PlotPro User Manual
Contents
1. Launch Options Plot File and Configuration Option The Plot File column shows the filenames of plot files in the launch list The order of files in the launch list is the order that files will be launched to the printer s You can change the order of the launch list by selecting files in the list then dragging and dropping them into new positions To perform a drag and drop hold down the left mouse button while selecting the filename s Do not release the button until you have moved the mouse pointer to the new file location in the launch list The Configuration Option column shows the configuration files currently assigned to each plot file in the launch list Launch Options Buttons The Remove File button clears a selected file from the launch list To select multiple files hold down the lt Ctrl gt key while you click on each filename Then click on the Remove File button to clear the files from the launch list The Remove All button clears all filenames from the launch list The Save List button saves the current launch list for future use The Open List button opens a previously saved launch list The Assign Config View AutoCAD Image and Launch Files buttons are explained on the following pages View AutoCAD Image View AutoCAD Image shows you a preview of the AutoCAD file you have selected When you choose this option there may be a slight delay while the image 1s being rendered by PlotPro This option is only availa2. USA Toll Free 1 800 PLOT NOW Tel 1 512 288 9080 Fax 1 512 288 7210 Germany Freephone 0130 825 188 Tel 49 0 6106 8529 0 Fax 49 0 6106 8529 11 UK Freephone 0800 214503 Tel 44 0 1444 871349 Fax 0 1444 870228 Japan Tel 81 3 3345 2189 Fax 81 3 3344 3949 To acquire additional product information visit our website at www ringdale com You may also contact Ringdale at the following address for inquiries about PlotPro Ringdale Inc 8305 Hwy 71 West Austin Texas 78735 8107
3. CD ROM in your drive and wait a few moments You will be presented with a message window telling you that you are installing PlotPro Click Next to continue After a few moments a window appears showing the license agreement If you agree to the terms of the license agreement select Yes If you do not agree select No and the installation will be cancelled CD Installation Continued 5 Click on Next to continue The Select Program Folder window appears displaying the default directory for PlotPro as C Program Files PlotPro You have the option of selecting another folder for PlotPro installation 6 When a program folder has been selected click on Next to continue 7 Installshield will now automatically copy the files to your hard drive A screen will appear informing you that PlotPro has been successfully installed Click on OK 8 The final window gives you the option of restarting your computer without running through the close down procedure Remove the CD from the drive check that Restart my computer now is selected and click on Finish After the re boot is finished PlotPro installation will be complete PlotPro Authorization Initially you will be able to use your fully functional copy of PlotPro for 30 days However after 30 days you will no longer have access to the AutoCAD functions For permanent AutoCAD functionality authorize your copy of PlotPro as follows 1 From the PlotPro Help
4. 2000CP printer OHF DesignJet 650 C2859B Ringdale 1220E E pocera FS 9500 7 FS 55004 Distiler Assistant v3 0 Device Type JAL i Generic Select Printer Features Current Printer The Current Printer list includes all printers defined on your system Click in the check boxes next to the printer s or plotter s you want to select A checked box next to a device indicates that PlotPro currently prints to the device To deselect click on a checked box Note When defining the printer on your system it is recommended that you select a generic driver such as the Epson LQ 1050 Device Type If you are plotting to a Ringdale or Ringdale device you can select either JRL or Generic for the Device Type If you select JRL PlotPro applies all of the assigned configuration options for a plot file by prefixing jobs with JRL escape sequences If you select Generic PlotPro sends the plot file for output but applies only some of the configuration options To plot to devices other than Ringdale or JRL devices you must select Generic so that PlotPro will not send any JRL escape sequences as non JRL devices will not understand them The configuration options PlotPro can apply when Generic is selected are Copies to Device and all AutoCAD options PlotPro can also apply the Collated Copies option Getting Help in PlotPro You can access PlotPro Help by either clicking on the Help toolbar button at
5. After adding a plot file to the launch list you may also want to assign a configuration file to that plot file To assign a configuration file to the last plot file in the launch list use Poke to send the AssignConfig command along with the full path of a configura tion file that you want to assign For example a path might be C PlotPro ConfigurationFiles Configl cfg If you do not use the AssignConfig command the current configuration settings in PlotPro will be assigned to the plot file DDE Execute Command This command instructs PlotPro to perform an operation To clear the launch list use Execute to send the command ClearLaunchList to PlotPro PlotPro will then clear the launch list of all plot files To open the Launch Files dialog box use Execute to send the command LaunchDialog to PlotPro From the Launch Files dialog box you can adjust the launch settings and select the Send button to launch the files from the launch list to the selected printer To launch the files without opening the Launch Files dialog box use Execute to send the command LaunchSend to PlotPro PlotPro will then launch all of the plot files in the launch list to the selected printer PlotPro Basic Steps Note Before using PlotPro to send or launch a plot file to an output device you must have a plot file in a printer usable format such as HPGL The recommended steps for launching plot files from PlotPro to an output
