PLOTTING HPGL/2 PLOT FILES
What is an HPGL/2 Plot File?
Plot files from Arris will be HPGL/2 format saved with an extension of *.hpg. The AutoCAD equivalent file will be *.plt if AutoCAD is setup with an HPGL/2 plotter. HPGL/2 plot files are files that contain the data already formatted for the printer/plotter. They can not be opened by AutoCAD. The procedure to plot these files is to simply copy or send them directly to the plotter. You can do this since the files already contain formatted information that is understood by the plotter. Some viewers allow the viewing of HPGL/2 plot files.
Pen Definitions.
The HPGL/2 files provided by Berg Engineering Consultants, Ltd. have the pen assignments imbedded with in the file. In order for these pen assignments to work your plotter must be set to accept software pen definitions. If your plotter is not set to accept software pen definitions the files will still plot but will not have the same line weight and/or half tone as the originals plotted in our office. This will cause problems when reading the drawings since we use a half tone light pen to define existing and background information.
Copying or Sending Files to the Plotter in Windows 95/98.
At the run command type "copy plotfilename.hpg lpt1". Lpt1 is the port that the plotter is connected to and may be different on your system. If you have a network plotter substitute the server and printer name in the form \\server\printer for lpt1.
Copying or Sending Files to the Plotter in Windows NT 4.0.
At the run command type "print /D:lpt1 plotfilename.hpg". Lpt1 is the port that the plotter is connected to and may be different on your system. If you have a network plotter substitute the server and printer name in the form \\server\printer for lpt1.
Copying or Sending Files to the Plotter in Windows Nt 4.0 or Latter Including XP.
At the run command type "lpr -sprintername -praw -jjobname plotfilename.hpg". Printername is the network name of the plotter or ip address of the plotter. Raw is the name of the queue on the plotter, on most plotters it is simply "raw". Jobname is simply the name of the plot job you want displayed at the plotter or used in any plotter accounting. This is optional.
Copying or Sending Files to the Plotter in Unix.
At a command prompt type "lp -d plottername plotfilename.hpg". Plottername is the name of the plotter you want to plot to.
Setting up an Association and Dragging and Dropping in Win 95/98/NT.

If you have many files to plot you can set up an association so that you can double click on the files or drag and drop the files to an icon.

Set up a simple batch file which will allow drag and drop printing of HPGL/2 files. Under windows 95/98 create a batch file called plotter.bat in c:\windows which contains "copy %1 lpt(your number here) /B". Under windows NT create a batch file called plotter.bat in C:\winnt which contains "print /D:lpt1 %1". Note that the device your plotter is connected to may be different. If you have a network plotter substitute the server and printer name in the form \\server\printer for lpt1.

Start Windows Explorer, then click Options on the View menu. On the File Types tab, click New Type. In the Description of Type box type plotter. In the Associated Extension box type "hpg". Click New. In the Action box type plot. In the Application Used to Perform Action box type; "c:\winnt\plotter.bat". Click OK. Click on Plot in the Action window. Click on Set Default. Click on Close.

On the desktop right click any where. On the pop-up window click on New then Shortcut. In the Command Line box type c:\windows\plotter.bat for Win95/98 or c:\winnt\plotter.bat for NT. Click on Next. In the Select a name for this Shortcut box type Plot HPGL/2. Click on Finish.

You should now be able to drag any HPGL/2 file with the .hpg extension and drop it on to the icon and it will automatically plot.