Utility: pl2hp2

Syntax

pl2hp2 {metafile} {-h} {-s scale_factor}
      {-B} {-i} {-x distance} {-y distance}

Description

Create HPGL/2 output from a Fire plot meta-file.

Parameters

• metafile
  The Fire plot meta-file to be translated. If this is omitted, input will be taken from stdin. HPGL/2 output is directed to stdout.

Switches

• -B
  Paint the background. If omitted, the background is not painted.

• -h
  Print on-line help details on stderr.

• -i
  Invert all colors. This is useful when displaying an image with a black background onto white paper.

• -s scale_factor
  Draw at the scale indicated in the meta-file multiplied by scale_factor. The default is to draw at the scale indicated in the meta-file.

• -t
  Use the hardware defined pen thicknesses.

• -x distance
  X offset from P1 in millimeters.

• -y distance
  Y offset from P1 in millimeters.

Required

• hp2_symbs.def - A configuration file providing a mapping of Fire symbology names to HPGL/2 symbology. A maximum of three such files are read by the program at startup:

• $MXSYS/etc/hp2_symbs.def

• $MXSITE/h2p_symbs.def

• $HOME/hp2_symbs.def

Symbology definitions within hp2_symbs.def are as follows:

• init <HPGL/2 initialization string>

• term <HPGL/2 termination string>

• pens <pen_count>

• step <inc>

• xy <x> <y>

• color <fire_color> <red> <green> <blue> <pen>

• font <fire_font> <type> <charset> <weight>

where:

• <pen_count> - The number of physical pens.

• <inc> - The number of plot increments per mm. The default is 40.

• <x > <y> - The x y offsets (used instead of -x, -y).

• <red> - Red color component (0 - 100).

• <green> - Green color component (0 - 100).

• <blue> - Blue color component (0 - 100).

• <pen> - HP pen to which the Fire color maps.

• <type> - HP character typeface (default is 48).

• <charset> - HP character set (default is 0).

• <weight> - HP character weight (default is 0).

When definitions are duplicated, the last one in is used.

Notes

Error messages are directed to stderr.

The bottom left corner of the image will be drawn at the plotter’s P1 position, usually the bottom left of the paper. Use -x and -y to adjust.

When creating Fire plot meta-files via the dump command suitable for conversion to HPGL/2, the following conventions should be adopted:

• Do not use the following command switches:

• -ent - Entity records are redundant.

• -fil - pl2hp2 cannot interpret complex fillstyles.

• -hat - pl2hp2 cannot interpret hatchstyles.

• -ls - pl2hp2 cannot interpret complex linestyles.

• -ms - pl2hp2 cannot interpret markerstyles.

Examples

pl2hp2 myplot.pl | lpr

pl2hp2 -B -x -100 -y 50 myplot.pl >myplot.hp2

See Also