WinPlot
  User's Guide
 
 

Copyright © 2001 by Gerber Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.

This document may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the written
permission of the copyright owner.
This document is part of the proprietary articles furnished to document the Gerber Technology,
Inc. plotter systems. In consideration of the furnishing of the information contained in this
document, the party to whom it is given assumes its control and custody and agrees to the
following:
1. The information contained herein is given in confidence and any part thereof shall not
be copied or reproduced without the written consent of Gerber Technology, Inc.
2. This document or the contents herein under no circumstances shall be used in the
manufacture or reproduction of the articles shown and the delivery of this document
shall not constitute any right or license to do so.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Gerber
Technology, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates shall not be liable for errors in this document or
for incidental or consequential damages in connection with furnishing, or use of this material
including, for example, loss of profits, fabric and production time.
 AccuPlot™, AccuJet™ and AccuMark™, Infinity™, MicroMark™, and W inPlot™ are trademarks
of Gerber Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Printed in USA 04/01

Document No. 077467002
 

Contents
Contents
CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................  1
INSTALLATION .............................................................................................................................  2
System Requirements .......................................................................................................... 2  
Plot File Requirements ......................................................................................................... 2  
Program Installation.............................................................................................................. 3  
PLOTTER CONFIGURATION ...........................................................................................................  4
Gerber Devices Configuration......................................................................................... 4
WinPlot Configuration ..................................................................................................... 6  
WinPlot Network Plotting .............................................................................................. 15
PLOTTER PROGRAM .................................................................................................................. 19  
Restart Plotter Program...................................................................................................... 19  
Exit Plotter Program ........................................................................................................... 20  
WINPLOT CONVERTER............................................................................................................... 21  
QUEUE MANAGER ..................................................................................................................... 23  
Using Queue Manager Commands .................................................................................... 25 
Queue Manager Toolbar ............................................................................................... 25 
Starting and Stopping the Queue.................................................................................. 25 
Selecting a Plot Queue ................................................................................................. 26  
Media ID ........................................................................................................................ 26  
Removing Jobs from the Queue ................................................................................... 27 
Miscellaneous Plot Queue Tasks.................................................................................. 28 
 
VIEW PLOT ................................................................................................................................ 29
View Commands ................................................................................................................ 29  
PLOTTER SETTINGS ................................................................................................................... 30  
Plotter Settings Window ..................................................................................................... 31  
To Open An Existing Media ID ........................................................................................... 31
To Define A New Media ID ................................................................................................. 31
To Print Media ID Paremeter Values.................................................................................. 31
To Delete A Media ID ......................................................................................................... 32
To Complete The Plotter Settings Window ........................................................................ 32
APPENDIX A .............................................................................................................................. 36 
Winplot Scaling Considerations.......................................................................................... 36 
Input Plot Units .............................................................................................................. 36  
Scale Factor.................................................................................................................. 38  

1
 

Installation
Installing WinPlot also installs Plotter Configuration, Gerber Devices
Configuration, Queue Manager, View Plot, and Plotter Settings utilities, and
online help. To access online help, open WinPlot and click Help.

System
System Requirements
Requirements
To install and operate WinPlot, your system must meet the following
minimum standards:
Industry standard personal computer with:
• Windows® 95 or NT 4.0 operating systems
• 20 MB hard disk space
• 16 MB RAM
• CD-ROM Drive
Mouse pointing device

Plot File Requirements

HPGL Plot Files (.plt)

WinPlot supports HPGL (Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language) plot files that

conform to HP 7475 plotter requirements. Generic HPGL format files can also be
converted. These include files exported as HPGL files (.plt) from packages such
as Micrografx Designer or CorelDraw™. WinPlot does not support arc or circle
commands. Any unsupported command will be reported in the log file window.

Gerber Plot Files (.ggt)

WinPlot will process and submit (to the plot queue) Gerber plot files generated
from AccuMark or MicroMark. The plots are submitted to the plot queue, and no
conversion is performed.

2
 

DWG Plot Files (.dwg)

WinPlot supports .dwg files generated primarily from Autocad. This format is a
binary file that allows plots to be generated full size so that WinPlot can process
the plot without having to apply scaling. Most .dwg commands are supported.
Unsupported commands in the file will be reported in the log file window.

DXF Plot Files (.dxf)

WinPlot supports dxf plot files generated from Autocad and other CAD software
programs. The format used by many CAD packages, dxf files are generally larger
in size than the equivalent plot file in dwg format. Most dxf commands are
supported. Unsupported commands encountered in the file will be reported in the
log file window.

