
/I - Scaling Point Location Option -----------------------------------
/IA|R|W[N] - IP point location - default /IA
This option is not useful with any HP-GL that does not use the scale
command or that initializes the plotter or sets the scaling points.
The I option sets the initial scaling points (P1, P2 - the scaling
points may be set in the HP-GL file with the IP command). A
(absolute) sets the points to the default for the paper size (see
below). R fits P1 and P2 to the print window with at least .25 inch
margins and an x/y ratio of 10/7.2 (the same ratio as the HP 7475
with small paper). W fits P1 and P2 to the print window with a .25
inch margin. N makes the margin 0 for R or W and is ignored with A.
The default scaling points depend on the print window (/L option)
with the implied paper size and the plot orientation (/O option).
paper options default scaling pts with RO90 command
7440 A /O1 /L 7.54,10.14 250,279 10250, 7479 279,250 7479,10250
7440 A4 /O1 /L 7.54,10.74 250,279 10250, 7479 279,250 7479,10250
7475 A4 /O1 /L 7.84,10.20 250,596 10250, 7796 154,244 7354,10244
7475 A4 /O1 /L 7.60,10.88 603,521 10603, 7721 0,610 7200,10610
7475 B /O1 /L10.20,16.38 522,259 15722,10259 283,934 10283,16134
7475 A3 /O1 /L10.88,15.90 170,602 15370,10602 607,797 10607,15997
7440 A /O2 /L10.14, 7.54 250,279 10250, 7479 279,250 7479,10250
7440 A4 /O2 /L10.74, 7.54 250,279 10250, 7479 279,250 7479,10250
7475 A /O2 /L10.20, 7.84 250,596 10250, 7796 154,244 7354,10244
7475 A4 /O2 /L10.88, 7.60 603,521 10603, 7721 0,610 7200,10610
7475 B /O2 /L16.38,10.20 522,259 15722,10259 283,934 10283,16134
7475 A3 /O2 /L15.90,10.88 170,602 15370,10602 607,797 10607,15997
anything else 250,279 10250, 7479 279,250 7479,10250
/O3 and /O4 gives the same default scaling points as /O1 and /O2.
/IA uses the default scaling points
/IWN sets the scaling points to fit the print window
/J, /K - Printer Code Prefix, Suffix Options -------------------------
/J[b,b,..] - printer code prefix - default /J
/K[b,b,..] - printer code suffix - default /K
/J lets you send codes to the printer before PrintGL's usual data is
sent and /K lets you send codes after PrintGL's usual data is sent.
This lets you set up and reset the printer for special situations.
For plotter and PostScript output, the /J codes follow the
initialization commands.
The codes are specified with byte values (0..255 or $0..$FF)
separated with blanks or commas. There is a limit of 80 characters
for any option, so very long sequences must be handled outside of
PrintGL.
/J27 79 sets skip perforation off to allow plots larger than one
page on most continuous form printers
p-13
/L - Page Layout Option ----------------------------------------------
/L[B][F][R][x,y[,x,y]] - page layout - default depends on printer
The L option defines the page layout.
B boxes the plot at the print window edge using pen 40.
F and N set form feed or no form feed. Form feed is the default and
does not need to be specified. This is ignored for PCX and display
output.
R reverses the colors on displays, bit maps, and output formats 4,
D, and L, (Canon, HP, and IBM laser printers) and is otherwise
ignored. This gives the equivalent of a photographic negative.
The first optional x and y are the print window width and height in
inches. These define the hard clip limits. These values are not
checked against the printer's capabilities. If you specify a print
window that exceeds the output device limits, the results are
unknown. You may need to reset the printer's margins or page length
for large plots (see Large Paper). The size needed for a given width
and height exceeds x and y by 8 dots to allow for line widths.
The second optional x and y are the left and top margins, measured
from the printer's left margin and current vertical position to the
print window. The margins for HP-GL and PostScript are measured from
0,0 (left, bottom). Margins are ignored for display output and bit
maps.
THE PRINT WINDOW PLUS MARGINS MUST FIT WITHIN THE PRINTABLE AREA.
Each printer has a default page layout. The default print window is
7.54x10.14 for printers and bit maps and 10.14x7.54 for HP-GL and
displays. These correspond to HP 7440 A size paper. The margins are
printer specific to compensate for different paper handling. In
evaluating user options, PrintGL processes each option and when
finished reprocesses the default page layout for the chosen printer
and then reprocesses the last user /L option. This procedure gives
good default values so that your /L option can change the letter
suboptions while keeping the default print window.
