Using Printing key-ins

You can submit printed output to a printer via key-ins from the key-in window. Printing key-ins provide additional key-in options for customizing your print files to specific criteria. You can use these key-ins directly, in BASIC macros or in MDL applications.

Printing key-ins are provided by the “plotdlg.ma” printing application.

One-step Key-ins

You can use a one-step key-in to set up and produce printed output in one step. For example, you can use:

PRINT <configuration> <filename>

to bypass the Print dialog box. All printing key-ins are accessible from the MDL application “plotdlg.ma.” You can execute a one-step key-in before or after loading “plotdlg.ma.”

Combined Key-ins

You can use Combined Key-ins to both set up and produce printed output. For example, you can use PRINT DRIVER, PRINT BOUNDARY FENCE and PRINT SCALE to set up the printed output, and then use PRINT EXECUTE to produce the print. Most of the combined key-ins require that “plotdlg.ma” be loaded prior to the key-in being executed. Even those key-ins that are valid prior to “plotdlg.ma” being loaded result in it being loaded.

You can key in multiple combined key-ins, separating each with a semi-colon (;).

Using combined key-ins to select the postscript printer, fence contents, set scale and then create the print file

1. Use the Place Fence tool to place a fence around the area to be printed.


2. In the key-in window, key in the following:
   PRINT DRIVER pscript.plt; PRINT BOUNDARY fence; PRINT SCALE 2:1; PRINT EXECUTE section1.eps
   to create a postscript print file named “section1.eps” containing a 2:1 scale printout of the contents of a fence.
   For a full list of combined key-ins, see Combined Key-ins.