______________________________________________________________________
| |
| Hewlett-Packard Company |
| AutoCAD(TM) Release 12 Driver for HP Plotters |
| (ADI Version 4.2) |
| |
| |
| R E F E R E N C E G U I D E |
| |
| |
| (Filename on driver disk: HP_R12.DOC) |
| Document edition 4.0 (April 1994) |
| Supports software revision 2.1 |
| |
|______________________________________________________________________|
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright (C)1993, 1994, Hewlett-Packard Co.
License is granted for the use of this software and documentation
exclusively for use with Hewlett-Packard plotters and printers on a
no-cost, sharing basis. You may distribute and copy this software
for use with Hewlett-Packard products as long as it remains a
completely unaltered package and is not sold for profit.
These materials are provided with no warranty, either express or
implied, including but not limited to any implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose regarding these
materials, and are made available on an "as-is" basis.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
o AutoCAD(TM) is a U.S. trademark of Autodesk, Inc.
o MS-DOS(R) is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
o HP-GL/2 is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hewlett-Packard Company
Barcelona Division
Avda. Graells, 501
08190 Sant Cugat del Vallès
Barcelona
Spain
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRINTING THIS DOCUMENT
It is not recommended to try and read this document online, as it is
very long. To print it, follow the instructions below. The examples
apply if you accepted the default pathnames when you installed the
driver software, and assume that you have a printer connected directly
to your PC.
1. Get to the DOS prompt. (E.g. quit AutoCAD)
C:>
2. Go to the directory where you installed the driver.
CD \ACAD\DRV\HPGL2
3. List all the files ending .DOC
DIR *.DOC
4. Check that the filename HP_R12.DOC is displayed.
5. Print the file.
PRINT HP_R12.DOC
________________________________________________________________________
C O N T E N T S
________________________________________________________________________
1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 5
What is the AutoCAD Release 12 Driver for HP Plotters? ........... 5
Languages ........................................................ 5
Using this document .............................................. 6
2 INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING THE DRIVER ............................ 7
Task 1: Installing the driver software .......................... 7
Editing ACAD.ADS ........................................ 7
Editing environment variables ........................... 7
Editing ACAD.MNU (optional) ............................. 8
Task 2: Configuring the software ................................ 9
Overview ................................................ 9
Step 1: Select a plotter in HPCONFIG .................... 10
Step 2: Add the plotter in CONFIG ....................... 11
Step 3: Test the plotter configuration in PLOT .......... 13
Step 4: (Optional) Customize your configuration
in HPCONFIG ................................... 14
Creating and testing a customized configuration . 14
Creating different configurations for the
same plotter .................................. 15
Creating different configurations for
different plotters ............................ 15
Restoring the previous configuration ............ 15
Task 3: Configuring the plotter ................................. 17
General points .......................................... 17
HP DesignJet, DesignJet 600 and 650C plotters ........... 17
HP DesignJet 200 plotters ............................... 18
HP PaintJet XL300 plotters in HP-GL/2 mode .............. 20
HP DraftPro Plus plotters ............................... 20
HP DraftMaster series plotters .......................... 20
HP 7600 Electrostatic plotters .......................... 21
HP LaserJet III and IV printers in HP-GL/2 mode ......... 21
Task 4: Configuring for rendered plots (optional / inkjet only) . 22
Step 1: Configure AutoCAD to use HPRENDER ............... 22
Step 2: Configure and plot with HPRENDER ................ 23
Plotting a mixed rendered and non-rendered drawing
(HPMPLOT) ............................................. 24
3 DAY-TO-DAY PLOTTING ............................................. 26
Plotting a normal (non-rendered) drawing ........................ 26
Plotting a rendered drawing ..................................... 26
Deciding whether to configure the software or the plotter ....... 27
4 TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................. 28
Error messages, in alphabetical sequence ......................... 28
"Out of environment space" ..................................... 28
"Plotter is not ready ..." ..................................... 29
"Rendering area falls outside the page size ..." (in HPRENDER) . 29
"Specified area ... is too large for loaded paper ..." ......... 29
"Unable to detect if smooth shading is disabled ..."
(in HPRENDER or HPMPLOT) ..................................... 29
"Unable to plot correctly ..." (in HPMPLOT) .................... 30
"Unable to open file ..." ...................................... 30
If the command HPCONFIG or HPRENDER or HPMPLOT does not work ..... 30
If you have overwritten a configuration (.CFG) file by mistake ... 30
If the "Select Device" box is empty (in HPMPLOT) ................. 31
If HPRENDER or HPMPLOT renders the drawing on the screen instead
of on the plotter .............................................. 31
If a rendered plot is not the size you specified in HPRENDER ..... 31
If the plot is clipped ........................................... 32
If the orientation of the plot is wrong .......................... 32
If the orientation of a smooth-rendered plot is wrong ............ 33
If the entire plot is in one quadrant of the plotting area ....... 33
If the output is distorted or unintelligible ..................... 33
If pen settings (e.g. line widths) seem to have no effect ........ 34
If HPCONFIG settings generally seem to have no effect ............ 34
5 REFERENCE ........................................................ 35
HPCONFIG field-by-field .......................................... 35
HP Plotter Configuration ....................................... 35
Pens ........................................................... 37
Halftoning ..................................................... 39
Annotations .................................................... 40
Media Options .................................................. 41
Advanced Media Options ......................................... 42
Plotter Status (HP DesignJet 200 only) ......................... 43
Plotting to file ................................................. 44
Plotting on Novell networks ...................................... 46
Color palette .................................................... 47
Driver files ..................................................... 48
Editing configuration (.CFG) files ............................... 50
Raster pattern file definition ................................... 51
Where to find more information ................................... 54
--- 5 ---
________________________________________________________________________
(1)
I N T R O D U C T I O N
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT IS THE AUTOCAD RELEASE 12 DRIVER FOR HP PLOTTERS?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This driver is for AutoCAD Release 12 users, enabling them to produce
successful plots from their CAD drawings on the HP plotters and printers
listed below. References in this guide to "your plotter" mean any
device from this list, including the HP LaserJet III and IV printers.
o It is an ADI (AutoDesk Device Interface) driver.
o It is for use with protected-mode DOS 386 AutoCAD Release 12.
o It uses the HP-GL/2 and HP RTL graphics languages.
It supports:
o Inkjet plotters: HP DesignJet series plotters
HP PaintJet XL300 plotters in HP-GL/2 mode
o Pen plotters: HP DraftMaster series plotters
HP DraftPro Plus plotters
o Laser printers: HP LaserJet III printers in HP-GL/2 mode
HP LaserJet IV printers in HP-GL/2 mode
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LANGUAGES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The driver's interface and online documentation are available in
five languages:
o English
o French
o Italian
o German
o Spanish
All five are on the same disk.
--- 6 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------
USING THIS DOCUMENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to ensure a successful installation of the driver, go through
all the steps in chapter 2.
The rest of the document is for reference only.
o Chapter 3 offers some reminders for day-to-day plotting.
o Chapter 4, Troubleshooting, offers some solutions to possible
problems.
o In your day-to-day use of AutoCAD, you will probably use the HPCONFIG
dialog boxes quite often, and so there is a field-by-field
explanation in chapter 4.
o The very last section of this manual explains where to get more
information.
--- 7 ---
________________________________________________________________________
(2)
I N S T A L L I N G & C O N F I G U R I N G T H E D R I V E R
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
TASK 1: INSTALLING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
________________________________________________________________________
You have already done this, as this file (HP_R12.DOC) is made available
as part of the installation routine.
However, when installing the software, you may have chosen not to let
the installation routine automatically edit a number of files,
preferring to do so yourself. Here are details of those files that must
be edited.
Use an ASCII editor (e.g. EDIT in DOS 5.0) rather than a word processor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITING ACAD.ADS
The ADS application is required to support this driver. Editing
ACAD.ADS tells AutoCAD to load it automatically. ACAD.ADS is usually in
the \ACAD subdirectory. Add HPMPLOT.EXP to the list, with its full
pathname. For example:
ACADAPP
C:\ACAD\DRV\HPGL2\HPMPLOT.EXP
If your installation has limited RAM, an alternative is to edit the file
ACADR12.LSP. This is usually in the \ACAD\SUPPORT subdirectory. Add
HPMPLOT, HPCONFIG and HPRENDER to the autoxload function. For example:
(AUTOXLOAD "C:\ACAD\DRV\HP\HPMPLOT"
'("HPMPLOT" "HPCONFIG" "HPRENDER"))
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITING ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
You need to modify the SET ACADDRV and SET RHPADI statements which set
these two environment variables.
