chris@umbc3.UUCP (02/26/87)
Hey all -- I would like to be able to hook up a serial printer to my Mac+. It's a very dumb printer, so I don't want to worry about handshaking any more than XON/XOFF. The biggie is to get the speed & data formats right. The easy solution is to have a generic printer driver, selectable with CHOOSER (da) and to be able to select XON/XOFF, baud rates, parity, number of data bits, etc. DOES THIS EXIST? If not, it sounds like a fairly simple programming project....(hint hint). Otherwise, is there an easy way to modify the ImageWriter file such that I can change the communications format (baud, parity, etc) using RESEDIT? Naturally I would rather be able to do it "on the fly" when needed, but having another copy of the ImageWriter file around doesn't bother me... Please e-mail all responses - I'll be pleased to post results. Thanks -- cs -------------------------------- chris@umbc3.umd.edu (arpa) chris@umbc2 (bitnet)
graifer@net1.UUCP (02/28/87)
In article <295@umbc3.UMD.EDU> chris@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Chris Schanzle) writes: > >Hey all -- > >I would like to be able to hook up a serial printer to my Mac+. It's... Softstyle of Honolulu, HA (808)396-6368 has all kinds of drivers etc. for different printers. They advertise in MacWorld etc. I have a different Idea for printing quickly on a Mac. I was just looking at my ImageWriterII manual, and noticing that it supported downloadable fonts. How about a one font at a time ImageWriterII driver that starts by downloading the selected font, then prints all text in that font? Anybody know any good reasons why it can't be done? Anybody interested in such a thing? -- Dan Graifer graifer@net1.UCSD.EDU Disclaimer: Nobody ever listens to me anyways; Why should they start now?
jww@sdcsvax.UUCP (02/28/87)
In article <295@umbc3.UMD.EDU>, chris@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Chris Schanzle) writes: > I would like to be able to hook up a serial printer to my Mac+. It's > a very dumb printer, so I don't want to worry about handshaking any more > than XON/XOFF. The biggie is to get the speed & data formats right. The file 'Serial Printer' on MS-Word 3.0 does just this. > The easy solution is to have a generic printer driver, selectable with > CHOOSER (da) and to be able to select XON/XOFF, baud rates, parity, > number of data bits, etc. DOES THIS EXIST? If not, it sounds like > a fairly simple programming project....(hint hint). Pitch 10/12/15/PS, Baud 300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600 It has documents for formatting to drive it- typewriter, brother, diablo, NEC. Small catch: it only works with MS-Word! Maybe SoftStyle makes the generic driver you're looking for, since they sell a box (MacEnhancer) that supports parallel and serial, as well as the most complete collection of printer drivers. > Otherwise, is there an easy way to modify the ImageWriter file such that > I can change the communications format (baud, parity, etc) using RESEDIT? > Naturally I would rather be able to do it "on the fly" when needed, but > having another copy of the ImageWriter file around doesn't bother me... No way Jose. If you could reverse engineer the code enough to change the Serial Driver parameters, you would have done it already. QED :-) As for a 'fairly simple programming project', you're out of your mind. Maybe two or three weeks for an experienced Mac programmer (read: expensive) with adequate documentation on printer drivers, add 2-4 weeks without. There currently isn't any documentation on writing printer drivers. My article in 3/87 MacTutor is a start, but mainly looks at the application side. Writing the driver awaits two weeks of time to kill. -- Joel West (c/o UC San Diego) {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu if you must
steele@unc.UUCP (03/01/87)
In article <424@net1.UCSD.EDU> graifer@net1.UUCP (Dan Graifer) writes: >I was just looking at my ImageWriterII manual, and noticing that it supported >downloadable fonts. How about a one font at a time ImageWriterII driver that >starts by downloading the selected font, then prints all text in that font? > >Anybody know any good reasons why it can't be done? The IW I, at least, will only accept monospaced fonts of certain sizes. Very few Mac fonts fit its strictures. -- Oliver Steele ...!{decfax,ihnp4}!mcnc!unc!steele steele%unc@csnet-relay.csnet "If a tree dies, plant another in its place." -- Linnaeus
rebel@rpiacm.UUCP (Dave Brennan) (03/01/87)
> In article <295@umbc3.UMD.EDU> chris@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Chris Schanzle) writes: > I have a different Idea for printing quickly on a Mac. > > I was just looking at my ImageWriterII manual, and noticing that it supported > downloadable fonts. How about a one font at a time ImageWriterII driver that > starts by downloading the selected font, then prints all text in that font? > > Anybody know any good reasons why it can't be done? The Imagewriter II does have a downloadable font, but I don't think it would be of too much use in the case of the Mac. The dimensions of a character in a downloaded font is at most 14 x 9 pins. (That's 9 high). With the resolution of most standard Mac fonts this wouldn't do you much good. Sure you can do interesting variations on the standard size, but you are not going to get anything better than high-speed quality.