/LB7.5,3,.5,0 makes the print window 7.5 inches wide and 3 inches
high, with a .5 inch left margin and no top margin,
boxes the window, and does not do a form feed
/LF7.54,10.14 sets window equivalent to HP 7440 with A paper
/LF7.54,10.74 sets window equivalent to HP 7440 with A4 paper
/LF7.84,10.20 sets window equivalent to HP 7475 with A paper
/LF7.60,10.88 sets window equivalent to HP 7475 with A4 paper
/LF10.20,16.38 sets window equivalent to HP 7475 with B paper
/LF10.88,15.90 sets window equivalent to HP 7475 with A3 paper
p-14
/M - Magnification Option --------------------------------------------
/M[F]x - magnification - default /MF.9
The M option specifies the magnification. F fits the plot to the
print window size. The default is /MF.9 which makes the plot 90% of
the largest size that will fit in the print window. /M1 gives the
same size plot as an HP 7475 plotter.
/MF.9 fits the plot to the print window and shrinks it 10%
/M1 plots at the same size as an HP 7475
/M.5 plots at half the size of an HP 7475
/N - Page Number Option ----------------------------------------------
/N[i] - page number - default /N
/Ni says to print only page i of the plotfile. If you do not specify
i then all pages in the plot will be printed (this is the default).
/N prints all pages in the plotfile
/N3 prints only page 3
/O - Origin and Orientation Option -----------------------------------
/O[1|2|3|4[L]] - origin, orientation - default /O
The O option sets the print window origin and orientation. The
origin is one of four corners numbered 1..4 for upper left, lower
left, lower right, and upper right, and implies a plot rotation. The
L suboption specifies a left handed coordinate system, which mirrors
the plot. If no origin is specified then it is chosen so that the x
axis is the longer dimension.
Here are pictures of PrintCAD's view of the output media compared to
an HP 7475's view.
HP 7475 PrintGL
display or
A size B size printer plotter
y┌────────┐ 0,0┌────────┐y ul ┌─────┐ur ul ┌────────┐ur
│ │ │ │ 1 │ │4 1 │ │4
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
0,0└────────┘x │ │ │ │ ll └────────┘lr
│ │ │ │ 2 3
│ │ ll └─────┘lr
│ │ 2 3
x└────────┘
/O1 puts the print window's origin in the upper left corner
/O2 puts the print window's origin in the lower left corner
p-15
/P - Plotfile Option -------------------------------------------------
/Pf - plotfile - no default
The plotfile may be specified as the first parameter with no prefix,
or it may be specified anywhere in the option list with /P. If you
use a file name mask with "*" and/or "?", each matching file is
processed, but the first failure or user break stops all processing.
/Q - Number of Copies Option -----------------------------------------
/Qi - number of copies - default /Q1
/Q sets the number of copies of each printed page. The default is
one. Page printers produce multiple copies faster using the "N
copies" prefix code (see Useful Prefix and Suffix Codes).
/R - Internal Resolution Option --------------------------------------
/Ri - internal resolution - default /R1016
/R sets the internal grid resolution in dots/inch. It is normally
1016 and rarely needs to be changed. To fit very large plots into
the -32768..32767 coordinate limit, use /R508. Setting the
resolution to a multiple of the output device resolution times the
magnification may yield a small improvement in print quality.
/S - Pen Shading Option ----------------------------------------------
/Sc.. - pen shading patterns - default /S0
/S assigns a shading pattern to each pen. Unspecified pens use the
last specified shade. The shade values are 0..8. 0 is the default
solid line. 1..4 are 1 dot patterns (75%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%) and need
line widths of at least three to give good looking lines. 5..8 are
2x2 dot patterns (75%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%) and need line widths of at
least five to give good looking lines. Some printers, especially dot
matrix printers in multipass modes, may wash out shading because
they have a dot size that is large relative to the dot spacing.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
█▀█▄ ▀▄▀▄ ▀▄ ▀ ██████ ██ ██ ██ ██
▀█▄█ ▀▄▀▄ ▄▀ ▀ ██ ████ ██ ██ ██
█▀█▄ ▀▄▀▄ ▀▄ ▀ ████ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██
▀█▄█ ▀▄▀▄ ▄▀ ▀ ██████ ██ ██ ██
/S024 sets pen 1 to solid, pen 2 to 50%, pen 3..40 to 12.5%
/T - Temporary File Option -------------------------------------------
/T[+]f - temporary file - default /TPLOT.TMP
PrintGL uses a temporary file when there is not enough memory to
handle a plotfile. You can use /T to put it on a RAM disk for extra
speed. You can force the use of a temporary file, if the plot has
over 1024 data points, with +. If you use a RAM disk this may speed
printing.
p-16
/W - Pen Width Option ------------------------------------------------
/Wc.. - pen widths - default /WA
The W option assigns pen line widths. Each width may be 0..9, .10 ..
.16 dots, A..I for 2..10 units of 4/1016 inch (.1 mm), or N to turn
off the pen. A..I widths are approximations, based on the device
technology. Unassigned pens use the last assigned width.
For nonsquare matrix printers, PrintGL uses pen points optimized for
an h/v ratio of .67, 1, or 1.5. Widths are figured in the direction
of higher resolution, and are not accurate in the other direction.
