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  • PLOT

    User Guide

  • DisclaimerInformation of a technical nature, and particulars of the product and its use, is given by AVEVASolutions Ltd and its subsidiaries without warranty. AVEVA Solutions Ltd and its subsidiaries disclaimany and all warranties and conditions, expressed or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

    Neither the author nor AVEVA Solutions Ltd, or any of its subsidiaries, shall be liable to any person orentity for any actions, claims, loss or damage arising from the use or possession of any information,particulars, or errors in this publication, or any incorrect use of the product, whatsoever.

    CopyrightCopyright and all other intellectual property rights in this manual and the associated software, and everypart of it (including source code, object code, any data contained in it, the manual and any otherdocumentation supplied with it) belongs to AVEVA Solutions Ltd or its subsidiaries.

    All other rights are reserved to AVEVA Solutions Ltd and its subsidiaries. The information contained inthis document is commercially sensitive, and shall not be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Ltd. Where suchpermission is granted, it expressly requires that this Disclaimer and Copyright notice is prominentlydisplayed at the beginning of every copy that is made.

    The manual and associated documentation may not be adapted, reproduced, or copied, in any materialor electronic form, without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Ltd. The user may also notreverse engineer, decompile, copy, or adapt the associated software. Neither the whole, nor part of theproduct described in this publication may be incorporated into any third-party software, product,machine, or system without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Ltd, save as permitted bylaw. Any such unauthorised action is strictly prohibited, and may give rise to civil liabilities and criminalprosecution.

    The AVEVA products described in this guide are to be installed and operated strictly in accordance withthe terms and conditions of the respective license agreements, and in accordance with the relevantUser Documentation. Unauthorised or unlicensed use of the product is strictly prohibited.

    First published September 2007

    AVEVA Solutions Ltd, and its subsidiaries

    AVEVA Solutions Ltd, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HB, United Kingdom

    TrademarksAVEVA and Tribon are registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Ltd or its subsidiaries. Unauthoriseduse of the AVEVA or Tribon trademarks is strictly forbidden.

    AVEVA product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Ltd or itssubsidiaries, registered in the UK, Europe and other countries (worldwide).

    The copyright, trade mark rights, or other intellectual property rights in any other product, its name orlogo belongs to its respective owner.

    AVEVA Solutions Ltd

  • PLOT User GuidePLOT User Guide

    Contents Page

    PLOTAbout this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1Who the Manual is Meant For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1How the Manual is Set Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1Conventions Used in the Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1

    Introducing PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1What PLOT Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1Input Formats That PLOT Can Accept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:112.0i

    Output Formats That PLOT Can Generate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:2

    How To Use PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1Running PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1General Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2Specifying the Plotting Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3Scaling the Plot to Fit the Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3Setting the Drawing Size from the Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3Specifying How Arcs and Circles are Represented . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3Specifying the Pen Selection Mode and Plotting Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4Dekink Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:5Splitting a Large Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:6Adding a Plot Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:7Adding Cutter Control Markers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:7

  • PLOT User GuideCreating your Own Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:8Soft Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:8Soft Driver Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9Overriding Built-in Driver Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9

    Messages Output by PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:10Normal Run-Time Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:10Warnings and Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:10Modifying PLOTs Message File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11

    Getting Help about PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11Checking the Command Syntax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11Checking the Program Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11Checking Driver Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11

    Summarising the Contents of Plot Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12Running on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12Screen Driver Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12Screen Driver and Enhanced Metafile Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12Shortcuts and Browsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:13

    Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:1BENSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:2CALCOMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:2DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:5Output File Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:5DXF Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:5

    Hewlett-Packard (HP or HPGL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:6HPGL2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:8HOUSTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:10LASERJET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:10LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:11PDMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12PENMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13POSTSCRIPT or PS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:14SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21XDUMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:2412.0ii

  • PLOT User GuideDriver Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:1

    Changes to this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:112.0iii

  • PLOT User Guide12.0iv

  • PLOT User GuideAbout this Manual1 About this Manual

    1.1 Who the Manual is Meant ForThis manual explains how to use the stand-alone graphical plotting utility PLOT.

    PLOT interprets plot files in a range of pseudo-code formats, as produced by a number ofAVEVA (and some third party) programs. It performs a variety of conversions and otheroperations on the contents of the plot file.

    This manual is relevant to anyone who needs to translate, plot or view such a file,regardless of the source. The manual is not restricted to users of any specific program thatgenerates plot files, as long as the file format is compatible with PLOTs input requirements.

    No particular prior knowledge of plotting utilities is assumed, but it is assumed that you arefamiliar with the basic operating system commands for your computer.

    1.2 How the Manual is Set OutIntroducing PLOT summarises the function of PLOT and details the input and output fileformats that it can recognise.

    How To Use PLOT first explains some hardware considerations that you must be aware ofbefore you use PLOT. It then describes the range of facilities available when using PLOTand the commands needed to control them.

    Device Drivers is a reference section that details the options available for each of PLOTsoutput formats.

    Driver Quick Reference is a quick reference guide and summarises the driver specificoptions and the options that apply to drivers generally.

    Changes to this Manual describes the recent to changes made to this manual.

    If you are a new PLOT user, it is suggested that you should read, as a minimum, IntroducingPLOT and the first three sections of How To Use PLOT. You will also need to refer to atleast one section in Device Drivers, depending on what you intend to use the PLOT outputfor.12.01:1

    1.3 Conventions Used in the ManualThe following conventions are used in the text:

    Command words are shown as a combination of uppercase and lowercase characters,for example, COMMandword. The uppercase part of the word (COMM in the precedingexample) is the minimum permissible abbreviation. Where a command word is firstintroduced, or where its use is defined, it will usually be shown in bold type, thus

  • PLOT User GuideAbout this ManualCOMMandword Command arguments are shown in lowercase italic type, for example argument. Examples of interactive input and output sequences are shown in a special typeface,

    thus

    Example of Input/Output Sequence TypefaceNote: Examples of command syntax throughout the manual use uppercase characters to

    make them easily identifiable within the body of the main text. 12.01:2

  • PLOT User GuideIntroducing PLOT2 Introducing PLOT

    2.1 What PLOT DoesThe graphical plotting utility, PLOT, allows you to interpret pseudo-code plot files generatedby AVEVA programs and to translate them into a range of standard formats. Aftertranslation, the plot file data may be sent either directly to a hardware device, such as a penplotter or laser printer, or to another file, or to a graphics screen.

    PLOT handles both the file format translation process and the transmission of the resultingdata to a specified hardware device, including interaction with the output device wherenecessary to ensure that data transmission protocol is correctly observed.

    PLOT can recognise source files in any of the formats described in the following section andtranslate them into any of a wide range of output formats by using the appropriate devicedrivers built into the program.

    2.2 Input Formats That PLOT Can AcceptPLOT can recognise the following input pseudo-code formats automatically:

    PDMS

    The format generated by default by graphical output modules.

    This gives a binary format file that can define fully the viewing parameters and line graphicsfor engineering drawings in device-independent terms.

    HPGL

    A Hewlett-Packard plotter code format recognised by a range of commercial plotting andprinting devices.

    This gives an ASCII format file that can define fully the viewing parameters, line graphics,arcs and circles of engineering drawings in device-independent terms.

    HP-GL/2

    This is the standardised version of the Hewlett-Packard Graphical Language. It provides a12.02:1

    more consistent functionality between plotters. It supports many types of device includingpen, laser and electrostatic. The HP-GL/2 plotter code is compact, especially for vectors thathave a special encoding scheme. It is held in binary file format.

    Although HPGL and HP-GL/2 are related, HP-GL/2 is not a strict superset of HPGL. It isbest for most purposes to regard them as entirely different. HP-GL/2 is often available in adual context with Hewlett-Packards PCL.

  • PLOT User GuideIntroducing PLOTDXF

    This is the AutoCAD representation of a drawing in their DXF (drawing interchange) fileformat. It is an ASCII file format, widely used to exchange drawing file data. The file doesnot define the units that its values are held in, so explicit scaling is needed when thesevalues are not in millimetres.

    Data from all sections of the DXF file is interpreted. This includes the LTYPE and LAYERtables, and the contents of the Blocks section for expansion of INSERT entities.

    GPGP (or GP2)

    This gives an ASCII format file that can define fully the viewing parameters, line graphics,text and symbols for engineering drawings in device-independent terms.

    2.3 Output Formats That PLOT Can GeneratePLOT can translate an input plot file into a format suitable for driving a plotter or printerdirectly, or it can send the translated output to another file in a format suitable for inclusioninto, say, a word processor or desktop publishing document. It can, alternatively, send thetranslated output to a graphical window for immediate viewing.

