Canon GP Digital Imaging Systems
Plotter Driver for AutoCAD
Installation and Operation Instructions
Driver version: 2.1
Instructions version: May 19, 1999
Autodesk Device Interface version: 4.2 & 4.3
Printers supported:
GP30
GP55
GP200F
GP200E
Applications supported:
AutoCAD 386 (DOS) Releases 13
AutoCAD for Windows Releases 13 and 14
AutoCAD for Sun Solaris Release 13
AutoCAD LT 97 and 98
Canon USA, Inc.
address:
tel:
fax:
email:
web:
(c) Copyright 1999 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, and ADI are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk Device Interface is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. Other brand and
product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
CONTENTS ********************************************************
1. INTRODUCTION
2. INSTALL THE DRIVER FILE
3. CONFIGURE AN AUTOCAD PLOTTER
4. PRINTER SETTINGS
5. PLOT FROM AUTOCAD
6. LINE WIDTHS
7. COLORS AND GRAY SHADES
8. SPOOLING
9. USE PLOT-TO-FILE TO PLOT TO A PORT
10. AUTOCAD'S AUTOSPOOL FACILITY
11. TROUBLESHOOTING
1. INTRODUCTION *************************************************
This document explains the installation and use of the plotter driver for
AutoCAD for Canon GP-series Digital Imaging Systems. This driver is an ADI
(Autodesk Device Interface) plotter driver which closely integrates AutoCAD
with your GP-series system to provide optimum plotting features.
Along with these instructions, please read your AutoCAD Installation and
Performance Guide concerning plotting with ADI devices, the AutoCAD Users
Guide section on plotting, and your printer's user guide.
This driver is a product of and is supported by Canon U.S.A., Inc., not by
Autodesk.
To use the driver, please do the following:
1. Copy the Driver File
3. Configure an AutoCAD Plotter
4. Plot from AutoCAD
Simple steps for each of these tasks are in the following sections. The
steps differ depending on the release of AutoCAD you have. Follow only the
steps under the subheadings for your release of AutoCAD.
2. INSTALL THE DRIVER FILE ***************************************
WARNING: If you are reinstalling or upgrading from a previous version of
this driver, please first delete any configurations of this plotter driver
in AutoCAD before you install the driver file. Start up AutoCAD, go to the
plotter driver configuration menu, and delete or remove any existing
configurations of this driver. AutoCAD, especially the Windows versions,
will fail severely on startup if it cannot find the exact driver files that
were used to configure AutoCAD.
To install the driver, copy the plotter driver file to the AutoCAD driver
directory or folder.
Plotter driver file:
The driver is distributed on the source disk as a set of driver files, only
one of which is needed for a particular release of AutoCAD. Copy the one
correct file for your AutoCAD release to the proper AutoCAD driver
directory or folder.
The table below lists the correct driver file and the typical AutoCAD
driver directory for each release of AutoCAD:
AutoCAD Rel. Driver file AutoCAD driver directory
____________ ___________ ________________________
14 Windows a:\plcgpb14.dll c:\R14\drv or
c:\Program Files\AutoCADR14\drv
13 Windows a:\plcgpb13.dll c:\r13\win\drv
13 DOS a:\plcgpb.exp c:\r13\dos\drv
13 Sun Solaris a:/plcgpb.sol /usr/acad/drv
LT97, LT98 a:\plcgpb14.dll c:\Program Files\ACADLT97
If the source disk drive and directory is not a:\, then substitute the
correct source disk drive letter and directory for a: in the commands
below.
AutoCAD driver directory:
A normal installation of AutoCAD has already created a driver directory. It
is typically the directory listed in the table above. This directory
contains plotter driver files whose names have the form pl*.*. They start
with pl and have the extension .dll in Windows, .exp in DOS and no extension
in Sun Solaris.
If AutoCAD is on a disk drive other than c:, or has a driver directory
other than that listed above, then substitute the correct drive and
directory or folder in the instructions below.
Copy the driver file using one of the following methods:
Window 95 or NT 4.0 environment:
Select the "My Computer" icon on the desktop, or start Windows Explorer.
Find and then highlight the driver file listed in the table above.
Select Edit, then select Copy.
Find and highlight the AutoCAD driver directory listed in the table above.
Select Edit, then select Paste.
Note: If you do not see the driver .dll files on the source file disk or
folder, Windows may be considering the files to be "hidden" files. Do the
following:
Highlight the source disk or folder.