Line widths of over eight dots are slightly distorted at the print
window edge to fit within the four dot border.
/WA sets pens 1..40 to .2 mm
/WB2.16 sets pen 1 to .3 mm, pen 2 to 2 dots, pens 3..40 to 16 dots
/X - User Interface Options ------------------------------------------
/X[C][P][S][F][U] - interface options - default /X
The X option sets various interface options. C causes a break when a
plot is clipped. P causes a pause before each printed page.
S suppresses location and size messages. F suppresses location,
size, file name, and page number messages. U suppresses unsupported
command and incorrect number messages.
/XS gives only the most important messages
/Y - D/Y and S/E Switch Settings Option ------------------------------
/Y[D|Y][S|E] - D/Y and S/E switch setting - default /YDS
The Y option sets the plotter's D/Y switch to D or Y and the S/E
switch to S or E. Y starts with the plotter off and responds to
esc.(, esc.Y, esc.), and esc.Z commands. D starts with the plotter
on and ignores these commands. S sets the standard interpretation of
IW (clipping window) commands. E sets 7550 enhanced interpretation
of IW commands, so that they use scaled coordinates.
/YD puts the YD switch in the usual D position
p-17
/Z - Chord Angle and Enhanced Font Option ----------------------------
/Z[i,j][E] - default, min chord angle, enhance font - default /Z10,5
This option is not useful with any HP-GL that draws circles, arcs,
and text as line segments rather than using HP-GL circle, arc, and
label commands.
The Z option specifies the default and minimum chord angles for
circles and arcs. The HP 7475 defaults to a chord angle of 5 with no
minimum. Using chord angles of less than 10 returns little print
quality improvement and adds to processing time. The default is
/Z10,5. For better emulation use /Z5,2.
The E suboption says to use the enhanced font, which doubles the
number of chords on curves in text, improving the curve smoothness.
This is only effective on character heights above .5 cm.
/Z5,2 sets the default chord angle to 5 degrees, the minimum to 2
p-18
PrintGL Menu Interface (PMI) -----------------------------------------
PrintGL Menu Interface (PMI) is a menu driven program that lets you
select PrintGL options, choose a list of plotfiles, and run PrintGL.
To run PrintGL Menu Interface, enter PMI at the DOS prompt, and
press Enter. There are no command line options. The PMI main menu is
displayed at the top of the screen, and the bottom of the screen is
used differently for each main menu option. The PMI main menu is
divided by column into six groups. Each group is described below.
When the cursor is on a main menu item, the current value of the
option is displayed below the main menu. To change the value, press
Enter (or left mouse button). The options are modified with cursor
movement and typing numbers/names. The Enter key returns you to the
main menu with the new option values. Esc (or right mouse button)
returns you to the main menu with the option values unchanged.
If one of the first two letters of a main menu item is capitalized,
that item may be accessed immediately by pressing the letter.
When a cursor bar has a notch, the value in the notch may be edited.
PMI Specific Functions -----------------------------------------------
The first column of main menu options is dedicated to PMI functions.
These include running PrintGL, switching to an alternate
configuration, exiting PMI, saving the current PMI configurations,
setting PMI options, and creating a BAT file corresponding to the
current PMI configuration.
The "Alt config" item rotates between five PMI configurations. The
current configuration name is on line 2.
The "save configs" item saves all of the current PMI configurations.
The plotfile list is not saved. PMI saves its configuration by
writing to PMI.EXE. To find PMI.EXE it looks in the current
directory and then searches the DOS PATH, saving to the first
PMI.EXE that it finds.
The "menu options" item lets you set the configuration name, mouse
sensitivity, screen colors, up to five initial plotfile masks, and
the name of the BAT file created by the "create BAT" option. Screen
colors are specified with the standard IBM BIOS attributes.
For color displays, the left hex digit is the background color and
the right hex digit is the foreground color. Bright colors are not
available in the background.
0 black 4 red 8 gray (bright) C bright red
1 blue 5 magenta 9 bright blue D bright magenta
2 green 6 brown A bright green E bright yellow
3 cyan 7 white B bright cyan F bright white
"create BAT" creates a BAT file that can be run with "batfile
hpglfile /opt1 /opt2 ..". The BAT file contains the options defined
by the current PMI configuraton and accepts additional options.
p-19
PMI Input and Output Choices -----------------------------------------
Column two of the main menu lets you choose the plotfiles to plot
(the /P option in PrintGL), the plot page number (/N), the output
destination (/D), the output format (/F), and modifications to the
output - compression mode, device resolution override and prefix and
suffix printer codes (/J,/K).
You may enter up to 99 plotfiles in the "plotfile" main menu option.
To choose from a list of files, enter a mask name and press Enter
(the cursor must be on the mask). PMI will then display a list of
corresponding files. Select any number of the files by moving the
cursor to the desired file and pressing Space (or the middle mouse
button). If no files have been selected, then pressing Enter selects
the file under the cursor. The selected files are added to the file
list at or below the cursor. Files that would overflow the 99th
position on the plotfile list are dropped.
