topic Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX? in Installation & update

What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Dec 2003 18:32:28 GMT

Since we can't seem to get our old Designjet 220 working under OS X on our Ethernet network........

What is the most mindless, troublefree, ArchiCAD/Mac OSX longterm-upgrade-viable plotter solution?

The plotter will be on our small Macintosh OS X.2 Ethernet network, and will be directly plugged into a hub and shared by our licensed workstations running ArchiCAD 7.0.

What kind of plotter? Should it be Postscript?

Rob Segal

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 16:29:40 GMT

Okay, maybe I can be more specific.

Our office is 2-3 persons, Mac based, hard-wired ethernet network in place, all printers and plotters must be stand-alone, plugged into the network hub, shared by all.

Black and white plotting is fine. The ability to use the plotter for other applications would be good--therefore I believe either I need a postscript printer or a 3rd party driver like Micro-Spot X-RIP.

Is it advisable to get a postscript plotter or use the X-RIP driver?

Which is faster? Which more easily shared?

Which has the longer lifeline over different OS versions?

Which Black and White HP plotter, perhaps upgradeable to color, is favored by the Forum?

I will greatly appreciate any help.....Rob Segal

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Djordje — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 19:06:41 GMT

Rob wrote:
Okay, maybe I can be more specific.

You can.

Which Macs, which OS exactly (10.2.8, 10.3, ... ?), which plotters/printers, what memory in plotters, which network protocol, which ArchiCAD?

Not too much to ask?

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 21:09:24 GMT

Which Macs, which OS exactly (10.2.8, 10.3, ... ?), which plotters/printers, what memory in plotters, which network protocol, which ArchiCAD?

1 dual G4 tower, 1 gig memory, OS 10.2.8; 1 G3 iMac, 256 meg memory, OS 10.2.8; Ethernet, HP Designjet 220 with Jetdirect EX network interface; Laserjet 5000 with internal ethernet card; ArchiCAD 7.0 R3.

From what I understand, to get Designjet 220 plotting directly out of ArchiCAD and Plotmaker will take some configuring with IP addresses/Ports.

If that's not practical and easily maintained, I want a mindless totally reliable plotting solution!! I want something that runs as effortlessly and as correctly as does my laserjet 5000. What would plotter/network interface/driver be?

Rob

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Miquel Garcia — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 00:34:59 GMT

We use an 'outdated' Macintosh running OS9 and PlotSpool and we plot (not print) to a defined PlotSpool Folder. PlotSpool is very easy to configurate under OS9 via AppleTalk and the PlotSpool Folder can be accessed from every computer on the network by the same way.

You don't need Postscript with PlotMaker, specially to print black and white (if you print images the colours are too dark when you plot). But if you want to print to your plotter with any other software, then you will need a Postscript plotter or a Postscript driver.

If you don't have an extra Mac to do that, then you must configure the TCP-IP address and port. The port you have to use to connect to the plotter is 9100. Unfortunately I don't know how to change the TCP-IP address of your Jetdirect from a Macintosh. Is possible to do it from a PC with HP Jetdirect utilities. Then it works for your Mac with no problems.

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 02:40:19 GMT

Miguel, thank you. What is Plotspool? Is it a utility supplied with ArchiCAD? Is it PlotFlow, the plotting utility supplied with ArchiCAD

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

JCovarrubias — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 18:12:22 GMT

(ArchiCAD 8 instructions below, for ArchiCAD 7 please see FAQ's 106, 107 at http://tr.graphisoftus.com/)

You would like to be Plotting or Printing? What's the difference? see FAQ 344 in http://tr.graphisoftus.com/

The X-RIP and PS drivers you mentioned is for Printing.

A popular configuration (a quick summary only) for ~Plotting~ used by a significant number of OS X users is:

-HP 500 Plotter
-HPGL2 accessory card
-HP JetDirect device (300X or equivalent)
-HP parallel cable (plotter to JetDirect)
-Ethernet cable (JetDirect to network)

Setup using the TCP/IP protocol:
Configure IP address of JetDirect device based in articles 412, 387 in http://tr.graphisoftus.com/ >>>
FAQ's and input that IP into PlotMaker. Use Port 9100.