    The device drivers incorporated into PLOT, which determine the output format, are asfollows:

    Driver Name Description

    BENSON Pen plotter

    CALCOMP Pen plotter

    DXF AutoCAD drawing interchange file

    HOUSTON Pen plotter

    HP Pen plotter

    HPGL Pen plotter

    HPGL2 Pen and raster plotter

    LASERJET HP PCL page description language

    LIST Displays drawing contents

    PDMS AVEVA plot file

    PENMAN Turtle plotter

    PNG Raster graphics file

    POSTSCRIPT Postscript page description language

    PS Postscript page description language

    SCREEN On-screen plot file viewer

    XDUMP X-windows bitmap file12.02:2

  • PLOT User GuideIntroducing PLOTThese generic plot drivers determine the general format of the output plot file only. Theoutput generated is compatible with specific hardware devices, as detailed in DeviceDrivers, but you may need to customise the drivers to suit a particular plotter or printer.PLOTs soft driver facility allows you to do this.

    You will notice that four of the output drivers (HPGL, HPGL2, PDMS and DXF) match inputfile formats. This means that you may use PLOT to translate plot files between theseformats in either direction.

    Note: The HPGL format can exist in slightly different dialects. If you wish to input an HPGLfile obtained from an outside source, you must ensure that it is fully compatible withthe HPGL format that is generated by PLOT. If it is not, you may need to carry outsome preprocessing on the file before using PLOT to convert it to an AVEVA plot file.12.02:3

  • PLOT User GuideIntroducing PLOT12.02:4

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOT3 How To Use PLOT

    3.1 Before You BeginIf you are going to use PLOT to generate hard copy directly, this can be done by printingfrom the graphical window created by the screen driver. This method uses a normalWindows Print control to select, configure and use any available print service.

    It is also possible to send plot files directly to a printer or plotter using the Windows printcommand. This method allows the user to take full control of the printing operation, andresponsibility for the compatibility of the file type with the device. For example the commandto send a PostScript file to a printer service that supports and recognises this file formatwould be as follows for a shared printer:

    print /d:\\servername\printer_name plotfile.ps

    3.2 Running PLOTThe basic information that PLOT needs in order to process a plot file is as follows:

    The type of processing which is required; that is, the device driver that is to be used forthe file translation process.

    The name of the input plot file that is to be processed. The destination to which the resulting output file is to be sent.

    The full syntax for the command to run PLOT is:

    plot driver plotfile output [options]

    The command arguments have the following significance: driver = the name of the output device driver.

    The available device drivers are:BENSONCALCOMPDXFHOUSTONHP or HPGL12.03:1

    HPGL2LASERJETLISTPDMSPENMANPNGPOSTSCRIPT or PSSCREENXDUMP

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTA full description of the functions of each of these is given in Device Drivers.

    The Hewlett-Packard HP/HPGL and, to a lesser extent, the Calcomp plotter codes havebeen adopted as industry standards, and many other plotters are designed to emulate oneor other of them. The corresponding PLOT drivers may often be used successfully with suchplotters, but only when the emulation offers true compatibility with the standard.

    plotfile = the name of the pseudo-code file which is to be processed.The file name must conform to the file naming conventions for your computer.PLOT automatically recognises the input plot file format used (PDMS, HPGL, DXF orGPGP) by identifying some coding characters at the start of the file, so there is noprovision for you to enter this information.

    output = the destination to which the output data is to be sent. This is either a file name or the command prompt window.If you specify a file name, this must conform to the file naming conventions for yourcomputer. The command prompt window is specified by setting the output to be -0(minus-zero).The output data file can for instance be sent to a printer or plotter using operatingsystem commands, or it can be viewed with a suitable program, including Plot itself.Plot files can also be sent directly to a compatible printer or plotter using the Windowsprint command.

    options = specific options to set values and control processing.These allow you to control aspects of how the output files are produced.Some options are general in their scope and apply to any output device driver; theseare described in General Command Line Options. Other options are relevant only tospecific device drivers; these are described separately in Device Drivers.

    Note: The driver-specific options must be enclosed between quotation marks and if there ismore than one option, they must be separated by commas.

    Some Command Line Examples:

    plot pdms plot12 ulay.plThis command sends data from the file plot12 to the file ulay.pl in pseudo-code format. Thelatter file could then be used as an underlay in a drawing module, for example.

    plot screen plota2 -0This reads graphical data from file plota2 and displays it in a window on your workstationscreen. Remember that line 0 always goes to the command prompt window.

    plot hp view.pl view.hp scale=0.8 "CE Y"Plot reads data from view.pl and writes it to the file view.hp, applying a general option toscale the output dimensions to be 0.8 of those of the input file. Another driver optionspecifies that the plotter has a physical coordinate origin at the centre of the paper.

    3.3 General Command Line OptionsThe following options are applicable to all drivers and may be combined with any of thedriver-specific options described in Device Drivers. You can use all of these options with thesoft drivers described in Creating your Own Device Drivers.

    If an option is specified more than once, the last occurrence is the one that applies.12.03:2

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOT3.3.1 Specifying the Plotting ScaleBy default, the output plot data represents the plotted drawing(s) on the same scale as theinput plot file.

    To change the plotting scale during the data processing operation, use either of thecommand line options

    SCALE=factor

    SCALE:factor

    Here, factor is the required scaling factor (output scale)/(input scale).

    For example, SCALE=0.5 will produce half-size output plots.

    Note: This option is only valid on the command line, and is not combined in the same stringas the other options available with soft drivers.The option has no effect when drivers are scaling a plot to fill an area. Drivers that dothis are: Laserjet, PostScript, Screen and Xdump.

    3.3.2 Scaling the Plot to Fit the PaperInstead of predefining the plotting scale, as explained in Specifying the Plotting Scale, youmay instruct PLOT to adjust the output plot scale automatically so that it will fit the availablepaper size. This option allows PLOT to handle oversize input plots; without it (the defaultsituation), processing will be terminated with an error message.

    To specify automatic reduction of oversize plots, use the option

    ADJUst

    3.3.3 Setting the Drawing Size from the GraphicsThis facility causes any drawing size defined in the input file to be ignored and replaced bythe size of a rectangle enclosing all graphics in the file. The whole input file is read an extratime for this purpose.

    To set the drawing size from the limits of the graphics, use the option

    AUTOsize

    The AUTOSIZE option applies only to DXF, HPGL and HP-GL/2 input files. It is useful incases where the drawing size in the file is wrong for any reason.

    3.3.4 Specifying How Arcs and Circles are RepresentedMost plotters are unable to plot true circular arcs and instead represent them by a series ofstraight lines (chords). The more chords used, the closer the approximation to a true arc.

    By default, a complete circle is represented in a plot by 90 chords. To specify a differentrepresentation, use the option

    ARCSize integer

    Here, integer is the number of chords per complete circle and must be in the range 12 to175.

    For example, ARCS 120 will plot smoother arcs than the default setting; ARCS 25 will plotless smooth arcs, but will reduce the plotting time.12.03:3

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOT3.3.5 Specifying the Pen Selection Mode and Plotting AttributesBy default, any logical pen numbers (which usually correspond to particular colours), linestyles and line widths defined in the source pseudo-code file (plotfile) are passedunchanged to the output file or device (output). You can intercept these settings, and modifythem to achieve independent control of the way in which the output is plotted, by using thePENS and associated ATTR (attributes) commands. PLOT can have up to 256 pens, andcan operate in the following modes:

    'Pens Yes' Mode

    The default mode, which may be reset by using the option

    PEns Yes

    This options causes pen numbers, line styles and line widths to be passes directly from theinput file to the output file.

    To redirect one or more pens, use the command line option

    ATTR integer1 integer2

    This replaces input pen integer1 with output pen integer2. For example, the options:

    PENS YES,ATTR 1 4,ATTR 2 5,ATTR 3 6This sets pens 1-3 in the input file to be replaced by pens 4-6 in the output file, respectively.Line styles and line widths are passed unchanged from the input file to the output file.

    'Pens No' Mode

    The option:

    PEns No

    This sets the individual pen numbers from the input file to be ignored and all output to beplotted using pen 1. You might use this mode, for instance, when the output is intended for asingle-pen device.

    To redirect the output to use a pen other than pen 1, use the command line option:

    ATTR 1 integer

    Here, integer specifies the required output pen number. For example, the options:

    PENS NO,ATTR 1 3This causes all output to be plotted using pen 3, regardless of any pen settings defined inthe input file. Line styles and line widths are passed unchanged from the input file to theoutput file.

    'Pens Attr' Mode

    The option:

    PEns Attr

    This passes only the pen numbers from the input file to the output file. All line style and linewidth settings in the input file are ignored, the settings for these in the output file beingdetermined by the attributes set for the corresponding pen number.

    To specify the line style and width corresponding to any output pen, and to redirect pens ifrequired, use the option:12.03:4

    ATTR integer1 integer2 linestyle linetype width

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTThis substitutes output pen integer2 for input pen integer1 and sets its line style to linestyleand its line width to linetype with optional width value.

