Plotting .plt files from consultants MAC
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ā2005-04-26
08:13 PM
- last edited on
ā2025-02-10
04:01 PM
by
Aruzhan Ilaikova
I have a cd full of hpgl files (.plt) from a consultant. They used this disk to send to an AutoCAD based graphics service bureau with noproblems. Can Plotflow send these files to my plotter? If so, I need a little help understanding how this works - the File... Open... dialog won't let me select any of the .plt's as "readable documents", and drag&drop ontp the plotflow window doesn't work.
TIA
Wes
HP Designjet 1055cm, TCP/IP connection

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ā2005-04-26 08:57 PM
Weston wrote:PlotFlow is EXACTLY for HPGL PLTs. Depending on the plotter that they were made for, there might be a problem or two. There is a new one for the Mac OS, see
OK - first forays into plotflow, and I have found all graphisoft documentation woefully inadequate. Nothing says what file types plotflow is supposed to be able to open.
You can also import PLTs into PlotMaker layouts, in the same way that you do with the views from ArchiCAD. That should be easier than PlotFlow?

ArchiCAD since 4.55 ... 1995
HP Omen
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ā2005-04-26 09:19 PM
Your tip to import them into plotmaker works though - no problems there. It gave me a few "unimplemented code" errors, but they didn't seem to make a difference. The resulting layouts could be plotted quite normally.
I'd still like to figure out the whole plotflow thing. seems like it might be a good way to log everything that goes to the plotter. It would be nice to have that log kept automatically for our office of 20+ people using the plotter and make billing for them easier on our admin staff.
any other ideas?
wes
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ā2005-04-27 05:37 PM
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ā2005-04-27 06:31 PM
Plotflow works fine with plt's made in plotmaker. Spool folder works when put directly there from plotmaker, and the "watch folder" correctly grabs new .plt files when they are dragged into the folder.
The original plotfiles from our consultant imported into PM fine, as I mentioned earlier. From inside PlotFlow, the original plt's are not available as readable documents through the open menu, and the plt files do not scroll through the "watch folder".
However, I just discovered that if I right-click the file in my finder, and choose "open with", selecting Plotflow for X as the weapon of choice, plotflow sends the file right off to the plotter like it is supposed to.
What the HECK is up with that?
thanks for the support - I dont think we'll be using this awkward piece of code unless the log function works.
wes
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ā2005-04-27 06:41 PM
tracking plots from 20 people ought to be easier than forcing everyone to write it out by hand.
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ā2005-05-24 01:46 PM
It is not 'guaranteed' that all PLT's work, since the HPGL language is not a unified format, the content can depend on the driver it was written with. (The 'not implemented commands' warning is a sign of this)
You can not drag and drop onto the PlotFlow window, however, you can drag and drop to the PlotFlow icon.
VP, Customer Success, Graphisoft
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ā2005-05-24 02:46 PM
wes
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ā2005-05-24 03:05 PM
VP, Customer Success, Graphisoft
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ā2005-05-25 08:28 PM
That way actually you could include consultant files into the Layout Book too, but at least SEE what supposed to go out to the plotter. Sometimes you catch orientation/ paper size prob