[sdiy] cool tool for panel designs
mark verbos
mverbos at earthlink.net
Sun Feb 6 23:54:40 CET 2005
Well, in that case it's a good thing that this page will output EPS,
PDF, HPGL and PNG! =)
just razzing you Peter...
Mark
Peter Grenader wrote:
>The bottom line, picture files used for imaged text and graphics which
>require sharp lines are iffy at best Stick with vector information -
>vector based EPS files. You can convert them to PDF format which can be
>read by Corral (sp?) Draw, which widely used by plating shops. takes care
>of the whole Mac/PC file debacle.
>
>- P
>
>
>harrybissell wrote:
>
>
>
>>People are confusing DOTS per inch with "Points"
>>
>>"point" has NOTHING TO DO WITH AS COMPUTER OR AN MONITOR !!!
>>
>>Maybe all those who keep saying 'dpi' should be sentenced to
>>setting the type for their business cards, by hand... from
>>big drawers of 'movable type' :^P
>>
>>I did this in print shop in 1968, when hand set type was
>>already obsolete. But it WILL teach you what 'point' means !!!
>>
>>H^) harry
>>
>>Peter Grenader wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Coming in on the middle of this (or maybe the end)... The 72 dot/inch
>>>standard is for COMPUTER MONITOR PREVIEWING ONLY as that's the pitch of most
>>>screens. If you want to image graphics using a bit file for a face plate,
>>>you need to go to 240 DPI minimum. This is the printing standard for single
>>>plate (single color) work. Trust me, I was an art director for 15 years and
>>>blew enough lousy film to encase the wall of China.
>>>
>>>harrybissell wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi JH
>>>>
>>>>not "dpi"
>>>>
>>>>Think little bits of metal type, stacked by hand to get the printed effect
>>>>you want. The way it was done 50 years ago... then you will have the idea
>>>>of the 'point' standard
>>>>
>>>>Sort of like the carryover from Roman chariot wheelbase to some modern
>>>>train track gauges :^P
>>>>
>>>>H^) harry
>>>>
>>>>"JH." wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Thanks to all who have told me about points.
>>>>>I knew about DPI stuff for printing, but didn't know there
>>>>>was a standard of 72.
>>>>>
>>>>>But anyway: I think the placement of the numbers around the tick marks is
>>>>>less than perfect. When I make my panels step by step in
>>>>>Frontplattendesigner,
>>>>>I often adjust the placement by hand, because the "default" position (as
>>>>>rotated
>>>>>around the center hole, and then around the number's own center point to
>>>>>get th eright orientation back) may look good for _some_ numbers, but
>>>>>not for all.
>>>>>For instance, if you have a "-8", the "optical gravity" (if there's
>>>>>omething
>>>>>like that) is not the default center point at all.
>>>>>
>>>>>JH.
>>>>>
>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>From: "Don Tillman" <don at till.com>
>>>>>To: "JH." <jhaible at debitel.net>
>>>>>Cc: <mverbos at earthlink.net>; <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
>>>>>Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 5:18 PM
>>>>>Subject: Re: [sdiy] cool tool for panel designs
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>From: "JH." <jhaible at debitel.net>
>>>>>>>Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 00:05:09 +0100
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Looks great -
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>But what do they mean with "radius in points" ??
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>Hey JH,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>"Point" is a measurement unit used in the printing industry, most
>>>>>>typically to specify the height of a font. A point is 1/72 of an
>>>>>>inch. (For you metric folks, that's 28.35 points per centipede.) A
>>>>>>typical font might be 12, 15 or 18 points in height.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>This tool is really just plugging parameters into a simple PostScript
>>>>>>program that draws the dial. And then it uses some convertomatic code
>>>>>>to present the other output forms. PostScript uses points as it's
>>>>>>default measurement unit, which makes sense given its application.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I have long recommend doing panel design by learning the PostScript
>>>>>>language, writing out the panel in raw PostScript, and sending that to
>>>>>>a laser printer. Here are a couple postings from a few years ago,
>>>>>>including an example that looks similar to the code generated by the
>>>>>>tool.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>-- Don
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Date: Wed Oct 31 09:35:50 -0800 2001
>>>>>>From: Don Tillman <don at till.com>
>>>>>>To: apogeesunset at juno.com
>>>>>>CC: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [sdiy] Front panel labeling
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 08:36:05 -0800
>>>>>>From: Casey J Crane <apogeesunset at juno.com>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Thanks for all the response to my front panel label question. Don
>>>>>>Tillman suggested I use "Raw Postscript" What do I need for that ?