Select View, then select Options.
On the View tab, set the button next to "Show all files".
Windows 3.x or NT 3.x environment:
In File Manager, choose File, then choose Copy.
After "From", enter the driver file listed in the table above.
After "To", enter the AutoCAD driver directory listed in the same table.
Select OK to copy the driver file.
DOS environment:
At a DOS prompt, use the DOS copy command.
For release 13, enter: copy a:plcgpb.exp c:\r13\win\drv
For Sun Solaris environment:
Change to to AutoCAD driver directory, using and appropriate command such
as:
cd/usr/acad/drv
If you have received your driver files on a SUN-format 3.5 inch diskette,
place the diskette into its drive. Transfer the driver file from the
diskette using the comand:
tar xvfp /dev/diskette
Alternately, if the driver files you have received are already in your file
system, copy the file plcgpb.sol to your AutoCAD driver directory. Use a
command such as the following. Replace /mydir with the path and directory
where the driver file currently reside.
cp /mydir/plcgpb.sol /usr/acad/drv
3. CONFIGURE AN AUTOCAD PLOTTER *********************************
You must configure your printer as an AutoCAD plotter before you can plot.
Do the following:
1. Start AutoCAD.
2. Go to AutoCAD's configuration menu:
Release 14, or LT97: Under the "File" menu, select "Printer Setup".
Release 13: Under the "Options" menu, select "Configure".
LT 97/98: Under the "File" menu, select "Printer Setup".
Or, at AutoCAD's command prompt, enter: config
3. Configure plotter or printer:
Release 14 or LT97/98: Select the "Printer" tab.
Release 13: Select "Configure plotter". Your current configuration will be
displayed. Press Enter until the AutoCAD configuration menu appears.
4. Add a new plotter configuration:
Release 14 or LT97/98: Press the "New" button.
Release 13: Choose to "Add a plotter."
5. Select a plotter or printer. AutoCAD will display the plotters which
have drivers available. "GP Digital Imaging Systems ADI 4.x by Canon"
should appear as one of the choices. Choose this. If it does not appear,
check the installation of the driver file using the directions above in the
section INSTALL THE DRIVER FILE.
6. Continue to answer the screen prompts to configure settings for the
printer. See the information below in the PRINTER SETTINGS section below.
You will be able to change most of these settings again at plot time.
7. After you are done changing the printer settings, answer any additional
screen prompts about plot settings and printer ports. When prompted, enter
a description for this plotter configuration. This description will appear
at plot time in a menu of your plotter configurations.
8. For Release 13 for Windows, read the section below USE PLOT-TO-FILE TO
PLOT TO A PORT.
9. Exit from AutoCAD's configuration process. Make sure you save your
configuration if prompted to do so. Now you may plot at any time. Follow
the instructions in the section PLOT FROM AUTOCAD.
4. PRINTER SETTINGS *********************************************
During AutoCAD configuration, and again at plot time, you will see a menu
of printer settings. Enter the desired number from the menu to change any
of the settings. Information on some of the settings is provided below.
At plot time do the following to get to the printer settings menu:
1. At the Command prompt, enter: plot
2. In the Plot Configuration dialog box,
select the "Device and Default Selection" button.
3. Select your plotter configuration from the list of
configured plotters.
4. Select the "Change Device Requirements" or "Change" button.
Plot label: You can choose to print a label and crop marks on the edge of
your drawing. This setting starts menu that allows you to choose what is
included in the label. You can include the date, time, drawing name and a
note that you can define. For Releases 13, you must define the note during
AutoCAD's plotter configuration process, though you can turn it on and off
at plot time. For multisheet-mode (see below), you can also include the
sheet number, and crop marks which will mark the corners of the plot image
area on the paper.
Paper size: The paper size setting determines the maximum plotted image
that can be plotted on each sheet of paper. Use the printer settings menu
to change the paper sizes.
Important: Do not use the "Size" button on the plot configuration dialogue
box to change paper sizes. We recommend that you always keep the size set
to "Max", so that AutoCAD will always use the same maximum plot size
determined by the printer settings menu.
Multisheet mode: You can choose to plot your drawings so that they extend
over more than one sheet of paper. This process is often called "tiling".
You can select the number of sheets high and the number of sheets wide that
the drawing will be allowed to cover. The actual maximum dimensions for the
plot image will depend also on the current paper size setting and the paper
orientation setting.