Gerber Cut Files (.cut)

WinPlot supports Gerber cut files generated from AccuMark or other CAD
software. This allows a common cut file to be used to generate the plotted
marker and to cut the marker.

Program Installation
TO INSTALL WINPLOT 
1. Insert WinPlot release CD into CD drive.
2. From the Start menu, select Run.
3. Type e:/setup, where e is the CD-ROM drive letter.
4. Select OK. This install will also put a shortcut to the WinPlot program
into the Windows Startup folder so the converter is available when you
start the computer. If you do not want WinPlot to run at startup, remove
the WinPlot icon from the Startup folder following WinPlot installation.
5. You will be prompted by the following dialog box with the option to
install Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is necessary if you wish to
read the WinPlot_Release_Notes in .pdf format on the WinPlot CD.:
 After this installation is finished, you may install Adobe Acrobat Reader
4.0. Select by double-clicking E:\Adobe\ar40eng.exe, where e is the
letter of your CD-ROM drive.

3
 

6. When the installation has completed, select YES to restart your

computer.
Note: WinPlot will not be available until you perform the steps in the next
section under Plotter Configuration.

Note: If you must reinstall WinPlot, first make sure WinPlot is not running (See
the Exit Plotter Program). Make sure AccuMark ACMKMGR program is
not running. If necessary, stop the ACMKMGR program with the
Windows End Task feature (Ctrl-Alt-Del).

Plotter
Plotter CConfiguration
onfiguration
Plotter configuration is accomplished by making changes to settings in the
Gerber Devices Configuration screen, and in the WinPlot Configuration
screen.

Gerber Devices Configuration

The Gerber Device Configuration screen is added to the Control Panel folder
during installation of the WinPlot software. This is used to select parameters
for Digitizer, Tablet, Plotter, Function Box, and Tracker.
The following Plotter settings can be modified under the Plotter tab: Port
Settings, Plotter Type, and AccuRoller status. Refer to figure 1 and table 1 for
more on Plotter tab configuration.

1. Click the Windows Start button, go to Settings. Click Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Gerber Device Configuration icon.
3. Click the Plotter  tab to open the Plotter Configuration window.
4. On the Plotter tab under Port Settings, select the communication port
(COM1, COM2…), and the Baud Rate used for the plotter.
5. On the Plotter tab under Type, select the plotter on your system.
6. Put a checkmark in the AccuRoller checkbox if AccuRoller is used.
7. Click OK.

4
 

PLOTTER TAB 

Figure 1. Plotter Tab

TABLE 1 — GERBER DEVICES CONFIGURATION – PLOTTER TAB 

Comm Port — Select the Com Port your computer is connected to: COM1,
COM2, COM3 or COM4. Select COM-NET is you have an Infinity II that will
be networked. Select None if submitting jobs to a remote queue (no plotter
physically connected).
Baud Rate — Infinity Plotter is set from 9600 to 57600. All other plotters are
non-selectable.

5
 

Host or  Port — These text windows are active when Comm Port is set to
COM-NET.
Type — Select your plotter from the list of plotters
AccuRoller  — Insert a check in checkbox if AccuRoller is being used.

WinPlot Configuration
The WinPlot Configuration screen is added to the Control Panel folder
during installation of WinPlot software. This is used to select plotter
parameters under the following tabs: General, HPGL Files, DWG/DXF Files,
Remote Plotters, Log File, and Spooler.

OPENING THE WINPLOT CONFIGURATION SCREEN 

1. Click the Windows Start button, go to Settings, then click Control

Panel.
2. Double-click the WinPlot Config icon
3. With the WinPlot Configuration screen open, click on the tabs and
select parameters, as desired. Refer to the following figures and related
tables for General, HPGL Files, DWG/DXF Files, Remote Plotters, Log
File, and Spooler tabs
4. Click OK when finished selecting parameters for all tabs

6
 

GENERAL TAB 

Figure 2. General Tab

TABLE 2 — GENERAL TAB

Scale — Select X, Y and Text Values — Percentage is applied during the

conversion process. The default is 100% (converted file will be same size as
original). Low values result in a small converted file. Large values result in a
converted file that is larger than the original.
Plotter Units — 10000 units per inch (not adjustable).
Plot Stacking — Plot pieces can be stacked (intermixed) to conserve paper.
Pen Width — This parameter is used to determine how many strokes of the
pen are required to generate a thick line. The value is expressed in plotter
units, which is mils x 10. On a Gerber pen plotter, the width of the pen is
approximately 20 mils. This value should be set to 200. On an Infinity, the
width is about 6.6 mils. A value of 66 is appropriate.
Copies — Select quantity of copies when printing plots using right-
click/Windows Explorer method, or the drag plot file into spooler method.

