Windows 7 and sketchup
-
Thomas, About the hardware, that's really great. I held on to the original IBM Pc keyboard as long as I could, then when I switched to a AT keyboard, I found one with a wide platform that I could rest my hand on. It worked fantastic with function key macros. When the keyboards began to change I bought a few, along with spare digitizers, and special graphic boards for backup. After a while, I no longer used the AT keyboard, or the graphic adapters, but still use the digitizer. Its difficult to replace because I require a custom paper template that fits into a recess on the digitizer's surface.
As I said previously, with any luck, I will be able to retire before all the patches I require fail
To make all of this work, I save in a special folder, all the setup and install programs that I currently utilize, along with detailed read.me files to remind me what of I did to setup my system. That way, when I immigrate to another OS, I just copy the folder then step through reinstalling one app or utility at a time. I have original copies of DOS 6.xx, Win 3.11, Windows for workgroups, Win98, WinXP, VPC, and VS. Except for Win 3.11, I use all of them. Don't throw away OS's, and old programing tools. (I cleaned off my book shelf, and dumped some books dealing with DOS interrupts that I had not looked at for perhaps 10 years. 5 years later, with the advent of WinXP, I needed to patch an old program, and barely managed to do so without the docs) You never know when you need to work on a old program to run in a new OS. I document my source code to the point of redundancy, and still have problems with understanding what I did 10 years ago. Hardware is another story, as much as possible, adapt the programs, and your work to new hardware. It gets old, and with the exception of my serial digitizer, nothing has survived a couple of OS upgrades. Sounds like a lot of work?, not with the benefits of being able to move apps from one OS to another over 10-15 years. I bought my first DOS 2.0 pc about 1983, and never looked back.
-
@honoluludesktop said:
... after investing thousands on large format plotters, and printers that, finding no driver for Vista created hesitations in migrating.
for large format printers resp. pen and raster plotters supporting hpgl or hpgl/2 you may want check WinLINE which is avail for Win 2000/XP/2003/Vista x32/x64.
hth,
Norbert -
Hi Norbert, Thanks for trying to help. I looked at the product documentation, but it still requires hardware driver compatibility with the OS to output to a specific printer. In other words, if Vista can not see my printer, then no program running in Vista will be able to see it. Hopefully Win7 with VXP, and USB support will.
-
I am using Windows 7 RC 64 bit with SU7, and I haven't had one issue with Sketchup.... Interestingly, I am still battling to get AutoCAD 2007 to work right though....
I would say that Windows 7 is great, so much better then Vista. Although, I am running a pretty high end machine too...
-
@honoluludesktop said:
In other words, if Vista can not see my printer, then no program running in Vista will be able to see it.
of course, after installing an appropriate printer driver as e.g. WinLINE Vista and every other supported OS will 'know' your printer, i.e. every application which can print can output to the device... besides using a plen plotter and using a raster editor.
Installing the WL trial version might help to determine if printing/ploting works with your hpgl or hgp2/hprtl compatible device.
@honoluludesktop said:
Hopefully Win7 with VXP, and USB support will.
as I understodd, the virtual XP mode is supported only if a CPU with intel VT or AMD V support is used... which is e.g. not valid for the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8x00 series.
hth,
Norbert -
Windows 7 is much better than Windows Vista. Actually win7 is the same winvista but working normally.
-
Norbert, Perhaps I don't understand, but are you saying that WinLine is a Vista driver for my plotters and printers? If not, how can my hardware see Vista, and WinLine? The WinLine site doesn't make that claim, and as far as I can tell, WinLine is a program that takes a HPGL ascii file, and converts it into a data stream that a raster printer can print. I didn't see a claim that WinLine would function in place of a printer driver. We are currently using shareware to provide HPGL2Raster.
You are right, that for Win7's virtual machine features to function, the CPU and bios must be compatible. By the time Win7 is ready for release, I expect that all PC manufactures that install the OS will be able to meet these requirements.
Thanks for your suggestion, but we can't afford to purchase a Vista Computer just to see if WinLine can see the printers, and plotters:-)
-
@honoluludesktop said:
...but are you saying that WinLine is a Vista driver for my plotters and printers?
yes, if your printers/plotters are compatible to the hpgl1 or hpgl2/hprtl industry standard.
see list of supported devices on WL website or check the user manuals of your devices for supported formats.
@honoluludesktop said:
...and as far as I can tell, WinLine is a program that takes a HPGL ascii file, and converts it into a data stream that a raster printer can print.
no, WL is a standard windows printer driver, not a standalone application.
@honoluludesktop said:
I didn't see a claim that WinLine would function in place of a printer driver.
no, nobody has claimed that WL can drive every device on the world... which would be ridicolous in doing so.
as far as I understood you/we are are talking from large format printers aka plotters.
@honoluludesktop said:
...I expect that all PC manufactures that install the OS will be able to meet these requirements.
this is not my concern, my remark was targeted to users of existing systems or recent buyers which might want upgrade too.
@honoluludesktop said:
Thanks for your suggestion, but we can't afford to purchase a Vista Computer just to see if WinLine can see the printers, and plotters:-)
just install the trial on your e.g. WXP or 2003 system for your evaluation purposes.
compatibility with your output devices depends on the standards mentioned above and not on the underlying os, i.e. if working under XP it's pretty the same under Vista.
btw, a printer driver generally doesn't 'see' the hardware but does only convert the print data delivered from the application via the Windows GDI to the format required (e.g. PCL, HP-GL, HP-RTL, PostScript etc.), the communication w/ the output device is done by the spooler which is part of the Windows printing sub system only.
hth,
Norbert -
Wow, a 3d party printer driver. That is definitely worth a look. We have both large format printers, and plotters. In our office, less expensive large format inkjet printers, are slowly taking the place of vector plotters. Most of our CAD drawings are HPGL to Raster between 300 to 600 dpi, that are eventually archived as pdf files. You are right, I can evaluate the driver in WinXP.
I even see a "generic raster plotter" driver. Now if I can get MS Word to print in HP-RTL, maybe I don't have to replace some of our older desktop printers:-)
-
Advertisement