wau-dweeb

Hi there

I'm not sure, if this is off topic, but...

I've founf zillion free dxf files in net, more or less useable to build fine planes. I also happen to have this TechJet 5500 (from stoneage of computers) with PCI card using Edge RIP. Meaning that it needs some sort of ps files if you want something outta it.

Ofcourse i have Macintosh and some free CAD applications. After days of frustrated, unsuccesful testing i finally found out that my Illustrator can import dxf. After some serious kicking myself to the place where my back ends, i finally got into business.

Yes. I made several plans/planes scaled+converted to speed 400 motor and finally tried to print out the one, I fell in love with at the beginning: Bristol Prier.

WOAH!!!!

No matter what I do, that pesky printer moves the print around the paper. App 2 feet is blank (size is 24 x 48"), then it goes app 1 feet right. No matter what I do with the settings (and i've managed to print stuff with that earlier), those ex dxf's do have a habbit not to print out right. I have app 20 feet of spoiled paper on the floor of my workingplace and I'm planning to set it all to fire, if this doesn't start working.

However a man should not make large fires in his 2nd floor of 2 floor, wood-construted house, regardless how po'd he may be...

I was wondering if dxf, when imported to Illustrator, has something invisible in file, that goes and stays outta Illustrators print area. However I can't see a thing there. I toss away all extra layers, activate or try to activate empty areas for clean the file, but no succes.

Any ideas? There's a shipload (well... almost) of balsa and tools coming via mail (yes, i can make 4 planes at least from that pile) and i just don't get those (&/"% plans outta printer.

I do DTP for living, so you can talk "pro" to me I have Freehand, Photoshop, PageMaker, Corel 8 and Illustrator to work with.

Uh...

I should've told yas that its my brother in law in trouble, so my personal stupidity with that printer would've been secret, but...

gwk

Send me the file and I'll see if I can help.

Couch-pilot

Not wanting to sound silly, but I think Mac and PC dxf translations are different as I have picked up a dxf of a plan for a Europa homebuilt (so it said on the page) from a Mac page and am damned if I can open it with anything...

Maybe you're up against the same wall, but from the other side...

If I can find the file, maybe one of you mac guys could work some magic?

Or , does anybody know of a Mac<to>PC dxf translator??

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Am familiar with the Calcomp TechJet series. Am surprized you can get it to run with a PCI card in any Windows or Macintosh program. There are different drivers as for running the T-J on Macintosh, Windows or using Post-script. Take a wander to the Lorand plotter board, and they have drivers available there. You could also look at www.geicalcomp. as to instructions for set up. The T-J is about ten years old, but everything is still available for them. They are also a very long lasting product and will take a bunch of useage before problems. I have a 28 year old Calcomp plotter and it goes, and goes, and goes still. Much more rugged than any other brand. I think the older T-J used Cannon inkjet cartridges that were reloadable at home. The H-P cartridges cannot be reloaded.

However, I think you may be set up OK enough to plot out, but wrong. The thing with any unknown file, is that you do not know if the creator's methods matches your set-up. In past experience I find that settings do not match what you hope to get out of it. I have imported a host of DXF files into Autocad (and yes Autodesk had set up Autocad to run on the Mac back when) and find the drawing origins always off. What I usually do is a DXFIN, and then grab the whole drawing and translate it back to my coordinates. My drawings usually have "limits" of one corner at 0,0 and the other at 60,36 so when tha DXF comes it, it goes way-out-there. These cited limits match the rectangular set-up of the plotter. I grab the lower left corner of the DXF file and pull it over to close to 0,0 and begin again. Then, my plotter set-up is such that it will normally plot everything within the drawing limits. Otherwise, if I plot raw, it will give me a big sheet of nothing, and maybe a corner of the new DXF drawing.

Also don't forget to take a check of the control panle on the plotter. Make sure some computer genius didn't set up the "Move Origin" or the "Steps per Inch" or the "Scaling" to a wacko number. You will Never get what you see on the computor monitor, if someone fiddled with these adjustments. You need to go back to Y=0 and X=0 and begin again then. This will upset a returning user of course. However, the control panel will allow you to insert your own personal user parameters should a conflict arrise with others. They used to build these plotters so that a host of operators running different software could set up quite different from the previous user. If the last user set the origin for X=15 and Y=36, you have lost that amount of visable plotting already.

