sblack

I was using AutoCAD R14 until recently. To plot big dwgs, I was using this neat program called. Dot Matrix Plotter Basic that I bought 10 yrs ago. It is no longer availabe. Anyway, in R14, the AutoCAD printer driver for an hP draftmaster plotter created HPGL .plt files that looked like this:

DF;
PU-22494,-12517;
SP1;
PD-22494,-17597;
PD12227,-17597;
PD12227,-12517;
PD-22494,-12517;
PU-22382,-12517;

etc.

Now I have switched to ACAD2000. With this version you install your device at the windows level, and I guess AutoCAD uses the windows driver. When you request that the plot be saved to a file, it makes a .plt file that looks like this:

INCA7IP-10496,-16112,10496,16112GM3584,0,0,3000,17992DI0,1SP1VS50 FS2AS4PT.3SP1PT.3PAPU13390,-10295PRPD2245,0PAPU15340,9175PRPD-3040,-90,45,-335,20,-80PAPU12570,7260PRPD820,-17555PAPU12570,7260PRPD-45,540,-75,495,-95,425,-55,365PAPU13820,9130PRPD695,-19425PAPU15635,-10295PRPD-435,17650,10,540,40,500,65,430,25,370PAPU15200,735 5PRPD-2630,-95PASPNR;

Not even close huh So my DMPB program is not in the least bit impressed with it, so I can't print out big stuff. That stinks!

There has to be some conversion, or driver or something that will bash these files into the format that I need. Can anyone help me?

Thanks

Mike James

I don't have your answer. Sorry.
I just wanted to add my own request, for any of you software engineers who happen to read this thread...

Many of us could use a program that works on both Macs and PCs, that would let us do two major things:

1. Convert all the standard (and maybe not so standard) CAD and image files to the variations required for our obvious plan printing/plotting needs.

2. Print these as "tiles", enabling those of us without a big plotter to use small desktop printers. (dot matrix, inkjet, and laserjet) I want to be able to do this at home, rather than taking the job to a printer, so I can print "tests" and "samples" without a lot of expense.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

At this point, I don't think it can be done. Am surprized that you were able to get print/plots in R-14. I recognize the PU and PD as pen up and pen down citations.

Try it or not, but I think you are going to have to load Autocad driver 4.1 or 4.2 onto your system. These are drivers which cover pen plotters. ADI 4.3 and later is what is normally on R-14, 2000 etc.

Assuming you can load the older drivers, they should show up in your configuration menu. This means instead of plotting, you will have write the finished drawing to a file, then convert it, and go into DOS and plot it out. You will need to set up the ADI configuration so that you plot out to something like an H-P 7585b plotter, which comes out in old fashioned pen plotter language. Don't plot out to any H-P GL/2 device.

As a follow up you may want to visit the Autodesk site, and go into their printer/plotter problem section. This gets about 1000 hits per month, in compared to the others. The other try is to go to the Lorand web board section and post something there. This latter group is plotter experts and a pretty smart buch of guys.

I don't give it much hope. I think you are "too new".


Wm.

Ed Smith

If you still have R14 on your computer then save your R2000 drawings as R14 drawings and plot from R14.

Ed S