6. Table dialog box AutoCAD Pen Table E4 Fen Assignments Color Pen Number Line Type Line weight Color Pen Number f Line Type lo mb fd Line Weight Cancel Color corresponds to a color 1 to 256 from the image s color palette It is assigned the following attributes Line Type Line Weight and Pen Number Pen Number corresponds to the HPGL pen number used Line Weight determines the line thickness This option is available only if Color is Enabled Line Type determines which of the following line types will be used if Color is Enabled AutoCAD External References Click on the External References button to see the following AutoCAD Xrefs dialog box AutoCAD ref s ACAD External Reference Directories Cancel External References allows you to view directories and paths where files used to access external reference files are located These can include overlaid borders and texture or font files If an AutoCAD drawing contains references to external file paths then depending on the type of external reference and on whether the external file locations have been changed PlotPro may or may not find all of the external files If PlotPro cannot find an external file then you will need to specify the missing path using this option External References Button The New Insert button inserts a new directory and path x The Delete button allows you to delete an existing ent
7. click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button A In the Configuration Editor dialog box setup the configuration options These options tell the output device s how to process your plot file s For more information on PlotPro configuration see the topics under Configu ration Editor in the table of contents To create a list of files to plot select Plot List Selection from the View menu or click on the Plot List Selection toolbar button Li In the Plot List Selection dialog box build a launch list by adding plot file s to the launch list To send plots to a printer click on the Launch Files button in the Plot List Selection dialog box The plot file s in the launch list when then be sent or launched to the output device you selected in Step 8 above For more information on plot list selection and launching files see the topic Plot List Selection To exit PlotPro select Exit from the File menu Plot List Selection Plot List Selection is used to create open and save launch lists To access Plot List Selection select Plot List Selection from the View menu or click on the Plot List Selection toolbar button The Plot List Selection dialog box will appear as shown below A PlotPro File View Help Plot List Selection File Selection File Hame Directories bilyhze dwg c program files accessores backup chg BACKUP EXE MSPSINT ExE Select All mpesa dll mswdb 32 Wpo R
8. exit Launch Status without launching any files Assign Configuration Click on the Assign Config button in the Plot List Selection screen to access the Configuration File Assignment screen You can use the options on this screen to assign configuration files to plot files Below is a picture of the Configuration File Assignment screen PlotPro Configuration File Assignment Current Selections Selected Plot File CWWINDOMWS DESK TOPRSSUTOCAD FILES bflvhse dwg Configuration Option Curent Settings New Options Use Current Settings Use Default Settings Select File Select Current Selections Current Selections displays the currently selected plot file and current configuration file assigned to that plot file A plot or plot file is the image and other associated data launched to a device such as a printer A configuration file contains configuration options created in PlotPro New Options There are three settings under New Options e If you choose Use Current Settings the current PlotPro configuration settings are assigned to the plot file e If you choose Use Default Settings PlotPro uses the configuration options setup on the device When this option is chosen PlotPro passes the file through to the device without modification Note This setting 1s not associated with the Default cfg file that you can create from the Save As button in the Configuration Editor e Sel
9. A utoC AD X ref files Y ou must select the Apply button separately for each default path The default path for the selected file type plot files configuration files or AutoCAD Xref files 1s then permanent until you select a new file path and apply the changes with the Apply button Output Destination Output Destination designates that output from PlotPro will be sent to a Device Unit of Measurement Select either English or Metric units for the parameter settings in PlotPro Accounting Click on the Account File button to create a new account file for storing information about PlotPro jobs Alternately select an existing account file To enable the Account File button you must first enable the Job Ticket option by clicking in the Job Ticket box If you do not create an account file after enabling Job Ticket the default account file will be Accnt dat in the PlotPro directory This is an example account file entry Tuesday August 02 1999 14 50 27 Name Company Project Comments CAWINDOWSIPROJECTS WDesign dwg C PlotPro config1 cfg Reimbursable 18 x 24 For a detailed explanation of Job Ticket see the following page General Options Select End of Job Notification if you want to be notified by PlotPro when a job is complete Select Hardware Job Options to allow PlotPro to access this feature Set Preferences Features Job Ticket When you launch
10. Join determines how connecting line ends are shaped round triangle beveled miter or no joins Grayscale is the percentage darkness of lines in increments of ten 0 is all white 100 is all black The default value is 100 If Opaque is Enabled grayscale lines will be opaque when overlapping images If Opaque is Disabled grayscale lines will be transparent when overlapping images Pen Lock is a True or False switch that determines whether the pen maintains the current attributes If Pen Lock is Enabled attributes may not be changed by CALCOMP commands contained in the plot file If Pen Lock is Disabled attributes may be changed General Settings Step Size specifies the step size or plotter units for which plots are to be generated Setting this option incorrectly can cause plots to be larger or smaller than they are intended to be Banding is not provided on all systems But where it is provided it allows plots to be printed in sections that can later be put together side by side for the complete plot Pen Terminate if Enabled allows the string PA0 0 SP as produced by AutoCAD to terminate the plot If Disabled the plot can be terminated only by a CalComp command Trailer Suppression specifies the point at which printing will resume You have a choice of no trailer suppression Disable trailer suppression until after the first succeeding semicolon is received Semi Colon or trailer suppression until the first succeedin
