Starbase Functionality

Hardware Character Sets

The CADplt2 driver supports hardware generated text through the Starbase designate_character_set subroutine. Check the device hardware manual to see if the device will support the designated character set. The recognized character set names appear in the following lists.




	NOTE: Hardware character sets are not supported when the device is `gopen`ed with `INT_XFORM`.

Table 2-4 Hardware Character Sets Unique to CADplt2

`ansi_8`	`hpkana8`	`iso16_portuguese`
`apl_bit`	`hpkatakana`	`iso17_spanish`
`apl_typewriter`	`hpkorean8`	`iso21_german`
`arabic`	`hplarge`	`iso25_french`
`ascii_cyrillic`	`hplatinspanish`	`iso2_irv`
`cyrillic`	`hplegal`	`iso57_chinese`
`default`	`hpline`	`iso60_norwegian`
`denmark_pc8`	`hpmath7`	`iso61_norwegian`
`ecma_latin1`	`hpmath8`	`iso69_french`
`hparabic8`	`hppi`	`iso84_portuguese`
`hpblock`	`hproman8`	`iso85_spanish`
`hpeurospanish`	`hpromanext`	`iso4_united`
`hpgerman`	`hpspanish`	`line_draw8`
`hpgl_download`	`hpthai8`	`norway_pc8`
`hpgl_drafting`	`turkish8`	`ocr-a`
`hpgl_symbols`	`iso10_swedish`	`ocr-b`
`hpgreek8`	`iso11_swedish`	`ocr-m`
`hphebrew7`	`iso13_katakana`	`oem_1`
`hphebrew8`	`usi14_jisascii`	`us_pc8`
`hphpl`	`iso15_italian`

Table 2-5 Character Set Names Common to the CADplt and CADplt2 drivers

`usascii`	`katakana`	`iso_united`
`french`	`iso_irv`	`iso_italian`
`german`	`iso_swedish_1`	`iso_spanish`
`spanish`	`iso_swedish_2`	`iso_portugues`*
`special`	`iso_norway_v1`	`iso_norway_v2`
`jisascii`	`iso_german`	`iso_french_v2`
`hproman`	`iso_french_v1`	`iso_drafting`

* This is not a typographical error. The program recognizes this spelling.

NOTE: The following character set names are not available in the CADplt2 driver, but are available in the CADplt driver:

9825
scandinavian
kanji_v1
kanji_v2

Typefaces

By using the gescape HPGL2_FONT_TYPEFACE you may select from the following list of font typespaces supported by HP-GL/2. The number in the left column is the gescape argument required to select that particular typeface.

Table 2-6 HP-GL/2 Typefaces

Argument	Typeface	Argument	Typeface
00	`line_draw`	43	`itc_papf_chancery`
01	`pica`	44	`clarendon`
02	`elite`	45	`itc_zapf_dingbats`
03	`courier`	46	`cooper`
04	`helv`	47	`itc_bookman`
05	`tmsrmn`	48	`stick`
06	`letter_gothic`	49	`hpgl_drafting`
07	`script`	50	`hpgl_arc`
08	`prestige`	51	`gil_sans`
09	`caslon`	52	`univers`
10	`orator`	53	`bodini`
11	`presentations`	54	`rockwell`
12	`helv_condensed`	55	`melior`
13	`serifa`	56	`itc_tiffany`
14	`futura`	57	`itc_clearface`
15	`palatino`	58	`amelia`
16	`itc_souvenir`	59	`park_avenue`
17	`optima`	60	`handel_gothic`
18	`itc_garamond`	61	`dom_casual`
19	`cooper_black`	62	`itc_benguiat`
20	`ribbon`	63	`itc_cheltenham`
21	`broadway`	64	`century_expanded`
22	`bauer_bodini_condensed`	65	`franklin_gothic`
23	`century_schoolbook`	66	`franklin_gothic_condensed`
24	`university_roman`	67	`franklin_gothic_` `extra_condensed`
25	`helv_outline`	68	`plantin`
26	`futura_condensed`	69	`trump_mediaeval`
27	`itc_korinna`	70	(unused)
28	`naskh`	71	`itc_american_typewriter`
29	`cloister_black`	72	`antique_olive`
30	`itc_galliard`	73	`antique_olive_compact`
31	`itc_avant_garde`	74	`itc_bauhaus`
32	`brush`	75	`century_oldstyle`
33	`blippo`	76	`itc_eras`
34	`hobo`	77	`friz_quadrata`
35	`windsor`	78	`itc_lubalin`
36	`helv_compressed`	79	`eurostile`
37	`helv_extra_compressed`	80	`eurostile_expanded`
38	`peignot`	81	`itc_serif_gothic`
39	`baskerville`	82	`signet_roundhand`
40	`itc_garamond_` `condensed`	83	`souvenir_gothic`
41	`trade_gothic`	84	`stymie`
42	`goudy_old_style`	85	`univers_condensed`

Error Reporting and Buffer Mode

The CADplt2 driver implements buffer mode by sending an output error command to the device during the make_picture_current driver entrypoint. If buffer mode is enabled, upper-level Starbase will automatically call

make_picture_current

after every logical set of output primitives, thus, checking for errors periodically.