1. Find the SET ACADDRV statement. It will be either in the the batch
file that starts AutoCAD (default ACADR12.BAT) or in AUTOEXEC.BAT in
the root directory of the boot drive. It must occur only once.
2. Modify the SET ACADDRV statement so that it includes the path
containing the HP-GL/2 drivers which you have just installed. The
pathnames are separated by semi-colons. For example:
SET ACADDRV=C:\ACAD\DRV;C:\ACAD\DRV\HPGL2
--- 8 ---
3. If there is a SET RHPADI statement in the same file, edit it so that
the argument is the RHPRTL.EXP filename and pathname. If not, add a
new SET RHPADI statement. For example:
SET RHPADI=C:\ACAD\DRV\HPGL2\RHPRTL.EXP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITING ACAD.MNU (Optional)
The driver installation made available three new AutoCAD commands:
o HPCONFIG
o HPRENDER
o HPMPLOT
You can add these to the options available in AutoCAD's pull-down menus
by editing your AutoCAD menu file (by default, ACAD.MNU).
For details, of see the AutoCAD Customization Manual for Release 12.
The following example adds all three new commands to the File pull-down
menu in ACAD.MNU. (New lines are marked "Add.")
Menu Code Existing/Add
---------------------------------------------------------
***POP1 Existing
[File] Existing
[New...]^C^C_new Existing
[Open...]^C^C_open Existing
[Save...]^C^C_qsave Existing
[Save As...]^C^C_saveas Existing
[Recover...]^C^C_recover Existing
[--] Existing
[Plot...]^C^C_plot Existing
.
.
.
[Applications...]^c^cappload Existing
[--] Add
[Configure HP Plotter]^c^chpconfig; Add
[Render to Hardcopy]^c^chprender; Add
[Merge Render with Plot]^c^chpmplot; Add
[--] Existing
[About AutoCAD...]^C^C Existing
.
.
. (balance of pull-down menu 1 not shown)
You may also want to modify AutoCAD's PLOT command to first run HPCONFIG
in order to edit the comment field in the Annotations dialog box. For
example:
[Plot...]^C^Chpconfig;_plot; Modify
--- 9 ---
________________________________________________________________________
TASK 2: CONFIGURING THE SOFTWARE
________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: The commands CONFIG and HPCONFIG, explained in this task, are not
commands at the DOS prompt, but commands, or menu options, within
AutoCAD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OVERVIEW
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFIG AND HPCONFIG
The terminology in AutoCAD's CONFIG menus assumes that you are adding,
configuring or deleting "plotters". But what you have received from
HP is a single driver which gives you access to many plotter models, as
well as to the HP LaserJet III and IV printers. For the purposes of the
list of available "plotters" in AutoCAD's CONFIG menu, we have called
this driver:
!! HP-GL/2 ADI 4.2 v2.1 by Hewlett-Packard
For each supported plotter model, the driver software contains a file
with an extension .CFG, for example DPROPLUS.CFG for the
HP DraftPro Plus plotter. This contains the default configuration for
sending plots from AutoCAD Release 12 to that plotter.
You can select these .CFG files in the first dialog box of the HPCONFIG
command, which is available to you as a command in AutoCAD. You will
find a detailed explanation of all the dialog boxes in the HPCONFIG
command in "HPCONFIG field-by-field" in section 5.
In order to plot a drawing using any of these configurations, you must
not only select them or create them in HPCONFIG but also add them in
CONFIG. So CONFIG is used twice - to add the driver in the first place,
and then to add each plotter configuration - although CONFIG calls them
both "plotters".
--- 10 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 1: SELECT A PLOTTER IN HPCONFIG
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have several HP plotter models, just select one of them at this
stage.
1. Start AutoCAD.
2. At the command line, enter:
HPCONFIG
3. In the HP Plotter Configuration dialog box which appears, scroll
through the list of configuration files until you find the one for
your plotter model.
E.g. For the HP DraftPro Plus plotter, select DPROPLUS.CFG
When you click on a .CFG file, that plotter's full name appears
in the Plotter field at the top of the dialog box.
4. At this stage, don't customize anything else in HPCONFIG (its
features are explained in "HPCONFIG field-by-field" in section 5).
Just click on:
OK
5. In the "Save Attributes File Name" dialog box, click on:
OK
--- 11 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 2: ADD THE PLOTTER IN CONFIG
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. At the command line, enter:
CONFIG
2. From the Configuration Menu, select:
5. Configure plotter
3. From the Plotter Configuration Menu, select:
1. Add a plotter
4. From the list of available "plotters" (they are actually drivers),
select :
!! HP-GL/2 ADI 4.2 v2.1 by Hewlett-Packard
5. At the question "Is your plotter connected to a serial or parallel
port?", enter:
S (for serial) or
P (for parallel)
If in doubt, refer to the setup instructions in your plotter
documentation and to your PC manual.
6. (For HP DesignJet 200 plotters only)
At the prompt "Please specify if your DesignJet 200 is connected
directly to your PC or to a network", enter:
1 (for a direct connection) or
2 (for a network connection)
If your DesignJet 200 is connected directly, you will be able to see
the plotter status information in HPCONFIG at plot time. See under
"HPCONFIG field-by-field" in section 5.
IMPORTANT. If, later on, you physically change your connection
type, you must run CONFIG again to update it.
7. At the prompt "Enter the port name", enter:
e.g. COM1 for a serial port
e.g. LPT1 for a parallel port
If in doubt, refer to your PC manual.
8. AutoCAD then displays the default configuration for the driver. You
can customize this later, and so at the question "Do you want to
change anything?", enter:
N
--- 12 ---
9. At the prompt "Enter a description for this plotter", whatever you
enter will become available as a plotter when you subsequently use
PLOT or CONFIG. So enter, for example:
HP DesignJet 200 on LPT2, or
HP DesignJet 650C on LPT1, or
HP DraftPro Plus for mechanical drawing, or
Plotter in the drawing office
etc.
Do NOT leave the description blank.
10. To exit CONFIG, saving your changes:
At the Plotter Configuration Menu, press <Enter>
At the Configuration Menu, press <Enter>
At the prompt "Keep configuration changes?", press <Enter>
--- 13 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 3: TEST THE PLOTTER CONFIGURATION IN PLOT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Make sure that media is loaded in your plotter.
2. Open a simple drawing in AutoCAD. There are many .DWG files to
choose from in /SAMPLE.
3. At the command line, enter:
PLOT
4. In the Plot Configuration dialog box, click on Device and Default
Selection.
5. In the dialog box which appears, select the plotter you just added
in CONFIG.
6. Click on:
OK
7. In the Plot Configuration dialog box, check that:
o the "Paper Size" matches your loaded media, and
o the scale (under "Rotation and Origin") is what you want.
8. Click on:
OK
The drawing should be plotted on your plotter using the default .CFG
file you selected in HPCONFIG.
IF NO PLOT APPEARS AT ALL, then there is a problem with the interface
between plotter and PC - either the cable connection itself or the
interface settings. To check either, refer to the setup instructions in
your plotter's documentation. Did you select the correct interface port
in CONFIG (in Step 2 above)?
IF THE CONTENT, SCALE OR POSITION OF THE PLOT IS NOT AS YOU EXPECTED,
then you can customize the configuration - see Step 4 next.
--- 14 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 4 (OPTIONAL): CUSTOMIZE YOUR CONFIGURATION IN HPCONFIG
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What you did in Steps 1 through 3 was to make available to AutoCAD the
default configuration for the HP plotter model you selected. For
example:
o DPROPLUS.CFG for an HP DraftPro Plus plotter
o DJET600.CFG for an HP DesignJet 600 plotter
o etc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREATING AND TESTING A CUSTOMIZED CONFIGURATION
1. At the command line, enter:
HPCONFIG
2. In the HP Plotter Configuration dialog box, the name of current
default configuration is displayed at the top. If you want to base
your customized configuration on a different one, scroll through the
list of configuration files until you find the one you want, and
then click on it.
