[comp.sys.apollo] Print-servers and 3rd-party s/w

thompson@ELROND.SSEC.HONEYWELL.COM (John Thompson) (01/30/91)

Hi Netlanders --

I have a problem that hopefully can be solved by the printer-gurus out there.

We have a Versatec plotter (42") that is hooked up to the Apollo network via 
an IKON 10092 controller.  The controller works fine, and I have successfully 
set up and started up a print-server (and prmgr) to accept jobs.  There are 
no problems with printing out ascii files nor GMF bitmaps (I haven't tried 
other, more exotic, formats).

We also have a s/w package (Cadence) that likes to plot by acquiring the 
/dev/versatec device, and spitting information directly through the controller.
When it does this, it works properly, and plots come out looking like plots.  
However, this doesn't work with the prsvr running (of course).

What we have tried to do is to have Cadence plot out to a file instead of to 
the device (/tmp/junk_file), and then using 'prf' to spit it out to the plotter.
If I do this, though, I waste a lot of paper as it pushes out mainly white-
space, with occasional garbage.  This occurs whether I send it out as a bitmap 
or with '-trans'.  Looking at the prsvr transcript (running it foreground), it 
can't find any filters that are appropriate, so it appears to be sending out 
the raw file.

The questions are these:
1) Any guesses why the file that is created wouldn't print successfully when
   being printed with a '-trans' option?

2) Any hints on how to force it to work?

3) Any way to turn the program (we have no source) that does the plotting into a
   filter, so that we could just send the intermediate file to the prsvr, and
   have it automatically pass it through the filter?


Thanks to all who care 
-- jt --

John Thompson
Honeywell, SSEC
Plymouth, MN  55441
thompson@pan.ssec.honeywell.com

As ever, my opinions do not necessarily agree with Honeywell's or reality's.
(Honeywell's do not necessarily agree with mine or reality's, either)