I have created three standard files I was using to export to pdf files. What is the proper process to use those? I had them since I was using Microstation SE and they were a marvel to work with.
Hi Jason,
Jason Charalambides said:with today's Microstation
What is "today MicroStation"? Can you be more specific? I recommend to follow the best practices and to specify the used product and its version exactly (full name, but even better by its build number).
When talking about printer drivers, it's not only about files format (plt / pltcfg) but also about features of particular version(s), because the same driver can behave different (or not work at all), even when the file format is still supported in the MicroStation version.
Jason Charalambides said:I have created three standard files I was using to export to pdf files.
Why not to provide an example or to tell exactly what driver do you use?
PDF was not supported directly in MicroStation SE, so I assume it's PostScript driver?
MicroStation allows to create PDF directly for many years, I guess from V8.5, so about 16 years, with some extra features (e.g. support of levels, model/references structure or 3D PDF), that cannot be produced in any other way.
Jason Charalambides said:Using old style "*.plt" files
As other wrote already, it's not possible to use .pdf files today. pltcfg format was introduced in MicroStation V8 XM Edition, released in 2006, and as far as I remember, pretty soon it was recommended to migrate from old .plt file to the new format.
Jason Charalambides said:What is the proper process to use those?
You can convert them, see link provided by Jo Terri Wright. It's about to open them in Printer Driver Configuration Editor dialog and to save them as .pltcfg. But when the files are so old, I guess it's not ensured all settings are still supported or behaves the same way. So to recreate them manually (using the editor) maybe safer. Also, to try MicroStation produced PDF is also recommended.
With regards,
Jan
Bentley Accredited Developer: iTwin Platform - AssociateLabyrinth Technology | dev.notes() | cad.point
Today's Microstation was my way of saying "the current version" or in other words, the version of Microstation you can download from Bentley's web site today.For a plt file I developed and was using, let me share this that was exporting to Adobe Acrobat Distiller:
; System printer configuration file;; Use on Windows to print to system printer;
;; You may produce non-halftoned monochrome output on a color; device by setting "num_pens=1".;; When thin vector elements with highly saturated colors are half-toned,; they can be extraordinarily difficult to see. You may wish to; assign such element colors to a specific pen. That pen can in turn; be assigned an RGB value of your choice.;; For example, to change element color 5 from a hard to see, highly; saturated white to an easier to see gray you could use the following; line:; pen(6)=(5)/rgb=(230, 230, 230) ; gray;num_pens = 255 ; Defines pens used - max value is 255pen(1)=(0-2)/rgb=(85,57,0)pen(2)=(3)/rgb=(90,90,90)pen(3)=(4-7)/rgb=(85,57,0)pen(4)=(8)/rgb=(160,160,160)pen(5)=(9)/rgb=(140,140,140)pen(6)=(10)/rgb=(120,120,120)pen(7)=(11)/rgb=(100,100,100)pen(8)=(12)/rgb=(86,86,86)pen(9)=(13)/rgb=(72,72,72)pen(10)=(14)/rgb=(52,52,52)pen(11)=(15)/rgb=(20,20,20)pen(12)=(16)/rgb=(130,110,75)pen(13)=(17-241)/rgb=(85,57,0); Brownpen(14)=(242)/rgb=(0,0,0); BLACKpen(15)=(243)/rgb=(255,255,255); WHITEpen(16)=(244)/rgb=(241,236,205); Yellow Tracepen(17)=(245)/rgb=(235,240,225); Pale Greenpen(18)=(246)/rgb=(110,125,115); Light Greenpen(19)=(247)/rgb=(80,87,75); Medium Greenpen(20)=(248)/rgb=(160,150,120); Light Brownpen(21)=(249)/rgb=(130,110,75); Medium Brownpen(22)=(250)/rgb=(150,80,0); Signaturepen(23)=(251)/rgb=(8,38,60); Dark Bluepen(24)=(252)/rgb=(122,12,12); Redpen(25)=(253)/rgb=(148,138,87); Yellowpen(26)=(254)/rgb=(46,59,43); Dark Green
;ENGLISH SIZE records;size=(8.5,11.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=a;size=(11.0,17.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=b;size=(17.0,22.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=c;size=(22.0,34.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=d;size=(34.0,22.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=lab;size=(34.5,23.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=Cadlab;size=(44.0,34.0)/num=0/off=(0.27,0.27)/name=e;resolution(IN)=(0.00098425197,0.00098425197) ; specifies both res and units
model = sysprinter
stroke_tolerance=10 ; unitless num 0 < tol < 10
rotate=noneautocenter