3. From this same dialog box, you have access to all the configuration
features of HPCONFIG. They are all explained in detail in "HPCONFIG
field-by-field" in section 5. Change whatever is appropriate.
For example, if you want to change the pen settings and fill
attributes so that they are suitable for plans of building
exteriors, click on Pens and make the necessary changes. Notice
that a Help button is available in each dialog box.
4. When you have finished your changes, click on:
OK
5. The next dialog box asks you to name the .CFG file for your new
configuration:
e.g. EXTERIOR (maximum 8 characters)
(don't include the .CFG extension)
6. Now add this plotter configuration in CONFIG, as explained in Step 2
above. Notice that the default .CFG file is the one you have just
created. At the prompt "Enter a description for this plotter",
enter something suitable for your customized configuration:
e.g. Configuration for exteriors
7. To exit CONFIG, saving your changes:
At the Plotter Configuration Menu, press <Enter>
At the Configuration Menu, press <Enter>
At the prompt "Keep configuration changes?", press <Enter>
--- 15 ---
8. Test your new configuration by plotting a drawing, as explained in
Step 3 above. In the Device and Default Selection dialog box,
select the configuration you just added in CONFIG.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREATING DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS FOR THE SAME PLOTTER
Using the procedure explained above, you can create any number of
different configurations for the same plotter - for example, one for
exteriors, one for interiors; one for drafts, one for final copies; one
for landscape plots, one for portrait plots; etc.
Remember:
o Always save the configuration with a unique .CFG filename when
exiting HPCONFIG.
o Always add the new configuration in CONFIG, as though it were a
different plotter.
o Always choose a suitable description in CONFIG so that you will be
able to select the configuration at plot time:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREATING DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS FOR DIFFERENT PLOTTERS
The principle is the same as creating different configurations for the
same plotter. In this case, though, ensure that you start from the
correct default HPCONFIG (.CFG) file for each plotter:
o DJET200.CFG for an HP DesignJet 200 plotter
o DNJ650C.CFG for an HP DesignJet 650C plotter
o DPROPLUS.CFG for an HP DraftPro Plus plotter
o etc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESTORING THE PREVIOUS CONFIGURATION
The previous version of a .CFG file is always available as a .BAK file.
So, if you overwrite an HPCONFIG configuration by mistake, just rename
the .BAK file to a .CFG file in DOS, and it will become available in
HPCONFIG.
For example, imagine you created a customized configuration and called
it TEST.CFG, and then changed something and saved the change by mistake.
To recover the old version:
1. Exit from AutoCAD to DOS.
2. Enter:
CD\ACADR12\DRV\HPGL2
REN TEST.BAK TEST1.CFG
3. Restart AutoCAD.
4. Enter HPCONFIG.
--- 16 ---
5. Among the configuration files would be:
TEST.CFG (the changed configuration)
TEST1.CFG (the original configuration)
--- 17 ---
________________________________________________________________________
TASK 3: CONFIGURING THE PLOTTER
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL POINTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o As a general rule, any feature switched ON on the plotter overrides
any equivalent setting in AutoCAD. For example, in inkjet plotters,
if Merge (or Merge Control) is set to ON, then this overrides
whatever is set in AutoCAD via HPCONFIG's Pens dialog box.
o The plotting area available (media size minus margins) varies with
the plotter, because the margins vary. For a specification of
margins and plotting areas, see each plotter's User's Guide, or the
notes below.
The information given here is a reminder of some important items that
are specific to some plotter models and relevant to users of AutoCAD
Release 12.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP DESIGNJET, DESIGNJET 600 AND 650C PLOTTERS
o For best performance, choose a parallel interface. Serial is also
available.
o To check or reconfigure any of the following, use the Pen Settings
menu on the plotter's front panel:
- Rotate
- Mirror
- Merge
- Pen settings: width, density (shade)
IMPORTANT: If you want AutoCAD's pen settings to be used, the
setting in the plotter's Pen Settings / Palette menu must be
"software"; otherwise, the settings on the plotter's front panel
will be used.
o With the Model B of the HP DesignJet 650C (product numbers C2858B
or C2859B), you can experiment with the appearance of color vector
plots by switching between the two "halftoning" options. For
details, see under "HPCONFIG Field-by-Field" in Section 5.
o You can produce long-axis plots with an HP DesignJet, DesignJet 600
or 650C plotter.
o The HP DesignJet, DesignJet 600 and 650C plotters have an optional
expanded mode (Expanded in Page Format / Margins). You can use this
only for roll media.
--- 18 ---
o Recommended plotting areas. The table below lists the correct
plotting areas you should set in AutoCAD Release 12 for standard
media sizes. Set these as USER sizes in the "Size..." dialog box,
accessible from the "Plot Configuration" dialog box. Using these
sizes will ensure optimal media savings when you use the plotter's
nesting feature. If standard sizes are not required, set Page Format
/ Size to Inked Area for best results.
The plotter's front panel menu will tell you the maximum x and y
values for the sheet that is currently loaded in the plotter. This
information is recorded in the Utilities / Statistics menu of the
plotter's front panel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP DESIGNJET 200 PLOTTERS
o For best performance, choose a parallel interface. Serial is also
available.
o To check or reconfigure any of the following, use the plotter's
setup sheet:
- Serial interface settings: baud rate, parity
- Graphics language (default "HP-GL (7586B), HP-GL/2" is OK)
- Rotate
- Mirror
- Merge
- Pen settings: width, density
IMPORTANT: If you want AutoCAD's pen settings to be used, the
setting on the plotter's setup sheet must be "from software";
otherwise, the settings on the setup sheet will be used.
o Recommended plotting areas. The table below lists the correct
plotting areas you should set in AutoCAD Release 12 for standard
media sizes. Set these as USER sizes in the "Size..." dialog box,
accessible from the "Plot Configuration" dialog box.
--- 19 ---
PLOTTING AREAS FOR HP DESIGNJET SERIES PLOTTERS
____________________________________________________________
| MEDIA SIZE | PLOTTTING AREA |
| AND ORIENTATION OF MEDIA | AND ORIENTATION OF DRAWING |
| | For landscape drawings: |
| | width x height |
| | For portrait drawings: |
| * = not HP DesignJet 200 | height x width |
|_____________________________|______________________________|
| | | |
| | inches | millimeters |
| | | |
| ANSI A portrait | 9.7 x 8.1 | 245 x 205 |
| landscape | 7.2 x 10.6 | 182 x 269 |
| | | |
| B portrait | 15.7 x 10.6 | 397 x 269 |
| landscape | 9.7 x 16.6 | 245 x 421 |
| | | |
| C portrait | 20.7 x 16.6 | 524 x 421 |
| landscape | 15.7 x 20.6 | 398 x 549 |
| | | |
| D portrait | 32.7 x 21.6 | 829 x 548 |
| landscape | 20.7 x 33.6 | 525 x 854 |
| roll(*) | 64.0 x 23.6 | 1625 x 599 |
| | | |
| E portrait | 42.7 x 33.6 | 1084 x 854 |
| roll(*) | 64.0 x 35.6 | 1625 x 904 |
|_____________________________|_______________|______________|
| | | |
| Architectural A portrait | 10.7 x 8.6 | 271 x 219 |
| landscape | 7.7 x 11.6 | 195 x 295 |
| | | |
| B portrait | 16.7 x 11.6 | 423 x 295 |
| landscape | 10.7 x 17.6 | 271 x 447 |
| | | |
| C portrait | 22.7 x 17.6 | 576 x 447 |
| landscape | 16.7 x 23.6 | 423 x 600 |
| | | |
| D portrait | 34.7 x 23.6 | 880 x 600 |
| landscape | 22.7 x 35.6 | 576 x 904 |
| | | |
| E1 portrait | 40.7 x 29.6 | 1033 x 752 |
| | | |
| E portrait | 46.7 x 35.6 | 1185 x 904 |
|_____________________________|_______________|______________|
| | | |
| ISO A4 portrait | 10.3 x 7.9 | 263 x 200 |
| landscape | 6.9 x 11.3 | 176 x 287 |
| | | |
| A3 portrait | 15.2 x 11.3 | 386 x 287 |
| landscape | 10.3 x 16.1 | 263 x 410 |
| | | |
| A2 portrait | 22.0 x 16.1 | 560 x 410 |
| landscape | 15.2 x 23.0 | 386 x 584 |
| | | |
| A1 portrait | 31.8 x 23.0 | 807 x 584 |
| landscape | 22.0 x 32.7 | 560 x 831 |
| | | |
| A0 portrait | 45.5 x 32.7 | 1155 x 831 |
____________________________________________________________
--- 20 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP PAINTJET XL300 PLOTTERS IN HP-GL/2 MODE
o The HP PaintJet XL300 must be allowed to finish a plot before
starting another plot with a parallel cable. If you try to plot a
second drawing before the plotter finishes a plot, the
HP PaintJet XL300 will reset itself, clear its memory and terminate
the original plot.
o To configure the HP PaintJet XL300 as a serial device, the switches
should all be set to the DOWN position.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP DRAFTPRO PLUS PLOTTERS
o For best performance, choose a parallel interface. Serial is also
available.
o The HP DraftPro Plus plotter has an optional expanded mode
(Page Format / Expand) which allows plotting in the pinch wheel area,
and therefore increases the plotting area. Lines drawn in this area
are subject to smearing when the wheels pass over wet ink.
o You cannot render drawings on the HP DraftPro Plus plotter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP DRAFTMASTER SERIES PLOTTERS
o For interface options (serial and HP-IB parallel are both available),
see the plotter's Setup Guide.
o The HP Draftmaster plotters have an optional expanded mode
(Page Format / Expand) which allows plotting in the pinch wheel area,
and therefore increases the plotting area. Lines drawn in this area
are subject to smearing when the wheels pass over wet ink.
o You can produce long-axis plots with an HP DraftMaster plotter. The
plotter's User's Guide explains how to ensure that the registration
marks for frame-to-frame alignment are detected.
o You cannot render drawings on the HP Draftmaster series plotters.
--- 21 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP 7600 ELECTROSTATIC PLOTTERS
o A plot on a smaller sheet than the default size for the 7600 will be
centered in the middle of the page. For example, an A-size plot on a
240E will be centered about 17 inches from the edge of the paper. If
you need to force an A-, B- or C-size drawing to the edge of the
page, simply make use of a user page size that is set to the full
height of the paper. For example, if you want an A-size plot along
the X-axis, at the prompt "Enter the Size or Width,Height (in
Inches):", enter the paper size as 10.5,35.18 for an E-size plotter,
not the 10.5,8.0 as given for the A-size sheet.
o The HP7600 Series Models 250, 255, and 355 provide a front-panel
control to nest smaller-size plots to save paper. Refer to the
HP 7600 Series User's Guide for details on this paper-saving and
time-saving feature.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP LASERJET III AND IV PRINTERS IN HP-GL/2 MODE
o Serial Interface. For serial interfaces on the LaserJet III, only
9600 baud / no parity, or 19200 baud / no parity, are available.
o Memory. HP LaserJet III printers must have a minimum of 2MB of total
memory to work with this driver.
o Page Protection. The factory default setting for Page Protection is
OFF. For some plots, this may cause only a portion of your drawing
to be plotted and the error message "Printer Overrun" to be
displayed. To avoid this problem, set Page Protection to
"Letter/A4". Before doing so, check with your LaserJet User's Guide
for advice on memory upgrades.
o Legal Paper Size. If you want to plot a drawing longer than the
10.5 inches of letter-size paper, you will have to install your
legal-size paper tray and set Page Protection to "LEGAL". If you
don't have a legal-size tray, you can manually feed the legal-size
sheets into the printer. You must set your printer for manual feed
before you send the plot. A good time to do this is when AutoCAD
tells you to "Position paper in plotter." If you do use manual feed,
the HP LaserJet III will display what size paper to feed it. See
the LaserJet III User's Guide for details of how to set up the
printer for manual feed. Getting full-size plots on legal-size paper
will also require more memory.
--- 22 ---
________________________________________________________________________
TASK 4: CONFIGURING FOR RENDERED PLOTS (optional / inkjet plotters only)
________________________________________________________________________
To render a plot is to apply variable shading to surfaces in order to
give a three-dimensional appearance to the drawing.
AutoCAD Release 12 includes its own rendering routine, AVE RENDER
(= AutoCAD commands RCONFIG and RENDER). However, we strongly recommend
that, rather than AVE RENDER, you use the rendering routine HPRENDER
supplied as part of this driver, because:
o HPRENDER's features are geared specifically to HP plotters.
o HPRENDER lets you specify the page size (unlike AVE RENDER).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 1: CONFIGURE AUTOCAD TO USE HPRENDER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. At the AutoCAD command line, enter:
RCONFIG
2. Press <Enter> to see the Configuration Menu.
(If you see a message stating that no rendering device is yet
configured, this means that RCONFIG itself is not configured.
Press <Enter> to see the Configuration Menu and choose
"Configure rendering device". Otherwise ...)
3. In the Configuration Menu, choose:
"Configure hard copy rendering device"
4. From the list of devices, choose:
"P386 AutoDesk Device Interface rendering driver"
5. The name of your current HPCONFIG (.CFG) file is displayed.
Answer the questions with reference to your own plotter.
For help on the port connection questions, refer to Task 2, Step 2
above.
6. Back in the Configuration Menu, choose:
"Exit to drawing editor"
--- 23 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 2: CONFIGURE AND PLOT WITH HPRENDER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HPRENDER both configures the render attributes and sends the rendered
drawing to the plotter. The rendered version of the drawing is not
displayed on screen.
1. At the AutoCAD command line, enter:
HPRENDER
2. In the Render Configuration dialog box, first check that the .CFG
file displayed at the top is the same as the current one displayed
in RCONFIG. If they are not the same, the rendering won't work. To
change the current .CFG file, use HPCONFIG.
3. Set the render attributes:
Render Type
Smooth = smooth ON (slower, but smoother surfaces)
Facet = smooth OFF (faster, but less smooth surfaces)
Media Size
Click on either inches or millimeters and then specify the width
and height of the media to be used in the plotter for rendered
output.
The size you specify here is also used as the default in
HPMPLOT.
Position of Rendered Plot on Media
Specify the bottom left and top right corners (1st and 2nd
respectively) of the image to be rendered.
The units are as under Page Size, and the X and Y co-ordinates
are with reference to the bottom left corner of the page.
Render to File
To send the rendered output to a file rather than to the
plotter, select Render to File and specify the filename in the
window that appears. If Render to File is already selected,
then to change the filename, click on Filename.
CAUTION: The file could be as large as 20 MB, especially with a
large page size.
4. To send the rendered drawing to the plotter (or to a file), click
on OK.
NOTE. If you are using the AutoCAD command SCENE to define the scene
to be rendered, make sure that it refers to the CURRENT view - otherwise
the orientation of your rendered drawing may not be correct.
--- 24 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTING A MIXED RENDERED AND NON-RENDERED DRAWING (HPMPLOT)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HPRENDER renders the current viewport or the model space view that you
see on screen. If you want to plot a drawing with one viewport
rendered and the others not, use HPMPLOT instead. (..MPLOT stands
for mixed plot.)
Before using HPMPLOT, you must already have used RCONFIG to configure
AutoCAD for rendering, as explained above in Step 1 of this task.
1. At the AutoCAD command line, enter:
HPMPLOT
2. In the Mixed Plot Configuration dialog box, first check that the
plotter displayed at the top is the same as the one whose .CFG file
is current in RCONFIG. If they are not the same, the rendering
won't work. To change the current plotter, click on Device and
Default Selection. The list of plotters that appears is as
specified in the CONFIG command.
3. Change the mixed plot parameters as required, including the
selection of the viewport to be rendered:
Media Size
Click on either inches or millimeters and then specify the width
and height of the media to be used in the plotter. The default
is as specified in HPRENDER.
What to Plot
Choose whether the area to be plotted is:
o Display: as displayed on screen.
o Extents: as defined by the extents of the drawing.
o Limits: as defined by the LIMITS variable.
Hide Lines
Select this if you don't want hidden lines to be plotted.
Render Type
Smooth = smooth ON (slower, but smoother surfaces)
Facet = smooth OFF (faster, but less smooth surfaces)
--- 25 ---
To File
To send the output to a file rather than to the plotter, select
To File and specify the filename in the window that appears. If
To File is already selected, then to change the filename, click
on Filename.
