print to file

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 23 Oct 2001 8:36 pm

In my Cad program I can have the choice of sending the drawing to the printer ( at this point the file has a .DW2 extension) to make a hard copy, or save the drawing to file which anyone can print out even if they don't have the Cad software (at this point the file has no extension). Works OK until I email the file.

As a test, I saved the drawing to the file format & emailed the it as an attachment to myself and it arrives as I sent it, with no extension. However, in the process of saving the attachment, a .Dat extension is added to the end of the file.

Now here is the funny thing.
I can make a hard copy of the file I sent to myself, using the Dos commands copy "filename.dat" prn.
Works great. But when I emailed the file to my buddy it would not print out for him, everything being equal.

I hope you folks can understand what I am trying to say.
Joe

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 24 Oct 2001 2:14 am

I would suspect the person you sent the file to doesn't have the cad program. Even tho it came back as a "data" file, internally when you printed it the cad program was called.

Try it to another person that does not have the cad program and it will probably do the same thing.

This is a "W.A.G" but an educated W.A.G.

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 24 Oct 2001 6:31 am

Jack
You are right. When I send it to my buddy who does not have the program, it won't print.
So the "print to file" file, can only be used if the other putr has the software???

Thanks
Joe

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 24 Oct 2001 7:10 am

Another possibility is that when you print to file the commands to the printer are also included. Those commands can be in one of several printer languages. Some printer languages are Postscript, HPGL, and hp's native langage with will also take plain text. Not all printers speak the same languages! If your friend has a printer that doesn't recognize poscript or HPGL, chances are that is the problem. Take a look at the first few lines of the print file with notepad or some other editor (but not a word processor) and you'll probably be able to guess what printer language is being used. I'll bet on HPGL.