Configuring an Existing Printer

Contents:
• About Comfiguration files for 3D PLM Printers.
• About Comfiguration files for Windows Printers.

This tasks explains how to reconfigure an existing printer.

About Configuration Files for 3DPLM Printers

Up to V5R11

In previous releases, the driver and printer configuration files were stored apart in permanent
settings. Permanent setting files store customization you perform mainly using the various tabs
provided by the Tools->Options... command.

Permanent print settings were created by default in a location referenced in the Version 5 runtime
environment by the CATUserSettingPath variable:

• in "C:\ Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\DassaultSystemes\CATSettings" (referred

to as "$HOME" in this scenario) on Windows
• in the CATSettings directory in your home directory (also referred to as "$HOME") on UNIX.

The driver and printer configuration files were stored in two different files defined as text files:

• the printer configuration file was stored in $HOME/CATSettings/Printers/PLOT0000.plot_cfg

• the driver configuration file was stored in $HOME\CATSettings\Print.CATSettings and could not
be modified.
From V5R12 onwards

For the sake of convenience, a single configuration file in XML format is used to configure the
printer and the driver. Moreover, this configuration file is totally independent from the Version 5
settings which means that it can be exchanged between two different operating systems, for
instance, without any problem.

By default, the configuration file will still be stored in the permanent setting files created in a
location referenced by the CATUserSettingPath variable. This location is:

•
•
 • $HOME/CATSettings/Printers/PLOT0000.xml (on Windows)
$HOME/CATSettings/Printers/PLOTxxxx.xml (on UNIX).

However, you will see further in this guide that you can choose a directory other than the default
one proposed.

Any modification entered in the Printer Properties dialog box (detailed below) will be written in XML
language in the configuration file.
There are as many .xml files are they are 3DPLM Printers and the numbers of additional printers
are incremented by one as follows: PLOT0000.xml, PLOT0001.xml, PLOT0002.xml, etc.

Note that configurations from previous releases are also supported, which means that, if your
printer configuration file is in .plot_cfg format, you will be able to translate it into XML format.

About Configuration Files for Windows Printers

As far as Windows printers are concerned, the application uses the driver and printer setting files
installed on your computer.

Configuration Example

The following gives an example with a CGM printer. For a description of the configuration of other
printer types (such as HPGL, raster, etc.), refer to Configuration Scenarios.

At least one printer must have been set up using the File -> Printer Setup... command.

1. Select the File->Printer setup... command to open the Printers dialog box:
 You can also access the Printers dialog box using one of these two methods:

• by selecting Start->Programs->CATIA->Tools->Printers V5Rn

where "n" is the current release number

• by accessing the directory /usr/Dassault Systemes/B0n (on UNIX) or C:\ Program Files\Dassault
Systemes\B0n\intel_a\code\bin (on Windows) then entering the following command:

CATPrinterManager

2. Select the CGM printer to be reconfigured from the list of printers.

3. If the printer you are configuring is associated to a .plot_cfg file, right-click the printer from
the Printers dialog box then select the Convert to XML contextual command:

A configuration file in XML format replaces the .plot_cfg configuration file.

4. Right-click the printer from the list then select the Configure contextual command (or
double-click the desired printer name) to access the Printer Properties dialog box.
 The above capture takes a 3D PLM Printer as an example. If you add a Windows printer, the
properties dialog box will display standard setup parameters corresponding to the selected printer
type. In that case, refer to your Windows documentation for detailed information about using this
dialog box.

5. Modify the necessary data in the properties dialog box.

Refer to Adding a Printer for detailed information on the printer properties.

6. Click the Advanced Configuration... button to configure the CGM driver.

7. Access the Specifications tab:

• In the CGM Level area, activate the Allow CGM Version 3 Generation if you want to generate
CGM Version 3
• In the CGM Profile area, select the profile to be used by checking the corresponding option
o ISO: CGM is a graphics format defined by the International Standards Organization ISO/IEC
8632:19999
o ATA (Air Transport Association): part the ATA Specification 2100.
GREXCHANGE, for technical documentation of the manufacture and operation of commercial
 airplanes, supports the binary and clear text encodings at the CGM Version 3 functionality
level. It is appropriate for the exchange of technical manuals, publishing applications, and
visualization.
IGEXCHANGE provides for the transfer of intelligence associated with graphical data. This
profiles supports the application structuring defined in CGM Amendment 2.
Both profiles are developed and maintained by the ATA/AIA (Airline Transport Assoc. and
Airline Industry Assoc.)