Duplex: If you set multisheet mode, you will also be able to set a duplex
option. Use this only if your device has duplex capability. Use duplex to
plot on both the front and back of the sheet of paper from the same
AutoCAD drawing. This option puts successive sheets of a multisheet
plot the back and front of the paper. Select either long-edge or
short-edge binding to control how the image on the back of the sheet
will be rotated relative to the image on the front of the sheet.
For example, set multisheet mode to 1 wide by 2 high. With duplex mode on,
the bottom half of your plot will plot on the front, and the top half will
plot on the back of the sheet. Or, set multisheet mode to 2 wide by 1 high.
Then the left half of the plot will plot on the front, and the right half
will plot on the back.
Paper source: Select a paper tray to establish the preferred paper source
if more than one tray has the same size paper. Select the multipurpose tray
to use the manual feed input slot. Note that depending on which pedestal
you have installed with you machine, some of the paper sources will not
be available. If you pick an unavailable tray, paper will usually feed
from the first tray.
Entity intersections: Select "merge" if you want darker color entities to
show through lighter color entities that are on top. Select "overlap" if
you want the entities on top to cover up entities that are below.
Raster Image Resolution: (Release 14 only.) Select the resolution for
plotting raster images. Higher resolutions will plot with more detail, but
may be slower and will use more printer memory. The automatic choice will
use the highest resolution that is consistent with the image's source data.
If an image prints too dark or too light, use AutoCAD's imageadjust
command. At the command prompt, enter: imageadjust Or, select "Modify",
"Object", "Image", "Adjust". Set the fade value to a higher number to
lighten the image.
Raseter Image Plot Order: (Release 14 only.) Select the order in which
raster image data will plot releative to the other vector-type entity data.
Use the "normal" AutoCAD order setting for most cases, so that the data
plots in the order determined by AutoCAD's "draworder" commands.
If the printer has trouble plotting the data in this normal order, or if
you want to force the raster images to another order, select one of the
following. The "push images to background" selection will put the raster
images in the background, underneath other entities. The "push images to
foreground" selection will put the raster images in the foreground, on
top of the other entities.
Raster Image Instersections: Choose either "print over background" (this
is the recommended setting, or "Merge with the background.
Raster Image Density: Use the density setting to adjust for the dot size
and darkness of your printer. Increase the density to increase the
overall darkness of raster images. 100% is the neutral value.
Raster Image Gamma: Increase the gamma value to lighten images and
enhance details in the darker areas. Decrease gamma value to darken
images and enhance details in the lighter areas. The neutral value
is 1.0 .
5. PLOT FROM AUTOCAD ********************************************
1. Make sure your printer is properly connected to your computer, is turned
on, and is on-line.
2. Issue the Plot command from within the drawing editor. A plot
configuration dialogue box will appear, allowing you to check and change
the plot settings.
3. Choose the "Device and Default Selection" button, and then select your
printer as the current plotter.
4. Choose the "Change Device Requirements" or "Change" button to change the
printer settings.
5. Back on the main plot configuration dialogue box, use the "Pen
Assignments" button to change the pens (gray shades)and line thickness.
6. Make any additional changes to the settings in the plot configuration
dialogue box.
7. Press enter or select OK to start printing.
To stop the plot while AutoCAD is sending data to the printer, press Ctrl-C
(Control and C keys together). In Release 14 or 13 for Windows, press Esc.
6. LINE WIDTHS **************************************************
You can set the line width directly for each drawing color. Choose the Pen
Assignments button on the plot configuration dialogue box.
Caution: when plotting lines more than one dot wide (0.003 inches at 300
dpi), be careful when setting the plot region of your drawing. If a wide
line is along the edge of the selected plot area, part of the line may
extend over the edge where it will not print. For example: if you choose
"extents" to select your plot region with a drawing that includes a wide
border line, AutoCAD assumes the plot extends only to the center of the
border line and does not print the outer half of the line. The border line
will end up only half as wide as you expected. To avoid this, select the
plot region using a window or a view that includes extra space to plot the
wide lines.
7. COLORS or SHADES OF GRAY *************************************
Choose the Pen Assignments button on the plot configuration dialogue box.
You can assign a different printed shade of gray to each color in your
drawing. Generally, use the default pen assignments where all drawing
colors are set to use pen number 1. You can select a different pen number,
from 1 up to 100. Pen 1 prints solid black, pen 100 prints solid white.
Pens in between print grays, with the pen number equal to the percentage of
white.
