#PageStream 3.0
5 messages in this thread
Hi, Here's my situation: I just got PageStream 3.0, but I have_no_experience
with PS or any other DTP software.
I've created an application with CanDo that prints out a number of small
(different sized) boxes with text (small font sizes) in them.
The "work area" where this on-screen printing occurs takes up approximately
half of the screen. (the remainder of the screen contains the controls for the
app) The size of this "work area" remains constant.
The "text boxes" are strung out in a row, usually 6 to 8 boxes per screen.
Under this row are more of the boxes, sometimes lining up directly under the
first row, sometimes not.
This is the fundamental structure of the data I want to print out.
Since the data is saved with all of the parameters needed to re-print it
exactly as it was saved, what I have is a "virtual" half-screen of data.
My main question is this:
Can I "print out" the data directly into BME, and then send it from there into
PageStream? If so, I suppose I could write an ARexx script to do this.
(Right?)
I will need the final print-out (on gummed labels) to be reduced. The size
reduction will depend on how small it can be and still be legible.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Greg.
Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with CanDo to be able to answer your question
properly. Maybe somebody else here with join Cando/PageStream experience could
step in?
I would think it would be easier to print your data directly from CanDo than to
get it into PageStream and print it from there. Even with your explanation, I'm
still not sure what you're doing, and without knowing the capabilities of
CanDo, I can't tell you what is the best way to do it.
Michael @ Soft-Logik Publishing
Michael, When I mentioned CanDo, I didn't mean to "throw you". The question I
have is, now that I've created an application that has text blocks surrounded
by boxes (one pixel wide lines), do I have to import this into PageStream as a
"graphic" (which seems to me will take more time); or can I re-print the text,
and lines directly into PageStream? If I can do the latter, would it be better
to import into PS, itself, or BME?
Michael, I finally realized how to explain this application of mine. (I hope) I
guess I've been so wrapped-up in it for so long that I wasn't explaining it too
well.
I've saved out the various parameters that make up the final print-out of each
"page" of the app. These params are stored as files in RAM until the user goes
on to the next page, when they are saved to the hard drive. Here are the
files:
1. A text file where [CR]
the contents of [CR]
each "box" are [CR
saved like this. [CR]
(I put in the "[CarraigeReturn]s" in case the Compuserve formatter changes what
I'm typing here)
Each line in the text file is written exactly as it appears on screen.
2. The next file contains the "x" and "y" coordinates indicating where each
line begins when it appears on screen.
3. The next file contains three coordinates that enable me to construct a "box"
around the text.
a. left-side column
b. bottom row
c. right-side column
The "top" is a constant "row" coordinate to begin with, and the whole thing
hangs from there.
By reading this information into a compound variable, I can re-construct the
box around the text. This is repeated for all of the text and boxes that the
user has "drawn".
(from 6 to 16 boxes of varying size. All of the boxes are connected to one
another, kinda like large graph paper with each box a different size, and
printing in each box)
***
I use "flags" to mark the beginning of each "box" in the various files, so the
whole shebang reconstructs quite easily!
I hope this is clear. Anyway, can I "type" this text, and "draw" these lines
into PageStream using an ARexx script?
Thanks again, Greg.
Well, if Cando has a method to export text as ascii, then yes, you could write
an arexx script to get it into PageStream3 automatically. If you just wanted to
do a screenshot, you could import that into PageStream. I really can't answer
any better without understanding more about Cando.
Cheers,
Michael @ Soft-Logik Publishing