Do you still use PLT files?

[Anonymous]

I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
not a solution from what I was told.

Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.

Guess I'll have to add PLT output to my automated system
so I don't have to do each sheet one at at time.

[Anonymous]

never have used it, although I've still had contractors try to submit
their as-builts that way... 😕

On 3/12/2010 11:50 AM, Jason Piercey wrote:
> I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
> I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
> acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
> and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
> not a solution from what I was told.
>
> Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.
>
> Guess I'll have to add PLT output to my automated system
> so I don't have to do each sheet one at at time.

[Anonymous]

We use PLTs extensively. Our print system's will take PLTs or TIFFs.
We could upgrade the system to accept PDFs for $2,500. Management
wasn't that into it.

[Anonymous]

We used to do PLTs till our clients started demanding for PDFs.
Then Autodesk came out with DWFs which though are smaller in size they are
less known by the client.
None of them wish to intall another application (dwfviewer) into their
system.

Paul

"Jason Piercey" wrote in message
news:6354016@discussion.autodesk.com...
I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
not a solution from what I was told.

Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.

Guess I'll have to add PLT output to my automated system
so I don't have to do each sheet one at at time.

[Anonymous]

Used to, have not in many years.

The downsides to PLT files were that they are device specific, and you often had
to install a low-level, dummy HPGL/2 plotter to get a compatible PLT for the
recipient to use. But it would not support some of the more advanced features
like gradients or wipeouts.

The other huge problem is that they are huge.

We started using DWFs exclusively. Zero problems in plotting, a single DWF can
contain the entire sheet set, we can view and mark them up, and they are super
small.

Matt
matt@stachoni.com



On Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:50:49 -0800, Jason Piercey wrote:

>I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
>I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
>acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
>and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
>not a solution from what I was told.
>
>Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.
>
>Guess I'll have to add PLT output to my automated system
>so I don't have to do each sheet one at at time.

[Anonymous]

Do you generate them with a PC3 file and Publish with
pagesetup overrides via the SSM? I just tried that on
a sheet set and the result is complete gibberish using a
plot file viewer I just downloaded (abviewer)

"Terry Scanlon" wrote in message news:6354042@discussion.autodesk.com...
We use PLTs extensively.

[Anonymous]

"Matt Stachoni" <...> wrote in message news:6354090@discussion.autodesk.com...
> Used to, have not in many years.

Nor had I until the other day.


> The downsides to PLT files were that they are device specific, and you often had
> to install a low-level, dummy HPGL/2 plotter to get a compatible PLT for the
> recipient to use. But it would not support some of the more advanced features
> like gradients or wipeouts.

I recall them being device specific and it always being a PITA
to get them to work properly.


> We started using DWFs exclusively. Zero problems in plotting, a single DWF can
> contain the entire sheet set, we can view and mark them up, and they are super
> small.

Unfortunatley I'm not in a position to dictate what format
they receive, otherwise PDF's would be it. I'm guessing
that if they are flipping out over a PDF, DWF isn't going to
fly either.

[Anonymous]

for bulk paper plots with the highest quality output - yeah we use .plt files.

pdfs are okay but they are a little less "crisp", if you want to be picky about it, depending on the hardware of course.

"Jason Piercey" wrote in message news:6354016@discussion.autodesk.com...
I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
not a solution from what I was told.

Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.

Guess I'll have to add PLT output to my automated system
so I don't have to do each sheet one at at time.

[Anonymous]

When we do create PLTS, we make sure they're created using an HPGL/2 printer
driver.
Then we use a product called ViewCompanion to view, print and even batch
convert PLTs to PDFs:

http://www.softwarecompanions.com/viewcomp.html

You may also try the latest free Kip Request software that let's you preview
HPGL/2 PLT files for free but monochrome only:

http://www.kipamerica.com/software_downloads.asp?sid=5

Paul

"Jason Piercey" wrote in message
news:6354161@discussion.autodesk.com...
Do you generate them with a PC3 file and Publish with
pagesetup overrides via the SSM? I just tried that on
a sheet set and the result is complete gibberish using a
plot file viewer I just downloaded (abviewer)

"Terry Scanlon" wrote in message
news:6354042@discussion.autodesk.com...
We use PLTs extensively.

[Anonymous]

I'll have to investigate drivers, etc.. Hopefully they won't ask for them
anymore and I won't have to worry about it 🙂 Thanks for the links.

"A+P" wrote in message news:6354194@discussion.autodesk.com...
When we do create PLTS, we make sure they're created using an HPGL/2 printer
driver.
Then we use a product called ViewCompanion to view, print and even batch
convert PLTs to PDFs:

http://www.softwarecompanions.com/viewcomp.html

You may also try the latest free Kip Request software that let's you preview
HPGL/2 PLT files for free but monochrome only:

http://www.kipamerica.com/software_downloads.asp?sid=5

Paul

[Anonymous]

Jason Piercey wrote in news:6354016
@discussion.autodesk.com:

> I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
> I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
> acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
> and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
> not a solution from what I was told.
>
> Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.
>
> Guess I'll have to add PLT output to my automated system
> so I don't have to do each sheet one at at time.

nope never have here

[Anonymous]

Jason Piercey wrote:
> I was asked by a client the other day to provide a PLT file(s).
> I haven't been asked for one of those in years. PDF wasn't
> acceptable since "they" do not have a "converter" for PDF
> and in-house plotting. Opening the PDF and printing it was
> not a solution from what I was told.
>
> Curious how many of you still use/produce PLT files.

Yes. Plain old HP-GL/2 output from an old HP750C driver is our primary
output file type.
We use Repro Desk as our primary in-house reprographics application.



--
R.K. McSwain
http://cadpanacea.com