11. PlotPro User Manual VERSION 2 1 EIZARINGDALE Connecting People and Information PlotPro 2 1 The software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of the agreement Copyright 1999 by Ringdale Inc This software is protected by copyright law and international copyright treaty Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976 no part of this manual may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a data base or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Ringdale The information in this manual is subject to change without notice and except for the warranty does not represent a commitment expressed or implied on the part of Ringdale Ringdale cannot be held liable for any mistakes in this manual and reserves the right to make changes to this document or the product Notices PlotPro is a trademark of Ringdale Inc Windows and NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems HPGL is a trademark of Hewlett Packard Inc CalComp is a trademark of CalComp Inc AutoCAD 1s a registered trademark of AutoDesk Inc Apple and Macintosh are registered tr
12. Pro takes all the usual hassle out of accounting and set up for plots and other documents No more network headaches going back and forth between rooms because a document comes out wrong PlotPro takes care of it all so you can feel confident about how hardcopies will look Remote Control from Other Applications By acting as a Windows DDE server PlotPro can be controlled from Windows by popular Document Management and Data Base packages Adding simple scripts also provides batch plotting and AutoCAD direct plotting capabilities to these other applications For PlotPro operating instructions see the topic PlotPro Basic Steps Installing PlotPro Install PlotPro on a computer connected to the network and running either Windows 95 98 or Windows NT Floppy Disk Installation To install PlotPro using the set of four floppy disks Insert Disk 1 for PlotPro into Drive A From Windows NT Program Manager choose Run from the File Menu or From Windows 95 98 taskbar select Start and then choose Run Enter a setup in the edit box and choose OK Follow the on screen instructions from the PlotPro setup program The program will prompt you to insert and remove specific disks at various stages during the installation process Installation is complete CD Installation on Windows 95 98 and NT 4 0 Important Before installing PlotPro ensure that you exit all Windows programs Insert the PlotPro
13. ademarks of Apple Computer Inc Hewlett Packard and HP are registered trademarks of Hewlett Packard Inc Ringdale License Agreement This software is protected by copyright law and international copyright treaty You may make as many copies of PlotPro as you need for your personal use Making copies however does not grant authorization For information on purchasing authorizations contact Ringdale Inc To make copies for any other reason you must have the prior written permission of Ringdale Inc Activating Optional Features Each copy you make of PlotPro will have standard features but no optional features such as AutoCAD support To activate optional features you must purchase a key code from Ringdale A unique key code must be obtained for each copy that you want optional features for You can purchase key codes for some or all optional features Making a copy of PlotPro after the purchase of a key code will not copy the optional features A new key code must be purchased to activate any optional features in any new copies you make of PlotPro Transferring PlotPro to another machine after the purchase of a key code does not disable the key code For more information see the Transfer Authorization and Transfer to Target sections in PlotPro Authorization Ringdale Limited Warranty Ringdale Inc warrants that the media on which this software 1s distributed will be free from defects for a period of si
14. ble if you purchased the AutoCAD option for PlotPro Below is an example PlotPro Image View of an AutoCAD file PlotPro Image View ES Launch Files The launch files command sends the launch list to the printer s The Job Ticket dialog box may appear 1f the Job Ticket was enabled under Preferences The Launch Status screen appears shown below regardless of whether the Job Ticket screen does Job Status All Files Current File Current File Plot Order Job Settings Collated Copies 1 Forward Reverse Job Status The Job Status progress bars become active when you click on the Send button in the Launch Status screen All Files indicates the percent completion of plotting the entire launch list Current File indicates the percent completion of plotting each file Plot Order For Plot Order select either Forward which prints the launch list in forward top down order or Reverse which prints in reverse bottom up order Job Settings From the Collated Copies drop down list select the number of collated job copies to send to the printer s A job contains the launch list in the selected plot order Printing the launch list is subject to the configuration setup for each file in the list Send and Abort Clicking on the Send button send the current configuration options directly to the device Note using this option does not send a plot to the device Select the Abort button to
15. ckages insert data after the record and some host operating systems will terminate a printer with a form feed Configuration Editor CalComp Options CalComp Options are used to set characteristics of configuration files specific to CalComp files To access CalComp Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button Ey The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default Click on the CalComp button at the bottom of the screen to access the CalComp Options page as shown below i PlotPro lo File View Help EIA CONFIGURATION EDITOR C amp ALCOMP OPTIONS Pen Settings General Settings step Size Defaut y Trailer Suppression Defaut y Pen Terminate Default y Handshake Default Checksum Default Sync Count Defaut y Syne Char fo E M Char Fen Pen width Default Line Cap Default Line aur Default Grayscale Default Opaque Default Pen Lock Li fault File General Banner HFGL eca Raster AutoCAD Calcomp Options Features Pen Settings Pen determines which pen 1 thru 15 you are setting If an option for a pen 1s not set the current setting in the printer will be used Pen Width is the line width in pixels Line Cap determines how the end of line segments are shaped round square triangle or no cap Line
