burati@ULOWELL.CSNET (Michael Burati) (11/26/85)
There are rumors that apple laser-writers have been used with success on apollo systems. Has anybody heard about this, and whether it's worth looking into? Also, I'm looking for any public domain drivers that there might be out there for DEC printers (DECWRITER IV GRAPHICS PRINTER), Apple Laser-writer or Apple Image-writer. Any information would be appreciated. Mike Burati Univ. of Lowell Comp Sci Dept CSNET: burati@ulowell UUCP: ...!decvax!wang!ulowell!burati
holtz%cascade.carleton.cdn%ubc.CSNET@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA (Neal Holtz) (11/27/85)
We have been happily using a LaserWriter, mostly for TeX output, for 6 months, and have done about 18,000 pages so far. The connection to the printer is just a 9600 baud serial line. The software is entirely our own, (spoolers, servers/de-spoolers, DVI to PostScript converters, etc.), although apparently Apollo now has some support for it (probably through prf command). I am happy to provide anything we have to anyone, although some things (particularly the print server) are of marginal quality. By the way, I have never been so pleased with any device as I am with that LaserWriter -- truly a wonderful piece of hardware. PostScript is a joy -- the printer is reliable and gives excellent quality. In 18,000 pages, I am aware of 2 paper jams -- once when I tried to fill the paper tray too full, and once when the output tray got too full. We are getting about 4500+ pages per toner cartridge.
apollo@ucbvax.UUCP (11/28/85)
> There are rumors that apple laser-writers have been used with success on > apollo systems. Has anybody heard about this, and whether it's worth looking > into? The Apollo PRSVR does support the APPLE LASER-WRITER printer at release SR9.0. This information did not make the SR9.0 manuals but was contained in a Sales Note. To use the Apple Laser-Writer you should first set a switch on the rear of the printer to 9600 baud. You will also need a null-modem cable RS232 with male connectors on both ends. Use the following configuration file to configure the PRSVR for an APPLE Laser-Writer. PRINT_LENGTH 10.8 PRINT_WIDTH 8.0 DISPLAY_TIME ON PAGE_HEADERS OFF PAGENO_COLUMN 72 FILE_BANNERS OFF DEVICE APPLE PRINTER_NAME LW PLOT_MODE ON INTERFACE SERIAL SPEED 9600 SIO_LINE 2 (or whatever line your using) RESOLUTION 300 FORM_FEEDS 0 Then you start the PRSVR just like for any other printer: This goes in your "`node_data/startup.x" file. CPS /com/prsvr /sys/print/"apple_config_filename" -n process_name Now you can print UASC text files to the Laserwriter using $ prf file.txt -pr "printer_name" And if you have any POSTSCRIPT format files around they can be printed directly to the APPLE using: $ prf file.postscript -pr "printer_name" -transparent (-transparent tells the PRSVR that it should pass the file exactly as is to the printer and not add any directives to the file) APOLLO has officially announced support for POSTSCRIPT as our future standard output language. This means that things like graphics metafiles produced by GMR (2D + 3D) will eventually provide system level calls to convert them to postscript format for printing on POSTSCRIPT devices. I don't know if the PRSVR supports printing bitmap files on the Apple Laser-Writer yet. These are files generated by the commands "CPSCR filename -INV" or the DM XI command. If it does you would print these by saying, $ prf file.bitmap -pr "printer_name" -plot You need a fair amount of memory on the laser printer to print full screen bitmaps, so I would first try a small "XI" generated bitmap file. (Be prepared to wait as much as 10 minutes for full screen bitmaps since the PRSVR seems to do the bitmap expansion from ~80 bpi to 300 bpi itself.) Rolf Nelson UUCP: nelson_r@apollo.UUCP -------
apollo@ucbvax.UUCP (11/28/85)
Thank you very much for your note. I have tried it and it worked fine. As you noted -PLOT does NOT work. It generates an error as the file is garbage to Postscript. If you are interested I can send you a .C program and Postscript files to turn your screens into postscript files. This works as you suggested with the -transparent option. --jim schimpf (schimpf@utah-20)
apollo@ucbvax.UUCP (12/04/85)
In article <583:holtz@cascade.carleton.cdn> you write: >The software is entirely our own, (spoolers, servers/de-spoolers, >DVI to PostScript converters, etc.) > >I am happy to provide anything we have to anyone, although >some things (particularly the print server) are of marginal >quality. I truly thank you for you generous offer. Please do send info, or if they are e-mail-able? ;-) ... Our project is involved with automated manufacturing in a more global sense than the usual (a idealistic CIM). Interested in seeing what we could do to make our modelers print better graphics documentation... Thanks in advance. -- Dieter H. Zebbedies ('dee-ter 'zeb-ed-eez) Zebb-Hoff Mach. Tool's Automated Manufacturing Project USnail: 9535 Clinton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44144 (+ 1 216 631 6100) UUCP: {decvax,sun,cbosgd}!cwruecmp!zhmti!dieter CSNET: dieter%zhmti.uucp@case.csnet ARPA: zhmti!dieter%case.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa