Plot Help

[lawson23]

Hi,
I'm a Systems Administrator and I'm trying to get UG18 to plot to a Windows Plot Server. I have been told that this maybe possible using pqmgr but need to read help file. I can't get the help file open for some reason. It always says invalid path. So can someone print it for me? Or tell me how to get it open. Or explain how to use pqmgr to setup the plotter. I have an IP address for the plot server.

 

[looslib]

This is the PQMGR entry for a HP LaserJet printing through a network server. It is printing as a Postscript device on 8.5x1 paper. To change to 11x17, just add /17 to the SWITCHES line. Modify the QUENAM line for your node/printer_name. INTEGRITY_ID must be unique for each plot queue.

Also, the workstation MUST have the UGIIPQD process log in to the server_node as ADMINISTRATOR.


PLRID=PS_MONO
INTEGRITY_ID=012
DSPNM=UGIIPS
PLTVEN=POSTSCRIPT
TYPE=E
SWITCHES=/AS/MO/BS=.5X.25/D=600/AR
OUTMOD=2
COMLN=TTYA
QUENAM=\\node\printer_name
OUTDIR=/TMP
MSGLN=CONSOLE
NPENS=16
DXBET=0
STPSZ=1440

The plot help manual is in UGII_BASE_DIR\ugdoc\html_files as plotter.chm.



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[lawson23]

Does NX make all this easier????
First of all I need to print to D sized paper.
Second the UGIIPQD process does this run on the workstation or the Print Server?

 

[looslib]

Plot Queue management hasn't changed since V10, 10 years ago. Some will argue it was chnaged in an even longer time, like since V5 or V6, but I don't remember that far back.

To print to D-size paper requires a real plotter that can handle the paper size. the set up is esentially the same, but you will need different values. E-mail me and I will send you the plotter setup info and the plot manual.

The UGIIPQD runs on both the workstation and a 'plot server'.



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[lawson23]

Ok I have a Kip Star Print Plotter. Currently he does file print but the lettering is real bad and he wants to plot with the plot option. This all seems like a major pain. I can't believe NX doesn't help. We just purchased NX as a Corporation and I have not received the release yet. Just thought if that would make it easier I would wait. Ok the user has an XP machine and the user has Power User rights. The Plotter has a built in PC inside that is a Windows NT Workstation. I have been reading some of that plotter help file you pointed me to and it seems like Greek. Currently what everyone does in the Corporation is setup a UNIX box and sets that box to print to the Plotter then you can use the UG to point to the UNIX box and print. This seems like a bad option because you have an xtra piece of Equipment. This also seems like a bad idea. Very, very difficult compared to today’s world of setting things up. As you can tell I'm a Microsoft and Novell Admin. My experience with UNIX is very little and I have forgotten most of it.

 

[looslib]

Does the Kip Star support HPGL as the plotter language? UG will only create HPGL plot files.

Setup the UGIIPQD on the plotter's NT. Give this a node name and configure the plotter as a device on the node.

On the UG workstation, configure the plotter to point to the network device name for the plotter.

Plot configuration for an HPGL plotter.
PLRID=HP
INTEGRITY_ID=008
DSPNM=UGIIHP
PLTVEN=HEWLETT-PACKARD
TYPE=E
MODEL=7600
SWITCHES=/2/SP=MX/NOPS/AR
OUTMOD=2
COMLN=TTYA
QUENAM=\\node_name\plot_name
OUTDIR=/TMP
MSGLN=NULL
NPENS=8
DXBET=0
STPSZ=1016


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[lawson23]

Setting up a Plotter in UG

Plot setup will not change until 3rd release of UGNX. They have not released the 2nd Version of NX yet.

Run PQMGR
Start, programs, UG, UGtools,PQMGR
-qadd (enter everything in lowercase)
- qadd
- kip2000 (UG que name)
- ugiihp
- hp
- e
- 7600
- /2/sp=mw/ar
- c
- 0
- 2
- \\kip2000-1234\kip (enter the UNC path for the plotter que)
- <enter> (leave blank)
- 1016



-qmod (allows you to change que)
-qmod kip2000
-From this point on it will give you all the settings already set. Make only the changes you need.

After this you need to test the plot function in UG if it does not plot then you need to make a change to a Service.

Control Panel, Admin Tools, Services
Find the Unigraphics Plot Server (ugiipqd) Service
Right click select properties.
Go to the Log On tab
-Change from local system account to This account
-Enter a Domain Account with Print privileges
-Click apply
-Stop the service
-restart the service.

All this information above was obtained from a UG support Technician. I want to say thank you for the support here but I needed it laid out super simple. I hope this information can be of assistance to someone else.

 

[lawson23]

Forgot to add to the above instructions.

-Make domain account a member the local Administrator Group. (Power User Group may work, have not test)

 

[thomasroehrig]

there is a tool called winplot for ug which allowes your users to print (plot) on any windows printer within the ug-session as usual in other windows applications. pqmgr is then no longer needed. if you are interested send a mail to info@intellivate.com and ask for a demo of winplot.

Thomas