CAUTION: The file could be as large as 20 MB, especially with a
large media size.
Scale
If you want the drawing to be plotted to the same scale as
specified in the drawing, leave this as 1 to 1.
To plot to a enlarged scale, make the Plotted Units greater than
the Drawing Units; vice versa for a reduced scale.
If you want the drawing to be scaled to fit the media size
specified above, choose Plot to Fit.
Viewport to Render
Click on Select and then select the relevant viewport in
AutoCAD.
4. To send the drawing to the plotter (or to a file), click on OK.
--- 26 ---
________________________________________________________________________
(3)
D A Y - T O - D A Y P L O T T I N G
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTING A NORMAL (NON-RENDERED) DRAWING
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Enter the PLOT command to get to AutoCAD's Plot Configuration
dialog box.
2. The plotter configuration currently selected is the one shown in the
Device and Default Information box. If you want to change it,
click on Device and Default Selection.
3. If you are using a non-standard media size, click on "Size ..."
to specify the plotting area as a USER SIZE.
plotting area = media size - margins
For margins, refer to your plotter documentation.
4. We recommend that, if you are in any doubt about what will be
physically plotted, you select a full preview in the Plot Preview
box.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTING A RENDERED DRAWING
------------------------------------------------------------------------
See above under Chapter 3, Task 4:
o HPRENDER both configures and plots a rendered drawing.
o HPMPLOT both configures and plots a mixed rendered and non-rendered
drawing.
--- 27 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DECIDING WHETHER TO CONFIGURE THE SOFTWARE OR THE PLOTTER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of the features available in AutoCAD and in HPCONFIG are also
available on the plotter - pen settings, number of copies, merge, etc.
On the plotter, these may be available in the front-panel menus, in the
setup sheet, or elsewhere, depending on the plotter model.
To help you decide whether to set a parameter on the software or on the
plotter, here are some considerations:
o Do you understand which setting will take priority: software or
plotter? It's not always the same answer. For advice, look up the
feature either in this manual (chapter 2, step 3 and chapter 5,
"HPCONFIG field-by-field") or in your plotter User's Guide.
o If your plotter is on a network, or is used by several colleagues in
any other way, do you want to affect just your plots or all their
plots? If it's just yours, then you should configure the software.
o Do you want to experiment with a plot while it is plotting, for
example by changing the plot quality? This would be easier to set on
the plotter.
o Do you want to define a set of parameters for regular use in certain
circumstances? For example, when plotting a drawing for a customer,
you may always want final plot quality, scaled to fit, with specific
pen settings. This would be easier to set on the software, by
creating a special .CFG file.
o How quickly do you want to make the change? It's likely to be
quicker on the software.
o How permanent do you want the changes to be? Temporary changes are
likely to be easier to reset on the software.
--- 28 ---
________________________________________________________________________
(4)
T R O U B L E S H O O T I N G
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ERROR MESSAGES, IN ALPHABETICAL SEQUENCE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"OUT OF ENVIRONMENT SPACE"
It is not uncommon in AutoCAD installations to have a large number of
environment variables set. This may result in the above error message.
This message is usually seen when you boot your computer, or when
executing a batch file that sets new variables. When you see this
message, you need to increase the amount of memory reserved for
environment variables on your system.
To increase the amount of memory reserved for environment variables, you
need to add or modify the SHELL command in your CONFIG.SYS file. The
CONFIG.SYS file is located in the root directory of the boot drive,
usually drive C. The CONFIG.SYS file may be modified with an ASCII
editor. The following is a typical SHELL statement used to increase the
environment size to 512 bytes:
shell=c:\command.com /p /e:512
Environment memory may be conserved by setting environment variables to
NULL when running DOS applications that do not need them. The most
convenient method to NULL out environment variables is to add "SET
envname=" statements to the end of batch files used to start
applications. For example, here is a typical ACADR12.BAT file:
1. @echo off
2. cls
3. echo ... One moment please, loading AutoCAD Release 12...
4. set acad=c:\acad\support;c:\acad\fonts;c:\acad\ads
5. set acadcfg=c:\acad
6. set acaddrv=c:\acad\drv;c:\acad\drv\hpgl2
7. set rhpadi=c:\acad\drv\hpgl2\rhprtl.exp
8. c:\acad\acad %1 %2
9. set acad=
10. set acadcfg=
11. set acaddrv=
12. set rhpadi=
13. cls
When AutoCAD is exited, lines 9 through 12 reclaim the environment space
that was consumed by the commands on lines 4 through 7.
--- 29 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"PLOTTER IS NOT READY ..."
o Check the plotter's front panel. If it doesn't show that the plotter
is ready (either by displaying "Ready" or, for plotters without a
display, by the equivalent light being on), then investigate with the
help of the plotter's documentation.
o In the case of an HP DesignJet 200 only, you can check the plotter's
status by using the "Plotter Status" dialog box in HPCONFIG.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"RENDERING AREA FALLS OUTSIDE THE PAGE SIZE ..." (IN HPRENDER)
o In HPRENDER, reduce the size of the area specified by "Position of
Rendered Plot on Media". Otherwise, the plot will be clipped.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"SPECIFIED AREA ... IS TOO LARGE FOR LOADED PAPER ..."
This is a clip warning at plot time. You may see this message even if a
full preview showed no problems, because the plotting areas for HP
plotters are different than those assumed by AutoCAD for each standard
media size.
o You can specify the correct plotting areas - see "If the plot
is clipped", later in this chapter.
o If the area you are plotting contains space at the top and right of
the image, continue plotting - there may be no clipping.
o To skip clip warnings at plot time, choose the appropriate option in
the Advanced Media Options dialog box in HPCONFIG. If you simply
don't want any clipping - even if the size of the plot has to be
automatically adjusted to the size of the loaded media - then click
on "Don't clip. Adjust to media."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"UNABLE TO DETECT IF SMOOTH SHADING IS DISABLED ..."
(IN HPRENDER OR HPMPLOT)
1. At the AutoCAD command line, enter RPREF.
2. In the Rendering Preferences dialog box, select Smooth Shading.
3. Re-run your rendering routine (HPRENDER or HPMPLOT), this time
ignoring the message.
--- 30 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"UNABLE TO DO PLOT CORRECTLY ..." (IN HPMPLOT)
o Check that the plotter displayed at the top of the HPMPLOT dialog
box is the same as the one whose .CFG file is current in RCONFIG.
Note that HPMPLOT refers to the list of plotters specified in the
CONFIG command, while RCONFIG refers to a .CFG file. The two are
matched in CONFIG.
o Does the selected plotter support rendering? Pen plotters cannot
render.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"UNABLE TO OPEN FILE ..."
o Check that the file exists by looking in both the current directory
and the directory where the driver was installed (default
ACADR12/DRV/HPGL2). How you look for the file depends on what type
of file it is, but you could use DOS in all cases.
o Check that, in the file CONFIG.SYS (usually in the root directory),
the FILE and BUFFER statements contain values equal to or greater
than 40.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE COMMAND HPCONFIG OR HPRENDER OR HPMPLOT DOES NOT WORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o These are commands in AutoCAD, not in DOS!
o If they don't work in AutoCAD:
- If you have successfully used them before, try quitting AutoCAD
(after saving your work) and re-entering AutoCAD.
- If they have never worked, there may be a line missing in the
ACAD.ADS file, which would have been added automatically as part
of the installation of the driver software if you replied "OK" to
the relevant question. ACAD.ADS is normally in AutoCAD
Release 12's program subdirectory. A line similar to the
following should appear in this file:
C:\ACAD\DRV\HPGL2\HPMPLOT.EXP
If it is not there, add it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU HAVE OVERWRITTEN A CONFIGURATION (.CFG) FILE BY MISTAKE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o There is always a backup copy of the previous version of the .CFG
files. See "Restoring old files" in chapter 2, task 2, step 4.
--- 31 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE "SELECT DEVICE" BOX IS EMPTY
(IN HPMPLOT / DEVICE AND DEFAULT SELECTION)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Either:
o No plotter has been configured in CONFIG. See Task 2, Step 2.
Or:
o In CONFIG, no description was entered for the plotters being
configured. Run CONFIG again and enter an appropriate description
for each plotter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF HPRENDER OR HPMPLOT RENDERS THE DRAWING ON THE SCREEN INSTEAD OF ON
THE PLOTTER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o The rendering driver is not correctly configured. At the AutoCAD
command line, enter RCONFIG and reconfigure the rendering device.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF A RENDERED PLOT IS NOT THE SIZE YOU SPECIFIED IN HPRENDER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o Check that the current configuration (.CFG) file quoted in RCONFIG
is the same as the current one in HPRENDER. See Task 4, Steps 1 and
2 above.
--- 32 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE PLOT IS CLIPPED
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This indicates a discrepancy between the actual plotting area on the
loaded media and the plotting area as understood by your AutoCAD.
o Check the actual plotting area for the media size you have loaded.
Plotting area = media size - margins
You can find all the relevant information in your plotter User's
Guide or, for HP DesignJet series plotters, in chapter2 (task 3) of
this document.
o Check what AutoCAD understands to be the plotting area. This is
shown in the Paper Size dialog box, accessible by entering PLOT and
clicking on "Size ...". AutoCAD's assumed margins and areas are
generally wrong for HP plotters.
o Check that the graphic selected in the Media Options dialog box in
HPCONFIG matches the orientation of the media loaded in your plotter.
o Check all the selections in the Rotation and Origin dialog box
accessible from the Plot Configuration dialog box (via PLOT).
o Before retrying the plot, use Full Preview in the Plot Configuration
dialog box.
To ensure your plot is not clipped:
o EITHER specify the plotting area as a USER SIZE in AutoCAD's Paper
Size dialog box,
o OR select "Scaled to Fit" in AutoCAD's Plot Configuration window and
select "Don't clip. Adjust to loaded media" in HPCONFIG's Advanced
Media Options dialog box.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE ORIENTATION OF THE PLOT IS WRONG
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o The best way to ensure that your output appears in the required
orientation (landscape or portrait) is to use HPCONFIG's "Media
Options" dialog box. See chapter 5.
o Before retrying the plot, use Full Preview in the Plot Configuration
dialog box.
o If you are using the AutoCAD command SCENE to define a scene to be
rendered, make sure that SCENE refers to the CURRENT view.
--- 33 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE ORIENTATION OF A SMOOTH-RENDERED PLOT IS WRONG
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o As for any wrong orientation, check the Media Options dialog box in
HPCONFIG.
o If you were using HPRENDER ...
Check that the current configuration (.CFG) file quoted in RCONFIG
is the same as the current one in HPRENDER. See Task 4, Steps 1 and
2 above.
o If you were using HPMPLOT ...
Check that the plotter displayed at the top of the HPMPLOT dialog
box is the same as the one whose .CFG file is current in RCONFIG.
Note that HPMPLOT refers to the list of plotters specified in the
CONFIG command, while RCONFIG refers to a .CFG file. The two are
matched in CONFIG.
o If all the above seem correct, check that DOS's CONFIG.SYS file
(usually in the root directory) contains the statements:
FILES = 40 (or more)
BUFFERS = 40 (or more)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE ENTIRE PLOT IS IN ONE QUADRANT OF THE CORRECT PLOTTING AREA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o The plotter's graphics language should be configured as HP-GL/2. For
an explanation of how to check or change the plotter's graphics
language, see your plotter's Setup Guide or User's Guide.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF THE OUTPUT IS DISTORTED OR UNINTELLIGIBLE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o If you are using a serial interface between the plotter and your
computer, make sure the plotter's serial interface settings (baud
rate and parity) match the current settings on AutoCAD. To check or
change the plotter's settings, see your plotter's Setup Guide or
User's Guide.
--- 34 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF PEN SETTINGS (E.G. LINE WIDTHS) SEEM TO HAVE NO EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o In some HP plotters, you need to specify whether the pen settings are
to be taken from the software (in this case, from AutoCAD) or from a
setting made on the plotter. For example, in the HP DesignJet 200,
pen settings are part of the setup sheet. Make sure this setting is
as you require, referring if necessary to the plotter's
documentation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF HPCONFIG SETTINGS GENERALLY SEEM TO HAVE NO EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
o Maybe the .CFG file, which you see in the HPCONFIG dialog boxes, is
not being used at plot time. In order to apply a configuration, you
must not only save it in HPCONFIG, but also add it in CONFIG and then
ensure that it is the current configuration at plot time, by checking
in the Plot Configuration dialog box.
--- 35 ---
________________________________________________________________________
(5)
R E F E R E N C E
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HPCONFIG FIELD-BY-FIELD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information below is the same as in HPCONFIG's help screens.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP PLOTTER CONFIGURATION
The information in this dialog box, and in the
five others that you can access from here,
relates to the plotter selected at the top.
To change the plotter selected, scroll through
the list of configuration files. When you click
on one, that plotter's full name appears above.
To add a customized plotter configuration, choose
an existing configuration file as a default, make
your changes and then click on OK. The next
dialog box asks you to name your new file.
--------------------------------------------------
Number of Copies
Enter the number of copies you want from each
AutoCAD Plot command.
Print Quality
Select a quality level, or accept the plotter's
default. Higher quality output takes longer to
plot. Not all options are available for all
plotters.
--------------------------------------------------
--- 36 ---
To define pen attributes,
select Pens ...
To add annotations to the plot,
select Annotations ...
To define your drawing's orientation on the media,
select Media Options ...
To avoid clipped plots or clip warnings,
choose Advanced Media Options ...
To see the plotter's current media and I/O status,
select Plotter status ...
(not available for all plotters)
--- 37 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PENS
This dialog box lets you define pen attributes for
the pen numbers you specify. Most pen plotters
have eight pens, numbered 1 through 8, which will
be activated as the following pen numbers defined
here: 1 through 8, 9 through 16, etc. Inkjet
plotters have no physical pens, but attributes
you define here will be assigned to "logical
pens".
To change the number of the pen you are defining,
click on the arrows on the bar below the pen
number, or enter the number in the box.
To have your specification apply to all pens,
click "Apply to all pens".
--------------------------------------------------
Plot Merge Control
(inkjet plotters only; applies to all pens)
Select "Lines Overwrite" to make intersecting
areas show only the last entity plotted. Select
"Lines Merge" to make intersecting areas show all
lines and fills. This setting will apply only if
Merge is OFF on the plotter. If Merge is ON on
the plotter, it overrides this setting.
Halftoning ...
(HP DesignJet 650C only)
Click here to access the Halftoning dialog box.
For an explanation of halftoning, see below.
Line End
Select the shape for line ends. Round ends
are recommended for most AutoCAD plots.
Line Join
Select the shape for line joins. Round joins
are recommended for most AutoCAD plots.
Fill
Select a fill pattern. It will apply to TRACEs,
PLINEs, DONUTs and ELLIPSEs. Raster Pattern
means the pattern whose filename is currently
selected on the right. This setting will apply
only if Pen Settings/Palette is set to "from
software" on the plotter.
--- 38 ---
Spacing, Angle, Shade
These specifications apply to the fill option
currently selected above.
Raster Patterns (inkjet plotters only)
The files named on the right contain some pre-
defined patterns which you can choose as your
fill selection.
To apply a raster pattern, first select Raster
Pattern from the Fill options. The highlighted
filename is the current one. To change it:
o either click on another in the list displayed
o or click on Change to select from files in a
different directory.
--- 39 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HALFTONING (HP DesignJet 650C only)
Halftoning refers to the appearance of vectors
drawn by the plotter in all colors EXCEPT the
seven "pure" colors: red, green, blue, cyan,
magenta, yellow and black.
THE MODEL A VERSION OF THE HP DESIGNJET 650C
(product numbers C2858A and C2859A) implements
only one halftoning option ("pattern") and there-
fore users of those models have no use for this
dialog box.
THE MODEL B VERSION OF THE HP DESIGNJET 650C
(product numbers C2858B and C2859B) implements by
default "scatter" halftoning, and offers "pattern"
halftoning as an option. You can experiment
between the two, but scatter is likely to give
better results in most circumstances. To see the
current plotter default setting, use the plotter's
front panel to find Pen Settings / Default
Halftone. The factory default is scatter.