7
 

Plot Folder  — Choose a location for plot files before they are converted.
Output to file
Default Folder  — Choose a location for plot files that are converted and
output to file.
File Extension — The file extension name for converted plots output to file is
.ggt (not adjustable).

8
 

HPGL TAB

Figure 3. HPGL Tab 

TABLE 3 — HPGL TAB – CONVERSION CONFIGURATION  

Input Units — Use setting that matches the resolution of your plotter type.
WinPlot defaults to plotter units for the HP 7475. Suggested Input Units
settings for CAD software, HP plotter plot data, and sent to a Gerber Plotter:
• Scaled plot data without IP and SC commands: Input Units 1016
• Plot data with IP and SC commands: Input Units 1016
• Plot data without scaling or IP and SC commands: Input Units
1000
Refer to Appendix A for more information on scaling.  

File Extension — File extension (name) for HPGL plot file is .plt before it is
converted to .ggt 

9
 

DWG/DXF TAB

Figure 4. DWG/DXF Tab

TABLE 4 — DWG/DXF TAB CONVERSION CONFIGURATION 

Chord Height Tolerance — Increasing this value will result in more error, but
will improve processing time and reduce converted file size
DXF File Extension — The file extension (name) for .dxf CAD file before it is
converted to a .ggt file 
DWG File Extension — The file extension (name) for .dwg CAD file before it
is converted to a .ggt file

10
 

REMOTE PLOTTERS TAB

Figure 5. Remote Plotters Tab

(applies only to WinPlot Network Peer to Peer  Scenario)

TABLE 5 — REMOTE PLOTTERS TAB

Plotters by name — List of pre-defined plotters

Plotter Properties —
• Name: Unique name used to reference a remote plotter – used for
reference only – can be any name you choose
• Location: Drive letter mapped to a remote system containing a
“\userroot\devq\plotter” directory – all drive letters are scanned to
determine eligibility
• Type: Select appropriate plotter type 

Note:  All fields must be filled in before pressing the new button.

11
 

LOG FILE TAB

Figure 6. Log File Tab

TABLE 6 — LOG FILE TAB 

Location — Storage area for error messages that may have resulted when a
plot was converted
Clear — Click here to delete error messages stored in the Log File  

View  — Click here to see error messages stored in the Log File - These
errors will open in Wordpad

12
 

SPOOLER TAB –

Figure 7. Spooler Tab

TABLE 7 — SPOOLER TAB 

Spooler Enabled — W ith Spooler Enabled selected (checked), files can be

dropped in a folder and WinPlot will automatically process them
In this example, files to be spooled are dropped in C:/winplot/spooler
Defaults — 
Location — Where files to be spooled are dropped
Plotter  — Destination plotter when files are submitted via the spooler

13
 

CUT FILES TAB 

TABLE 8 — CUT FILES TAB 

Conversion Configuration –
Input Units — This is the default input scale of x, y coordinates in the cut file
if no G codes are specified. If a G70, G71, or G91 command is encountered
in the file, this value is overridden.
File Extension – The file extension (file name) for cut files is .cut before it is
converted to a .ggt file.

14
 

WinPlot Network Plotting

SAMPLE (CLIENT /SERVER) SCENARIO 
WinPlot uses an environment variable when queuing plot files via a Client –
Server network to another WinPlot or AccuMark plot queue

Using this diagram as an example, perform the following steps for each
workstation PC01-PC03. Note that each workstation must have a unique 4
character queue name. It is suggested that the PC name specified in Network
Neighborhood Properties be used as the queue name provided the first 4
characters are unique from all other systems that will be submitting plots to
the queue server.

15
 

PC01
1. Add the environment variable, QUEUE=SERV,<drive
letter>:<machine_name> to each PC. The <drive letter> is the drive
letter on this PC that is mapped to the server. In a Windows 95 system
this is done by adding the line, “SET QUEUE=SERV,X:PC01” to the
config.sys file. In a Windows NT system, this is done through the
control panel under system/environment. This modification must be
made to all PC’s on the network regardless of where the plotters are
connected. Once queues are established, each PC will be identified on
the server under \dev.q.
2. Reboot system.

PC02
1. Add the environment variable, QUEUE=SERV,X:PC02 to your system.
2. Reboot system.

PC03
1. Add the environment variable, QUEUE=SERV,X:PC03 to your system.
2. Reboot system.

PC01-PC03
From within the Winplot application, available queues should be listed in
the plotter destination drop down list.

16
 

WinPlot Network Plotting

SAMPLE (PEER /PEER) SCENARIO 
WinPlot uses an environment variable when queuing plot files via a Peer-to-
Peer network to another WinPlot or AccuMark plot queue

Using the above diagram as an example, follow the steps below for each
workstation PC01-PC03. Note that each workstation must have a unique 4
character queue name. It is suggested that the PC name specified in Network
Neighborhood Properties be used as the queue name provided the first 4
characters are unique from all other systems that will be submitting plots to
the queue server.

17
 

PC01
1. Add the environment variable, QUEUE=PEER,PC01 to your system. In
a Windows 95 system this is done by adding the line, “SET
QUEUE=PEER,PC01” to the config.sys file. In a Windows NT system,
this is done through the control panel under system/environment.
2. Share out the c: drive so that PC02 and PC03 can submit jobs to this
machine.
3. Reboot the system.

PC02
1. Add the environment variable, QUEUE=PEER,PC02 to your system.
2. Share out the c: drive so that PC01 and PC03 can submit jobs to this
machine.
3. Reboot the system.

PC03
1. Add the environment variable, QUEUE=PEER,PC03 to your system.
2. Reboot the system.

PC01-PC03
1. Refer to Remote Plotters Tab on page 9.  

18
 

Plotter Program
The WinPlot Plotter program provides easy access to plotter utilities available
to your system. Once installed, the plotter program automatically starts with
your computer. Right-click the plotter icon in the lower right corner of the
taskbar to enable the plotter manager menu.
From the plotter manager menu you can:
• Plot Files
• Open Queue Manager
• Open Plotter Settings
• Restart Plotter
• Exit plotter manager program

Restart Plotter Program

This command resets the plotter program on your PC. It does not put a plotter
online, which can only be done at the plotter.

TO RESTART PLOTTER 
1. Right-click the Plotter icon in the lower
right corner of the taskbar.
2. From the Plotter manager menu, choose
Restart Plotter .
3. From the Restart Plotter Program dialogue box, choose Restart
active jobs, Delete active jobs, or Finish active jobs. See Table 8.
4. Use the Advance paper when done check box to enable or disable
paper advance.
5. Click OK.

19
 

Exit Plotter Program

TO EXIT THE PLOTTER PROGRAM  
1. Right-click the plotter icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.
2. From the plotter menu, choose Exit.
3. From the Exit Plotter Program dialog box, choose Restart active
 jobs, Delete active jobs, or Finish active jobs. See Table 8.
4. Use the Advance paper when done check box to enable or
disable paper advance.
5. Click OK.

TABLE 8 — ACTIVE JOB OPTIONS 

Restart active jobs — Active jobs are reset and start over
Delete Active jobs — All active jobs are deleted from the queue
Finish Active jobs — Active jobs begin where they were stopped

20
 

WinPlot Converter
WinPlot allows you to convert and format HPGL, .DWG, and .DXF plot files
generated from non-AccuMark applications. WinPlot also allows plotting of
 AccuMark/MicroMark generic files to satisfy your remote plotting applications.
Once converted for proper page limits, these files can be submitted to a plot
queue and plotted on any of the AccuPlot family of plotters.
 Although developed for non-AccuMark applications, WinPlot can convert
HPGL data to AccuMark generic data for importation into an AccuMark
System. WinPlot can also plot AccuMark generic data, allowing for the
effective exchange of information between systems.
In addition to formatting standard files into AccuPlot-compatible files, WinPlot
includes utilities to manage the plotter queue, view plot files, and set plotter
media characteristics.
Once installed, open the WinPlot dialog box from the taskbar plotter icon or
from within W indows Explorer under \USERROOT\PROG\WINPLOT.EXE. 
WinPlot processes a copy of the original file. The converted file is stored in
the \USERROOT\DEVQ\PLOTTER  folder with a randomly assigned name and the
extension .ggt. The source plot file remains in its original location.