When you run PrintGL, PMI runs PrintGL for each file on the plotfile
list. Masks are ignored. For any plotfiles that PrintGL does not
successfully process, PMI inserts an arrow in front of the plotfile
name. You can view the results from the "plotfile" main menu item.
The arrow is not considered part of the file name by PMI, so you do
not need to remove it to retry PrintGL.
Printers that support color have a color option ("clr:" on the
menu). This lets you specify a black/white printer even though you
may have set up colors with the "pen color" menu. Output formats
that do not support color do not have this option and always convert
the selected colors to black and white.
Bit map formats let you select the resolution in the "output format"
list, but it will be overridden with the "modify output" "override
h,v dpi" option.
PMI Plot Options -----------------------------------------------------
The third column of main menu options define how the plot will
appear on the page. The options include magnification (/M), origin
(/O), position (/A), and initial scaling points (/I).
Left handed (mirrored) orientations are not available from PMI.
PMI Pen Options ------------------------------------------------------
The fourth column of main menu options covers the pen
characteristics: color (/C), shade (/S), and width (/W). Each of
these menus use the up and down cursor keys to select a pen, and the
left and right cursor keys to choose an attribute. Only fifteen pens
are supported in PMI.
For color selection, the one character colors (b,c,g,k,m,r,w,y)
represent pure colors, and the two character colors are shade
pattern mixes. The shade pattern mixed colors use the current
shading option for that pen, unless the shade pattern is 100%
(solid), in which case a one dot checkerboard is used.
p-20
PMI Page Layout Options ----------------------------------------------
The fifth column of main menu options covers the page layout. The
first three items are suboptions of the /L option - print window and
margins, form feed, and box. Tiling options (/B) and multiple copies
(/Q) are also here.
Reverse image is not available from PMI.
PMI Other Options ----------------------------------------------------
Options that are generally set once and then never touched are in
column six. These include the temporary file name (/T), and under
"other", the default and minimum chord angle (/Z), plotter D/Y
switch setting (/Y), internal resolution (/R), pen overwrite mode
(opaque lines - /LO), and the pause to load paper option (/X).
Large Paper ----------------------------------------------------------
PrintGL can handle printing on paper larger than the usual 8.5x11,
but this takes some extra work. First you need to increase PrintGL's
print window to cover the large paper. This is done with the /L
option or "print window" in PMI. The print window plus the margins
(/L or "print margins") must fit within the printer's printable
area.
And then you must make sure that your printer recognizes the larger
paper height. For continuous forms paper this is best done by
setting skip perforation to off, either by printer switch or with
PrintGL prefix codes. For Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, IBM, and NEC line
printers (dot matrix, ink jet, thermal) use /J27 79, or "modify
output" "prefix codes" 27 79.
For cut sheet paper, on Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, IBM, and NEC line
printers use /J27 67 0 n, where n is the page length in inches.
And for some printers you need to increase the right margin past 8
inches. For the Canon BJC this is done with /J27 81 114.
For page printers, legal size paper may be specified with these
printer code prefixes: HP-PCL printers /J27 38 108 51 65 (/K27 38
108 50 65 to reset to 11 inch paper), Canon LBP printers /J27 91 51
50 59 59 112 (/K27 91 51 48 59 59 112 to reset), IBM LaserPrinter
/J27 91 70 5 0 3 1 2 1 (/J27 91 70 5 0 3 1 1 1 to reset).
To get a 10x16 print window on 11x17 paper in a Canon, Epson,
Fujitsu, IBM, or NEC line printer, use these options: /LF10 16 .4
.25 /J27 67 0 17. You will probably need to adjust the margins (.4
.25) for best centering.
The maximum width of the print window on most narrow carriage
printers is 8 - 8/(horizontal dpi). For 300 dpi printers, this is
7.97. At 120 dpi printers it is 7.93. The maximum width of the print
window on most wide carriage printers is 13.6 - 8/(horizontal dpi).
At 180 dpi this is 13.55. At 360 dpi it is 13.57. The horizontal
print margin should be set to 0 to get this width.
p-21
Tips On AutoCAD ------------------------------------------------------
There are many ways to use PrintGL with AutoCAD. Here is a good way
to start.
Configure AutoCAD for an HP 7550 plotter. Select output to a file.
Do not do any plotter calibration. Set a specific scale, do not fit.
Do not rotate. Set a plotter window that is larger than you will
ever need, 30x30 for example (this will prevent AutoCAD from
clipping the plot). Set up your plotter pen table so that each
screen color is assigned a different pen.
With PrintGL you can rotate (/O or "origin"), magnify (/M or
"magnification"), assign pens (/C,/S,/W or "pen color", "pen shade",
"pen width"), and calibrate (/F or "modify output" "override h,v
dpi"). Use /A or "position" "plot center at print window center" to
automatically center your plot in the print window.