;; If you are using Windows 95/3.x you will want to change 'hardware' to ; 'nohardware' in the linestyle definitions below. Otherwise it will result; in the inability to plot lines that have both weight and style. This is; due to a limitation in the Graphics Device Interface of Windows 95/3.x.; Note that making this change can result in less-compact printer output; from MicroStation.;style(1)=(12, 36)/hardware ;style = dotstyle(2)=(21, 12)/hardware ;style = med dashstyle(3)=(50, 17)/hardware ;style = long dashstyle(4)=(33, 12, 8, 12)/hardware ;style = dot-dashstyle(5)=(17, 17)/hardware ;style = short dashstyle(6)=(25, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8)/hardware ;style = dash-dot-dotstyle(7)=(33, 8, 17, 8)/hardware ;style = long dash - short dash
; ; linecap, linejoin and miter_limit; Note: these settings do not have an effect in Win95/3.x ; due to a limitation in the Graphics Device Interface;linecap = 1 ; 1=butt, 2=square, 4=roundlinejoin = 5 ; 2=miter/bevel, 4=round, 5=beveledmiter_limit = 1.415 ; Larger values allow longer spikes w/linejoin=2
;; You may uncomment this line and adjust the values to customize the; logical to physical line weight mapping used by MicroStation printing.;weight_strokes=(1,3,5,7,9,11,13,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45,48,51,54,57,60,63,66,69,72,75,78,81,84,87,90,93)weight_strokes=(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12);,27,30,33,36,39,42,45,48,51,54,57,60,63,66,69,72,75,78,81,84,87,90,93)
;; The following settings allow the user to control how line-weights in ; MicroStation translate into the actual pen-widths used to drawn lines.; The pen-width equals offset + (multiplier * line-weight).; The offset controls the minimum pen-width used.; The multiplier controls the difference between adjacent line-weights.; eg. If offset=4 and multiplier=2, a line-weight 1 will yield a pen-width of 6.; a line-weight 2 will yield a pen-width of 8.; eg. If offset=0 and multiplier=1, there is a one-to-one correspondence between; line-weight and resulting pen-width. i.e. line-weight 1 yields pen-width 1.;weight_offset=0;weight_multiplier=4
; Remove this if no border is desired; available qualifiers ; /pen=n specifies pen to use to draw border; /time adds time and date to border; /filename adds name of design file to border; /text_height=n units are cm; /width=n units are cm;border/pen=1/time/filename/text_height=0.35
; Remove this if no fence outline is desired;fence_outline/pen=1
; specifies Resolution on Mac and Units on Mac and OS/2resolution(IN)=(0.0,0.0)
; Substitute the name of a pentable file to be loaded when this driver is selected;pentable=\dir\file.tbl
; Uncomment this line to designate a specific system printer, form, and orientation; Note that the 3 options can be used alone or in combination;sysprinter /name=printer-name /form=letter /orientation=portraitsysprinter /name="Acrobat Distiller" /form=Tabloid /orientation=landscape
; This keyword controls the size (diameter) of points. Units are cm. ; A value of 0, disables point drawing.; Note that with some system printer drivers, setting this value ; too small, may result in no point being drawn.point_size = 0.03
Jason Charalambides said:Today's Microstation was my way of saying "the current version" or in other words, the version of Microstation you can download from Bentley's web site today.
Sorry, but "your way" is confusing: Today it's possible to download MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries 10), MicroStation CONNECT Edition Update 13 and Update 14. So you do specify version at all, even whether the question is about V8i or CONNECT Edition.
Why to do things in a different way just because it's "my way', when recommended standard practices are defined?
Jason Charalambides said:let me share this
Again, why to do it this way? ... that btw protect anyway to try the driver, because it cannot be simply use/converted in MicroStation, because it's not the file. Or you did it intentionally?
When a file is shared, there is Insert > Insert image/video/file tool available to attach the file to the post. Small files can be attached directly (when the format is allowed), in other cases it's recommended to zip them before attaching.
And when a code or text snippet is shared for reading, to use Insert > Insert code is recommended to format the snippet properly (and not as plain text).
Jason Charalambides said:For a plt file I developed and was using
Did you try to convert the file and use it in MicroStation, using the information provided by Jo Terri Wright. What is the result?
Regards,
Thank you!