File-> Plot

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Djordje — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 18:52:15 GMT

JCovarrubias wrote:
(ArchiCAD 8 instructions below, for ArchiCAD 7 please see FAQ's 106, 107 at http://tr.graphisoftus.com/)

JC,

Can you post this as a new topic so I can move it to Tips&Tricks?

Thanks,

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

JCovarrubias — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 19:39:23 GMT

done

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Djordje — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 20:11:08 GMT

JCovarrubias wrote:
done

done

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=930

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 22:33:06 GMT

Thanks JC, I've reviewed all of your info links. With my current designjet 220 and an jetdirect external printserver box like the 300x you refer to, do you believe I'd be able to successfully plot? Or do you think the designjet 220 is too old for this kind of trick.....I understand I'd need to configure the IP/port addresses of the jetdirect box.

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Miquel Garcia — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 23:03:11 GMT

Rob wrote:
Miguel, thank you. What is Plotspool? Is it a utility supplied with ArchiCAD? Is it PlotFlow, the plotting utility supplied with ArchiCAD

You are right, is PlotFlow (but I call PlotSpool because is the name of my Spool Folder, sorry if I have confused you)

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

JCovarrubias — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 15:27:07 GMT

Rob wrote:
Thanks JC, I've reviewed all of your info links. With my current designjet 220 and an jetdirect external printserver box like the 300x you refer to, do you believe I'd be able to successfully plot? Or do you think the designjet 220 is too old for this kind of trick.....I understand I'd need to configure the IP/port addresses of the jetdirect box.

It's a fair possibility. It would be worth your time to try and get the 220 plotting using the same methods as getting a HP 500 running.

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 19:16:18 GMT

Thank you JC.

Last question, thanks all for your help:

What type of external network interface box is currently considered to be best, or at least good, easy to configure--(Mac OS X environment)? HP Jetdirect ..........?, other?

Thanks all,

Rob Segal

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

aahatimo — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 20:36:25 GMT

Rob wrote:
With my current designjet 220 and an jetdirect external printserver box like the 300x you refer to, do you believe I'd be able to successfully plot? Or do you think the designjet 220 is too old for this kind of trick.....I understand I'd need to configure the IP/port addresses of the jetdirect box.

rob,
does your dj220 use hpgl2 language? if so you should be able to plot.
hp has designjet forums, you need to register.
http://www.designjet.hp.com/forums
there is a forums list for 200, 300 & 400 series. i believe there also is a jet direct forum:
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/categoryhome.do?categoryId=254
hope that helps!

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:01:19 GMT

Tim, yes it does HPGL2. Thanks for the response.

I believe, from all of this, that if I can properly point the computer and Archicad and plotmaker and plotflow to the print server, and vice-versa, I'll be in business.

Thanks all.

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

__archiben — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 23:56:46 GMT

hi there

we're using an hp220 (and 330) on an OSX network (10.2).

we had to configure the plotter IP address (jetdirect box) using a PC, (after blowing the dust off), but since then and having installed gimp print, we are able to plot (and even print to them from any application) fine.

plotflow for OSX works just fine too. about time that utility was upgraded for X!

~/archiben

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 03:07:25 GMT

Very interesting Ben, what model jetdirect box are you using? I'm thinking I might be able to address the jetdirect box through the UNIX foundation of OSX.....

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

__archiben — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 10:59:52 GMT

Rob wrote:
Very interesting Ben, what model jetdirect box are you using? I'm thinking I might be able to address the jetdirect box through the UNIX foundation of OSX.....

jetdirect 300x

sorry i can't help you more on this - i'm not the network guru here, somebody else is. i thought that i should post, though, to let you know that all is working fine with the plotter models you have.

[update: just found this out though: try typing http://localhost:631/ into your web browser and seeing if that gets you anywhere . . . . ]

~/archiben

Re: What is Simplest Plotting Config for OSX?

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 13:32:50 GMT

Thanks for the link, very interesting...