TO OPEN THE WINPLOT DIALOG BOX

From the taskbar: 
Right-click the plotter icon in the lower
•

right corner of the taskbar to open the

plotter manager menu, then click Plot 
Files.
From Windows Explorer:
• Double-click on the plot file filename to open the WinPlot dialog
box with that file selected.
You can also start the program by selecting the plot file, then choosing Open 
or Plot File from the Explorer File menu or from the context menu.

21
 

TO CONVERT A PLOT FILE 

1. Open the WinPlot dialog box.

Figure 8. Plot Queue

2. Click on Add to select file(s) to convert.

Note:  You can edit any file after it has been added. Double click on
the file name to open the properties dialog box, then edit.
3. Click Plot to start the conversion.
4. When the conversion is complete, the Files Selected For Plotting
disappears from the dialog box window. Open the Queue Manager to
work with the converted files.

22
 

5. Queue Manager
Converted plot files are placed directly into the plot queue. The Queue
Manager utility allows you to:
• Choose from available plotter queues
• Display the contents of a plot file
• Delete jobs in the queue
• Stop and restart the plot queue
The Plotter Settings and View Plot programs are also available from within
the Queue Manager. Using Plotter Settings, you can create a new Media ID,
or revise an existing one. View Plot allows you to display the contents of the
converted file. See page 29 for more information about View Plot, or page 30 
for more information about Plotter Settings.

Queue Manager
The Plot Queue Manager window displays information about the plotter and
about each job in the queue.
 Toolba Queuestatus

oblist
Plotter
status

Figure 9 Queue Manager Window  

23
 

TABLE 9 — QUEUE MANAGER FIELDS 

CURRENT STATUS TOOLBAR
Status — Status blocks for plotter (left block) and queue (right block):
Plotter   Describes operating condition of plotter associated with
selected plot queue. Common conditions are:
Online  Operating or able to accept and execute commands sent from
controlling system.
Offline When offline, plotter is prevented from accepting commands
from controlling system. Servos are not disabled.
Error Stopped due to error detected by plotter or by application.
Queue Describes the operating condition of the open queue. Common
conditions are:
 Active  Normal operating status.
Waiting   Queue ready but plotter not online or error condition exists.
Stopped   Queue interrupted by error condition or by Stop Immediate or
Delete Active Delete All command.
Owner  — On networks, this field identifies the system node that currently has
ownership of the plot queue and the plotter. Field is blank if no system has
locked the queue.
Media — Displays the name of the media ID currently active for the plotter
(See Media IDs defined using Plotter Settings on page  30).
JOB INFORMATION HEADINGS
Job — Job numbers are assigned sequentially as jobs are added to the list.
Group — If a job is one of several to be processed as a group, its group
identifier (a letter) appears in the list entry.
Status — Displays the current condition of the plot job.
Plot Name — Displays the name of the plot file.
Node — On networked systems, name of the node that processed the job.
Storage — Displays name of device that contains the source HPGL plot file.
Media  — Displays the Media ID assigned to the plot job

24
 

Using Queue Manager Commands

Queue Manager Toolbar
 A toolbar provides quick access to the most commonly used commands.
From left to right are: Open, Print, Delete
Job, Stop Immediate, and Restart Queue.

Starting and Stopping the Queue

TO PLOT SPECIFIC JOBS IMMEDIATELY 
1. Select the job from the job list. To select multiple jobs, hold down the
Ctrl key while clicking the job entries.
2. From the Actions menu, choose Plot Now.
The selected jobs move to the top of the job list (job number does not
change) and will plot immediately after active jobs are completed.

TO STOP PLOTTING IMMEDIATELY 

1. Click the Stop Immediate tool or, choose Stop Immediate from
the Actions menu.
 All active jobs stop plotting and the plotter goes offline. The plotter
status changes to Stopped.

Note:  You must use Restart Active AND Restart Queue commands from the
 Actions menu to resume plotting.

TO STOP PLOTTING AFTER THE ACTIVE JOBS PLOT

1. From the Actions menu, choose Stop After .
2. The job status changes to Ready To Stop. Once the job finishes
plotting, the plotter stops and the Plotter/Queue status changes to
Offline/Stopped .

25
 

TO RESTART ACTIVE PLOT JOBS 

1. From the Plot Queue screen, choose Restart Active from the Actions
menu.
2. At the prompt, click OK to confirm the action.
 All active jobs that were stopped are returned to active status, but they do not
begin plotting automatically. You must use the Restart Queue command to
begin plotting again.

