#CAD
26 messages in this thread
Ben,
"Watanebe"=Western Graphtec plotter language emulation (its not an
acronymn, I don`t know what the hell it means). Can PCLO drive that?
You said that tou would check to see if the "print" function had been
disabled from PCLO, did you find out yet? If it hasn`t then it would appear
that my printer doesn`t function with PCLO. No matter how long I let it sit
there, displaying its, "Please wait, check plot in progress" message I don`t
get a system request telling me to check the printer.
I beleive that you stated in your last message that there was a "do it
yourself" plotter language in the works. Was that for PCLO _and_ PCLOplus
or just PCLOplus? I just notice that should say, in the line above, _plotter
driver_, not language. Is there a release date?
And finally, the subject of cost arrises. What do these pacakges run?
Barry
The do it yourself driver is due very soon — three weeks or less -and it will
function with PCLO, PCLOjr, and PCLOplus. And actually, it does implement a
plotter language, in a very real sense. The print function is not disabled…
how much memory do you have? I have a thought that it may not be able to load
in the printer driver… (not your fault, if so… the program may be too
large, and if so, needs fixing) Prices are 69.95 – PCLOjr, 199.95 – PCLO,
499.95 – PCLOplus, and 199.95 – Scheme (This is a new one, provides Schematic
Capture capability… really neat) –Ben–
Ben,
About the "print" function on the PCLO demo. I`m using an Amiga 500 with
1 Meg of memory. I doubt that it can`t load do to a memory shortage. The
printer I`m using is a Seikosha SP-1000AS (Epson compatible, made by
Seikosha-Epson). It prints both graphics and text. It is on and online and I
get no "system request" asking me to check the printer.
When the "do it yourself" driver is intorduced what will its price be?
Barry
It will be included in the system — no charge, and free upgrade to previous
owners… probably will be posted here as well. Did you make certain that your
system disk has the parallel.device in the devs directory? Other than that, I
can't think why it wouldn't work… Printing begins almost immediately after
you start the process, assuming everythings ok. Let me try ther demo here, I'll
get back to you. –Ben–
Barry — the printer driver uses the "parallel.device" — make sure it's on
your disk… –Ben–
What????
Parallel.device????
No wonder it doesn`t work! I have a serial printer!
Supposed to be Epson compatible though, works with the Amiga "Epson driver",
and with my Epson PX-8 laptop (which I`m online now with).
Barry
You got it Barry — parallel it is. You see, the plotters we picked are serial,
and most printers are parallel… and that's the way it works, period. Sorry
about that. <grin> –Ben–
Ben,
When I had nothing connected to the parallel port, why didn`t I get a
"system request" asking me to check printer and paper?
Barry
Is that an ASCII plotter driver …. i.e. command x stuff y stuff? Just curious
of Draw Plus will drive it.
Are you talking about the Graphtec plotters? I really don`t know. What I
do know (from hanging around other forums) is that it is supposedly a very
old command set that was piped through the serial port. From its references
I take it that is is still used by IBM type CAD packages?
Can I ask a few questions about Draw plus? I guess you know I`m looking
for a CAD package. What kind of drivers does yours come with? Since I am looking
for both a CAD program and a plotter this is very important. I want to know
what can be used with what!
The other thing I wanted to know is wether draw plus has an auto-routing
feature for PCB design. Thanks again.
Barry
Draw Plus supports the HPGL, HI, Epson, Apple and any plotter which uses ASCII
text to draw. You can even drive PostScript!. Draw Plus has a file (text)
called a plot driver (several examples on disk) that tells Draw Plus what
commands to use for your plotter, the plotter resolution, and the number of
pens. So in theory almost any plotter can be driven. (Of course some
plotters don't use ASCII!!!!!!). Draw Plus is a generic drafting package so it
doesn't do auto-routing, PCLO seems to be the top auto-routing software for the
Amiga. I hope to see some level of programability in future Aegis CAD products
that will make it possible for vendors to add that ability to a product.
Good luck.
Thanks for the information.
"Watanabe" (with one E, not two) is a rather common Japanese name. Could a Mr.
Watanabe have developed the graphics language or the original plotter for
Graphtec which used same? Sort of like saying "RPN"?
Trivia (fairly easy trivia): anyone know why RPN is called RPN?
Rick
Short form of "Reverse Polish Notation" –Ben–
<Frown> Well of COURSE it's short for Reverse Polish Notation. But why is it
CALLED that? 8)
Rick
Rick,
Let me take a stab at this (if I recall something I learned a long time
ago!):
Polish notation is called that due to some Polish mathmatician who
decided that algebraic logic should read a+b=c thus requiring you to fully
evaluate (a+b) before you got any result for c. Reverse Polish Notation is
where c=a+b and c is constantly changing as (a+b) gets evaluated. This is the
way computers work, they call a register "c" and then load the value a into the
register (thus at this step c=a) and then add b to that register to get the
final result.
That saves 1 step, the first method requires you to load register with
a, then add b to that register and then move the result to a 2nd register we'll
call "c". The second method doesn't require the final step of transfering from
the "work" register to the register called "c" since both are the same.
As to who the Polish mathmatician was…that I don't know at all.
At least that's the way I remember it.
Don
Well, you've hit all around it, and if I don't drop the answer I was wanting,
everyone will get on my case for letting it get to hard. You went into the
technicalities, which I wasn't intending.
It's called Reverse Polish Notation (reverse for the reasons you mentioned)
because no one could pronounce the mathematician's name… or remember how to
spell it. "RPN" was a compromise.
This started with the "Watanabe" plotter name question, which made me think of
the poor Pole who never really got the credit he deserved.
Rick
No, I thought Polish notation did get its name from its inventor. Could his
name have been "Polish", literally? (Sort of like Dave Barry always says:
"The diesel engine, named after its inventor, Rudolph Engine." What, you don't
know Dave Barry?)
It's probably in Brodie's "Starting Forth". My copy is boxed up in the
basement so I can't check (easily).
Cutie? When am I going to be taken seriously? 🙂
These messages have been marked
for reading with the RM Function
Interesting. And before I say that I have no idea wy RPN is RPN I`ll read the
reply-but if nobody gets it you have to tell us!
Barry