o CALS (Continuous Acquisition and Life-Cycle Support): part of the CALS family of standards
which is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Defense for technical illustrations and
publications. This profile supports the binary encoding at the CGM Version 3 functionality
level.
8. Access the Delimiters tab:

• Begin Metafile: all CGM files start with the same identifier, BEGIN METAFILE, and you can enter
the data to be used as identifier. The default is "3D PLM CGM Driver"

• Begin Picture: sets the default state the CGM interpreter will return to at the beginning of each
new picture. The default is "Picture #1".
9. Access the Descriptors tab:

• Metafile Description: enter the description text to be used for the metafile (e.g. author, date,
version, etc.)
• VDC Type: Specify the type of coordinates for the metafile, either "Real" or "Integer"
• Scaling Mode: Select the mode to be used by activating the corresponding option
o If you choose "Metric", you need to enter the physical size of the CGMs in millimeters
o If you choose "Abstract", it means that CGMs are dimensionless (they do not have an actual
physical size you can measure in pixels, inches, etc.). In that case, Virtual Device Coordinates
(VDC) are used as units of measure
• Line Width Specification Mode
o Absolute: activate this option if you want line width to be measured in VDC units

o Scaled: activate this option if you want the line width on the printer to be automatically scaled
to the screen line width set as a scale factor to be applied to a device-dependent nominal line
width.
10. Access the Graphics tab:

In the Font Substitutions list, select a font then set the property of your choice by activating the
corresponding radio button:

• Discretized means that when the image suffers from a lack of points, points are distributed to fill
the gaps and ensure linearity
• Not Substituted
• Substituted lets you replace the selected font by a suitable replacement font you select in the
pulldown list displayed to the right of the radio buttons.

Note that you need to define these properties for each font used in the document to be printed.

11. When finished defining your parameters, click OK to validate and close the Advanced
Configuration dialog box then click OK again to close the Printer Properties dialog box.
The printer configuration file ($HOME/CATSettings/Printers/PLOTxxxx.xml) is modified.

When printing to a 3DPLM printer, the default location for the configuration file (containing the
configuration settings for the driver and the printer) can be modified if needed in the Printer
Creation Directory area under the Printers tab.

9. Access the printer configuration file then open it, you will see that your modifications have
been written in XML format in the file.
 In our example, we changed the paper format from "A4 ISO" to "B ANSI" and the CGM Profile from
"ISO" to "ATA". These modifications have been highlighted in red in the sample file below for
greater clarity. Just click the thumbnail to see the full-size picture:

Note that a .dtd file containing the description of the XML configuration file is provided in:

• C:\ \Program Files\\Dassault Systemes\\Bn\\intel_a\\resources\printerDTD\printer.dtd (on

Windows)
• /usr/DassaultSystemes/Bn/OS_a/resources/printerDTD/printer.dtd (on UNIX)

where "n" is the current release number

and

"OS_a" is:

• aix_a
• hpux_b
• irix_a

• solaris_a.
10. Re-select the advanced configuration settings to check that your modifications have been
taken into account:

As shown in the above screen grab, your settings have been saved and the CGM Profile is now
"ATA" and not "ISO".

About V4 Line Types

 Version 5 lets you choose between two methods for the line type print definition:

• V5 process (the default one) which uses standards defined via the Tools->Standards... command

• V4-type process: in Version 5, you can create the V4LineFontType environment variable which
lets you use line types similar to those used in Version 4. The V4LineFontType variable is based
on seven standard types detailed below:
ISO/ANSI JIS CATIA Version 4
Solid [] [] []
Dotted [1:1] [1:1] [2:1]
Dashed [4:1:5] [3:1] [8:2]
Dot-Dash [7:1:1:1] [9:1:1:1] [10:1:2:1]
Phantom [7:1:1:1:1:1] [15:1:1:1:1:1] [35:1:2:1:2:1]
Small Dotted [0.5:0.5] [0.5:0.5]
JIS Axis [2:1:10:1] [2:1:10:1]
These data are similar to the default data contained in the LINEDEF file (a Version 4 external file
used to create a mapping between the line type and the plotting).
The last two types in the list are "V5 only" (they did not exist in Version 4) and are defined using
the Tools->Standards... command.

For detailed information on how to set an environment variable, refer to Customizing Your
Environment on Windows or Customizing Your Environment on UNIX (depending on your operating
system).

Complied By :
Balaji Mundhe