Answers --------------------------------------------------------------
If your plot is messed up, with wraparound lines covering the page,
you have probably exceeded PrintGL's internal coordinate limit. This
happens when the HP-GL coordinates exceed 32 inches. Reduce the
internal resolution with "other" "internal dpi: 762" or /R762 for
coordinates up to 42 inches or /R508 for coordinates up to 64
inches.
If you are having trouble getting the print size or location as
desired, check your /L option or "print window" and "print margins".
The print window plus the print margins must define an area that
fits in the printable area of the paper. Printers cannot print over
the entire area of the paper. They usually require .25 to .5 inch
margins.
If your prints are coming out not quite to scale:
Check that no calibration is being done by the graphics package.
Use the "modify output" "override h,v dpi:" option or the /F
option to override the printer's nominal resolution with the
printer's actual resolution. See /F Output Format Option for
information on print size correction.
For the Canon BJC-800, the right margin defaults to 8 inches. Use
"modify output" "prefix codes: 27 81 114" or /J27 81 114 to set it
to 11.4 inches. Because the margin can only be set once between
printer resets, you may need to use /J27 64 27 81 114 (27 64 is a
printer reset).
For the Canon BJ-330 and most other wide carriage PC printers, the
maximum print window width is 13.57 inches. This is a printer
limitation that you cannot get around.
If your printer ejects the paper before the plot is finished, you
probably needed to specify a paper length prefix code. For most line
printers use /J27 67 0 n where n is the page length in inches.
p-22
Useful Prefix and Suffix Codes ---------------------------------------
Below, n represents any number 0..255, nA represents any number in
ASCII format (1 becomes 49, 2 becomes 50, 43 becomes 52 51, etc.).
Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, IBM, NEC dot matrix and inkjet printers
Reset 27 64
N line paper 27 67 n
N inch paper 27 67 0 n
17 inch paper 27 67 0 17
Skip perforation off 27 79
Right margin n columns 27 81 n (not compatible with IBM)
Unidirectional printing 27 85 1
HP-PCL printers
Reset 27 69
Portrait mode 27 38 108 48 79
Top margin 0 27 38 108 48 69
Skip perforation off 27 38 108 48 76
11 inch paper 27 38 108 50 65
14 inch paper 27 38 108 51 65
11x17 inch paper 27 38 108 54 65
manual feed 27 38 108 50 72
N copies 27 38 108 nA 88 (page printers only)
HP DeskJet 500C
High quality, slow 27 42 111 49 81
No ink depletion 27 42 111 49 68
HP PaintJet XL300
Low quality, fast 27 42 111 45 49 81
PostScript
N copies nA 32 88 67
Paper tray n nA 32 88 80
IBM LaserPrinter
11 inch paper, tray 1, n copies 27 91 70 5 0 3 1 1 n
14 inch paper, tray 1, n copies 27 91 70 5 0 3 1 2 n
14 inch paper, manual, n copies 27 91 70 5 0 1 1 2 n
N copies 27 91 70 5 0 0 0 0 0 n
Canon LBP
Reset 27 99
11 inch paper 27 91 51 48 59 59 112
14 inch paper 27 91 51 50 59 59 112
Manual feed 27 91 49 113
Automatic feed 27 91 48 113
Full page memory mode 27 59 27 91 50 38 122
N copies 27 91 nA 118
Cursor to top of page 27 91 48 100
Diablo mode 27 58
ISO mode 27 59
HP QuietJet
HP-PCL mode 27 37 65
DIP switch mode 27 37 64
p-23
Display Output -------------------------------------------------------
When you display a plot, the cursor keys scroll the plot, S cycles
between full, half (the default), quarter, and eighth page
scrolling, and Esc returns to DOS.
/FC drives a CGA, but does not give color.
The EGA drivers, /FE and /FM, require a 128K or 256K EGA. /FC will
work with a 64K EGA. /FM is for an EGA card with a digital (TTL)
monochrome monitor.
/FH supports the Hercules monochrome graphics card.
/FV works with any VGA card.
/FV+ requires a system with 800x600 16 color support. By default
/FV+ assumes VESA support. If your VGA card does not support VESA
functions then specify the mode number that selects 800x600 16 color
mode. Here are /FV+ options for common VGA cards ($ means hex).
ATI /FV+$54 Paradise /FV+$58 Trident /FV+$5B
Genoa /FV+$29 Renaissance /FV+$64 Video Seven /FV+$16
/FV* works with VESA systems that support 1024x768 16 color mode.
For MCGAs, use the VGA driver without color - /FV~.
Display output cannot be redirected to a file (the /D option is
ignored).
PostScript Output ----------------------------------------------------
/FS outputs printable Encapsulated PostScript with no preview bit
map. Text, arcs, fill, and clips are converted to vectors, so
PrintGL is not a general purpose HP-GL to PostScript converter. If
no form feed is specified then "showpage" is not output, and more
PostScript may be appended to the page. PostScript overwrites as it
draws, so overlapping lines appear opaque.