16. device are as follows 1 Click on Start gt Programs gt PlotPro The following submenu will appear E PlotPro wj Readme T Uninstall Penpherabizion 2 Click on PlotPro from the submenu The PlotPro introductory screen will appear 3 To access the PlotPro functions from any PlotPro window either select a menu option or click on a toolbar button For example if you select the View menu you will see the following options Plot List Selection Configuration Editor Printer Selection Preferences w Large Toolbar Buttons 4 Optional The check mark beside Large Toolbar Buttons indicates that the option is selected Ifyou want small toolbar buttons click on the check mark so that the option becomes deselected no check mark showing 5 To setup preferences select Preferences from the View menu or click on the Preferences toolbar button 6 Inthe Set Preferences dialog box select the preferences you want for 14 PlotPro For more information on PlotPro preferences see the topic Set Preferences To choose a printer select Printer Selection from the View menu or click on the Printer Selection toolbar button In the Printer Selection dialog box select the output device s that you want to launch files to For more information on PlotPro printer selection see the topic Printer Selection To determine how plots will be processed select Configuration Editor from the View menu or
17. e Half is half a full size image Resolution sets the printing resolution equal to the image resolution Auto fits an image to the page Disable Sa eek e Image Polarity can be Normal or Reverse In Normal image polarity an on bit in the output data represents a black pixel This is the default setting In Reverse image polarity an on bit in the output data represents a white pixel Mirroring can be Enabled or Disabled If mirroring is Enabled the incoming data is inverted such that the left and right edges of the image are reversed If mirroring is Disabled the incoming data is inserted from left to right in the Raster buffer as specified in CCITT This is the default setting Center Image determines if PlotPro will center a Raster image on the page Rotation determines if PlotPro will rotate a Raster plot by 0 or 90 degrees Raster Sizing Scanner Width provides the controller with the scanned data s width in pixels when raw image data is being sent to the controller Scanner Length provides the controller with the data s length in scan lines when raw image data is being sent to the controller If Auto Scale is used the number of scan lines in addition to the scanned data s width must be known Raster Wrapper Raster Wrapper instructs PlotPro to send an escape sequence informing the plotter when TG4 or C4 data is used If the Default setting is selected PlotPro does not send this
18. e size but not the plot area on the page e Auto allows the printer to choose the page size based on the image size Note if Scale to Fit is checked under AutoCAD Scale Auto page sizing will not be available Margins Margins are in inches or millimeters You can set the Top Bottom Left and Right margins for the selected page size These settings determine the non printing region around the page Scale e If Scale to Fit is checked PlotPro fits the image to the plot area so that portions of the image are not clipped Checking Scale to Fit also disables Auto page sizing under AutoCAD Page Size options e If Scale to Fit is not checked you must enter decimal numbers for Plotted Inches mm and Drawing Units This sets the scale for the plotting units to the scale used for AutoCAD Offset Offset is used to position the image off center in the plot area Rotation Rotation is used to rotate the image in the plot area Images can be rotated 0 90 180 or 270 degrees Plot Area P lot A reais used to determine where an image will be drawn on the paper e Select Extents to draw the image to the full extent of the paper e Select Limits to draw the image within the limits of the drawing e Select View to draw the image at current size regardless of whether clipping occurs Color Color is used to Enable or Disable image color for plotting AutoCAD Pen Table Click on the Set Pen Table button to see the following AutoCAD Pen
19. ect File assigns a configuration file to the plot file The Select button becomes active when the Select File option is enabled When you click on the Select button a common dialog box will open allowing you to select a configuration file Configuration Editor File Options File Options are used to open save and specify handling of configuration files To access File Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button Ey The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default as shown below i PlotPro Aa ES aia 2 CONFIGURATION EDITOR FILE OPTIONS Configuration File Options Current File DARINGDALEAAAPLOTPR OA configl cfg Open Save Save As Banner HPGL CalComp Raster AutoCAD To view Configuration Editor pages click on the buttons at the bottom of each page File Options Features Current File C urrent F ile indicates the path and filename of the current configuration file File Options Buttons The New button resets the current configuration information to the default values The Open button accesses previously saved configuration files The Save button saves the current configuration options as a file for future use The Save As button saves the current configuration options to a new directory location or anew filename If you save the file as Default cfg in the dir
20. ectory where PlotPro is installed PlotPro will automatically use this configuration each time it starts up This can be helpful if you want to use the same configuration every time you use PlotPro Configuration Editor General Options General Options are used to specify general characteristics of configuration files To access General Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button ES The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default Click on the General button at the bottom of the screen to access the General Options page as shown below H PlotPro a CONFIGURATION EDITOR GENERAL OPTIONS he Enable Page Size Page Size Device Options Copies to Device Copies from Device Default Default Media Selection Tray Selection Default Default W Enable Format Selection Graphic Format Selection Size f Standard Auto Length mm Width mrm User Defined M Enable Vector Scaling Vector Scale Options Auto Automatic From To i HPGL i Other a4 as Daor Script W Enable Print Mode Selection Print Mode Options Print Folder Options Seine Defaut File Ezz Banner HPGL CalComp Faster AutoCAD General Options Features Page Size If Enable Page Size is checked you can set up Standard or User D