--------------------------------------------------
BENEFITS OF SCATTER:
o The texture of many colored areas is more
consistent.
o Small text printed in light colors is easier
to read.
CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN PATTERN MAY BE PREFERABLE:
o With certain "clip-art" packages.
o When an HP-GL/2 plot contains a very large
number of different colors in one pass of the
plotter's print cartridges.
o When scatter creates jagged lines and less
sharp edges.
--- 40 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANNOTATIONS
This dialog box enables you to define text or crop
marks to be plotted:
o in addition to the drawing
o by pen number 7 (default black 2.54 mm)
o on all plots using this configuration file.
Text annotation is plotted at the bottom of
portrait-loaded media and at the left of
landscape-loaded media. Crop marks are plotted
at the corners of the plotting area.
IMPORTANT: Annotations shift your plot by
12 mm (0.5 in), which is not included in the width
and height specification in the PLOT command.
--------------------------------------------------
Drawing File
Select to include the drawing filename and
pathname.
Plot Date/Time
Select to include the date and time the plot
began.
Driver Name
Select to include the driver name, plotter model
and configuration filename.
Crop Marks
Select to include crop marks at the corners of
the plotting area.
--- 41 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA OPTIONS
This dialog box lets you make sure that your
drawing is plotted in the correct orientation on
the media.
1) Identify which of the eight pictures matches
your requirement.
o Is your on-screen image:
- landscape (width > height)?
... then left column
- portrait (width < height)?
... then right column
o Is the orientation of the media loaded in
your plotter:
- landscape?
- portrait?
o Where do you want the biggest margin?
(Pen plotters only)
o Where do you want the origin?
2) Click on the correct picture.
3) IMPORTANT. If the physical orientation of the
media in your plotter is portrait, then at plot
time you must enter a suitable USER size with
width less than height.
--- 42 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVANCED MEDIA OPTIONS
This dialog box helps you avoid clipped plots.
1) Identify whether AutoCAD's "Scaled to fit"
option (in the Plot Configuration window) is
ON or OFF.
2) If it is OFF, decide whether you want to be
warned on-screen that your plot will be
clipped. Click on the appropriate box.
If it is ON, AutoCAD's standard estimate of
the plotting area may not be correct for your
plotter. To scale to fit the real plotting
area, choose "Don't clip. Adjust to media"
(not operational with all plotters). If you
don't choose this, you can decide whether you
want to be warned on-screen that your plot
will be clipped. Click on one of the three
boxes.
HPCONFIG cannot access all plotter models to
see what size media is loaded. If it cannot
access your plotter, it will use the standard
plotting area for the media size identified
in the Plot Configuration dialog box, as long
as this is a standard media size.
--------------------------------------------------
Plotter Margins
For plotters with an expanded margin feature,
click on either OFF or ON, to match the current
setting on the plotter.
--- 43 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTER STATUS
This dialog box shows the current status of the
plotter - media loaded, lever/window raised,
plotter ready/not ready, etc.
--------------------------------------------------
1) In the "Plotter connected to:" scroll bar,
select the port to which the plotter is
physically connected.
IMPORTANT. Any change you make here does NOT
change the interface settings in AutoCAD. If
you want to change AutoCAD's settings, use
CONFIG.
2) If you want to see the latest status, click on
"Get Status". (The status is NOT monitored
continuously.)
--------------------------------------------------
Media loaded
The dimensions of the media currently loaded in
the plotter.
Baud Rate, Parity
The serial interface settings are ONLY FOR
GETTING THE PLOTTER'S STATUS IN THIS DIALOG BOX.
The initial settings are the defaults for this
plotter.
IMPORTANT: If you have several configuration
(.CFG) files for the same plotter model, then
changing these parameters here changes them for
all those files.
--- 44 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTING TO FILE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plotting directly to devices in AutoCAD can be a time-consuming task.
Plotting to File has the following functional and technical
advantages:
o Plot files may be re-plotted at a later date without the necessity
of reprocessing the vectors.
o Plot files may be sent to remote sites that do not have AutoCAD but
have access to a plotter or plotting service. This allows them to
create additional original plots.
o Plot files of "final release" drawings may be archived for document
control purposes.
o Plot data can be saved to a file much faster than most plotters can
accept the data, resulting in less time users must wait for AutoCAD
to process plots.
o An inexpensive PC may be used as a plot server. The plot server does
NOT require:
- an AutoCAD license or to have AutoCAD installed
- a color monitor
- a floating point (math) coprocessor
- a digitizer or mouse
o The plotter's availability to other users is increased.
Once plot files are generated, they can be copied to the plotter from
your PC or a plot server. You can plot the file using the same
techniques used on AutoCAD networks, or simply select a filename and
transfer the .PLT file with the DOS COPY command.
If you want to plot to a file, ensure that you have sufficient disk
space to store the plot file containing the HP-GL/2 plot commands.
Note that the plot file sizes are generally larger than the
corresponding AutoCAD drawing file. This is because AutoCAD can store
complex geometry such as text and hatch patterns very efficiently in
the drawing file, but must convert each "pen stroke" into a HP-GL/2
command simply to dot an "i".
Once you have plotted a drawing to a file, you can send a plot file to
the plotter by typing a DOS command. The following example is for a
file named TEST and a plotter installed on parallel port number 2.
(AutoCAD always adds the .PLT extension when creating the plot file,
but you must specify it explicitly when using the DOS COPY command.)
C:\DWG>copy /b test.plt lpt2:
--- 45 ---
The /b option is required so the printer or plotter will interpret the
plot file as a binary rather than an ASCII text file. The second
example will copy the TEST plot file to the first serial port.
C:\DWG>copy /b test.plt com1:
Before copying a file to the printer or plotter connected to a serial
(com) port, you must first issue a DOS MODE command to match the
port's communications parameters to the plotter connected to it.
Example for PaintJet XL and LaserJet III printers, type:
C:>mode com1:9600,n,8,1,p
Example for HP DesignJet, HP7600, and HP DraftMaster plotters (note
that this should agree with the communications parameters set by the
user in the plotter and the driver):
C:>mode com1:9600,e,7,1,p
These commands may be included in a batch file used to send plot files
to the plotter.
--- 46 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTING ON NOVELL NETWORKS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AutoCAD users on a Novell network benefit in sharing a common set of
drawing and support files. In addition, networked AutoCAD sites gain
improved plotting throughput by sharing printing and plotting devices.
To take advantage of sharing a plotter on a Novell network, you should
take the following steps:
1. Configure AutoCAD to Plot to File.
2. Specify the file name to be AUTOSPOOL.
3. Create a \SPFILES directory on your hard disk.
4. Create a SPOOL.BAT file per the following example:
@ECHO OFF
NPRINT %1 J=DNJET600
In this example, DNJET600 is the print job name. Your network
administrator will have set up the Novell server for the plotter
by making a PRINTCON entry for J=DNJET600.
5. Set AutoCAD's ACADPLCMD environment variable to invoke SPOOL.BAT.
This variable should be placed in the individual client's
AUTOEXEC.BAT or AutoCAD start-up batch file. Include SPOOL.BAT's
full path unless it is placed in the client's DOS path.
SET ACADPLCMD=c:\acad\novell\spool %%s
This allows AutoCAD 386 to create a temporary plot file in the
\SPFILES directory. AutoCAD 386 will execute the command
specified in the environment variable ACADPLCMD upon plot
termination. Novell NPRINT command will queue the file contents
into Novell Netware's print server queue. Then, AutoCAD will
automatically delete the temporary file.
+============================================================+
| I M P O R T A N T |
+============================================================+
| |
| Do NOT use the Novell CAPTURE command to map an LPT port |
| to a print server. AutoCAD does NOT use the BIOS |
| for plot output. Please refer to the AutoCAD Release 12 |
| Installation and Performance Guide page 47 and page 81. |
| |
+============================================================+
--- 47 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COLOR PALETTE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The color palette on Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2 raster plotters and
printers approximates AutoCAD's color assignments. For example, red
will plot red and blue will plot blue on a color device. Monochrome
plotters map a grayscale palette to AutoCAD's colors. The easiest way
to see the color map for a particular HP-GL/2 device is to plot
AutoCAD's CHROMA.DWG provided as a sample file with Release 12.