You can specify the nominal resolution of the PostScript by
appending it to the /F option (for example /FS 300).
You can specify the number of copies with a prefix code that
includes the number of copies followed by ' XC'. For example /J 50
32 88 67 makes 2 (ASCII 050) copies. You can specify the paper tray
with the XP macro.
/FY appends a black/white TIFF preview bit map to a PostScript file.
To use it, create a PostScript file with PrintGL and then run
PrintGL again, specifying the same options except /FY instead of
/FS. The destination file is appended by default. /FY assumes a
PostScript file, generated by PrintGL, is being appended. You may
set the resolution - the default is 72x72 dpi. Here is an example:
PRINTGL sample.plt /Dsample.eps/LB6,6/O2/FS
PRINTGL sample.plt /Dsample.eps/LB6,6/O2/FY
p-24
HP-GL and HP-GL/2 Output ---------------------------------------------
/F8 outputs low level HP-GL, converting all text, arcs, fill, and
clips to vectors. The output is HP 7220 compatible, containing only
IN, IP, SC, SP, IW, LT, PA, PU, and PD commands. PG is added if form
feed is specified (the default). If you decline the form feed then
multiple plots may be appended to the same page.
/F0 drives HP-GL/2 raster devices. /F8 produces HP-GL that is
compatible with HP-GL/2 pen plotters.
You can specify the nominal resolution of HP-GL or HP-GL/2 by
appending it to the /F option (for example /F8 300). When you set
the nominal resolution of HP-GL to other than 1016, enhanced IW
command interpretation (HP 7550 enhanced mode) is needed to handle
dashed lines correctly.
For HP-GL output, PrintGL uses its width parameter (/W) as a pen
selector, so for each pen in the original HP-GL, you may specify a
new pen in the output HP-GL. The default /W option is /W12345678
(for /F8). Shading and color are ignored.
ZSoft PCX Bit Map Output ---------------------------------------------
/FZ gives ZSoft PCX bit map output. Multiple page plots and tiled
plots do not work well with PCX output because PCX has no facilities
for multiple pages in one file. Here is the format used by PrintGL.
The file starts with a header composed of 128 byte values:
10,2,1,1,0,0,0,0,
max_x,max_y, 2 bytes each, in dots
dpi_x,dpi_y, 2 bytes each
0,0,0, 0,0,192, 0,192,0, 0,192,192, color palette
192,0,0,192,0,192,192,192,0,192,192,192,
0,0,0, 0,0,254, 0,254,0, 0,254,254,
254,0,0,254,0,254,254,254,0,254,254,254,
0,
color_planes, 1, 3, or 4
width 2 bytes, in bytes
1,0,..,0
The scan lines follow, in top to bottom order. For color plots, each
complete scan line consists of a blue, green, red, and intensity
scan line. The intensity line is not included for /FZ`. 1 is the
background and 0 the foreground for b/w files. 1,1,1,1 is the
background for color files, with 0 representing the absence of blue,
green, red, or intensity. The bit usage is reversed with /LR. Each
scan line is composed of these data commands ($ means hex):
$00..$BF - 1 byte of bit mapped data ($00..$BF)
$C1 $C0..$FF - 1 byte of bit mapped data ($C0..$FF)
$C2..$FF $00..$FF - 2..63 bytes of repeated bit mapped data
The width and height of the bit map are specified by the /L option
plus eight dots. The width is extended to a multiple of sixteen.
p-25
Printer Output -------------------------------------------------------
Canon BJ and BJC Printers, IBM ExecJet
For the BJ130e, BJ5, BJ10, BJ20, BJ300, BJ330, and ExecJet in
Proprinter mode, use /F7. This is the fastest driver for these
printers. /F7+ gives dark print with line to line overlap.
/FJ works with any Canon BJ printer in BJ130 mode. The printer is
set to 10 pitch text when finished.
You can use /FT or /FT* (the Epson LQ drivers) with the BJ or
ExecJet printers in Epson LQ mode, but /FT* is very slow.
These printers have an image density option (switch 1-9 on the
BJ130, 1-4 on the BJ300, BJ330, and ExecJet). Low density
eliminates every second dot. To get the full 360 dpi resolution,
use high density. For the BJ300, BJ330, and ExecJet, also be sure
that the front panel FONT HQ (high quality) light is on.
Use /FB for Canon BJC printers. The prefix code 27 81 114 sets the
right margin to 11.4 inches. /FB+ gives a sparse line overlap.
Canon LBP Printers
/FD works with any Canon LBP printer in ISO mode. At 300 dpi it
takes up to one meg of printer memory to print a full page of
graphics. At 150 dpi (/FD-) 512K handles a full page.
It may help to set the printer memory mode with /J27 59 27 91 50
38 122.
If the printer is in Diablo mode, PrintGL switches to ISO mode. To
switch back to Diablo mode on completion, use /K27 58.