Hardware Polygon Support

All Starbase polygon interiors and borders are drawn by using the device's hardware support for polygons. This will normally result in an increase in rendering speed and a decrease in the size of spooled files. Polygon hardware support conforms to Starbase specifications as defined in the Starbase Graphics Techniques manual. Hardware support is provided through the use of the HP-GL/2 commands PM, FP, and EP.

Consult your device's hardware manual for the actual number of vertices supported. You cannot turn off hardware support of polygons.^[15] However, since the HP-GL/2 language specifies that hardware supporting HP-GL/2 must be able to draw polygons with at least 512 vertices, all polygons with greater than this number of vertices will be split in software. Once split, polygons of 512 or fewer vertices will be sent to the hardware to draw. Be aware that this process can be slow in the worst cases.

Hardware Text Support

Starbase text can be drawn by using the device's hardware support for text. This support is conditional on use of the Starbase procedure text_precision with a precision parameter of STRING_TEXT. This will normally result in an increase in rendering speed, a decrease in the size of spooled files, and an increase in text quality. Features supported by device hardware generated text and Starbase software generated text appear in the following table.

Table 2-7 Hardware Text Support

Starbase Call	Parameter	CADplt2
`text_precision`	`STRING_TEXT`	yes
`text_path`	`PATH_LEFT`	yes ^[1]
`text_path`	`PATH_UP`	yes ^[2]
`text_path`	`PATH_DOWN`	yes ^[3]
`text_font_index`	〈`index`〉 = 1,2,4,6,8	yes ^[4]
`text_alignment`	`TA_CONTINUOUS_HORIZONTAL`	no
`text_alignment`	`TA_CONTINUOUS_VERTICAL`	no
`text_alignment`	`TA_CAP`	no
`text_alignment`	`TA_BASE`	no
`text_line_path`	(all)	*yes
^[1]See the table: Supported Combinations of `test_path` and `test_line_path`. ^[2]See the table: Supported Combinations of `test_path` and `test_line_path`. ^[3]See the table: Supported Combinations of `test_path` and `test_line_path`. ^[4]See the table: Starbase Support of Font Typeface.

Support of Starbase Font Typefaces

Starbase supports font typeface selection but only in a limited way. Through the call text_font_index, the index passed to the function indicates the following combinations of typeface, font spacing, and stroke weight. The CADplt2 driver supports the Starbase font indices in the following table; however, for a more extensive font typeface selection, use the gescape provided to access all the HP-GL/2 typefaces.

Table 2-8 Hardware Support of Text Font Indices

Font	Description
`1`	Stick font, fixed
`2`	Stick font, proportional
`4` ^[1]	Sans serif, proportional, normal stroke
`6` ^[2]	Sans serif, proportional, bold stroke
`8` ^[3]	Serif, proportional, bold stroke
^[1]The HP-GL/2 language does not have sans serif or serif typefaces. Requesting sans serif will select Helv and serif will select Tms Rmn. ^[2]The HP-GL/2 language does not have sans serif or serif typefaces. Requesting sans serif will select Helv and serif will select Tms Rmn. ^[3]The HP-GL/2 language does not have sans serif or serif typefaces. Requesting sans serif will select Helv and serif will select Tms Rmn.

HP-GL/2 supports proportional fonts if they are present in the device. If a proportional font is selected, inquire_text_extent will return the bounding rectangle of a fixed font.

Supported Combinations of text_path, text_line_path

Other features of Starbase include text_path and text_line_path. Text path specifies which way to move the current position after each character. Text line path specifies the movement of the current position after a line-feed is encounted. Each path type has four possible values: up, down, left, and right. The following table is a quick reference for supported combinations of both text and line path.

Table 2-9 Supported Combinations of text_path and text_line_path

	text_line_path
text_path	`path_right`	`path_left`	`path_up`	`path_down`
`path_right`	no	no	yes	yes
`path_left`	no	no	yes	yes
`path_up`	yes	yes	no	no
`path_down`	yes	yes	no	no

Pen Selection

See the section “Color Table ” under "Device Defaults" in this chapter for a detailed discussion about pen selection.

