Printing to a Print Wizard file via Accuterm
Steven Davies-Morris
already and can save me from slamming my head on the wall. I'm also
sending it over to CDP, just in case.
I have Accuterm. I have Print Wizard. I have configured the print
adapters so I see "PrintWizard PCL converter" and "PrintWizard user
interface" as a pull-down menu in the Accuterm printer setup for my
session. But I am getting tripped up when I print.
I wind up with .tmp files under a temp folder. I want to put the
output in the folder of my choice on the first job via the "PW user
interface", then have it go there without me having to tell it by
setting it back to the "PCL converter". Ideally I'd save these to a
file as a .pdf document because I've got about 1000 or so of these to
create for a deposition next week. When a real printer is on the
target port and I'm not printing "to a file" I get the hardcopy output
I want.
So my issues are:
(1) how do I get this so I can print "fire and forget" so I can whip
through these this afternoon? and...
(2) What step/process am I missing so that PW will automatically
create PDF when it writes to a file? and..
(3) If PW won't do want I want, what will that works with Acuuterm?
When I change the .tmp files to .txt I see that the correct output is
all there. If push comes to shove I can live with that, but the legal
beagles for both sides have said they want .pdf and I'd like to
oblige, since I said "oh..that's a piece of cake." :-)
I apologize in advance if these are glaringly obvious to some of you
folks. I'm off to lunch right now and will check back later.
--
Cheers, SDM -- a 21st Century Schizoid Man
Systems Theory internet music project: <www.systemstheory.net>
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NP: nothing
Glen B
I don't bother with Accuterm printer tricks when I produce PDFs. I
generate the content and have the O/S convert to PDF. To get it open on the
PC, I use network shares and the dos command escape sequence to run a remote
"start" on the PDF using the NetBIOS path. If you want to use a slave
printer, consider the following:
1) You can download RedMon from wisc.edu and set up a PostScript printer
driver on a configurable, redirectable port.
2) You can tell RedMon to send the output to a command line tool such as
ghostscript (using the standard input flag) and have it write a PDF directly
from the PostScript output of the customized Windows print job. RedMon is
also capable of file output and a few other output methods.
3) You can choose the default printer in Accuterm by running a simple VB
script that can be sent as a lump call from QM. Get the current default
printer name, select the PDF printer, send the job, and then change it back.
This relies on printer source names character-by-character in name. There is
code on the AccuSoft forum for this.
I am preparing an article (or two) for Spectrum regarding PDFs, XP
Printing, and MV. I currently have a printing solution setup that allows me
to print anything from Windows to a net share queue on the MV server. That
queue is released at the user's will and merged into a single PDF in MV,
which gets stored in uuencoded format.
GlenB
Steven Davies-Morris
forum for pointers. The output from these reports is normally directed
in Windows (or network accessible) printers via Accuterm's slave
printing process. Ideally whatever I do simply piggybacks at the
Windows level onto what we're already doing.
In the meantime, anyone else, I'm all ears, since the need for having
this ASAP has diminished, with the deposition dates being pushed back
a couple of weeks.
CDMI - Steve T
i too would like to see a solution for directing output to pdfs (whatever it may be).
either commercial ware or 'give back to the group ware'.
if it's been done, share or sell it.
PO Box 13403
Maumelle, AR 72113
(501) 803-0974 09:00am - 6:00pm CST
Rick Ramsey
From: Ope...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Ope...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of CDMI - Steve T
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2008 7:47 AM
To: Ope...@googlegroups.com
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked
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Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.4.1/1511 - Release Date:
6/20/2008 11:52 AM
Steven Davies-Morris
later today when I'm finished mixing Greg Amov's new solo album.
Rick Ramsey wrote:
> I have loaded Primo PDF (free) and it sets up as a printer, but
> instead creates a PDF file. Virtually anything that would normally
> print to a printer from your workstation can go to the Primo PDF
> 'printer'. URL= http://www.primopdf.com/ I've used it for output
> from AccuTerm, Microsoft Money, etc.
>
> Rick Ramsey
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Ope...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Ope...@googlegroups.com]
> *On Behalf Of *CDMI - Steve T *Sent:* Saturday, June 21, 2008 7:47
> AM *To:* Ope...@googlegroups.com *Subject:* Re: Printing to a Print
> Wizard file via Accuterm
>
> i too would like to see a solution for directing output to pdfs
> (whatever it may be).
>
> either commercial ware or 'give back to the group ware'.
>
> if it's been done, share or sell it.