    Possible settings for linestyle are SOlid, DOt, DAsh, CHain or DChain. The default, iflinestyle is omitted, is SOLID.

    Possible settings for linetype are Normal or Thick. The default, if linetype is omitted, isNORMAL. THICK is optionally followed by the width value, expressed in millimetres. If widthis omitted the default line thickness is set by the driver.

    For example, the options:

    PENS ATTR,ATTR 2 1 DOT,ATTR 3 1 CHAIN THICKThis sets input pen 2 to be output as dotted and normal thickness lines and input pen 3 to beoutput as chained thick lines, both using output pen 1.

    'Pens Same' Mode

    The option:

    PEns Same

    The causes all input pen numbers, line styles and line widths to be ignored. All output isoutput with pen 1 only (unless redirected), and all with the same line style and line width(solid and normal thickness by default).

    To redirect the output to use a different single pen, and to specify the line style and line widthfor all output, use the command line option:

    ATTR 1 integer linestyle linetype width

    Here, integer specifies the required output pen number and the other arguments set its linestyle to linestyle and its line width to linetype with optional width value.

    Possible settings for linestyle are SOlid, DOt, DAsh, CHain or DChain. The default, iflinestyle is omitted, is SOLID.

    Possible settings for linewidth are Normal or Thick. The default, if linetype is omitted, isNORMAL. THICK is optionally followed by the width value, expressed in millimetres. If widthis omitted the default line thickness is set by the driver.

    For example, the options:

    PENS SAME,ATTR 1 4 CHAIN THICK 0.7This causes all output to be output as chained thick lines with a width of 0.7 mm and pen 4.All pen settings, line styles and line widths defined in the input file are ignored.

    3.3.6 Dekink FilterThe Dekink filter can streamline your plot files in a number of ways.

    Plot files that are produced by some programs can contain instances where the same line isdrawn over a number of times (for example, where an original wireline 3D model wasinvolved). This extra information can increase the size of the file unnecessarily. Thecoincidence removal function of the Dekink filter corrects this problem, and so can reducethe size of output files by a considerable amount.

    The filter can employ either a travel or a connect method to re-order the graphics. Thetravel method minimises the total pen travel distance, whereas the connect methodmaximises the connection between vectors.12.03:5

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTThe filter travel method reduces the total distance that the pen needs to travel, and thenumber of times that the pen is raised and lowered. This can speed up the operation of penplotters.

    The filter connect method maximises the connection of vectors while retaining all existingconnectivity, including directions.

    Note: For speed of processing, the filter makes most of its changes to the plot file whereitems concerned are close to each other in the file. Note that it may not remove allcoincident lines when they are far apart in the file.

    The Dekink filter is selected by the option:

    DEKInk resol coinc travel tabmin tabmax

    The arguments are as follows and omitted parameters take their default values:

    After the input file has been processed, a report is produced on the effect of the Dekink filter.This gives the change in the total distance that the pen needs to travel, and the change inthe number of lines in the output file (both as percentages). For example:

    DEKINK reduced pen travel by 68.99% and number of lines by 43.93%

    3.3.7 Splitting a Large PlotThe split option is a facility for dividing large plots into sheets. This is particularly usefulwhere an extra large plot needs to be divided into a number of A0 sheets. The option isfollowed by two values that specify the size of the constituent sheets in millimetres.

    To split a plot, use the option

    SPLIt width height

    resol Resolution value is specified in mm. Used to decide whether lines arecoincident or connected to each other.

    Default: 0.025

    coinc This selects whether coincidence removal is active or not. The value isset to Y for yes and N for no.

    Default: Y

    travel This selects whether the travel method is active. Otherwise the connectmethod is used. Y = travel method; N = connect method.

    Default: Y

    tabmin This is the minimum size of the working table used by the filter. Must bean even number in the range 10-600. The default value is suitable formost purposes.

    Default: 50

    tabmax This is the maximum size of the working table used by the filter. Must bean even number in the range 10-600. The default value is suitable formost purposes.

    Default: 20012.03:6

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOT3.3.8 Adding a Plot BorderWhere a plot has no border around its edges, you can add one with the BORDER option.

    This option has an integer parameter to define the pen number that you want used for theborder. Note that this is particularly useful when used with the SPLIT option.

    To create a border for a plot, use the option

    BORDer integer

    3.3.9 Adding Cutter Control MarkersThis feature enables the Dahle 3625 Plot Cutter (or similar) to take roll feed output from aplotter and automatically cut it into individual plots, stacking each plot.

    The CUTMARK option draws marks at the edge of the paper to control the plot cutter, andrepositions the plot away from the edge. This is used with a roll feed plotter and the papercan be fed directly into the cutter (which has sets of knives that operate on both axes). TheCUTMARK option can be used with any driver (but is probably only useful with the Calcompdriver).

    This feature can be used in conjunction with the WINDON option to specify the distance thatseparates plots along the paper.

    The CUTMARK option has up to eight parameters:

    numstart This is the number of marks at the start of the plot.

    Default: 0

    numend This is the number of marks at the end of the plot. Default: 0

    pen This is the number of the pen to draw the marks. Default: 1

    penwidth The pen thickness in millimetres. Default: 0.1mm

    offset The distance that the plot is shifted away from the edge ofthe paper (in millimetres).

    macross The mark size across the paper. Default: 5.0mm

    malong The mark size along the paper. Default: 2.0mm

    msep Separation distance between marks. Default: 5.0mm12.03:7

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTExample

    Figure 3:1. Cutmarks Example

    Figure 3:1.: Cutmarks Example shows six start marks and one end mark. This could beproduced by:

    CUTMARK 6 1 1 0.1 8.0 5.0 2.0 5.0

    3.4 Creating your Own Device Drivers

    3.4.1 Soft DriversPLOT provides a soft driver facility that lets you define your own named device drivers,each based on a combination of a standard driver and a set of command optionsappropriate to that standard driver.

    To define a soft driver, use the following command syntax:

    soft_driver|standard_driver|option1, option2, ...

    Here, soft_driver is the name to be allocated to your new driver, standard_driver is one ofthe driver names listed in Output Formats That PLOT Can Generate and Running PLOT,and option1, option2, etc. are any command line options applicable to standard_driver.

    The three parts of the command are separated by | (vertical bar) characters. The options(and any associated values) in the third part are separated by commas. If the command linebecomes too long, a \ (backslash) character may be used to allow continuation of thecommand on the next line. Spaces at the start of continuation lines are ignored.

    The name soft_driver must not be the same as that of any of the standard device drivers.Names are not case sensitive; that is, upper and lower case characters are treated equally.

    All soft driver definitions are held in the file PLOTDRIVERS. PLOT looks for this file firstly inthe directory defined by the CADC_PLOT_DIR environment variable, then in the currentdirectory and finally in the same directory as the Plot Utility Program itself.

    Paper Edge

    Paper Edge

    Drwg No12.03:8

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOT3.4.2 Soft Driver ExamplesAs an example, the soft driver definition:

    PSRGB|POSTSCRIPT|BANNER Y,RGB,\PTYPE 'statusdict begin 2 setpapertray end'

    This defines a soft driver named PSRGB that uses the POSTSCRIPT driver with options toswitch on the banner page, select colour output and set page type to select paper tray 2.The PTYPE string used here is a fragment of PostScript that is specific to a particular modelof printer. For further details of the POSTSCRIPT driver options see POSTSCRIPT or PS.

    The following command uses the soft driver definition:

    plot psrgb plota22 plota22.outIt has exactly the same effect as the longer version:

    plot postscript plota22 plota22.out"BANNER Y,RGB,PTYPE 'statusdict begin 2 setpapertray end'"As a further example, the following lines illustrate the use of the continuation character (\) toenter a long command that defines all of the former default postscript driver parameters:

    PS_OLD|POSTSCRIPT|BA Y,LAY W,MAP 0 0 283.6333 197.2733,\MONO,IG Y,PT a4,STEPS 300When a plot driver has an RGB option to set the colour mix of pens, this can be done with asoft driver. For example, the following driver sets the default PDMS colours for the screen:pdmsc|screen|RGB 1 .659 .659 .659,RGB 2 .8 0 0,RGB 3 .93 .604 0,\RGB 4 .8 .8 0,RGB 5 0 .8 0,RGB 6 0 .93 .93,RGB 7 0 0 .8,\RGB 9 .647 .165 .165,RGB 10 1 1 1,RGB 11 .803 .569 .62,\RGB 12 .4 0 .6,RGB 13 0 .75 .8,RGB 14 .2 0 .4,RGB 15 0 0 0Each line in the PLOTDRIVERS file is the definition of a soft driver or, if it begins with a #character, it is a comment.

    When a soft driver is used with the command line options, the command line options areplaced after those from the soft driver and thus take priority.