By default, pen table pen numbers 1 to 255 correspond to AutoCAD
colors 1 to 255. Colors may be re-mapped to any pen. However, the pen
table is reset to the default each time the driver is reconfigured.
Changes to the pen map may be saved and labeled so that different pen
tables may be recalled for later use.
Gamma correction is done by default to create a closer match to the
intended AutoCAD colors. You can disable gamma correction by manually
inserting "GAMMA 0" into the current CFG file.
--- 48 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRIVER FILES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The HP-GL/2 Driver Software Disk is shipped with both real mode and
protected-mode drivers. The files installed for AutoCAD Release 12
are:
Filename Description
------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
HP_DRV.TXT File that lists instructions to complete driver
configuration after the INSTALL program copies the
driver files.
HPMPLOT.CF Holds the name of the current CFG file to be used for
AutoCAD plotter CONFIG.
filename.CFG Driver configuration files.
HPMPLOT.DCL HPMPLOT dialogue control file, which defines the
dynamic dialogue box for the HPMPLOT command.
HP_R12.DOC Reference Guide (this file).
PLHPGL2.EXP Protected-mode HP-GL/2 driver for AutoCAD Release 12,
ADI 4.2.
HPMPLOT.EXP Protected-mode ADS program that controls merged vector
and raster plots.
RHPRTL.EXP Protected-mode HP-GL/2 driver for AutoCAD Release 12
AVE Render, ADI 4.2.
HPMPLOT.HLP Help file for the HPMPLOT dialogue box.
filename.RPF Raster Pattern Files that define fill patterns that can
be used by this HP-GL/2 driver with raster plotters.
HP_DRV.TXT File created by the INSTALL program listing steps
required to complete driver installation. This file
may be deleted after proper driver installation is
completed.
TESTPLOT.DWG AutoCAD test plot drawing that illustrates special
features of this driver when used with TESTPLOT.CFG on
a HP-GL/2 raster plotter. Note that the correct raster
plotter must be selected with the HPCONFIG command.
TESTPLOT.PCP AutoCAD plot configuration parameters file for
TESTPLOT.DWG.
--- 49 ---
The following temporary files are created during driver installation
and operation. Normally, they are erased when the process is
complete. Files may not be properly deleted in the event of an
improper program termination such as a power loss or system failure.
Filename Description
------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
HPMERGE.HP$ Temporary file created by HPMPLOT
HPSMOOTH.HP$ Temporary file created by HPMPLOT
HP_DRV1.HP$ Temporary file used by the INSTALL program
HP_DRV2.HP$ Temporary file used by the INSTALL program
If these files are present when you are not in AutoCAD, delete them by
typing the following command:
C:\ACAD\DRV\HPGL2>del *.hp$
--- 50 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITING CONFIGURATION FILES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The plotter configuration file may be manually modified with an ASCII
editor. The relevant information is supplied in the files SAMPLE.CFG
and SAMPLE.DOC, which you can find in the same directory as this file,
by default \ACAD\DRV\HPGL2.
The information is for advanced users and system administrators who may
want to change these settings without entering AutoCAD, or who want to
have another program read the current configuration.
--- 51 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RASTER PATTERN FILE DEFINITION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP-GL/2 raster plotter devices can substitute user-selected patterns
in place of AutoCAD's solid fill entities. The following twelve fill
patterns are shipped with this driver.
Filename Description
-------------------------------------------------------------
AI-LOGO.RPF Autodesk, Inc. logo pattern
DOTFILL.RPF Random dot pattern
GRID.RPF Grid pattern
GRID-5.RPF Grid pattern with every 5th line bold
HP-LOGO.RPF Hewlett-Packard logo pattern
LINEAR.RPF Linear gradation pattern
MISSTILE.RPF Mission tile pattern
RADIAL.RPF Radial gradation pattern
RIVRSTON.RPF River stone pattern
SEDIMENT.RPF Sediment pattern
SHINGLE.RPF Shingle pattern
SWAMPGRS.RPF Swamp grass pattern
------------------------------------------------------------------------
USER-DEFINED RASTER PATTERN FILLS
Raster Pattern Fills (RPFs) can be created with an ASCII editor by
following the syntax listed in this section. The .RPF files provided
can serve as examples. The following rules apply to defining raster
pattern fills:
o Comments may be entered in the beginning of the file preceded by
one of the following characters when it is the first printable
character on the line.
Double slash //
Semicolon ;
Pound #
o The first non-comment line must be a pair of numbers indicating the
number of rows and columns in the pattern. Each number must be a
power of 2 that is ≥8 and ≤64. Out of range numbers will be
rounded to the next higher power of 2, up to 64. Valid ranges are
8, 16, 32, and 64.
o Each pixel or dot in a raster RPF is either filled or not filled.
Zero (0), a period (.), or a blank space means no fill. Any other
character will produce a filled pixel.
o Values will default to blank when there are fewer rows than
indicated by the row number at the beginning of the definition.
--- 52 ---
o Values will default to blank when there are fewer values in a row
than indicated by the number of columns in the definition header.
The following page contains a sample RPF file that creates the HP logo.
--- 53 ---
// Hewlett-Packard Logo Fill Pattern Filename: hp-logo.rpf
// Raster Dot Off (0) = "." or " " (space/ASCII 32), or "0"
// Pixel On (1) = any other ASCII character
64 64
...............................................................
...............................................................
...............................................................
..XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..XXXX..XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..XXXX..X.......XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..XXXX.............XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..XXXX...............XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX...XXXX................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX....XXXX..................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX....XXXX....................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.....XXXX.....................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXX......XXXX......................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXX.......XXXX.......................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXX........XXXX........................XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXX.........XXXX..........................XXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXX........XXXX...........................XXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXX........XXXX............................XXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXX.........XXXX.............................XXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXX.........XXXXXXXXX.......XXXXXXXXXX........XXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXX..........XXXXXXXXXXX.....XXXXXXXXXXXX......XXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXX..........XXXXXXXXXXX.....XXXXXXXXXXXX.......XXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXX.........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX........XXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX........XXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX.........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX.........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX.........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX.........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX...........XXXXXX.
.XXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX...........XXXXXX.
.XXXXXX..........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX...........XXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX.........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX..........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX.........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX..........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX........XXXX....XXXX....XXXX....XXXX...........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX........XXXX....XXXX....XXXXXXXXXXXX...........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXX........XXXX....XXXX....XXXXXXXXXXXX...........XXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXX.......XXXX....XXXX....XXXXXXXXXX............XXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXX......................XXXX...................XXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXX......................XXXX...................XXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXX.....................XXXX..................XXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXX....................XXXX.................XXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXX...................XXXX..................XXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXX..................XXXX.................XXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXX.................XXXX................XXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXX................XXXX...............XXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXX...............XXXX..............XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.............XXXX.............XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..........XXXX...........XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.......XXXX.........XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX....XXXX......XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..XXXX..XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
..XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXXX.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX..
...............................................................
--- 54 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ONLINE HELP
HPCONFIG, HPRENDER and HPMPLOT have online help.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRIVER DOCUMENTS
This document covers all the tasks related to the AutoCAD Release 12
Driver for HP Plotters. A subset of the basic tasks for the most common
requirements is explained in the printed Step-by-Step Guide, which is
supplied when the driver is shipped with an HP plotter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUTOCAD DOCUMENTS
o AutoCAD Release 12 DOS 386 Interface, Installation and Performance
Guide.
Section:
- Protected-mode ADI Plotter Drivers
o AutoCAD Reference Manual for Release 12.
Sections:
- Plot command
- Limits command
o AutoCAD Customization Manual for Release 12.
Sections:
- ACADDRV Environment Variable
- Custom Menus
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOTTER INFORMATION
Each of the HP plotters and printers supported by this plotter is
supplied with its own documentation: User's Guide, Setup Guide etc.
Relevant information to be found in these manuals includes:
o interface specifications (e.g. default serial interface parameters)
o other default hardware settings
o supported media sizes
o margins
o plotting areas (media size minus margins)
o plot control features such as rotate and mirror
--- 55 ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GETTING MORE HELP
If have a specific problem which you can't resolve by using any of this
documentation, then contact either your authorized AutoCAD dealer
or your HP Customer Support Center.
________________________________________________________________________
END OF REFERENCE GUIDE (HP_R12.DOC)