8. SPOOLING *****************************************************
The driver uses AutoCAD dispatcher functions for all communication with the
printer. As a result, the driver supports the use of an optional separate
spooler. The use and configuration of a spooler is described in your
AutoCAD Installation and Performance Guide.
The Release 14 driver will also work with AutoCAD 14's batch file plotting
utility. Consult the AutoCAD help system for instructions.
9. USE PLOT-TO-FILE TO PLOT TO A PORT ***************************
You can use AutoCAD's plot-to-file feature to send the plot output to a
file, and also to direct the output to one of the computer's ports such as
LPT1 or COM1. Using plot-to-file to plot to a port is useful in the
following situations.
Avoid the stop after plot setup: After you have requested a plot from
AutoCAD, AutoCAD normally pauses for hardware set up. To resume, you must
press Enter. To avoid this stop every time you request a plot, use plot-to-
file to plot to a port.
AutoCAD for Windows Release 13: Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows 95, and
Window NT usually generate errors when applications try, as AutoCAD does,
to send data directly to a printer port. If you are running AutoCAD under
these versions of Windows, use Plot-to-File to plot to a port.
Network printing: The driver uses special AutoCAD functions to transfer
printer data to the computer's parallel or serial ports. This enables
AutoCAD to redirect data for AutoCAD's spooling and plot-to-file features.
However, because AutoCAD uses low level functions to access the port
controllers, network software may not be able to capture plot data directed
to a port. Also, before sending data, AutoCAD queries the port. In a
network setup or with a printer switch box, the port may appear "not ready"
to AutoCAD and the plot will never get going.
If you are having problems transferring data to a network or a switch box,
the solution may be to route the plot data through AutoCAD's "plot-to-file"
feature. Then AutoCAD will use higher-level operating system functions to
transfer data to the port. The network or switch box should then be able to
capture the data.
Release 14 has improved features which make use of plot-to-file to plot to
a port unnecessary. If you are having network transmission difficulties in
Release 14, see the section below USING AUTOCAD'S AUTOSPOOL FACILITY.
Follow these steps to configure AutoCAD to
use plot-to-file to plot to a port:
A. Configure default plot file name.
1. Go to AutoCAD's configuration menu. Choose Configure, under the
"Options" menu (Release 13). Or, at the command prompt, enter: config
2. Choose Configure operating parameters.
3. Choose Default plot file name.
4. For the file name, enter the name of the port from which the network
will be expecting to capture plot data. Examples are: LPT1, or COM1. Enter
just the four characters of the port name, without a period or extension.
If your network requires plot to an actual file, enter that directory and
file name instead.
B. Configure plotter.
1. If you have not yet configured the plotter driver in AutoCAD, follow the
instructions above in the section CONFIGURE AN AUTOCAD PLOTTER.
2. Since you will be plotting to a file, don't worry about any questions
asking you to select the port. Enter a period "." for none.
3. When you get to the question that asks "Do you want to plot to a file?",
enter Yes.
C. At plot time.
1. Set up the plot as described in the Plot from AutoCAD section above.
2. Releases 13: In the Plot Configuration dialogue box, set the "plot to
file" box if it doesn't have an X. You shouldn't have to, but if you do
select the "File Name" button, confirm that the default file name is the
port you set in step A above. If it is not, repeat the steps under A above.
If you get a message "The specified file already exists. Do you want to
replace it?". No problem, because it's a port and will always already
exist. Answer yes. Finish up the plot configuration and the press Enter or
OK to begin printing.
10. USING AUTOCAD'S AUTOSPOOL FACILITY **************************
AUTOSPOOL provides a method for sending plots to a spooler program. Bu
using a simple batch file in place of a spooler, you can automatically
direct plot data to the proper port, network, or plot device. AUTOSPOOL is
a very reliable solution when AutoCAD has trouble sending data directly to
a printer or plotter, especially when running under Windows.
Detailed information on AUTOSPOOL is included in your AutoCAD
documentation. Following are concise instructions. You can make changes to
the disk drives letters, directory or folder names, file names, and port
names in the examples below. But if you do change any, be sure to make the
changes consistently in all steps.
Autospool is not available for AutoCAD LT97.
A. Create a directory c:\spool on your hard disk
This will hold temporary plot files. Use Windows' file manager or explorer
to create a new directory or folder c:\spool
Or, at a DOS command prompt enter: md c:\spool
B. Create spool.bat, a batch command file to process plot files.
Create a batch file named spool.bat and place it in c:\spool.