    For example, the command:

    plot psrgb plota22 plota22.out "BA N"This has the same effect as the (similar) command above, except that the banner page isswitched off.

    3.4.3 Overriding Built-in Driver DefaultsThe PLOTDRIVERS file can also provide a method for changing the default options of built-in drivers. This only applies when the driver is used directly. It does not affect its use whenused from a soft driver.

    To change the default options of a built-in driver the usual soft driver definition is used.However, both of the driver names are set to the built-in driver name.

    For example syntax:

    screen|screen|RGB 0 0 0.2 0.2This definition changes the background colour when the screen driver is used with the plotcommand. Defaults defined in this way can be modified by command line options.12.03:9

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTThe SCREEN and PNG drivers now have PDMS colours set as default using thismechanism and the standard PLOTDRIVERS file. The previous colours can be restored bydeleting or commenting-out the screen|screen| and png|png| definitions in that file.

    3.5 Messages Output by PLOTThis section summarises the types of message that you may see displayed at yourcommand prompt window while you are using PLOT. The messages are divided into twocategories: those that you can expect to see under normal operating conditions and thosethat you see only under error conditions.

    3.5.1 Normal Run-Time MessagesWhen PLOT begins to interpret a pseudo-code file it displays the message to the commandwindow

    ----- beginning of plot -----When the file interpretation has finished it displays the message

    ----- end of plot -----(See Modifying PLOTs Message File for details of how you can change these messages.)

    3.5.2 Warnings and Error MessagesWarning messages are displayed for information only. They tell you about any constraintson your use of PLOT or advise you of actions that PLOT has taken automatically.

    All errors during PLOT's processing operations are fatal. When an error occurs, PLOTdisplays an appropriate error message on your command prompt window and thenterminates its data processing.

    Typical messages, and suggested responses, are as follows:

    Error: Cannot create/open output fileCheck that the named output file is valid, is not protected from access, and is not already inuse.

    Error: Cannot open input fileCheck that the file name has been correctly entered, that the file exists, and that you haveaccess rights to read it.

    Error: Interpretation or data errorCheck that the input file is in one of the acceptable formats: PDMS, HPGL or GPGP. If it is,then the file may have been corrupted.

    Error: Plot too large for mediaAdd the ADJUST option to the PLOT command line (see Scaling the Plot to Fit the Paper).The output plot is too large for the actual paper size (if output is to a plotter or printer) or forthe defined paper size (if output is to a file).

    Error: Unknown device typeCheck that the device driver that you have specified matches one of the standard driverslisted in Output Formats That PLOT Can Generate and Running PLOT, or is a valid softdriver name.

    Warning: Plot is adjusted to media size12.03:10

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTThis message confirms that the ADJUST option has automatically rescaled the output plotto suit its destination device or file. No action is needed.

    3.5.3 Modifying PLOTs Message FileBy default, PLOT uses its internally defined messages at relevant stages of its processingoperations. If you wish to display different messages, such as messages in a differentlanguage, you can copy the standard messages into a file, edit them, and then use this fileas the source of future messages.

    To copy PLOT's default messages into a file, enter the command

    plot -message

    This copies the messages into the file PLOT.MF in the current directory. You may then editthis file to change the wording of any of the messages.

    When PLOT needs to output a message, it looks for the file PLOT.MF, first in the directorydefined by the CADC_PLOT_DIR environment variable, then in the current directory. It findsneither file it uses its own default message definitions.

    3.6 Getting Help about PLOT

    3.6.1 Checking the Command SyntaxTo see an on-screen summary of the command syntax, enter the command:

    plot

    With no command line arguments this displays the following information:

    PLOT Utilityusage: plot driver file output [options...]Drivers are: benson calcomp dxf houston hp hpgl hpgl2interleaf laserjet list pdms penman png postscript psscreen xdumpFile is a PDMS, DXF, HPGL or other pseudo-code plot file. Output is a file name or the command window.e.g. plot postscript drwg3.plt plotout.psplot screen drwg3.plt -0The SCALE=value option provides general plot scaling.An options string is available for most drivers.e.g. plot hpgl2 drwg3.plt drwg3.h2 scale=0.5

    3.6.2 Checking the Program VersionTo check which version number of the PLOT program you are using, enter the command:

    plot -version

    3.6.3 Checking Driver Options12.03:11

    To check the driver options enter the command:

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTplot -drivers

    This displays the driver quick reference information for PLOT that can also found in DriverQuick Reference of this manual.

    3.7 Summarising the Contents of Plot FilesThe LIST driver is used to provide a textual summary of contents of the plot file.

    The information includes:

    The pseudo-code file format. The file header block, if present. Details of the drawing number, if available.

    The dimensions of the drawing.

    A list of the pens used to plot the drawing.

    The total numbers of graphical primitives in the file: vectors, arcs, circles, text strings andtext characters.

    For structured files there are the total numbers of definitions and references, the maximumdepth of reference nesting and the full list of symbol names and reference counts.

    For full details see the LIST driver section.

    3.8 Running on WindowsPLOT has functionality to use standard Windows facilities and services.

    The SCREEN driver has the facility to use the Windows printing service, including networkprinting. PLOT can be launched directly from a shortcut on the desktop so that it can beused independently of other products.

    3.8.1 Screen Driver PrintingStart by displaying a view of a plot file by running PLOT with the SCREEN driver. The viewwindow can be selected with the normal pan and zoom controls before a printing. A print isinitiated with the keyboard accelerator Control-P, the standard keyboard accelerator used byWindows programs for PRINT. The SCREEN driver displays a Windows print dialog toselect the printer and set printing options.

    The print dialog has a Print range group with the choices All and Selection. Select All toprint the whole drawing and Selection to print the current view.

    3.8.2 Screen Driver and Enhanced Metafile OutputThe screen driver can produce Windows EMF (Enhanced Metafile) output from the currentplot file. EMF contains scalable graphics and is a later version of the popular WMF(Windows Metafile) format.

    EMF output is initiated with the keyboard accelerator Control-S, the standard keyboardaccelerator used by Windows programs for SAVE. The SCREEN driver displays a WindowsSave As dialog to select the EMF output file name and directory. A copy of the output file isautomatically copied to the clipboard.12.03:12

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOTEMF output provides a method of inserting or pasting graphics into a variety of documenttypes.

    3.8.3 Shortcuts and BrowsingPlot can be run directly from a shortcut from the desktop or menus. Here is an example of ashortcut created on the desktop.

    When this command is run from the shortcut a Multiple-File Open dialog and a Consolewindow are created. Select one or more plot files and plot will view them all in the orderspecified. At each stage the file can be viewed and printed. Close the graphics window orpress Q to move on to the next file. After all files have been viewed Plot returns to themultiple-file open dialog. Click Cancel to finish.

    Other drivers can be used with the input file set to "*". For example the list driver can beused to display summary information about the graphical contents of the files.

    Alternatively, the shortcut on the desktop can be used to drag and drop plot files as well asbrowsing for them if the shortcut target is a small batch file DragDropPlot.bat, containinglines such as the following:set file=%1if "%file%" == "" set file="*"start /b C:\AVEVA\pdms\plot\plot.exe plot screen %file% -0 "AUTO"

    Target: C:\AVEVA\pdms\plot\plot.exe screen "*" -0 "AUTOSIZE"

    Start in: C:\temp

    Name: Plot

    Target defines the command line to run Plot with the screen driver. Note thatthe full pathname of the plot program is used and that the input file isreplaced by "*".

    Start in is set as the directory that is most used for plot files.

    Name labels the shortcut.12.03:13

  • PLOT User GuideHow To Use PLOT12.03:14

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4 Device Drivers

    This is a reference chapter that describes each of the available PLOT device drivers. Theinformation in each section is organised under the following headings:

    Models

    This lists the supported plotters or defines the translation done by PLOT.

    For plotters, the list gives the definitive models for which the driver was originally written,and any other plotters on which the driver has been tested. The list also gives other models,from the same or another manufacturer, if they are known to be fully compatible with thedriver.

    Description

    This describes, in broad terms, the plotter device code or the translation.

    Output

    This describes the file format output by the driver.

    Options

    This describes any additional options or controls for the driver, for example scaling or paperlayout.

    Note that such options must be enclosed between quotation marks in the command line andif more than one option is used they must be separated by commas.

    Example

    This shows the minimum command syntax applicable to the driver, using the default settingsfor all user-configurable options.

    If applicable, a further example shows the use of some of the more commonly used options.

    Note: The LIST driver differs in principle from the drivers described in this chapter in that itdoes not translate input plot file data into a different format, but instead providessummarised information about the overall content of the file. The functions of the12.04:1

    LIST driver are explained in LIST.

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4.1 BENSONModels

    This driver supports the Benson 1302 Plotter with intelligence level I0. This is a drum plotterwith a roll paper feed mechanism. The code-compatible Benson 1322 plotter is alsosupported.

