ldo@waikato.ac.nz (Lawrence D'Oliveiro, Waikato University) (11/23/90)
A student here has been trying to incorporate graphs in Encapsulated PostScript form from DeltaGraph into Microsoft Word, using a utility I wrote, and has hit an interesting snag. Everybody knows that Word (like most Mac word processors) can't read EPS files. So what I do is create a PICT, which includes the PostScript in it in the form of picture comments, and put this on the Clipboard. You can then paste it into Word (or any other word processor) and it will print fine. Most Mac applications that create EPS files also attach to them a PICT version of the image, for display on-screen. I merge this PICT into the one I create, and surround it with "PostScriptBegin" and "PostScriptEnd" comments. This way, it displays on screen, but the LaserWriter driver ignores the on-screen image, and uses the PostScript version instead. DeltaGraph, it appears, doesn't just create a bitmap for its PICT; it tries to produce as high quality an image as possible. To this end, it includes the rotated text for the Y-axis of the graph by using "TextBegin" and "TextEnd" comments. I guess the rationale is that, should you try to print the image on a printer which doesn't understand PostScript, but which does support good-quality rotated text, the printer driver might be able to understand these comments, at least. Quite a laudable aim. The LaserWriter driver *does* understand these comments. What is more, it appears that it will interpret them even within the context of a PostScriptBegin/PostScriptEnd comment pair. Unfortunately, this doesn't make any sense, as the rest of the PICT is being ignored, so there is no context (position, etc) being set up by the missing drawing commands. The symptom I get is a "nocurrentpoint" PostScript error. In short, this looks like a bug in the LaserWriter driver. We're currently using version 5.2 of the driver, as not enough people have colour-capable machines to warrant the headache of a wholesale switch to 6.0.x. Does Apple know of this bug? Can anybody tell me if it's fixed in 6.0.x? I'd really appreciate it. Lawrence D'Oliveiro fone: +64-71-562-889 Computer Services Dept fax: +64-71-384-066 University of Waikato electric mail: ldo@waikato.ac.nz Hamilton, New Zealand 37^ 47' 26" S, 175^ 19' 7" E, GMT+13:00 Contrary to popular belief, Descartes was just answering the question, "Are you a thinker?"
ldo@waikato.ac.nz (Lawrence D'Oliveiro, Waikato University) (11/28/90)
I've had a chance to check out the LaserWriter driver version 6.0.1, and I get the same symptom: "nocurrentpoint; offendingcommand: currentpoint". I guess the problem is still there... Lawrence D'Oliveiro fone: +64-71-562-889 Computer Services Dept fax: +64-71-384-066 University of Waikato electric mail: ldo@waikato.ac.nz Hamilton, New Zealand 37^ 47' 26" S, 175^ 19' 7" E, GMT+13:00 "...so she tried to break into the father bear's computer, but it was too hard. Then she tried to break into the mother bear's computer, but that was too easy..."