Utility: pl2hp

Syntax

pl2hp {metafile} {-h} {-s scale_factor} {-f}
      {-B} {-i} {-x distance} {-y distance}

Description

Create HPGL 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 output is directed to stdout.

Switches

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

• -f
  The plotter can handle solid fill HPGL instructions. Many HPGL emulators cannot.

• -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.

• -x distance
  X offset from P1 in millimeters.

• -y distance
  Y offset from P1 in millimeters.

Required

• hp_symbs.def - A configuration file providing a mapping of Fire symbology names to HPGL symbology. A maximum of 3 such files are read by the program at startup:

• $MXSYS/etc/hp_symbs.def

• $MXSITE/hp_symbs.def

• $HOME/hp_symbs.def

Symbology definitions within hp_symbs.def are as follows:

• init <HPGL initialization string>

• term <HPGL termination string>

• pens <pen_count>

• step <inc>

• xy <x> <y>

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

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

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 in the middle of the paper. Use -x and -y to adjust.

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

• Do not use the following command switches:

• -ent - Entity records are redundant.

• -fil - pl2hp cannot interpret complex fillstyles.

• -hat - pl2hp cannot interpret hatchstyles.

• -ls - pl2hp cannot interpret complex linestyles.

• -ms - pl2hp cannot interpret markerstyles.

Examples

pl2hp myplot.pl | lpr

pl2hp -x -100 -y -100 myplot.pl >myplot.hp

See Also