GTWorks Plot Spooling Guide

BASIC STEPS

Here are the basic steps to implement network plot spooling for HPGL and HPGL/2 formatted files created with the Enhanced Plot II (menu 7.1) or Quick Plot (menu 7.3) functions.

1. Create a directory named c:\plot on the computer connected to the plotter (it can be another directory if you like but on the system connected to the plotter)
2. Copy the program gtwspool.exe, downloaded from this Web page, into the queuing directory (e.g. c:\plot) and start the program by double clicking on it (from the computer connected to the plotter)
3. Set the correct port by selecting the plotter menu and then options.  Enter in the correct port name that the plotter is connected to using capital letters - LPT1, COM1, etc.).  The program will remember the port choice when it gets rebooted
4. On each of the CAD stations, make sure you have a mounted drive to access the plotter computer (e.g. k;  z;  etc.)
5. Edit the file c:\gtworks\data\system.mf and modify the entries 71 and 72 to match the plotter system shared drive (e.g. k:\plot)
6. Then bring up a small drawing for testing and output an HPGL or HPGL/2 file.  Do not be concerned in what directory the plot file is to be made
7. Answer YES to queue the plot
8. Answer YES to delete the plot file after printing

A temporary output file will be made in the current or working directory and the delete command, that the user answers YES to, will delete the file.  The actual plot file will show up in the plotting spool directory and then gtwspool.exe will delete it after plotting.

ADVANCED NETWORK SETUP

In some cases, the plotter is a network device or the gtwspool.exe cannot be run on the computer connected to the plotter.  If there is a Windows Printer Driver already installed that drives the plotter (and it is shared out), you can still access it by running gtwspool.exe on your own remote computer.  Install the gtwspool.exe program as directed above on your own computer.  Then created an LPT port (e.g. LPT5) that connects to the Windows printer driver (see instructions below).

Bring up a DOS command prompt on the computer running gtwspool and enter the following command:

net  use  LPT5  \\computername\sharedprintername

If you add the phrase  "/permanent" at the end, this command will stay across reboots.  This command allows you to enter LPT5 for the port name inside gtwspool and it will direct the plot to the network device.

This technique has only been tested on Windows NT 4.0