Digital BW, The Print

Roy Harrington wrote:
> 
> 
> Richard and Michael,
> 
> You guys seem to know a bit more of the Windows internals.  
> 
> As I guess you know, I'm getting to the USB port by simply redirecting
> output to \\computername\sharename.   This works OK as long as a network
> exists.  But obviously this is one of the major hassles with getting QTR
> running.  Systems that are sometimes connected and sometimes not are
> particularly problematic.  
> 
> I'd be really interested in any info about other ways to do this that are more
> reliable and fool-proof.  Or possibly just some diagnostic testing to help
> identify what's blocking output on a particular system.
> 
> Thanks,
> Roy

I do not belong to that elite group but I have mentioned before 
that it is possible to create a Generic Text Only printer on LPT1 
and dump the QTR file there. The Wasatch SoftRip uses that method 
to bypass the Windows spooling system when the printer is locally 
connected through a parallel port.  It must work with USB as 
well. QTR needs to do its own spooling ( it does already I think) 
in that case and must have a choice (and the software) to 
"connect" with the Generic printer. With Wasatch the name of the 
printer has to keep "Generic" for the first 7 characters 
otherwise it will not work. It is a one way connection though and 
printing can only be stopped with the Wasatch spooler "cancel". 
Select "Print directly to printer"  + some other settings in the 
Generic driver to take out any interference of that  driver.  I 
could add more from the W manual but it seems a bit too early for 
that right now.

I know this is more describing than informing what it is but the 
elite group may know what I'm trying to describe.

I know that when I use(d) Acorn computers and I had to drive a 
cutting plotter I could use a plain text printer. drop the HPGL 
file on it and okay'd the popping up window that said "shall I 
send it as plain text ?" or something like that. Actually I could 
do almost the same now in Windows with a converted HP 7550 
plotter that drives the Spectrocam over printed targets but the 
prompt window works as easy. Nevertheless this is very similar to 
what is done in the RIP automagically.

Ernst