21. efined page sizes If Auto is selected under Size a standard page size will automatically be chosen for the document by the printer For a user defined page size enter decimal numbers representing the length and width of the desired page size Vector Scaling If Enable Vector Scaling is checked you can select from Vector Scale Options Selecting Auto enables automatic vector scaling on systems with this capability For Other you choose the original document page size From and the page size you want the document scaled to To Print Mode If Enable Print Mode Selection is checked you can select from Print Mode Options Device Options Select a number in the range of to 100 from the Copies to Device drop down list This number indicates how many copies of a plot PlotPro will send to the device Select a number in the range 1 to 100 from the Copies From Device drop down list This number indicates how many copies of a plot the device will make From the Media Selection drop down list select the print media that your plot will be printed on Some hardcopy devices may offer only bond paper From the Tray Selection drop down list select the source tray or roll from which the print engine will draw paper Trays will be identified by tray ID numbers or letters provided by the device s manufacturer If no clear tray information is provided the trays will be numbered sequentially from either the top to bottom tray or from the front to
22. efresh pesimpia Et eta WORDPAD EE Artea wpe Launch Options Plot File Configuration Option Assign Config Ww AD 605 trip Curent Settings p Fi btlyhse dwg Current Settings _ Remove File Remowe All Sawe List Open List Mew AutoCAD Image Launch Files See the following page for a description of Plot List Selection Plot List Selection Features File Name Type the name of a file the File Name box and press the lt Enter gt key to add the file to the launch list The launch list appears in the Launch Options section of the Plot List Selection page see page 21 The files shown in this list are processed for output when the Launch Files button is selected Y ou can also select a file by double clicking on one of the filenames below To select multiple files hold down the lt Ctrl gt key while clicking on each filename Then select the Add Selection s button to add the files to the launch list Directories and Drives Plot files are currently selected from the directory shown under the heading Directories Click on any directory in the list box to change to another directory From the pull down Drives menu select the drive where plot files will be located File Selection Buttons Click on the Add Selection s button to add the selected files to the launch list Click on the Select All button to add all plot files currently shown to the launch list Click on the Refresh button to refresh File Selection
23. escape sequence Important AutoCAD Options are used to set characteristics of configuration files specific to AutoCAD DWG and DXF files for releases 12 13 and 14 and for AutoCAD LT The options are only available if you purchased the AutoCAD option Configuration Editor AutoCAD Options To access AutoCAD Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button Eg The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default Click on the AutoCAD button at the bottom of the screen to access the AutoCAD Options page as shown below i PlotPro Po Ta File View Help e P CONFIGURATION EDITOR AUTOCAD OPTIONS M Enable AutoCAD Options AutoCAD Options Page Size Scale Standard ad Scale to Fit Height mm width rom Plotted rm Drawing Units i Custom E faro Rotation 0 Flat Area E stents External References Color Disable File General Banner HPGL CalComp Raster ee AutoCAD Options Features Enable AutoCAD Options If the Enable AutoCAD Options box is checked you can select from the following AutoCAD Options Page Size Page Size can be Standard Custom or Auto e Standard allows the user to chose a standard page size from the drop down list e Custom allows the user to enter decimal values for the height and width in inches or millimeters This option determines the pag
24. fic to HPGL files To access HPGL Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button Ey The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default Click on the HPGL button at the bottom of the screen to access the HPGL Options page as shown below i PlotPro Al ES File View Help es z CONFIGURATION EDITOR HPGL OPTIONS Pen Settings Pen Selection Pen Width Default Line Cap Defaut y Line Join Defaut gt Grayscale Defaut Opaque Default Pen Lack Defaut General Settings Plot Type Default Rotation Default Pen Terminate Default NA Terminate Default Trailer Suppression Default General Banner za CalComp Raster AutoCAD HPGL Options Features Pen Settings Pen Selection determines which pen 1 thru 15 you are setting If an option for a pen is not set the current setting in the printer will be used Pen Width is the line width in pixels Line Cap determines how the end of line segments are shaped round square triangle or no cap Line Join determines how connecting line ends are shaped round triangle beveled miter or no join Grayscale is the percentage darkness of lines in increments of ten 0 is all white 100 is all black The default value is 100 If Opaque is Enabled grayscale lines will be opaque when
25. files to the printer s if Job Ticket was selected in the Set Preferences screen PlotPro displays the Job Ticket dialog box and prompts you for information This information is then added to the account file for PlotPro jobs The Job Ticket dialog box is shown below PlotPro Job Ticket Mame PO Company P Project PO Comments o Page size Po Payment Po Lancel Job Ticket Fields Name Type in a name up to 80 characters in length Company Type in a company name up to 80 characters in length Project Type in a project name up to 80 characters in length Comments Type in a comment up to 80 characters in length Page Size Type in a page size description up to 80 characters in length or select from the choices in the pull down list The pull down list includes a selection of common page sizes Payment Type in a payment description up to 80 characters in length or select from the pull down list options Reimbursable or Non Reimbursable Printer Selection Select Printer is used to choose output devices To access Select Printer select Printer Selection from the View menu or click on the Printer Selection toolbar button The Select Printer window will appear as shown below i PlotPro JON x Bile Ej SELECT PRINTER Current Printer JAP DeskJet JEPSON Stylus COLOR 3000 JAP DesignJet 2U00CP p Copy 2 FL Systems LP180 GDI JQMS magicolor 2 La JHP DesignJet