I think you need to check your drawing windowing. See that the new DXF file is within the area you are asking to plot out. In our Windows applications, we can do a preview before plotting. The requested file ought to fill up the whole frame, otherwise the origins are off and you get blank paper. If you can get the plotter to put out "something" you are communicating with it and most of the way there.

Wm.

wau-dweeb

Thanks for the answers so far.


I guess i should be more specific. So here's what i've already done.

- dxf strightly to printer, no way. Doesn't recognise file type
- several CAD applications, tried to export as pict and .ps from printer driver, several different scaling and other problems. Found out that i have no clue of CAD whasoever

- Imported to Illustrator
---new document
---Import
---work 'til one layer only and seems printable
---save as Illustrator eps, level 2 ps include fonts (or make paths)
-toss to printers RIP
-start swearing in the names of ancient Finnish gods

Printer has Edge RIP, which is the printing application. It doesn't print with any applications print-command. Allthou there WAS a ethernet card for that thing too...

This thing was extremely expensive as new (i've been told, got it for free from one friend/client/partner), it has several expansions (larger inks system, all memory it can eat + that etherne card((gotta find it))). So far I've managed to print out large bitmaps made in Photoshop without difficulties. This vector stuff doesn't work thou.

------------------------------

Mac-->PC CAD:
I've noticed that we have 2d and 3d CAD files with extension .dxf. If you happen to have Mac file with 3d, it may cause trouble in PC 2d cad or so.

Wanna tell me where you found it so i can try to translate the file for you?

Couch-pilot

Don't remember - it was a few years ago. I'll look for it in the next coupla days and if I find it I'll mail it to you - try your luck!

wau-dweeb

This one your Europe?

There was some symbols that might 've been from this guys own library and they were spread all over the plan.

e-mail me to [email protected] and i'll return the dxf i cleaned. Its now dos compatible with Autocad 10.

I can send you one Illustrator eps too, but it'll prolly print out wrong...

Couch-pilot

Nope. The pic you've got is one of the Scimitar series - can't remember which one. I think it was Bill Evans that designed this one. The plane I'm looking for is a kit-built you can buy now - at least that was the file description.

http://www.europa-aircraft.com/

wau-dweeb

Problem solved. Thank you all for tryin to help.

Solution however was kinda unorthodox... To make it short, i just say i did some experimenting and made some things different than normally.

Just like to walk i normally move my legs and this time i guess i wawed my ears while muttering ancient Finnish rhymes

Anyways, thank you again. Seems that here in rcu there's always someone, who's interested in helping people

As soon i learn something from this stuff, i'll be there for yas when needed. Err.. Don't hold your breaths thou. My head is kinda thick...

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Don't know if you are the same one who wrote to Ralph at Lorand, but symptoms were explained the same. He was a former employee of Calcomp and set up my plotters. Now operates a repair shop about 15 miles from here (45 minutes via state highway). If you have not already, order a disc from him containing the T-J repair and user manuals.


Wm.

wau-dweeb

Yes. It was me.

Actually i do have manuals for techjet and for that rip too. However the problem here seems to be my tools that are 5-6 years younger than the plotter. Can't explain this otherwise.

I can say that i'm not familiar with this plotter and cad as well as my rest tools. Haven't needed the skill anywhere and the potter was never (been here useless app 2 years) done any work for the money.

Are these things worth anything these days? This is so large they can bury me in this, so having someone carry it away costs me a fortune...

wau-dweeb

Oops...

Add words "I am with the" to the place you find it most useful in the message above...

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

One other thing, should have asked.

Are you trying to run everything under Windows XP? There are numerous incompatibility situations involved then. As you got it to communicate, you did better than most folks would have.


Wm.

wau-dweeb

Windows, huh?

I'm doing this with Mac OS 9.2.

I wouldn't touch Windows xp with 2 miles long stick