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Introduction

                  LASI Ploting Program for HP-GL Code


  LASI drawings can be quit large and complex. It is necessary to produce
  large plots to examine drawings for errors, or just for display. LASI
  therefore must be able to produce plots. The most commonly used plotting
  language is Hewlett-Packard's HP-GL (Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language),
  which is used by all H-P and many other makes of plotters. By using the
  LASI2HP.EXE program, LASI drawings can be converted directly into HP-GL,
  either as a file, or as a direct drive for a plotter from one of the
  personal computer's serial ports.
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Configuring

  Before you run LASI2HP on anything you must make a configuration data
  file. Run "lasi2hp" and answer "y" to the Configure (y or n) prompt.

  The program stores plotting configurations in ".PCF" files. The title of
  a configuration must conform to DOS file naming rules. These files remain
  in the drawing directory.

  Some of the questions asked will be defaulted from the program
  initialization or the previous configuration file. Hitting <enter> to any
  question will default to the value show in parentheses. Otherwise enter
  the new value.

  Some of the questions will be obvious and some maybe need explanation:

  1.  Configuration will ask if your plotter has a center or lower-left
  (bottom-left) hardware origin. Most small plotters have a lower-left
  origin, while larger plotters use a center origin. See your plotter
  manual for this information.

  2.  The borders that you must specify are the distance at the edges of a
  sheet of paper that the plotter can't use, i.e. roller track, etc. See
  your plotter manual for this distance. The size of your paper less these
  borders is the useful size of your paper.

  3.  You can set the location and size of the plotting area on the paper
  by specifying the left, bottom, right and top edges. You can use this to
  make multiple drawings on a single sheet of paper.

  4.  If you use hardwired handshaking to keep the plotter buffer from
  being overflowed by plotting data, you will be asked if you want to use
  the DSR (data set ready) line or the CTS (clear to send) line to detect
  that the plotter buffer is full. On an AT type of PC these lines are pins
  6 and 8 respectively on a 9-pin serial port. The Hewlett-Packard plotters
  normally indicate a full buffer by dropping the DTR (pin 20 on the 25-pin
  RS-232 connector) line. This line can be connected to either CTS or DSR,
  but DSR is preferred.

  5.  LASI2HP will ask you if you want to use your plotter's polygon mode
  commands. These are the commands PM, EP and FP which are available on the
  better plotters (see your plotter manual). These commands allow you to
  fill closed polygon outlines. If this mode is used paths will be expanded
  into a closed polygon outline.

  6.  If you want to have paths standout in the drawing answer that you
  want path center lines drawn. Paths will be drawn with a dashed line
  along their center.

  7.  LASI2HP will draw any cells that are displayed in LASI Cell Mode as
  an outline either in outline or in full detail. The configuration may set
  to always draw fully if desired. You may also set the pen to be used for
  outlines.

  8.  Each layer has three attributes, Pen, Line and Fill. You may assign
  attributes randomly, by giving a layer number 1 to 32 to the "Layer?"
  question. Hitting <enter> only will end the assignment process.

  9.  When assigning pens to layers note that you may enter up to 8
  different pens. Your plotter might not support that many, so assign them
  accordingly.

  10.  You may assign different line types to make dashed lines. The types
  are numbered 0-6 and correspond to the line types described in the H-P
  plotter manual that comes with an H-P plotter. If a line is to be drawn
  solid, set the layer by pressing only <enter>.  A dash "-" will indicate
  a solid line on that layer.

  11.  You may set the fill type attribute to be used on a layer. These
  presently are left crosshatch, right crosshatch, horizontal, vertical and
  nothing (indicated by "L","R","H","V" and "-"). Boxes will always be
  filled, but you must use the plotter's polygon mode to fill polygon
  outlines.

  12.  If a layer has had its Fill set as above, and a line type has also
  been set, the line type is used as the fill line type. The outline of a
  filled area is drawn solid and not with the line type set for that layer.
  The spacing of the dashes and fill lines will be calculated from the fill
  spacing configuration parameter.

  13.  After you are satisfied with the configuration, you may store it
  with the same title or any other title. You can save time by copying
  configurations, make changes, and then storing under a new title.
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Running LASI2HP.EXE

  LASI2HP.EXE reads .BPV and .CEL internal files in the local drawing
  directory.

  You must be logged into the drawing directory of the cell to be plotted.

  To drive a plotter directly, the plotter must be connected to one of the
  computer's serial ports, COM1, COM2, COM3 or COM4.


  There are 3 ways to run LASI2HP:

  1.  Run by typing "lasi2hp" which allows you to configure and then run a
  plot, or to simply make configuration files.

  2.  Run by typing (or batch filing) "lasi2hp name", where "name" is the
  cell that you want to plot. In this case configuration must be done
  previously, and the plot will be fitted to the full size of the cell.

  3.  Run by typing "lasi2hp name x-center y-center width". This is how
  LASI passes the particular window to be plotted when the PLOT button is
  pushed in the System Mode menu.


  In each case you will be asked for the configuration title and whether
  your plotter or disk is ready.

  When making a plotting file you may specify a name, path or disk for the
  output file. Entering nothing makes a file with the plotted cell's name
  in the local drawing directory.
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Other Uses

  The plot file that LASI2HP makes is in HP-GL language. This can be
  changed to other formats using a converter such as HIJAAK. It can also be
  converted directly by WordPerfect 5.1 and other desktop publishers into
  drawings that can be inserted into WordPerfect (or other DTP) written
  text. Drawings made by LASI can therefore be placed directly into
  reports, theses, dissertations, etc. that are written using common
  wordprocessors that can do graphics converted from HP-GL.
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