pjf@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU ("Paul J. Feltovich") (03/16/90)
Our 8000 series file/print service, off maintenance, has crashed, probably in a way that will be too expensive to repair. We can live without the file service, but really need to get back some kind of print capability. We are running 1186's under medley. It would be most helpful for us to know: 1) What kinds of lasers people have driven from 1186's, 2)how difficult it is, 3) how well it works, and 4) approximate cost (although we can dig this up ourselves from the suggestions). We know about Xerox 4045's. Any help would be most appreciated-- we are pretty much shut down and trying to scramble. By the way, we have a Mac LaserWriter II. Thanks, Paul Feltovich Southern Illinois Univ. School of Medicine Springfield, IL
Tony_Sweeney@artificial-intelligence.co.uk (03/19/90)
There is a user package (called POSTSCRIPT) which allows Tedit, Hardcopyw & sketch to generate postscript output. If your LaserWriter will accept postscript input and has a serial port, you can hang it straight off the back of the 1186. Failing this, you might try harcopying to a postscript file and attempting to transfer this file into the apple world using TCPFTP. I have personally got both of these options working, so it can be done. Tony Sweeney Technical Support A I Limited
mheffron@orion.oac.uci.edu (Matt Heffron) (03/20/90)
The problem with bitmaps not being included in PostScript TEDIT documents is (at least with Medley) is a bug in the SCALEDBITBLT system function (not in my PostScript code). I guess I should finish a bit of cleanup and release the next version of POSTSCRIPTSTREAM (I shouldn't have called it PostScript, since that is Adobe's trademark, so it has been renamed). It does work with bitmaps (even with scale factors other than just 1.0) in TEDIT documents. (We use it here for our "AI News" internal newsletter.) Also bitmap dumping (e.g. screen snapshots) are **MUCH** faster. The bitmap is written in a compressed format and uncompressed in the printer. (It takes half as long to write the postscript output file on my 1186 as before, the file is about one-fifth !! the size (for medium to large screen snapshots), communication is faster to the printer (due to the smaller file), and even with the uncompressing in the printer, it images the bitmap twice as fast in the printer.) I'll send the latest version (on 360K floppy) to Arun Welch at ohio-state soon. I'm willing to send a floppy to 1 central site in Europe for further redistribution on the east side of the Atlantic, and also to 1 site "down-under" for Australian redistribution. I'm pleased that so many people are finding my package useful. I have recieved some suggestions for changes/improvements (some with code) for the package. I regret that I have little time for these enhancements, as "real work" must always take precedence. But I do plan to eventually try to integrate these all together. Matt Heffron mheffron@orion.oac.uci.edu Beckman Instruments, Inc. 2500 N. Harbor Boulevard MS X-11 Fullerton, CA 92634
Tony_Sweeney@artificial-intelligence.co.uk (03/20/90)
> That was my suggestion also, but I can't get Matt Hefron's POSTSCRIPT > to work on conplicated TEDIT documents (ie. mixed font, centered > titles, embedded bitmaps). Have you been able to get it to work for > stuff like that? No, I too found that it simply leaves the appropriate amount of space for embedded bitmaps within Tedit documents. It will print snapshots of window images, however. I guess I didn't play too much with Centered titles, odd fonts, etc. I implied from the text of the original mailnote that some hardcopy facility was a lot better than none. Since it is clearly possible to print the various items individually and the source is supplied, I would have thought that the more enterprising individual might be able to get something a bit more sophisticated working. :-) Tony.
"Jack_Bacon.WBST897ai"@XEROX.COM (03/20/90)
NEXT Medley release???? Have you got an E.T.A. on that? -Jack
"Jack_Bacon.WBST897ai"@XEROX.COM (03/29/90)
John: We have someone here who would like some training in Medley. The fellow in question is about to take over maintenance of a system which we delivered in Medley LOOPS. The system relies heavily upon the interface, so Medley interfaces are of prime interest. Is training in Medley offered? Where and when? If not, what are recommended alternatives? -Jack
"John_D._Sybalsky.mvenvos"@XEROX.COM (03/02/94)
I think I made the fixes in SCALEDBITBLT that should make the next Medley release work much better with PostscriptStream. --John
"John_D._Sybalsky.mvenvos"@XEROX.COM (03/02/94)
We're planning an interim release roughly April/May, with the "next" release, 1.2, being due around Labor Day. BTW, Venue has a consulting agreement with Xerox to provide tecnical backup to the existing customer support (yes, the 800 # still works!), and to get these releases out. --John