Project: HiCAD Basics

Print Drawing

Drawing > Save/Print > List

Use this function to print several drawings (even without HELiOS) in one step, without having to open them beforehand.

In addition, you can export the files as Postscript files and auto-convert them (with the help of an appropriate interpreter, e.g. Ghostscript) into PDF files or other formats, or combine them in one document.

When you call the function, the Print drawing dialogue window will be displayed. It consists of the following tabs:

Model/Sheet area,
PS/XPS Settings

On the Model/Sheet area tab you specify the settings for the printed output and determine which views are to be considered. Instead of printing the drawing on a specified printer you can also export views to XPS or Postscript format and then convert them to PDF files or other formats such as TIFF. The desired settings for the conversion can be specified on the PS/XPS Settings tab. Please note however that certain conditions must be fulfilled for this.

AutoRepeat function after output

If this checkbox is active, the dialogue window will remain open with its current settings after execution of the function. Otherwise it will be closed after executing the function.

Starts the function.

Cancel
Cancels the function and closes the dialogue window.

Important:

Please note that this function is not included in HiCAD's standard range of features, but is only optionally available!
Select Drawing > Save/Print > List > Print all view areas) function to print all or several model and sheet views of a drawing in one step. In addition, you can export the views as Postscript files and auto-convert them (with the help of an appropriate interpreter, e.g. Ghostscript) into PDF files or other formats, or combine them within one document.

Model/Sheet area

On the Model/Sheet area tab you specify the following settings:

the views that you want to print,
the settings for the printed output.

Settings

Here you specify the default settings for the printed output. First specify, by selection from the list boxes, the Printing device, the Paper format, the Paper tray, Orientation and the number of Copies.

Then determine, by activating/deactivating the corresponding checkboxes,

whether you want to print the drawing in colour,
whether you want the line width to be scaled as well in scaled outputs. If so, the lines will be printed thinner in downsized outputs, and thicker in enlarged outputs, respectively,
whether you want the output be centred on the sheet.

Specify the Page margins by entering the desired value.

Click the icon to open the Printer colours/Line widths dialogue window, where you can assign to the current system colours and drawing colours a printer colour and a particular line width.

Print only sheet areas

If this checkbox is active, all model views will be deactivated in the Output Settings, i.e. only the sheet views will remain active.

Files

In this area you can specify which files you want to print.

	Add file Select the folder and the desired SZA file. The file will then be added to the list.
	Add all files of one directory Select the desired folder. All SZA files in this folder will be added to the list.
	Load SSL file Reads the files to be processed from an LST file. You can create these files manually with a text editor such as the Windows Notepad. Each file name must appear in a separate row, with a completely specified path. Example: F:\test1\SHEET_MEATL_TROUGH.sza F:\test1\CHAMFER.sza F:\test1\JOINT_LEVER.sza
	Save SSL file Saves the current file list as an LST file.
	Remove marked file from list Removes the marked file from the file list.
	Remove all files from list Removes the complete file list.

PS/XPS Settings

Instead of printing the views on a selected printer you can export the views as XPS or Postscript files and auto-convert them into PDF files or other formats, e.g. TIFF.

The following conditions must be fulfilled for this:

Ther HiCAD Postscript printer driver (ISD File Printer) must be installed. You can find this driver on the HiCAD Installation DVD. Insert the DVD and select the PostScript Printer option under Client Installations.
A suitable interpreter for XPS, Postscript and PDF is required, e.g. Ghostscript. Please note that this interpreter will not be supplied with HiCAD!
For XPS files an appropriate printer driver is required, e.g. Microsoft XPS Document Writer. Please note that this driver will not be supplied with HiCAD!

ISD File Printer Output

Target directory	Here you select the directory where the Postscript files are to be stored. These files have the name MPLOTn.PLO.PS, with n being a consecutive number. Please note: If a mandatory directory field is empty, a corresponding error message will be displayed. If the specified directory does not exist, HiCAD will ask whether it should be created. If you have specified the directory name without the letter indicating the drive, HiCAD will check if such a directory exists in the EXE folder of the HiCAD installation. if this is not the case, HiCAD will ask whether this directory should be created. If you call the Send print job function again, files that already existed in the target directory will be overwritten!
Combine PS files	If this checkbox is active, the Postscript files will be combined within a file called MPLOT.PLO.PS.ALL.PS. If the Postprocessing checkbox is active, only one file will be created. In this way multi-paged PDF and TIF files can be created.
Postprocessing	If a suitable interpreter, e.g. Ghostscript, is used, you can auto-convert the PostScript files into another format, e.g. PDF or TIF. Activate the Postprocessing checkbox and enter in the corresponding conversion command in the Command line field.
Command line	If the Postprocessing checkbox is active, enter the corresponding conversion command in this field. Further information can be found in the Help of the corresponding interpreter. Example for Ghostscript: C:\Program Files\gs\gs9.05\bin\gswin64c -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dPDFA -sDEVICE="pdfwrite" -sOutputFile="<FilePath><FileName>.pdf" <CurrentFile> converts the Postscript files into PDF files C:\Program Files\gs\gs9.05\bin\gswin64c -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE="tiffg4" -sOutputFile="<FilePath><FileName>.tif" <CurrentFile> converts the Postscript files into TIF files Right-click to open a context menu that supports you with the entering of the command line.
Delete source file after processing	If you activate this checkbox, the PS files will be deleted after conversion.

XPS export

Target directory	Here you select the directory where the XPS files are to be stored. These files have the name MPLOTn.PLO.XPS, with n being a consecutive number. Please note: If a mandatory directory field is empty, a corresponding error message will be displayed. If the specified directory does not exist, HiCAD will ask whether it should be created. If you have specified the directory name without the letter indicating the drive, HiCAD will check if such a directory exists in the EXE folder of the HiCAD installation. if this is not the case, HiCAD will ask whether this directory should be created. If you call the Send print job function again, files that already existed in the target directory will be overwritten!
Postprocessing	If a suitable interpreter is used, you can auto-convert the XPS files into another format, e.g. PDF. Activate the Postprocessing checkbox and enter in the corresponding conversion command in the Command line field.
Command line	If the Postprocessing checkbox is active, enter the corresponding conversion command in this field. Further information can be found in the Help of the corresponding interpreter. Right-click to open a context menu that supports you with the entering of the command line.
Delete source	If you activate this checkbox, the XPS files will be deleted after conversion.

Print Drawing • Colours/Line Widths

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