    Description

    The device code for these plotters is based on the relative positioning and drawingcommands of the symbolic Benson format.

    Output

    The output from this driver is device code that is sent directly to the Benson plotter. Thiscode is easy to read and the vectors are expressed entirely as relative movements.

    Files output by this driver are sequential and containsymbolic codes. They are used only for maintenance purposes.Options

    None.

    4.2 CALCOMPModels

    This driver produces code for the Calcomp 1040 series plotters using 906/907 plotter code.This data format is acceptable to most Calcomp plotters.

    The Calcomp 1040 series plotters are drum plotters with either cut sheet or roll feed options,which can take media up to A0 size.

    Description

    The Calcomp device code produced by the driver is based on the use of simple positioning,drawing, and pen selection commands. It can select from up to eight pens.

    Output

    The output from this driver is device code that is sent directly to the Calcomp plotter. Thedata is encoded and is unintelligible. The device protocol means that the code is organisedto include synchronising sequences and checksums. Transmission is synchronised bywaiting for a plotter response after each message.

    The coded format for each data record is as follows:

    Example:

    plot benson view.pl -112.04:2

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversFiles output by this driver are ASCII coded and record structured. Their content comprisesall the data shown above, except for the request for plotter response and its reply.

    Options

    The CALCOMP driver allows you to use options to control all low-level detail of the plottercode format (as shown in the preceding table). You can specify these options either directly,as PLOT command line arguments (see Running PLOT), or indirectly, as parameters in asoft driver definition.

    The syntax for using each option is as follows (individual options must be separated bycommas):

    [Key: int = an integer; val = a real number; Y/N = Yes or No]

    BUffer int Sets device to use int data buffers (int must be 2 or 16).Default: BU 16

    CHecksum Y/N Specifies whether or not checksum is enabled. Default: CHYEOm intSets the end-of-message character to int (int mustbe in the range 0-127). Default: EO 3

    HEader Y/N Specifies whether or not a search address is to be includedin the output header. Default: HE Y

    LIne int Sets the line length of the output data field to int characters(int must be in the range 80-125). Default: LI 119

    NL Y/N Specifies that a newline code is to be output between lines.Default: NL Y

    PAd int Sets the number of padding characters to be used beforeSYNC and after EOM to int characters (int must be in therange 0-10). Default: PA 10

    RAdix int Sets the number conversion radix to int (int must be 64 or95). Default: RA 95

    (Preamble)

    Sync

    Bias

    Data

    (Checksum)

    End-of-message

    (Postamble)

    Newline

    (Response Request)

    0-10 null padding characters

    One or two specified synchronisation characters

    Bias character; always a Space

    Checksum character

    Value of number-encoding radix (64 or 95)

    End-of-message (EOM) marker

    1-10 null padding characters

    The message $? is output to request a good, 0, or1, response. bad, A bad response causes the datato be transmitted again.12.04:3

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversThe defaults specified in the standard CALCOMP driver are equivalent to the followingoptions string:

    "BU 16,CH Y,EO 3,HE Y,LI 119,NL Y,PA 10,PE Y,\RA 95,RES Y,SC 1,ST 80,SY 1 2,WA Y,WI 20"As an example, to remove the preamble and postamble padding characters, and to selectno response control of the output flow, you would either enter a command line such as:

    plot calcomp pdms.plot pdms.code "PA 0,RE N"Alternatively, you could create the equivalent soft driver to do this.

    For example:

    calcompx|calcomp|PA 0,RE NThe new soft driver can then be used with the command:

    plot calcompx pdms.plot pdms.codeNote: PLOT includes an alternative version of the CALCOMP driver known as the

    CALCOMP64 driver. The latter version has the following option defaults, almost all ofwhich differ from those of the standard CALCOMP driver:

    "BU 2,CH Y,EO 13,HE N,LI 125,NL Y,PA 0,PE N,RA64,RES N,\SC 0,ST 40,SY 2 22,WA N,WI 20"You may use the CALCOMP64 driver as the basis for your option settings if it is closer toyour desired final specification.

    RESponse Y/N Specifies whether or not a plotter response is expected bythe driver for output flow control. Default: RES Y

    SCale int Sets the plotter scaling factor to int. You can use this optionwith STEPS to compress and expand the data to reduce thesize (and accuracy) of the device code. Default: SC 1

    STeps val Sets the number of plotter steps per mm (i.e. the plotterresolution) to val. Default: ST 80.0

    SYnc int1 int2 Sets the number of Synch characters to int1 and the Synccharacter itself to the control character represented by int2(int1 must be 1 or 2; int2 must be in the range 0-31) Default:SY 1 2

    WAit Y/N Specifies whether or not the plotter is switched off-linebetween plots. Default: WA Y

    WIndon val Sets the distance to be left blank between adjacent plots toval mm. Default: WI 20.0

    Example:

    plot calcomp view.pl -1plot calcomp64 view.pl -1plot calcomp view.pl -1 "HE N,LI 110,PE N,WI 25"

    [Key: int = an integer; val = a real number; Y/N = Yes or No]12.04:4

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4.3 DXFThis driver outputs a plot as an AutoCAD drawing in DXF (drawing interchange) file format.

    4.3.1 Output File ContentsThis is an ASCII file, and is record structured. The records are organised in pairs and theseare called groups. Each group contains a group code (an integer), and a group value thatis in a format that depends on the group code.

    A DXF file is made up of four sections: Header. This is preceded by a number of comment lines (as suggested in the NEDC

    recommendations). This includes the units employed in the drawing, and the date thefile was formed. The Header section itself includes the $LIMMIN, $LIMMAX, $EXTMINand $EXTMAX variables to specify the limits of the drawing and its extents.

    Tables. This section contains an LTYPE line types table defining the definition of theline patterns available to the Entities section. It also contains a LAYER and a styletable.

    Blocks. This is empty. Entities. This contains all of the graphical elements of the drawing and their attributes.

    The entity types are LINE, CIRCLE, ARC, TEXT, POLYLINE and VERTEX.

    Note: Sometimes the first three sections are omitted, depending on the type of data andthe purpose for which it is to be used.

    4.3.2 DXF OptionsSeveral options are available that allow you to control the output from this driver. These canbe specified as command line arguments, or as parameters in a soft driver definition.

    The syntax of each option is as follows (NOTE: individual options are separated bycommas):

    HEader filename The contents of the supplied filename are copied into theDXF output file in place of the Header, Tables and Blockssections that would normally be generated by the driver. Ifthe filename is omitted, or the file cannot be read, the driverwill suppress the production of these sections. The file canbe a complete DXF file. The copy is stopped before the "0""SECTION" "2" "ENTITIES" sequence that starts theEntities section.

    POlylines Y/N Specifies whether the driver outputs lines and arcs as LINEand ARC entities, or as POLYLINE entities.

    Default: POLYLINES Y

    UNits value Sets the type of coordinates in the DXF output file asINCHES or MM. Default: UNITS MM

    ZAxis value Selects the output of a Z value with all XY coordinates. Thevalue parameter defines the constant Z coordinate value.Default: No Z coordinate.12.04:5

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4.4 Hewlett-Packard (HP or HPGL)Models

    PLOT incorporates two Hewlett-Packard drivers, HP and HPGL, both of which support allHewlett-Packard pen plotters and the standard HP-GL file format. The reference devicesupported by these drivers is the HP7580B plotter, but they also support the HP7586 plotter,with or without a roll feed option, the HP7550 plotter, which has an automatic sheet feed, theIBM 6184 and 6186 plotters, and many other plotters which use HP-GL code. The driversalso support the HP7475 plotter, which has more restricted line style capabilities than theHP7580.

    Description

    The difference between the two drivers lies in the type of HP-GL code which each uses: The HP driver uses only vectors and absolute positioning, and uses straight-line chords

    to simulate arcs and circles. Each draw and move operation is output on a separateline of the file. This makes this form of the code easier to interpret.

    The HPGL driver uses vectors and relative positioning, and uses true arcs and circles.Draw and move commands are merged together, and as many commands as possibleare put into each line of the file. These features make this the more compact code ofthe two

    The drivers derive the plotter model number by interrogating the device, so that they allowfor use with the HP7475 with its limited functionality. They similarly determine the paperhandling capabilities if used with an HP7586 plotter, to allow it to be used with cut-sheet aswell as roll-fed paper. They make special provision for producing long plots on roll feedversions of the latter plotter.

    Output

    The output from this driver is device code which is sent directly to the HP plotter.

    These drivers do not mix the two types of HP-GL command, namely graphical commandsand communication commands, within a line of output.

    Files output by this driver are ASCII coded and record structured. They can be used as inputto other conversion programs to produce device code for otherwise unsupported devices.

