mercer@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dan Mercer) (08/28/90)
My department is looking for an alternative to GEM Draw (the drawing
program from hell). While they look for expensive alternatives, I
roamed the INTERNET looking in the bargain basement. Of the ones I've
evaluated, I was most impressed with Painter's Apprentice (authors
Russel Nelson and Patrick Naughton). Here was a program that was
light years easier to use than any of the commercially sold products
and at a very reasonable price. Our drawing needs are very basic and
this product offers us as much functionality as we need and more. I
would love to recommend it to my boss for 10 or 15 copies (the mice
will cost us more money) but I can't get it to print.
The doco says it's not crippleware, so I'm wondering if the print
option doesn't highlight (it stays in italics - if you've used
Windows, you know what I mean) because we use network printers (HP
laserJet IID's). I'm wondering if the program doesn't do a hardware
check for the printer. I tried it with a virtual printer, but no
luck there either.
1. Is the program hard wired? If so, Im out of luck.
2. Any work around?
3. Anyone know how to get in touch with Nelson and Naughton?
4. Anyone else use this?
Thanks in advance,
--
Dan Mercer
Reply-To: mercer@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dan Mercer)
"MAN - the only one word oxymoron in the English Language"nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (08/28/90)
In article <559@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM> mercer@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dan Mercer) writes:
I was most impressed with Painter's Apprentice (authors Russell
Nelson and Patrick Naughton), [...] but I can't get it to print.
The doco says it's not crippleware, so I'm wondering if the print
option doesn't highlight (it stays in italics - if you've used
Windows, you know what I mean) because we use network printers (HP
laserJet IID's). I'm wondering if the program doesn't do a hardware
check for the printer.
No, I wish I could do a hardware check for the printer. Unfortunately,
there's no way for a program to interrogate the printer type, nor for
user to configure his system *once* for a printer. Each and every program
needs to be told specially what your printer is, and Painter's Apprentice
is no exception.
Painter's Apprentice (PA) looks for a file called .../bin/paint.pri. This
is just a copy of one of the other .pri files found in that directory.
I suggest that you copy the appropriate .pri file to paint.pri, as per
line 53 of PA.DOC.
If paint.pri isn't found, then the Print entry on the menu gets grayed out.
Same thing for the .ldi files used to load and save files. If they're not
found, then Load and Save are grayed out.
BTW, I should mention the only bug in PA. The default extension is
.IMG, so if you try to save a file without explicitly giving an
extension, you'll get a "IMG.LDI not found" error. After I
developed the file routines in PA, I found out that there were already
two incompatible file formats that used the .IMG extension. So, shortly
(too shortly!) before releasing it, I changed the .IMG to .IPA, but failed
to change the default...
--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667
We won the cold war. The Russians spent trillions defending their stuff,
then they found that they didn't have any stuff. Will we avoid the same trap?mercer@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dan Mercer) (08/30/90)
In article <NELSON.90Aug28101510@image.clarkson.edu> nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu (aka NELSON@CLUTX.BITNET) writes: :In article <559@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM> mercer@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dan Mercer) writes: : : I was most impressed with Painter's Apprentice (authors Russell : Nelson and Patrick Naughton), [...] but I can't get it to print. : : The doco says it's not crippleware, so I'm wondering if the print : option doesn't highlight (it stays in italics - if you've used : Windows, you know what I mean) because we use network printers (HP : laserJet IID's). I'm wondering if the program doesn't do a hardware : check for the printer. : :No, I wish I could do a hardware check for the printer. Unfortunately, :there's no way for a program to interrogate the printer type, nor for :user to configure his system *once* for a printer. Each and every program :needs to be told specially what your printer is, and Painter's Apprentice :is no exception. : :Painter's Apprentice (PA) looks for a file called .../bin/paint.pri. This do you mean ...\bin\paint.pri ? If so, it's there. Copied Laserjet.pri to paint.pri. put copies of it all over. length = 227 : :If paint.pri isn't found, then the Print entry on the menu gets grayed out. :Same thing for the .ldi files used to load and save files. If they're not :found, then Load and Save are grayed out. No problem loading and saving : :BTW, I should mention the only bug in PA. The default extension is It doesn't recover too gracefully from "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" either, but I'm half convinced that's an NCR PC problem, since I've noticed it with other programs. :.IMG, so if you try to save a file without explicitly giving an :extension, you'll get a "IMG.LDI not found" error. After I :developed the file routines in PA, I found out that there were already :two incompatible file formats that used the .IMG extension. So, shortly :(too shortly!) before releasing it, I changed the .IMG to .IPA, but failed :to change the default... HELP! -- Dan Mercer Reply-To: mercer@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dan Mercer) "MAN - the only one word oxymoron in the English Language"