Roll Paper, Autoloading and Rasterizing

The device driver will attempt to set the paper size and perform a page feed using the HP-GL/2 commands PS and PG when the Starbase procedure gclose is called. This will cause those devices using roll paper or having autoloading capabilities to feed the current drawing out. Some devices use the PG command as a signal to begin rasterization. Devices supporting this functionality are shown below:

HP C1600A
HP C1601A
HP C1600A B/W Electrostatic, D-size (HP 7600 Model 240D)
HP C1601A B/W Electrostatic, E-size (HP 7600 Model 240E)
HP C1620A Color Electrostatic (HP 7600 Model 355)
HP C1625A B/W Electrostatic, US D-size (HP 7600 Model 250)
HP C1627A B/W Electrostatic, US E-size (HP 7600 Model 255)
HP C1629A B/W Electrostatic, EUROPE A1-size (HP 7600 Model 250)
HP C1631A B/W Electrostatic, EUROPE A0-size (HP 7600 Model 255)

New Device Support

All of the following HP-GL/2 commands are used by the CADplt2 driver. When attempting to use this device driver with unsupported devices, be sure the device implements the same commands.

Table 2-10 HP-GL/2 Command Support

`AD`	`IN`	`OP`	`RP`
`CR`	`IP`	`PC`	`SA`
`DF`	`LB`	`PE`	`SC`
`DI`	`LO`	`PG`	`SD`
`DV`	`LT`	`PM`	`SR`
`EC`	`MT`	`PS`	`SL`
`EP`	`NP`	`PW`	`SS`
`ES`	`OE`	`QL`	`VS`
`FP`	`OI`




	NOTE: The `PE` command encapsulates the functionality of the following commands: `PA`, `PR`, `PU`, `PD`, and `SP`; thus, they are no longer needed.

Exceptions to Standard Starbase Support

Commands Not Supported (no-ops)

The following commands are not supported. If one of these commands is used, it will be ignored.

alpha_transparency                   display_enable
await_retrace                        double_buffer
backface_control                     drawing_mode
background_color                     file_to_bitmap
background_color_index               file_to_dcbitmap
bank_switch                          file_to_intbitmap
bf_alpha_transparency                fill_dither
bf_control                           hidden_surface
bf_fill_color                        intbitmap_print
bf_interior_style                    intbitmap_to_file
bf_perimeter_color                   intblock_move
bf_perimeter_repeat_length           intblock_read
bf_perimeter_type                    intblock_write
bf_surface_coefficients              interior_style (INT_OUTLINE)
bf_surface_model                     interior_style (INT_POINT)
bf_texture_index                     intline_width
bitmap_print                         light_ambient
bitmap_to_file                       light_attenuation
block_move                           light_model
block_read                           light_source
block_write                          light_switch
clear_control                        line_endpoint
contour_enable                       line_filter
dbuffer_switch                       pattern_define
dcbitmap_print                       perimeter_filter
dcbitmap_to_file                     set_capping_planes
dcblock_move                         set_model_clip_indicator
dcblock_read                         set_model_clip_volume
dcblock_write                        shade_mode
define_contour_table                 shade_range
define_raster_echo                   surface_coefficients
define_texture                       surface_model
define_trimming_curve                texture_index
deformation_mode                     texture_viewport
depth_cue                            texture_window
depth_cue_color                      viewpoint
depth_cue_range                      write_enable
depth_cue-range                         zbuffer_switch

Commands Conditionally Supported

The following commands are supported under the listed conditions:

clear_view_surface

Indicates a new page on devices with automatic paper feeders.^[16]

define_color_table

Updates software color table only. An operator must physically change the pens on a pen plotter — color electrostatic plotters support this fully.

hatch_spacing

Care should be taken to specify spacings greater than or equal to one pen width.

interior_style

Only the INT_SOLID, INT_HATCH, and INT_HOLLOW styles are supported.

vertex_format

The 〈use〉 parameter must be zero, any extra coordinates supplied will be ignored.

with_data

The following routines are called with_data routines because they contain with_data in their routine names. These with_data routines are supported by the CADPLT2 graphics device.

partial_polygon_with_data3d
polygon_with_data3d
polyhedron_with_data
polyline_with_data3d
polymarker_with_data3d
quadrilateral_mesh_with_data
triangle_strip_with_data

For detailed information on these routines, read the Starbase Reference. In some cases, you will be able to find the routines under their own name, but in other cases, you will need to use the first part of the routine name to locate these routines (e.g., polyline_with_data3d is described on the man page for polyline(3G)).

^[15]The present exception to this is for polygons drawn with the interior_style parameter INT_HATCH. At this time, hatching is performed only through software.

^[16]Some plotters will only eject the paper if it has been plotted on.