    Options

    Several options are available which allow you to control the output from these drivers. Youcan specify these options either directly, as PLOT command line arguments (see RunningPLOT), or indirectly, as parameters in a soft driver definition (see Creating your Own DeviceDrivers).

    Example:

    plot dxf view1.pl view1.dxf "UNITS INCHES"12.04:6

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversThe syntax for using each option is as follows (individual options must be separated bycommas):

    The defaults specified in the standard HP driver are equivalent to the following optionsstring:

    "CE N,MA 0 0 1109.5 787.0,ST 40,WA Y"The defaults specified in the standard HPGL driver are equivalent to the following optionsstring:

    "CE N,HI,MA,ST 40,WA Y"Note: All of the options are applicable when the plot output is sent to a file, but only the

    HIGH and WAIT options apply when the plot is sent directly to a plotter.

    [Key: val = a real number; Y/N = Yes or No; x y = x,y coordinatesin mm]

    CEntre Y/N Specifies if the physical coordinate origin for the plotter is atthe centre (Yes) or corner (No) of the paper after the defaultpositions of the scaling points P1 and P2 have beenestablished. Plotters that use HPGL can be of either ofthese types. The driver itself corrects for the type in theoutput file, by use of the HPGL IP (Set P1 and P2) and SC(Scale) instructions. Default: CE N for both HP and HPGL

    High If selected, this allows the use of high-level commands andcompacted output code. If not selected, only low-levelcommands and one command per line formatting are used.Default:HI not selected for the HP driver HI selected for theHPGL driver

    MAp Derives the size of the plot from the plot file.

    MAp x y Defines the position of the plot on the paper (x and ycoordinates of its origin expressed in mm). It derives thesize of the plot from the plot file.

    MAp x y val1 val2 Defines the position of the plot on the paper (x and ycoordinates of its origin expressed in mm). It defines the plotdimensions as val1 wide by val2 high. Default: MA for boththe HP and HPGL drivers

    STeps val Sets the number of plotter steps per mm (i.e. the plotterresolution) to val.

    Default: ST 40.0

    WAit Y/N/P Specifies actions to take place between plots.

    Y selects that the plotter is switched off-line and waits for theoperator.

    P selects that the plotter completes the present plot andthen advances to start the next. N selects no special action.

    Default: WA Y12.04:7

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversExample

    4.5 HPGL2This driver supports HP-GL/2, which is the standardised version of the Hewlett-PackardGraphical language. This attempts to provide a consistent functionality between plotters andcaters for pen, monochrome and colour electrostatic and other devices. The code iscompact, especially for vectors that have a special encoding scheme. HP-GL/2 is a binaryformat.

    Although HPGL and HP-GL/2 are related, HP-GL/2 is not a strict superset of HPGL. It isbest for most purposes to regard them as being entirely different.

    HP-GL/2 is often available in Dual-Context plotters that also have Hewlett-Packard's PCL.The HP-GL/2 behaves differently under these conditions and a driver option for PCL isnecessary to ensure correct behaviour.

    Options

    These options enable you to control the output of this driver. You can specify these optionseither directly, as PLOT command line arguments (see Running PLOT), or indirectly, asparameters in soft driver definition (see Creating your Own Device Drivers).

    The syntax for using each option is as follows (individual options must be separated bycommas):

    plot hp view.pl plot1.plt(output to a file)

    plot hp view.pl -1(output direct to plotter)

    plot hpgl view.pl plot1.plt(output to a file)

    plot hpgl view.pl -1(output direct to plotter)

    plot hp view.pl plot1.plt "CE Y,MA"12.04:8

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers[Key: Y/N = Yes or No; x y etc. coordinates in mm and other values; n and pen areintegers.]

    The defaults specified in the standard HP-GL/2 driver are equivalent to the following optionsstring:

    "CO 1,EC N,MAP,PCL Y,PW 0.0 0.35,QU 100,RO 0"

    COpies n Print n copies of each drawing in the plot file. Default: COPIES 1

    FF Y/N Specifies whether the formfeed character is output at theend of the HP-GL/2 file. This is a communication characterwas required previously for direct operation of the plotter butmay need to be omitted when a print spooler is being used.Default: FF Y

    ECutter Y/N Enables the automatic cutter that operates after each plot iscompleted. Default: ECUTTER N

    HIgh If selected the driver outputs higher level graphicalprimitives such as arcs, circles, and line styles. Default:HIGH is not selected.

    MAp Derives the size of the plot from the plot file.

    MAp x y w h Defines the position and size of the plot on the paper. Thedefault is to use the plot given in the plot file. Default: MAP

    PCL Y/N Specifies that the plotter is operating HP-GL/2 with PCL in adual context. Default: PCL Y

    PWidth w1 [w2] Specifies the widths of the thin and thick lines in mm. Thethinnest line width possible is selected by specifying it aszero. Default: PWIDTH 0.0 0.35

    QUality n Sets the percentage quality level required from the plotter.Where this is available the plotter will trade quality for speedor reduced toner usage. Default: QUALITY 100

    RGb pen r g b Selects colour mode and defines the red/green/blue colourmix for the specified logical pen number (pen must be in therange 0-256). The colour values are in the range 0 to 1.Default: Monochrome

    ROtate n Rotate the plot by 0, 90, 180, 270 degrees counter-clockwise about the plotter coordinate system origin.Default: ROTATE 0

    Example:

    plot hpgl2 view.pl plot1.pltplot hpgl2 view.pl plot1.plt "COPIES 3,ROTATE 90"12.04:9

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4.6 HOUSTONModels

    This driver supports the Houston Hiplot DMP-40 and DMP-42 pen plotters. These are drumplotters with media movement and registration controlled by knurled gripping areas of thedrum; they take A3 and A1 media sizes, respectively.

    These plotters use Houston DM/PL III firmware, which is upwardly compatible with DM/PLand DM/PL+.

    Description

    The DM/PL device code produced by the driver for these plotters is based on simpleabsolute positioning and drawing commands and assumes that there is a single pen.

    Output

    Files output by this driver are not record structured, but contain ASCII codes. They are usedonly for maintenance purposes.

    Options

    None.

    4.7 LASERJETModels

    This driver produces output suitable for any printer that can interpret Hewlett-Packards PCLpage description language, such as the Laserjet Series II devices.

    Laserjet printers have a maximum resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi), but can also work at150, 100 or 75 dpi

    Description

    Laserjet and compatible printers may be used to produce black and white hard copy fromgraphical plot files. The PCL language has no facilities for expressing graphical elementssuch as vectors; it provides instead a group of raster graphics commands.

    Output

    The output from this driver is in device code that may be sent directly to any PCL-compatiblelaser printer. Where the output is to a file, it contains the complete PCL code needed toreproduce the printable document defined by the pseudo-code plot file. This comprises amixture of PCL command escape sequences and 8-bit data that is not formatted and noteasy to inspect.

    The Laserjet driver uses compression techniques to reduce thesize of its output files and, hence, the time needed to sendthem to the printer. Further reductions in file size and dat

    Example:

    plot houston view.pl view.out12.04:10

    a transfer time may be achieved by specifying a lower raster

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Driversgraphics resolution (i.e. a lower dpi setting).When multiple copies of a drawing are required, use of the COPIES option gives increasedspeed by using the inbuilt printer facilities rather than by repeated data transmission.

    The drawing is scaled to a size that fills the printable area of an A4 sheet. It is drawnautomatically in portrait or landscape orientation to make the best use of the available area.

    Options

    You can specify the LASERJET driver options either directly, as PLOT command linearguments (see Running PLOT), or indirectly, as parameters in a soft driver definition (seeCreating your Own Device Drivers).

    The syntax for using each option is as follows (individual options must be separated bycommas):

    4.8 LISTThe LIST driver differs from the others in that it does not translate input plot file data into adifferent format, but instead provides summarised information about the overall content ofthe file.

    The information derived from the file includes: The pseudo-code format in which the file is written (PDMS, HPGL, HP-GL/2, DXF or

    GPGP) The file header block Details of the drawing in the file, namely:

    The drawing number, with its identifying number in brackets if it is a GPGP file

    COpies integer This prints integer copies of each drawing in the plot file. The default is 1 copy.

    DPi integer Sets the printer resolution to integer dots per inch, whereinteger may be 300, 150, 100 or 75. The default is 150 dpi,which usually gives a suitable compromise between imagequality, file size and data transmission speed.

    Example:

    plot laserjet view.pl plot1.plt(output to a file)

    plot laserjet view.pl -1(output direct to printer)

    plot laserjet view.pl -1 "CO 3,DPI 300"(print 3 copies of each drawing at 300 dpi resolution)12.04:11

    The dimensions of the drawing, in mm

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers The total number of vectors that make up the drawing The number of arcs and circles The numbers of text strings and text characters The numbers of block definitions, block references (or inserts), and the maximum

    depth of block reference nesting. The DXF input file format can contain blocks. A list of the pens needed to plot the drawing The full list of symbol names. Symbols are shown with a prefix character to indicate

    how often they are referenced:

    The information may be sent to an ASCII file, or it may be listed at your command promptwindow (by specifying output to line 0).