TO RESTART THE PLOT QUEUE

1. Click the Restart Queue tool or, choose Restart Queue from
the Actions menu.
The Queue status field changes to Active and any jobs in the queue will begin
plotting (if the plotter is online).

Selecting a Plot Queue

TO OPEN A PLOT QUEUE  
1. Click the Open tool or, choose Open from the File menu.
2. From the list, select the queue you want, then click OK.

Media ID
TO SELECT A DIFFERENT MEDIA ID
1. From the Actions menu, choose Change Media.
2. Select a Media ID from the list, then click OK.
If you see the message Bad Media in the Queue Manager Media field, make
sure the media displayed in the job list is a valid one.

26
 

Removing J obs from the Queue

TO DELETE INDIVIDUAL JOBS FROM THE PLOT QUEUE 
1. Select the job from the job list. To select multiple jobs, hold down the
Ctrl key while clicking the job entries.
2. Click the Delete tool or choose Delete from the Actions menu.
3. Click OK to confirm the action.
The Delete command does not delete active jobs from the plot queue. Use
the Delete Active or the Delete All command from the Actions menu to do
this.

TO DELETE ALL JOBS FROM THE PLOT QUEUE 

1. From the Actions menu, choose Delete All.
2. Click OK to confirm the action.
The Delete All   command removes everything from the queue, including the
active jobs. The plotter stops because there is nothing in the queue to plot,
but does not go offline.

TO DELETE A PLOT JOB THAT IS ALREADY PLOTTING  

1. From the Actions menu, choose Delete Active. 
2. At the prompt, choose OK to confirm you want to delete that job.

Or

1. Right click on the job in plot queue.

2. Click Delete Active.
3. At the prompt, choose OK to confirm you want to delete that job.

27
 

Miscellaneous Plot Queue Tasks

TO ADVANCE THE PLOTTER PAPER 
1. From the Action menu, choose New Page.
The plotter paper advances one page or one bite as soon as an
active job finishes plotting.

TO PRINT INFORMATION IN THE PLOT QUEUE 

1. Click the Print tool or, choose Print from the File menu.
2. Check that the printer settings are correct, then click OK.

TO DISPLAY THE CONTENTS OF A PLOT FILE 

1. Select the job from the job list.
2. From the Actions menu, choose View.
RIGHT CLICK COMMANDS IN PLOT QUEUE 
The following pull down functions available under the Plot Queue Action menu
are also available by right clicking in the plot queue:
• View
• Delete
• Delete Active
• Stop After
• Stop Immediately
• Restart Queue
• Restart Active
• Plot Now

28
 

View Plot
The View Plot program allows you to display a plot job from within the Queue
Manager. You can print a job from the View Plot window or use the Zoom 
function to examine details.

TO OPEN VIEW PLOT 

1. Open the Queue Manager.
2. From the job list, select the job you want to display.
3. From the Actions menu, choose View.

View Commands
View Plot can display jobs in colors by entity or by tool. The Zoom feature
allows you to enlarge an area of the plot job (zoom in) on the screen. You can
also print the displayed job.

TO DISPLAY BY DRAWING ENTITY OR BY TOOL  

1. From the View menu check By Entity to display the job in colors
assigned to the components in the drawing. Check By Tool to display
the job in colors corresponding to the tools assigned to the components
in the job.

TO USE THE VIEW PLOT ZOOM FUNCTION 

1. Place the pointer at the top left corner of the section of the display you
want to examine.
2. Hold down the left mouse button and drag a box around the section you
want to examine, then release the button.
3. To zoom out, right-click the mouse.

TO PRINT THE CURRENTLY DISPLAYED FILE 

1. Click or choose Print from the File menu.

2. Verify the printer information is correct.
3. Click OK.

29
 

Plotter Set
Settings
tings
The Plotter Settings program allows you to specify plotter, cutter, and media
characteristics, and then save those settings as a group, under a unique
identifier called a Media ID.
Once defined, a Media ID can be applied to a plot queue or to individual jobs
to set values such as bite length, tool force and velocity, paper width, and so
on.

TO OPEN PLOTTER SETTINGS FROM QUEUE MANAGER 

1. Open the Queue Manager.
2. From the View menu, click Plotter Settings.

TO OPEN PLOTTER SETTINGS FROM THE TASKBAR 

1. Right-click the plotter icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.
2. Click Plotter Settings.

TO SPECIFY UNITS OF MEASURE 

1. From the Plotter Settings View menu,
choose Options.
2. In the Options dialog box, click the
radio button that corresponds to the
units you want.
3. Click OK.