26. g ASCII Form Feed Oc hex Form Feed This is useful because some CAD packages insert data after the record and some host operating systems will terminate a printer with a form feed Handshake determines whether the device controller will return a response message if a handshake is specified in the plot data This is only a consideration on RS 232 interfaces Checksum if Enabled will indicate that a checksum is present If Disabled Checksum will indicate that there is no checksum character A checksum character provides verification that data is sent correctly Sync Count sets the number of synch characters to 1 or 2 in the CalComp menu Sync Char changes the CalComp synch character to nn where nn is a hexadecimal number in the range of OO FF EOM Char redefines the EOM character to nn in the CalComp menu nn is a hexadecimal number in the range of 00 FF Note There are two additional CalComp features not shown here that are provided for some systems e Banding allows plots to be printed in sections These can later be assembled side by side to form the complete plot e Banding Overlap allows sections of banded plots to overlap slightly so that the complete plot fits together more smoothly Configuration Editor Raster Options Raster Options are used to set characteristics of configuration files specific to Raster files To access Raster Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Edito
27. iginal data except for AutoCAD DWG and DXF files which are converted into HPGL 2 format If the data is not changed during the output of PlotPro to the plotter why do I need a driver PlotPro uses the Windows driver queue feature to output data to the plotter Will PlotPro print an AutoCAD DWG file PlotPro converts the DWG file to HPGL 2 format on the fly regardless of the Windows driver chosen as the default I have purchased the AutoCAD option but the AutoCAD configuration does not have any effect on the output PlotPro must have Configuration set to Current for screen setups PlotPro Configurations are set to Current but the AutoCAD pen setups are not affecting the output device as desired If using a Ringdale or JRL output device make sure the Front Panel pen settings under HPGI are not T acked Contacting Ringdale Ringdale is committed to providing the best support possible and provides 24 hour Technical Support 7 days a wek worldwide as long as you have access to the World Wide Web Ringdale has technical support personnel in Germany the USA and the United Kingdom allowing the company to cover a multitude of time zones and languages Try our technical support inquiry form If your inquiry encompasses a larger issue which you feel you cannot address in Ringdale s enquiry form please call us on the most convenient number listed below or e mail us at supportOringdale com Ringdale Support Contact Numbers
28. l apply regardless of whether you accept the Software Contents License AE o ds Page 3 A da dl rana e a a Page 9 I stalline PLOCPEO RE pici ei iale al i dala audi Page 11 PlotPro Authorization ooocccooccncncnnnnnnnnoncnnoninoss Page 13 DDE Dynamic Data Exchange ooccooooccooo Page 19 PlotPro Basic Steps Page 21 Plot List Selecione ds Page 23 Configuration Editor File Options Page 29 Configuration Editor General Options Page 31 Configuration Editor Banner Options Page 33 Configuration Editor HPGL Options Page 35 Configuration Editor Calcomp Options Page 37 Configuration Editor Raster Options Page 41 Configuration Editor AutoCAD Options Page 45 Set Pre A ale i aid ean Meets Page 51 Panter Selection Page 55 Contents Continued Getting Help In PlotPro Troubleshooting PlotPro Contacting Ringdale Introduction to PlotPro The following is a brief description of the features and capabilities of PlotPro Network Plot Management Software PlotPro from RINGDALE is a Windows 95 98 NT application that gives you control over plot and document files Spooling and management features combined with the popular Windows interface style make PlotPro a snap to use PlotPro is designed to work best with devices using JRL controller technology and devices suppor
29. menu at the top of your screen select About 2 Click on Authorization in the About dialog box The Authorization dialog box will appear with check marks beside the available options PlotPro Authorization Current Licenze Information e AUTHORIZATION DE Restrictions None Days Starting Dare Let FO Options w Configuration Editor e AutoCAD Installed s7 AutoCAD Parsing Enabled we Accounting w DDE Server Authorization Site Code DEBS 00F 0845 4340 1E Authorize Site Kep Transter Authorization Reg Transter an Target Transfer from Source Transfer to Target Contact Ringdale by one of these methods Call Ringdale s technical support staff at one of the following telephone numbers USA Toll Free 1 800 PLOT NOW Tel 1 512 288 9080 Fax 1 512 288 7210 UK Freephone 0800 214503 Tel 44 0 1444 871349 Fax 0 1444 870228 Germany Freephone 0130 825 188 Tel 49 0 6106 8529 0 Fax 49 0 6106 8529 11 Japan Tel 81 3 3345 2189 Fax 81 3 3344 3949 Send e mail to support ringdale com and provide the Site Code shown in the Authorization dialog box Ringdale will then provide you with a Site Key after your payment has been arranged 3 Type the Site Key into the Site Key field of the Authorization dialog box 4 Click on the Authorize button If authorization is successful the following message will be displayed AUTHORIZATION SUCCESSFUL 5 Optional If auth