    For example, the command:

    plot list pdmsplot.pl -0This would list the content of the pseudo-code plot file avevaplot.pl, containing an A1drawing, thus:

    Interpreter: PDMSFile Header: piper 18/07/04 12.25

    Drawing: 1Size 841 by 594 MMVectors 3403Pens 1 2

    The list driver does not use any options but will display any that are specified on thecommand line or from a soft driver as a combined options string.

    4.9 PDMSModels

    This driver generates output in PDMS plot file format.

    Description

    This file format (which is also one of PLOTs valid input formats) is intended primarily fortransferring graphical data between the modules of PDMS. PLOTs output driver also allowsyou to transfer data to PDMS from other sources that generate HPGL or GPGP formattedgraphics.

    Output

    Files output by the plotting driver are in binary format and comprise a textual header blockfollowed by the graphical data.

    The header block contains:

    Prefix References

    none unreferenced

    + once

    * one or more times12.04:12

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers A user identifier - up to 6 characters - derived from the login user name (truncated iflonger than 6 characters).

    The current date - in the format DDMMYY. The current time - in the format HHMM.

    The graphical data is a sequence of coded items, including pen moving and drawingcommands, pen changes, and paper size definitions. The code is made more efficient bythe provision of special codes for short line drawing and moving operations, and for drawinghorizontal or vertical lines.

    Options

    None.

    4.10 PENMANModels

    This driver outputs directly to the Penman Turtle Plotter.

    Description

    The Turtle plotter has a pen with an up/down mechanism mounted on a wheeled carriagethat is connected for power and control via a flying cable. It uses a home marker that it candetect optically to register its origin.

    Output

    The output from this driver is device code that is sent directly to the Turtle plotter. The devicecode uses simple absolute positioning and drawing commands. Periodic returns to theorigin, to re-establish a datum point, limit the build up of positional errors during plotting.

    Files output by this driver are ASCII coded and record structured. They are used only formaintenance purposes.

    Options

    None.

    4.11 PNGModels

    Example:

    plot pdms view.pl ulay2.pdms(output must be to a file)

    Example:

    plot penman view.pl -112.04:13

    This driver generates output in PNG file format.

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversDescription

    The PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format is a patent-free replacement for GIF and canalso replace many common uses of TIFF. It provides a means for the lossless, portablestorage of well-compressed raster images.

    PNG is designed to work well in online viewing applications, such as the World Wide Web,and for user interface and general usage.

    Note that the standard PLOTDRIVERS file changes the default for this driver to use PDMScolours. To find out how to restore the colours to their previous state and other details aboutmodifying the default options of the built-in drivers see the section on creating your owndevice drivers.

    Output

    Files output by the PNG driver are in binary format.

    Options

    The syntax for each option is as follows (individual options must be separated by commas):

    4.12 POSTSCRIPT or PS

    BItmap width height Defines the size of the bitmap image in pixels. Sizes shouldbe greater than 16 x 16 and the upper size limit is 8000 x8000. The default size is 600 x 400.

    LAyout type Defines how the image is placed in the bitmap, where type isone of the following:FIT reduces the width or height of the bitmap so that it fitsthe image exactly. This is the default.CENtre places the image in the centre of the bitmap.CORner places the image at the top left corner of thebitmap.

    RGb pen r g b Selects colour mode and defines the red/green/blue colourmix for the specified logical pen number (pen must be in therange 0-15). The colour values are in the range 0 to 1. Thebackground colour of the image is black by default but thiscan be changed by defining pen 0, e.g. RGB 0 1 1 1 sets it towhite.

    SIze width height Defines the minimum plot size in millimetres that is scaled tofill the bitmap image. Increasing the size of a number of plotsto a common value means that their pixel scaling is also thesame. This is important if the bitmap files are to bemanipulated by other programs.

    TRan Sets the image background to be transparent.

    Example:

    plot png in.dxf out.png "BITMAP 32 32"12.04:14

    (The POSTSCRIPT and PS drivers are identical.)

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversModels

    These drivers produce output suitable for any printer that can interpret the Postscript pagedescription language.

    The driver default options give output suitable for immediate use with the commonest laserprinters, which take A4 paper and which produce monochrome and grey-scale output at aresolution of 300 dots per inch (for example, the QMS-810 printer).

    The drivers provide a very wide range of options that may be used with PLOTs soft driverfacility to create drivers for other forms of Postscript output (see Creating your Own DeviceDrivers). For example, printers with different paper sizes or with paper tray selection.

    Description

    Postscript is a widely used page description language that efficiently describes theappearance of text, images and drawings on the printed page.

    Output

    The output from these drivers is an ASCII record structured file that conforms to thestandard structuring conventions for Postscript multiple page documents. It contains thecomplete Postscript program needed to print the document defined by the input pseudocode file.

    The output is in device code that may be sent directly to the laser printer or may be includedin another document as an illustration. The laser printer is treated as a plotter with a singlepen, grey-scale pens or colour pens, which can draw vectors in all line styles for both normaland thick lines.

    The drawing is scaled to form an image that fills the specified paper size, with options to setmargin widths, page orientation, and so on. Other options allow you to control features suchas a summarising banner page, page headers and footers, and page layout.

    It may be useful to override the parameters of this driver in the PLOTDRIVERS file, forexample to use PDMS colours by default. See the description of this file for further details.

    Options

    The POSTSCRIPT/PS drivers provide many options. You can specify these either directly,as PLOT command line arguments (see Running PLOT), or indirectly, as parameters in asoft driver definition (see Creating your Own Device Drivers).

    For convenience, the descriptions of the driver options are split into two functional groups: Layout options, which control the overall page presentation. General options, which control the banner page and the detailed graphics plotting

    (including monochrome/grey-scale/colour, scaling, resolution, etc.).

    The syntax for using each option is as follows (individual options must be separated bycommas):

    [Key: int = an integer; string = a text string]12.04:15

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversLayout Options

    The LAYOUT MARGIN and LAYOUT FIGURE settings provide locations for three headertexts and three footer texts at the left, centre and right of the page, in the top and bottom

    LAyout type Defines the output page layout as type, where type is one ofthe following:

    Drawing - this produces a PostScript file that takes dimensions fromthe input plot file and the output is matched to the input. It isunscaled and is not rotated. This layout is suitable for usewhen a PostScript file is to be used later to produce a pdffile.

    Landscape - uses the whole page for graphics. The drawing is rotated by90 degrees and is positioned into the bottom right-handcorner of the image area of the page. If the width and heightallow it the drawing will be output unscaled and the message'1:1 SCALE' is displayed and is repeated in the annotation ofthe output file. If the drawing is oversize it will be rescaled tofill the page (retaining the original width/height ratio).

    The output file is a complete PostScript document that maycontain many pages and may start with a banner page.

    The values from the MAP option are used directly with thisoption. There are no margin or other adjustment factors. Thepositioning is applied before the rotation, its x valuesincrease to the right, and y values increase upwards.

    Portrait - this is identical to the Landscape layout except that it ispositioned into the bottom left-hand corner of the image areaof the page and there is no rotation of the drawing.

    Whole - uses the whole page for graphics, except for a 7 mm marginon all four sides. The drawing is rescaled (retaining theoriginal width/height ratio) and rotated to fill the page asefficiently as possible. The output file is a completePostScript document that may contain many pages and maystart with a banner page.

    Margin - uses the whole page for graphics, except for a 26 mmmargin on all four sides (to allow for punch holes andheader/footer texts, etc.). The drawing is rescaled (retainingthe original width/height ratio) and rotated to fill the page asefficiently as possible. The output file is a completePostscript document that may contain many pages and maystart with a banner page.

    Figure - this layout is identical to MARGIN, except that the drawing isnot rotated.

    Include - produces a file suitable for inclusion in another PostScriptdocument. The layout is identical to FIGURE, but the filecontains none of the general Postscript commands to printpages etc. (since these will be provided by the document inwhich the file is included).12.04:16

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Driversmargins, respectively. These are set as follows:

    Note: If a header or footer text is to include spaces, string must be enclosed betweensingle quotes.

    You may include the following special characters within header and footer texts:

    As an example of the page layout options as part of a command:

    plot ps drg.pl drg.out "LA M, TL 'Page #', TR Figure, BC %"This sets the page layout as follows:

    Layout is of the type 'Margin' (i.e. 26 mm margins all round). Left-head header reads 'Page 1', 'Page 2', etc. Right-hand header text reads 'Figure'. Centred footer shows the current date.