Epson, IBM 9 Pin Printers
/FN, /FW, and /F1 cover a wide range of Epson/IBM compatible 9 pin
dot matrix printers. You need a cyan/magenta/yellow/black ribbon
to get color prints. The * drivers use 1/240 graphics. /FN+, /FN*,
/FW+, and /FW* use 1/216 indexing and do three vertically
interleaved passes. /F1+ and /F1* use 1/144 indexing and do two
vertically interleaved passes. /FW sets line feeds to 1/6 inch.
For Epson printers, the IBM Graphics Printer, and other printers
with 1/216 indexing hardware, /FN is preferred. For some not quite
compatible printers, /FW works. For IBM Proprinters and other
printers with 1/144 indexing hardware, /F1 gives better results.
Some Proprinters do not handle 1/240 graphics correctly.
These drivers use the following escape codes:
esc 3 set n/216 line feeds for all /FW
esc J index n/216 (n=2 for 1/144 index) for all /FN and /F1
esc L graphics command for /FN, /FN+, /FW, /FW+, /F1, and /F1+
esc Z graphics command for /FN*, /FW*, and /F1*
esc r set ribbon color (only if color is specified)
p-26
Epson, Fujitsu, NEC, Toshiba 24 Pin Printers
/FT covers all Epson LQ printers and many compatible printers
(Panasonic in LQ mode and others). /FF works with Fujitsu 24 pin
printers in Fujitsu mode. /F9 works with NEC 24 pin printers. /FO
works with Toshiba 24 pin printers. /FO resets the line feed
distance to 1/6 inch on completion.
For all of these drivers, you need a cyan/magenta/yellow/black
ribbon to get color prints. The + and * drivers use 1/360 graphics
mode, and the * drivers use 1/360 (1/120 for /FO*) indexing and
reset the line feed distance to 1/6 inch on completion. A clean
paper path with equal tension on each side is needed for good
360x360 graphics.
Many 24 pin printers are not capable of 360x360 graphics and a few
cannot handle 360x180 graphics.
The compression mode drivers (! suboption) may or may not be an
improvement with these printers.
The /FT drivers use the following printer escape codes:
esc $ absolute tab
esc * ' graphics command for /FT
esc * ( graphics command for /FT+, /FT*
esc + set n/360 indexing for /FT*
esc 2 set 1/6 indexing for /FT*
esc J index n/180 for /FT, /FT+
esc r set ribbon color (only if color is specified)
HP DeskJet, HP PaintJet XL300, Mannesmann Tally MT92C
/FI works with any black/white DeskJet in portrait mode.
/FA drives the DeskJet 500C, PaintJet XL300, MT92C, and any color
300 dpi HP-PCL printer that supports data transfer mode 2.
HP LaserJet
/FL works with any LaserJet compatible printer. /FU works with the
LaserJet 2 and any HP-PCL 4 compatible printer. /FI works with the
LaserJet 3 and any HP-PCL 5 compatible printer.
The LaserJet 2P will not index correctly with /FI - use /FU.
All of these drivers work in portrait mode, which may be set with
/J 27 38 108 48 79 or you can reset the printer with /J 27 69.
LaserJets with under one meg of memory may not be able to handle a
full page of graphics. /FU uses less printer memory than /FI, so
it may be preferred on LaserJet 3s with limited memory.
p-27
HP PaintJet
/FP drives 180 dpi PaintJet printers. The compression mode driver
(/FP!) uses data transfer mode 2 (instead of 1) and works only
with a PaintJet XL.
/FA (the DeskJet 500C driver) works with the PaintJet XL300.
HP QuietJet
/FQ works with QuietJets in HP-PCL mode. /J27 37 65 /K27 37 64
sets HP-PCL mode and resets to the DIP switch selected mode on
completion.
IBM LaserPrinter
/F4 drives any LaserPrinter in PPDS (native) mode. /FL will work
if the LaserPrinter is in HP LaserJet mode, but this may be slower
than PPDS mode. At 300 dpi it takes up to one meg of printer
memory to print a full page of graphics. At 150 dpi (/F4-) 512K
handles a full page.
IBM 24 Pin Printers
PrintGL has three drivers that cover Proprinter X24 compatible
printers. The printers should be in native mode (not AGM).
The first driver, /F6, is for all IBM Proprinter X24s and the 24P.
These printers do 1/144 inch indexing, and using them at 180 dpi
results in horizontal white streaks every 2/3 inch. The /F6
drivers compensate for this by indexing 19/144 inch per line,
giving 182 dpi. To work properly, the printer must be on a 1/72
boundary when the graphics are printed. If you keep the line feed
distance a multiple of 1/72 (1/6, 1/8, 1/9) then this will always
be the case.
The second X24 compatible driver is /F5 and is referred to as X24
alternate 1. This is for printers that are X24 compatible except
that they do 1/180 inch indexing. This is probably the case with
most X24 compatible printers, including the IBM Quickwriter and
IBM 2390 and 2391. /F5* works only with printers that can handle
1/360 indexing, including the 2390 and 2391 but not the
Quickwriter.