30. nge of 8 pt to 100 pt Select a Gray Scale value from 1 to 100 for the banner The higher the number the darker the banner Select the Silhouette banner font s thickness in pixels The default is 1 single pixel outline Silhouette can range from 0 to 99 pixels Hide Background if enabled makes the background the plot file behind the banner invisible Banner Location Type in the distance in inches or millimeters your banner will appear from the Left Margin of the page Type in the distance in inches or millimeters your banner will appear from the Top Margin of the page Banner Orientation Select Portrait Landscape or Degrees for Banner Orientation If you select Degrees enter a decimal number in the range of 0 to 360 in the Degrees box A value of O gives a horizontal banner that reads left to right A value of 90 gives a vertical banner that reads top to bottom A value of 180 gives an upside down horizontal banner A value of 270 gives a vertical banner that reads bottom to top Banner Options Date Stamp includes the date a file is sent to the hardcopy device in the banner Time Stamp includes the time a file is sent to the hardcopy device in the banner Banner Message Type in a Banner Message of one or more alphanumeric characters or keyboard symbols Spaces can be used between the characters or symbols Configuration Editor HPGL Options HPGL Options are used to set characteristics of configuration files speci
31. orization is not successful please contact Ringdale again for additional assistance Transfer Authorization There are three options for transferring PlotPro authorization Reg Transfer on Target Transfer From Source and Transfer to Target Reg Transfer on Target 1 Click on the Reg Transfer on Target button at the bottom of the PlotPro Authorization window The following dialog box will appear as shown below Select Registration Path Folders DK LA Help RoboHE LP qc y WinHelp _ Buttons Distrib Internet Cancel EEE Help Drives E c gt Network i 2 Select a file path as the target for the registration transfer 3 Click on OK to save your selection and exit Click on Cancel to exit without selecting a registration path Transfer From Source 1 Click on the Transfer from Source button at the bottom of the PlotPro Authorization window The following dialog box will appear Select Transfer Out Path Folders Lin Help RoboHE LP E ci y WinHelp _ Buttons Distrib J Internet Cancel ddi Help Drives E c gt Network 2 Selecta file path as the transfer out path for the registration transfer 3 Click on OK to save your selection and exit Click on Cancel to exit without selecting a registration path Transfer to Target 1 Click on the Transfer to Target button at the bottom of the PlotPro Au
32. overlapping images If Opaque is Disabled grayscale lines will be transparent when overlapping images Pen Lock is a True or False switch that determines whether the pen maintains the current attributes If Pen Lock is Enabled attributes may not be changed by HPGL file commands contained in the plot file If Pen Lock is Disabled attributes may be changed General Settings Plot Type determines if HPGL will emulate a type of pen plotter If no emulation is used P lotP ro will use standard HPGL Rotation determines if PlotPro will rotate an HPGL plot by 0 or 90 degrees Pen Terminate if Enabled allows the string PA0 0 SP as produced by AutoCAD to terminate the plot If Disabled the plot can be terminated only by an HPGL command NR Terminate if Enabled sends a terminate command If Disabled it does not send a terminate command If HPGL Wakeup is not required this option has no impact If Wakeup is required the plotter can be set to terminate both he plot and the HPGL session or simply the plot This is useful in mainframe environments where multiple plots are handled in a single batch job Trailer Suppression specifies the point at which printing will resume You have a choice of no trailer suppression Disable trailer suppression until after the first succeeding semicolon is received Semi Colon or trailer suppression until the first succeeding ASCII Form Feed Oc hex Form Feed This is useful because some CAD pa
33. r toolbar button Eg The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default Click on the Raster button at the bottom of the screen to access the Raster Options page as shown below i PlotPro Mal x E olf 2 CONFIGURATION EDITOR RASTER OPTIONS Raster Sizing Scanner width Pixels Scanner Length Fisel Raster Wrapper Default C TG4 Raster Operations Bit Order Defaut y Bute Order Defaut Scale Defaut y Image Polarity Defaut H Mirroring Default Center Image Default Rotation Default A General Banner HFGL CalComp Baster AutoCAD Raster Options Features Raster Operations Bit Order can be Normal or Reverse In Normal bit order the most significant bit in the input byte is assumed to be the leftmost bit of the compressed data This is the default setting In Reverse order the least significant bit of the input data is assumed to be the leftmost bit of the compressed data Byte Order can be Normal or Reverse In Normal byte order the bit order for data sent to the output device is set to Normal mode Reverse byte order has a bit order for data sent to the output device where the leftmost bit of the image is the least important Scale can be set to one of the following scaling options Default is the scale the image is set to Normal is a full size image Double is twice a full size imag
34. rear tray Graphic Format If Enable Format Selection is checked you can select a Graphic Format Selection from Automatic HPGL CalComp and Script If Automatic is selected the printer determines the graphic format Print Folder Options Select either Default Disable or Fold 1 from the Print Folder Options drop down list Configuration Editor Banner Options Banner Options specify the characteristics for banner messages to identify plot files To access Banner Options select Configuration Editor from the View menu or click on the Configuration Editor toolbar button Ey The Configuration Editor dialog box will appear with the File Options page displayed as the default Click on the Banner button at the bottom of the screen to access the Banner Options page as shown below di PlotPro File View Help CONFIGURATION EDITOR e Enable Banner Banner Options Font Options Font Size opt Gray Scale Default Silhouette Defaut Hide Background Banner Message lel ES BANNER OPTIONS Banner Location Banner Orientation Lett Margin mrm jo Landscape Top Margin mm Degrees o jo Banner Options Time Stamp Date Stamp File General Banner HPGL CalComp Faster AutoCAD Banner Options Features Enable Banner Select Enable Banner before beginning banner setup Font Options Select the Font Size for the banner Banner font size can be in the ra