    TL string Sets the left-hand header text (TL=Top Left) to string.

    Default: empty string.

    TC string Sets the central header text (TC=Top Centre) to string.

    Default: empty string.

    TR string Sets the right-hand header text (TR=Top Right) to string.

    Default: empty string.

    BL string Sets the left-hand footer text (BL=Bottom Left) to string.

    Default: empty string.

    BC string Sets the central footer text (BC=Bottom Centre) to string.

    Default: empty string.

    BR string Sets the right-hand footer text (BR=Bottom Right) to string.

    Default: empty string.

    # is replaced in the printed output by the current page number (with pages beingnumbered automatically, starting from a number which you may define).

    % is replaced in the current date (in the format day, month, year).

    PAge int Defines an initial page number for the translation of the # character whenusing automatic page numbering. The default is PAGE 1.12.04:17

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversGeneral Options

    BAnner Y/N Specifies whether or not a banner page is output at the headof the document. Default: BA Y

    EOt Y/N Specifies whether the EOT character is output at the end ofthe PostScript file. This is a communication characterrequired previously for direct operation of a printer but mayneed to be omitted when a print spooler is being used.Default: EOT Y

    IGraphics Y/N Allows the use of the initgraphics command. (You should notnormally need to change this setting.) Default: IG N

    PType string Sets page type to string. Where string is a sequence ofprinter specific PostScript commands to be inserted into theoutput file at the point where paper size and tray selectionmight take place. This option does not affect anything else(e.g. scaling).

    For example, below is an example of the PostScriptcommand to set up a printer to select a particular paper try,perhaps one containing A3 sized paper. The PostScriptstring used with PTYPE is not standard and needs to beobtained for each model of printer. Below are two examplesshowing how the printer specific commands might look liketo select a particular tray and to select manual feed.

    PTYPE 'statusdict begin 2 setpapertray end'

    PTYPE 'statusdict begin /manualfeed true def end'

    Default: PT

    MAp x y val1 val2 Defines the position of the plot on the paper (x and ycoordinates of its origin expressed in mm). It defines the plotdimensions as val1 wide by val2 high. Default: MA 0 0 283.6197.3

    STeps val Sets the printer steps per inch (i.e. the printer resolution) toval. Default: ST 300

    GRay Selects grey-scale output to represent colours.

    MOno

    Selects monochrome output.

    RGb

    Selects RGB colour output (using default colour definitions12.04:18

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversDefault colour representation: MONO

    RGb pen r g b Selects RGB colour mode and defines the red/green/bluecolour mix for the specified logical pen number (pen mustbe in the range 0-15).

    Default: The colours of the graphics screen device (seefollowing table).

    Number Colour Red Green Blue

    0 White 1 1 1

    1 Black 0 0 0

    2 Orange 1 0.5 0

    3 Green 0 1 0

    4 Red 1 0 0

    5 Blue 0 0.78 1

    6 Magenta 0.78 0 1

    7 Yellow 1 1 0

    8 Sand 1 0.78 0

    9 Yellow 1 1 0

    10 Cyan 0 1 1

    11 Indig 0 0 1

    12 Violet 0.5 0 0.5

    13 Light Grey 0.75 0.75 0.75

    14 Mid Grey 0.5 0.5 0.5

    15 Dark Grey 0.25 0.25 0.25

    BAnner Y/N Specifies whether or not a banner page is output at the headof the document. Default: BA Y12.04:19

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversAs an example a command with the general Postscript control options:

    plot ps drg.pl drg.out "BA Y,MA 5 5 250 175,ST 400,RGB 9 0 1 0.5"This has the following effects on the printed output:

    The banner page is printed. The graphical plots have their origins moved 5 mm in each direction from the page

    origin and the plot sizes are reduced to 250 mm wide by 175 mm high (landscapeformat).

    The printer resolution is set to 400 dots per inch. The colour for logical pen number 9 is redefined as the colour mix (0 red)/(1 green)/(0.5

    blue).

    The overall default settings for all POSTSCRIPT/PS driver options (both layout and generaloptions) are equivalent to:

    "BA N,LA L,MA 0 0 283.6 197.3,MO,IG N,PT,ST 300"

    FOntname string This specifies the font name to be used for text. It is presentin the plot file (not as vectors) if the HIGH option is selected.This font is also used for the user name on the banner page.Default: FONT Courier

    FLush Changes the format of the output file so that a new line isused for each graphical primitive instead of packing eachoutput line. The resulting output file is slightly larger as aresult. Default: Not selected.

    HIgh Specifies that higher-level primitives may be used for textand other output. Default: Not selected.

    Example:

    plot ps view.pl fig1.ps(Output to file, e.g. for inclusion in another file)

    plot postscript view.pl fig1.ps(Output to file, e.g. for inclusion in another file)

    plot postscript view.pl -2(output direct to printer)

    plot ps view.pl -2 "LA M,BR 'Page #',MA 10 40 100 70"(Note nested quotation marks.These are needed as 'Page #' is all one string)12.04:20

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4.13 SCREENModels

    The SCREEN driver displays plot files on a workstation graphics screen.

    Description

    This driver provides a convenient plot file viewing facility, allowing you to preview your plotfiles before plotting or printing hard copies.

    Output

    This driver always creates a new graphics window to view the input plot file. There is nooutput file and -0 takes its place on the command line. If the output drawing comprises morethan one page, the display pauses at each page until you press a key or button.

    User Interaction

    The SCREEN driver is an interactive plot viewer with zoom and pan actions under mousecontrol with appropriate cursors and 'rubber-banding'. To use the viewer:

    To pan the view by a specified distance, press and hold down the left mouse buttonwhile you move the mouse. Release the button to pan the view by a specified distance.A cursor 'rubber-band' shows you the move while you are holding the button.

    As an alternative to scroll bars press and release the left mouse button withoutmoving the mouse to 'snap' the current point under the cursor to the centre of thescreen.

    To select a new view, press and hold down the middle button of your mouse while youmove it between the opposite corners of its boundary.

    To snap the current point to the centre of the screen and then zoom in by a fixedamount, press and then release the middle mouse button (without moving the mouse).

    Snap the current point to the centre of the screen and then zoom out by a fixedamount, press and release the right mouse button without moving the mouse.12.04:21

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversCommand Summary

    Note: For a 2-button mouse the effect of the middle button can be achieved by pressingboth buttons together.

    Options

    Note that the standard PLOTDRIVERS file changes the default for this driver to use PDMScolours. To find out how to restore the colours to their previous state and other details aboutmodifying the default options of built-in drivers see the section on creating your own devicedrivers.

    Key/button Description

    Home View all of the drawingShift-Home Refresh the windowArrow keys Pan down/left/right/up by 10% of windowControl-Arrow Pan down/left/right/up by 2% of windowShift-Arrow Pan down/left/right/up by 50% of windowH or ? Display help text X Toggle cursor style, small cross and crosshair/ Toggle cursor style, ISO and crosshairN or Space Next drawing from plot fileQ or Return Quit viewer0 to 9 Set cursor colour (1=white)Mouse 1 Press/Move/Release pans around drawing. Press/release

    (no move) centres this position in the window.

    Mouse 2 Press/Move/Release zooms in on the box cursor. Press/release (no move) centres this position in the window andzooms in by 20%.

    Mouse 3 Press/Move/Release zooms in on the box cursor. Press/release (no move) centres this position in the window andzooms out by 20%.12.04:22

  • PLOT User GuideDevice DriversThe syntax for using each option is as follows (individual options must be separated bycommas):

    MAp x y val1 val2 Defines the position of the plot on the screen (x and ycoordinates of its origin expressed in pixels). It defines thegraphics window dimensions as val1 pixels wide by val2pixels high. Default: To match the graphics screen device.

    CUrsor n Sets the long cursor pen number and must be in the range1-15. The default value is 4.

    RGb pen r g b Defines the red/green/blue colour mix for the specifiedlogical pen number (pen must be in the range 0-15).Default: The colours of the graphics screen device (seefollowing table).

    Number Colour Red Green Blue

    0 Black 0 0 0

    1 White 1 1 1

    2 Orange 1 0.5 0

    3 Green 0 1 0

    4 Red 1 0 0

    5 Blue 0 0.78 1

    6 Magenta 0.78 0 1

    7 Yellow 1 1 0

    8 Sand 1 0.78 0

    9 Yellow 1 1 0

    10 Cyan 0 1 1

    11 Indigo 0 0 1

    12 Violet 0.5 0 0.5

    13 Light Grey 0.75 0.75 0.75

    14 Mid Grey 0.5 0.5 0.5

    15 Dark Grey 0.25 0.25 0.25

    Example:

    plot screen logo.plt -0 "CUR 10,MA 20 40 250 150"12.04:23

  • PLOT User GuideDevice Drivers4.14 XDUMPThis driver outputs the plot to a specially fo