30
 

Plotter Settings Window

These settings let you control how a plotter or Samplemaker works based on
the media being used.
Click the tabs near the top of the window—General, Tool Settings, Item
Mapping, and Internal Mapping. Each Media ID window contains tabs for
General, Tool Settings, Item Mapping, and Internal Mapping. The tool and
media options available depend on the type of plotter configured for your
system.

TO OPEN AN EXISTING MEDIA ID

1. Open Plotter Settings.

2. Click or choose Open from the File menu.

3. Select the Media ID to open, then click Open.

TO DEFINE A NEW MEDIA ID

1. Open Plotter Settings.

2. Click or choose New from the File menu.

3. Complete the tab Plotter Settings to match the media you are using.
Refer to page 2 5 for explanations of the tabs under “To Complete The
Plotter Settings Window.”
4. Choose Save As from the File menu.
5. In the Save As dialog box, type a unique name for the Media ID,
choose a storage location, then click OK.

TO PRINT MEDIA ID PARAMETER VALUES 

1. Open Plotter Settings.
2. Open the Media ID you want to print.
3. Click the print tool or choose Print from the File menu.
4. Verify the printer information is correct.
5. Click OK.

31
 

TO DELETE A MEDIA ID
1. Open Plotter Settings.
2. Verify the Media ID you want to delete is NOT open.
3. From the File menu, choose Delete.
4. From the list, select the Media ID name.
5. Click the Delete button.

TO COMPLETE THE PLOTTER SETTINGS WINDOW 

1. Right-click the plotter icon in the right corner of the taskbar to open the
plotter menu, then click Queue Manager .
2. From the Configuration Menu, choose Plotter Settings. The Plotter
Settings window will display.

Note: If you chose Custom under the General tab, select the Item Mapping 
tab and complete the fields to assign (map) a specific tool or line type to
a specific plot item.

Note:  If you chose Custom under the General tab, select the Internal
Mapping tab and complete the fields to assign a specific tool or line
type to a specific internal item.
3. Complete settings under the Plotter Settings tabs. Refer to the following
paragraphs (General, Tool Settings, Item Mapping, and Internal
Mapping) and related screens for additional information.
4. From the File menu, choose Save As and type a name in the Media
field to assign the settings a meaningful name (such as one that
represents that actual media you will be using when plotting, like
cardboard, oaktag, paper, etc.)

32
 

GENERAL 

Figure 10. General Tab

TABLE 10 — GENERAL TAB

General Parameters —
• Character Set: Select the style of lettering you want the system to
use when plotting annotation:
• Standard: Stick font for improved speed on pen plotters
• Enhanced: Elaborate font plots slower with pen plotters

33
 

TABLE 10 — GENERAL TAB (CONTINUED)

• Wait Time: For stacking or scissoring, type the number of
seconds (0-180) for desired pause after last job in queue is sent to
plotter. The plotter uses wait time value to see if more jobs are
being sent before advancing paper to finish plotting.
Note: For SP-100 and -200 plotters, Wait Time is only used when scissoring. It
does not affect plotting when stacking is turned on. This does not apply
to scissoring on an AP-300 or -700 series plotter.
Media Parameters —
• Media Type: Select Roll or Sheet to indicate paper or media type
used.
• Media Bite Length: If media type is Sheet, type total length of
media. If media type is Roll, type bite size you want to use.
• Media Width: Type total width of plotting media. Amount should
match the media width setting on the plotter. This field defaults to
maximum media width allowed for plotter. All active jobs are
deleted from the queue

Scissor/Border Parameters — 
• Scissor: Allows plots, which are too large to fit on the plotter, to
be plotted in multiple sections then reassembled after plotting.
Select one of the following:
None: Turns the scissoring feature off.
Even: Automatically divides the plot in half.
Max: The plotter first plots the maximum amount of the plot
that will fit across the width, then plots the rest of the plot.
Width: Lets you adjust the scissor amount.
• Scissoring Width: Type a scissor amount in this field.
• Edge Spacing: Type the amount of space you want between the
edge of the plotting media and the actual plotted/cut items.  

34
 

TABLE 10 — GENERAL TAB (CONTINUED)

Tool Mappings —
• Select Standard to use tools specified in Standard Tools setting
box. The tools are activated by AccuMark parameter tables. Item
Mapping and Internal Mapping tabs are deactivated when
Standard mapping is selected. If more than one pen or knife tool is
needed, or mapping differently from the parameter tables, select
Custom mapping.
• Select Custom if you want to deactivate the Standard Tool
settings box and instead use the Item Mapping and Internal
Mapping tab settings. Custom settings allows multiple tools to be
selected. Specific tool and line types may also be assigned to
internal labels and items.