>>>>>>Special software ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>So, Basically, what is postscript ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>PostScript is a "page description language", the language that most
>>>>>>laser printers use to print stuff. The technology is owned by Adobe,
>>>>>>but most of it is based on work from Xerox PARC (like almost all
>>>>>>modern computer technologies).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>PostScript is a very simple stack based language. (If you use an HP
>>>>>>calculator you're half way there.) The syntax is a little hard to
>>>>>>read, but no compiler is needed. The exciting thing about it is the
>>>>>>set of functions that are available for doing all sorts of 2D graphics
>>>>>>operations on paper output and the fact that you can build up and
>>>>>>customize these operations for your needs. Line drawing, filling,
>>>>>>rotation, translation, scaling, colors, curves, regions... everything
>>>>>>you need, because that's what the printer uses to print everything
>>>>>>you normally print.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Best way to learn is to pick up a copy of the "PostScript Lanaguage
>>>>>>Tutorial and Cookbook" and the "PostScript Language Reference
>>>>>>Manual". (These are somewhat old, they may have been replaced with
>>>>>>something with a similar title.) The physical books are nice to have,
>>>>>>but you can also download a free copy of the reference manual from
>>>>>>Adobe.
>>>>>>http://www.adobe.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Just use your favorite text editor to write the PostScript code (I use
>>>>>>Emacs with PostScript mode!) and ship it to your printer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>To save trees while you try things out I highly recommend a program
>>>>>>called "GhostScript" which will do a screen display.
>>>>>>http://www.ghostscript.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Adobe Photoshop can read PostScript and render it beautifully, but
>>>>>>doesn't provide any debugging help. With PhotoShop you can make gif
>>>>>>files to include your artwork in a web page; I've used this technique
>>>>>>for a number of the articles on my web site.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>-- Don
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>Don Tillman
>>>>>>Palo Alto, California, USA
>>>>>>don at till.com
>>>>>>http://www.till.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Date: Tue May 28 11:26:17 -0700 2002
>>>>>>From: Don Tillman <don at till.com>
>>>>>>To: amajorel at teaser.fr
>>>>>>CC: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [sdiy] dial graduations
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 15:33:48 +0200
>>>>>>>From: Andre Majorel <amajorel at teaser.fr>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On 2002-05-23 21:25 -0700, Don Tillman wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>From: "Michael Ruberto" <frankentron at hotmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 21:46:25 -0400
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I am in the process of designing front panel graphics for all
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>my modules so I can have them laser etched. the biggest
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>problem
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>so far is creating the tick marks to go around the knobs. I am
>>>>>>>>>doing it "by hand" in photoshop but it is really quite time
>>>>>>>>>consuming. is hand drawing these the only way to go?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>This is very easy to do in raw PostScript.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Interesting. Would you care to post a code fragment, for those
>>>>>>>of us who don't mumble PostScript in their sleep ?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>(Hey, you wouldn't ask this of that guy who suggests doing everything
>>>>>>with a PIC!)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Below is a PostScript program for drawing three dial scales, complete
>>>>>>with center crosses. See, it's easy.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Note that there are several very cool features about this approach.
>>>>>>It's accurate in the sense that you can say "I want this switch
>>>>>>*here*", where here is the measurement you specifcy with respect to any
>>>>>>other point you specify. You can parameterize stuff, so that if you
>>>>>>decide later to change the style of something you only have to change
>>>>>>one parameter. And you have complete control over everything.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----------------
>>>>>>initgraphics
>>>>>>
>>>>>>%% scale to inches
>>>>>>72.0 72.0 scale
>>>>>>
>>>>>>%% draw the center cross
>>>>>>/center-cross-size 0.25 def
>>>>>>
>>>>>>/draw-center-cross {
>>>>>>gsave
>>>>>>1.0 72.0 div setlinewidth
>>>>>>-0.5 center-cross-size mul 0.0 moveto
>>>>>>+0.5 center-cross-size mul 0.0 lineto
>>>>>>0.0 -0.5 center-cross-size mul moveto
>>>>>>0.0 +0.5 center-cross-size mul lineto stroke
>>>>>>grestore
>>>>>>} def
>>>>>>
>>>>>>/dial-inside-radius 0.5 def
>>>>>>/dial-outside-radius 0.75 def
>>>>>>/dial-arc 270 def
>>>>>>
>>>>>>%% draw a dial here
>>>>>>%% stack:
>>>>>>%% n divisions
>>>>>>/draw-dial {
>>>>>>gsave
>>>>>>currentpoint translate
>>>>>>draw-center-cross
>>>>>>0 1 2 index
>>>>>>{
>>>>>>gsave
>>>>>>1 index div dial-arc mul dial-arc 0.5 mul sub rotate
>>>>>>0.0 dial-inside-radius moveto
>>>>>>0.0 dial-outside-radius lineto stroke
>>>>>>grestore
>>>>>>} for
>>>>>>grestore
>>>>>>pop
>>>>>>} def
>>>>>>
>>>>>>1.5 72.0 div setlinewidth
>>>>>>
>>>>>>%% draw a few dials
>>>>>>2.0 8.0 moveto 10 draw-dial
>>>>>>4.0 8.0 moveto 10 draw-dial
>>>>>>6.0 8.0 moveto 10 draw-dial
>>>>>>showpage
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>>-- Don
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>Don Tillman
>>>>>>Palo Alto, California, USA
>>>>>>don at till.com
>>>>>>http://www.till.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>
>
>
>
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