Use a text editor such as the DOS edit command or Windows Notepad.
Put command lines into the batch file from one of the following examples.
1. One output device:
If you have only one device, use the four command lines below.
If your plot device is connected to a port other than lpt1,
replace lpt1 on the third line with the correct port name
or network destination.
c:
cd \spool
copy /b %1 lpt1
del %1
2. More than one output device:
Use command lines similar to those in the example below.
The example here is for two devices, a printer with
supported-model name "GP200E" at local port lpt1,
and a plotter with supported-model name "Big plotter"
that has a shared-resource or network name PLOTTER1
on a remote computer named PC1.
c:
cd \spool
rem FILE:%1 MODEL:%2
if %2==GP200E copy /b %1 lpt1
if errorlevel 1 pause
if %2==Big_plotter copy /b %1 \\PC1\PLOTTER1
if errorlevel 1 pause
del %1
if errorlevel 1 pause
If you have trouble getting AUTOSPOOL to work, add a pause statement on its
own line after the rem statement above, or at the end of the batch file.
Then the batch file will stop is process so you'll confirm the model names
that AutoCAD is sending to the batch file.
If your device uses a serial port such as com1, it may be helpful to
include a DOS mode command with the proper serial port parameters at the
top of this batch file. An example mode statement follows; note the
parameter p at the end with sets up the serial port for persistent retry:
mode com1 9600,n,8,1,p
C. Set up the environment for plot spooling.
Do one of the following, 1 or 2:
1. AutoCAD for Windows:
Start AutoCAD.
For Release 13: From the menu, select Options, then Preferences.
Then select the Misc. tab. Locate the box under "Plot Spooling".
For Release 14: From the menu, select Files, then Printer Setup,
then Files. You will see a list of search paths, filenames and file
locations. Double-click the item "Print File, Spooler, and Prolog
Section Names". Under this, double-click the item "Print Spool
Executable".
Enter: c:\spool\spool %s
If you are using more than one output device as in B.2 above,
after the %s, add a space and %m
For Release 14 only: In the list of search paths, filenames,
and file locations, double-click on "Print Spooler File Location".
Enter: c:\spool
2. AutoCAD for DOS:
Add the following command to your autoexec.bat file, or to the
batch file that starts up your AutoCAD. This command sets an
environment variable that tells AutoCAD how to call the batch
file for processing plot files. Note that there are no spaces
around = or at end, and two % signs before the lowercase s at the end.
set ACADPLCMD=c:\spool\spool %%s
If you are using more than one output device as in B.2 above,
after the %%s add a space and %%m
Make this autoexec.bat set command active by rebooting your computer.
Or, if the set command is in your AutoCAD startup batch file,
then simply restart AutoCAD with the startup batch file.
D. Configure the default plot file and directory
(For Releases 13 only, not for 14).
1. Start AutoCAD. Go to AutoCAD's configuration menu.
2. Select "Configure operating parameters".
3. Select parameter "Default plot file name". Enter: AUTOSPOOL
4. Select parameter "Plot spooler directory".
Enter the name of the directory for temporary storage of plot files.
Note the backslash at end.
Enter: c:\spool\
5. Exit the configuration menu and keep the changes.
E. Plot.
1. Enter AutoCAD's plot command.
2. In the plot configuration dialog box, set for "Plot to File".
Always plot to file. In Release 14, also set for AUTOSPOOL.
3. Start the plot. Let AutoCAD plot to the default plot file AUTOSPOOL.
AutoCAD will send data to a temporary file in the spool directory.
Then the batch file spool.bat will copy the temporary plot file to
your plot device destination, and then delete the temporary file.
11. TROUBLESHOOTING *********************************************
Communication problems
If your printer does not load paper or otherwise respond to AutoCAD's plot
commands, first test the printer setup outside of AutoCAD. Try to use
another software application to verify that the printer will receive data
from your computer. Be sure the printer can receive data in this way before
further troubleshooting with AutoCAD or the driver.
If your printer is connected to a network, and is not responding, try
connecting the printer directly to a port on your computer and then plot.
If the plot then works, the problem involves the network communication.
Consult with your network administrator.
Also see the sections in this manual: Use plot-to-file to plot to a port
and Using AutoCAD's AUTOSPOOL Facility.
Printer port error messages in Windows
If you are running under Windows see the section above Plot-to-File to plot
to a port.
END *************************************************************
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.