35. ry ah The Move Up and Move Down arrows allow you to move through the list Set Preferences Set Preferences is used to set up operating preferences for PlotPro To access Set Preferences select Preferences from the View menu or click on the Preferences toolbar button The Set Preferences window will appear as shown below ii PlotPro fo File View Help E SET PREFERENCES Default Path Selection Files Directories bilyhze dwg c program files plotprosplot files Drives c Select default plot file path Select default configuration file path General Options End of Job Notification T Hardware Job Options Accounting e Job Ticket Account File Unit of Measurement f English Metric Output Destination O PlotPro Server f Device Set Preferences Features Default Path Selection The Files list box displays the files available from the currently selected file path Select the drive for the file path from the Drives drop down list Select the file path from the Directories list box Click on Select default plot file path to set the path that will display plot files in Plot List Selection Click on Select default configuration file path to set the path that will display configuration files in the Configuration Editor Click on the Apply button to apply any changes you make to a default path for plot files configuration files or
36. the top of your screen gt or by selecting Help from the Help Menu Help About The About button is used to obtain copyright and version information about PlotPro From the About PlotPro dialog box you can also access the Authorization dialog box For PlotPro operating instructions see the topic PlotPro Basic Steps Troubleshooting PlotPro M The following is a list of questions frequently asked about PlotPro Why does an Authorization error occur when I start up PlotPro This message will appear until PlotPro is Authorized Why is the AutoCAD portion of PlotPro not working AutoCAD features are not part of the base package These features must be authorized Can PlotPro be moved from the PC it was installed and authorized on to another PC Due to the nature of the authorization program PlotPro files cannot be moved I already own and run PlotPro I have purchased a new PC and want to install PlotPro M on it Will PlotPro need to be authorized again The PlotPro M Authorization can be transferred to another PC using the Transfer feature in PlotPro Authorization For PlotPro to run successfully what driver is necessary A pass through driver is required for PlotPro Use the driver supplied with a manufacturer s device Contact Ringdale about device drivers for Ringdale products What data format does PlotPro send to the plotter PlotPro does not change the format of or
37. thorization window The Select Transfer In dialog box will appear as shown on the following page Select Transfer In Path Folders DK LA Help RoboHE LP a ei y WinHelp Es RoboHELP Cancel dd Help J Buttons A Distrib Internet gt Drives E c gt Network i 2 Selecta file path as the transfer in path for the registration transfer 3 Click on OK to save your selection and exit Click on Cancel to exit without selecting a transfer in path DDE Dynamic Data Exchange DDE Dynamic Data Exchange allows programs running concurrently to communi cate one program acting as a server and the other as a client PlotPro registers itself as a DDE server with the service name PlotPro To make use of DDE commands you must use an application that supports DDE client opera tions The DDE client can then send data to PlotPro using the following DDE commands NOTE The format of the DDE commands depends on the format used by the client application DDE Connect Command This command establishes communications with PlotPro using PlotPro as the service name and LaunchList as the topic DDE Poke Command This command sends data to PlotPro To add a plot file to the launch list use Poke to send the PlotPro command AddFile along with the full path of a plot file that you want added to the launch list For example a path might be C ACADimages drawing dwg
38. ting HPGL or HPGL 2 PlotPro can also handle multiple printers simultaneously AutoCAD Direct Viewing and Printing PlotPro is an ideal utility for AutoCAD users It allows direct previewing and plotting of DWG and DXF files including all X references for AutoCAD 12 13 and 14 up to the 4 2 Specification to a variety of output devices Banners Scaling Rotation Batch Plotting Collation Plot customization features include scaling rotation and other format options Users can also create banners or information tags printed in the margins of documents PlotPro plots job sets batches with electronic collation at the click of a mouse Accounting feature Distributes Costs User accounts can be maintained by PlotPro in a file on the Windows NT server so that an organization can distribute the cost of printing to the specific departments and users of the facilities Paper Finishing with Document Folder PlotPro allows setup of a Ringdale Document Folder when the unit is attached to a Ringdale Plotter Besides powering on or off the Document Folder you can also choose from any of the available fold styles currently setup on the unit including landscape and portrait folds for A to E size or A4 to AO size docu ments Fold styles include Accordion Fan folding and Bookfolding as well as Z and C crossfolding Customized Automation Save time by allowing users to customize and automate the output of documents Plot
39. xty 60 days from the date of delivery of the Software to you Your sole remedy in event of a breach of this warranty will be that Ringdale will at 1ts option replace any defective media returned to Ringdale within the warranty period or refund the money you paid for the Software Ringdale does not warrant that the Software will meet your requirements or that operation of the Software will be uninterrupted or that the Software will be error free THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE AND COUNTRY TO COUNTRY Disclaimer of damages REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE IN NO EVENT WILL RINGDALE BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY SPECIAL CONSEQUENTIAL INDIRECT OR SIMILAR DAMAGES INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST DATA ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF RINGDALE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU IN NO CASE SHALL RINGDALBP LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE SOFTWARE The disclaimers and limitations set forth above wil
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