The third X24 compatible driver is /FX and is referred to as X24
alternate 2. This is the same as /F5 except that the vertical
units command uses a different format that is not strictly IBM
compatible. This driver works with Panasonic 24 pin printers in
X24 mode.
The compression mode drivers (! suboption) may or may not be an
improvement with these printers.
Proprinter X24 and XL24 printers are very slow with graphics. The
X24E and XL24E are significantly faster.
p-28
IBM Quietwriter 2 and 3
/F2 and /F3 drive the Quietwriter 2 and 3. Do not use 1 for pen
widths because Quietwriters do not print consistent 1 dot lines.
These drivers reset the line feed distance to 1/6 inch upon
completion.
Kodak Diconix Color 4
/FK drives the Color 4.
Pacific Data Products ProTracer
/FG drives the ProTracer in IBM Proprinter mode. The maximum print
window width is 14.97.
Tektronix ColorQuick
/FR drives the ColorQuick.
p-29
Color Processing -----------------------------------------------------
Color graphics devices use a variety of color technologies. PrintGL
supports these basic types.
CMY or cyan/magenta/yellow is used by inkjet printers with no black
ink. This uses three color planes and give eight pure colors.
CMYK or cyan/magenta/yellow/black is used by inkjet and dot matrix
printers. This uses four color planes and give eight pure colors.
Using black ink instead of a cyan/magenta/yellow mix gives a more
neutral black color.
RGB or red/green/blue is used by displays and bit maps. This uses
three color planes and give eight pure colors.
RGBI or red/green/blue/intensity is used by displays and bit maps.
This uses four color planes. All simple colors except black are
intense. When you specify any color mixed with black at shade 0,
then instead of mixing the colors at 50%, the intensity is turned
off. This gives fifteen pure colors.
CMYK and RGBI are used by default when they are appropriate. You can
switch to CMY or RGB with the ` suboption of /F. For displays this
gives a better picture of how a printer will handle the colors. For
dot matrix printers it may speed printing by eliminating the use of
the black ribbon.
HP-GL Commands -------------------------------------------------------
PrintGL supports the 7475 and 7440/17440 command sets except for
character set 8 (Katakana), digitize commands, output commands, the
error mask command, and some device control commands. In addition,
PG, AF, ES, LO, character set 5, and proportional spaced fonts, from
the 7550, are supported. And forty pens are allowed instead of
eight.
HPGL.DOC and HPGL.CHR include more details of HP-GL and PrintGL's
interpretation. The 7550 manual is the best reference for HP-GL - HP
manual 07550-90001.
p-30
Compatibility and Technical Information ------------------------------
PrintGL and PMI will run on any IBM compatible system with MS-DOS
2.0 or above. It requires up to 256K of free memory. More memory may
speed printing.
By default, PrintGL uses the BIOS printer interrupt to send data to
the printer. The H1..H4 and X1..X4 drivers send data directly to the
serial port, without using or setting the hardware interrupts. If a
file or device is specified for output then DOS 2.0 file handling is
used. Messages are written to the screen with standard DOS CON
output.
PMI runs PrintGL via a DOS shell. It searches the current directory
and then the DOS PATH, calling the first copy of PRINTGL.EXE that it
finds. To save the settings, it makes the same search for PMI.EXE.
PMI can use any text or graphics display mode that allows at least
80 columns and 25 lines of text. In text modes, PMI writes directly
to the display buffer, and in graphics modes, BIOS is used to
display text. Under DESQview, PMI writes to the DV screen buffer.
PRINTGL.EXE may be compressed with PKLITE, LZEXE, or other EXE file
compressors. PMI should not be compressed because it rewrites
PMI.EXE when saving the user settings.
PrintGL and PMI were written by Cary Ravitz and compiled with
Borland's Turbo Pascal 6.0 and Turbo Assembler 2.0.
User Support ---------------------------------------------------------
Correspondence about PrintGL may be sent via the support bulletin
board, fax, Compuserve, or mail.
BBS: 606-268-0577 1200..9600,N,8,1 24 hours/day
To ask a question, prepare an ASCII text file with the details of
your question. Then call the bulletin board and choose the upload
question option. XMODEM file transfer protocol is required for
this. Your question will be assigned a number (such as 1015) -
remember this number. An answer file (with the assigned number)
will be posted, usually within 24 hours. To get an answer, call
the bulletin board, choose the download option, then the answer
option, and then enter the answer number.
Compuserve: Cary Ravitz [70431,32]
Fax: 606-268-0577
If you hand dial, the BBS will answer and hang up (about 20
seconds), then the call is routed to the fax. The fax may be
unavailable sometimes.
Mail: Ravitz Software Inc.
P.O. Box 25068
Lexington, KY 40524-5068
USA