Standard Tools — Select the tool you want used for the Pen and the Knife.
The tools specified here for Pen and Knife will be referenced by the
 AccuMark parameter tables used during plot processing.

35
 

Appendix A

Winplot Scaling Considerations

Considerations
Considerations
There are two considerations that affect the final plot size:
• Input Plot Units
• Scale Factor
Results will vary depending on the CAD software that is generating the plot
data and the type of plotter being used.

Input Plot Units

For Gerber plotters, one plotter unit = 0.001 inches. For HP and other
plotters, one plotter unit = 0.025 mm. Some CAD software packages
compensate when plotting to a HP plotter by scaling the data to make the
conversion from English to metric units. This conversion is represented by the
following formula…
Scale = 1016/1000
= 1.016
Example: 0.025 mm = .00098425 inches
1/.00098425 = 1016
In this example, the HP plotter moves 1 inch when a command of 1016 is
sent to the plotter.
 As an alternative, some CAD software packages use the HPGL commands
IP and SC, and let the plotter perform the scaling. This method sends the
data to the plotter in English units. Typical commands used are
IP0,0,1016,1016 and SC0,1000,0,1000. All commanded positions are then
multiplied by the plotter in the ratio of IP/SC.

36
 

Winplot compensates for data generated for a HP plotter by various CAD

software packages. The following formula provides the relationship to the
data output from Winplot to the data input.
Winplot Output = HPGL input value * (SCALE FACTOR/100) *
(1000/INPUT PLOT UNITS) * (HPGL IP/HPGL SC)
Where:
HPGL input value = commanded position in input plot file.
SCALE FACTOR = Value entered through the Winplot config dialog
box.
INPUT PLOT UNITS = Value entered through the Winplot config dialog
box.
HPGL IP = HPGL IP command that may or may not be present
in the plot file.
HPGL SC = HGPL SC command that may or may not be
present in the plot file.

Note: If the IP and SC commands are not used, then the ratio IP/SC = 1.

The following guidelines provide the suggested setting for the INPUT UNITS
parameter. Sample HPGL plot files are shown for each case for a 10 by 10
inch box.
1. CAD software that generates scaled plot data for a HP plotter without
using the IP and SC commands (Final destination is a Gerber plotter):
Set INPUT UNITS to 1016 (default).
PU0,0;
PD10160,0;
PD10160,10160;
PD0,10160;
PD0,0;
2. CAD software that generates plot data for a HP plotter using the IP and
SC commands (Final destination is a Gerber plotter): Set INPUT UNITS
to 1016 (default).
IP0,0,1016,1016;

37
 

SC0,1000,0,1000;
PU0,0;
PD10000,0;
PD10000,10000;
PD0,10000;
PD0,0;
3. CAD software that generates plot data for a HP plotter without scaling
and without using the IP and SC commands (Final destination is a
Gerber plotter): Set INPUT UNITS to 1000.
PU0,0;
PD10000,0;
PD10000,10000;
PD0,10000;
PD0,0;

Scale Factor
When working with large drawings in your CAD software, it will be necessary
to scale the plot down to fit the plotter. It is recommended that you choose a
reduction factor rather than letting the CAD package scale the drawing
automatically to fit the plotter. By doing this, the scale factor parameter within
Winplot can be set to an equal amount to bring the drawing back to the
original size.
The best way to determine the appropriate settings for the input plot units and
scale factor is to create a 10 inch square box from within your CAD software,
plot it, then measure the plotted box to verify that it measures 10 inches.

38
 

USA/CANADA
Gerber Technology, Inc.
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
P.O. Box 769
24 Industrial Park Road West
Tolland, Connecticut 06084 USA
TEL: (860) 871-8082
FAX: (860) 871-6007

INTERNATIONAL
Gerber Technology, Inc.
INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
P.O. Box 769
24 Industrial Park Road West
Tolland, Connecticut 06084 USA
TEL: (860) 871-8082
WEB: http://www.gerbertechnology.com
FAX: (860) 871-6007

EUROPE
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Excelsiorlaan 55
B-1930 Zaventem, BELGIUM
TEL: (32) (2) 716 03 11
FAX: (32) (2) 716 03 22

Document Number: 077467002