>
>
>
> *Steve Trimble* Computerized Data Mgmt Inc PO Box 13403 Maumelle,
> AR 72113 (501) 803-0974 09:00am - 6:00pm CST
>
> Home of self defense products: http://www.protecturself.com
> <http://www.protecturself.com/>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ---- From: Steven Davies-Morris
> <sda...@systemstheory.net> To: Ope...@googlegroups.com Sent:
> Friday, June 20, 2008 9:28:27 PM Subject: Re: Printing to a Print
> Wizard file via Accuterm
>
>
> Thanks for the insight, Glenn. I'll go look at RedMon and the
> Accusoft forum for pointers. The output from these reports is
> normally directed in Windows (or network accessible) printers via
> Accuterm's slave printing process. Ideally whatever I do simply
> piggybacks at the Windows level onto what we're already doing.
>
> In the meantime, anyone else, I'm all ears, since the need for
> having this ASAP has diminished, with the deposition dates being
> pushed back a couple of weeks.
>
> Glen B wrote:
>>
>> I don't bother with Accuterm printer tricks when I produce PDFs.
>> I generate the content and have the O/S convert to PDF. To get it
>> open on the PC, I use network shares and the dos command escape
>> sequence to run a remote "start" on the PDF using the NetBIOS
>> path. If you want to use a slave printer, consider the following:
>>
>>
>> 1) You can download RedMon from wisc.edu <http://wisc.edu/> and
>> set
> up a PostScript
>> printer driver on a configurable, redirectable port. 2) You can
>> tell RedMon to send the output to a command line tool such as
>> ghostscript (using the standard input flag) and have it write a
>> PDF directly from the PostScript output of the customized Windows
>> print job. RedMon is also capable of file output and a few other
>> output methods. 3) You can choose the default printer in Accuterm
>> by running a simple VB script that can be sent as a lump call
>> from QM. Get the current default printer name, select the PDF
>> printer, send the job, and then change it back. This relies on
>> printer source names character-by-character in name. There is
>> code on the AccuSoft forum for this.
>>
>> I am preparing an article (or two) for Spectrum regarding PDFs,
>> XP Printing, and MV. I currently have a printing solution setup
>> that allows me to print anything from Windows to a net share
>> queue on the MV server. That queue is released at the user's will
>> and merged into a single PDF in MV, which gets stored in
>> uuencoded format.
>>
>> GlenB
>>
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Ope...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:Ope...@googlegroups.com>
>>> [mailto:Ope...@googlegroups.com
>>> <mailto:Ope...@googlegroups.com>]On
> Behalf Of Steven Davies-Morris
>>> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 4:41 PM To: Ope...@googlegroups.com
>>>
> <mailto:Ope...@googlegroups.com>
p...@asent.com
developed is that there are a lot of existing Pick reports that use
PCL, and a lot of Windows printers that do not support PCL. Print
Wizard solves this problem by interpreting the PCL and generating
Windows GDI calls to the printer driver to produce the same output
that you would expect from an HP printer that uses PCL.
As far as I know, all of the PDF printer drivers (lots of them free)
use Windows GDI calls to draw the page. This is much different than a
PCL report. AccuTerm's slave printer "graphics mode" uses GDI to draw
plain text, and works fine with most GDI printers, including PDF
printers (tested a couple, cant guarantee that all will work). However
this technique is limited to plain text, newline (CR/LF) and newpage
(FF). No other printer functions are supported, although there is a
Page Setup button in the settings for selecting the font, orientation,
paper size, etc.
As far as what Steven is looking for, the Print Wizard "BANG" commands
(see the Print Wizard manual) are a perfect solution. These are simply
text lines that begin with an exclamation mark that are prepended to
the print job and act like a "printer control language". You can
specify the type of output (pdf, fax, email, etc.) and the output file
name for pdf files. These work perfectly with AccuTerm "PrintWizard
PCL Converter" adapter.
If you cannot modify the report to insert the bang commands, maybe you
could create a little "print header" program that you run before the
report to set up the print wizard job.
Thanks,
Peter Schellenbach
www.asent.com
Steven Davies-Morris
Thanks very much, Peter, for that helpful hint. I think for long-term
this is the direction I will go, adding a "Print to PDF" set of
options for the MV app when an Accuterm PC is known to be on that
connection. And then modify my print control process to use the "BANG"
functionality. Which will be a very useful enhancement and certainly
make me some brownie points with my customers! For the immediate needs
of this deposition, so I could get that work done, I've gone ahead and
installed one of the free PDF file printers, which seems to work fine.
I have to manually rename the files but that's OK for today,though I
wouldn't want a steady diet of it.