Printing and Plotting

This chapter describes printing and plotting from Advanced Design System. You can send output to printers and plotters as well as to file in a variety of formats. When printing to file, the format of the file is determined by the current output device and the file is saved in the current project directory.

You can connect any output device that is supported by your operating system. To connect additional printers and plotters, and select a default printer, choose the appropriate method for your platform:


The basic Print commands are summarized next:

Note
For detailed information on printing and print setup options on the PC, refer to your Windows documentation.

Because print methods can vary significantly between UNIX and the PC, this section describes printing from these platforms separately. Refer to the appropriate section for your platform:

Printing from UNIX

Printing and plotting from Advanced Design System on UNIX is accomplished by establishing the desired print setup and then choosing File > Print.

The Print Setup and related dialog boxes enable you to:

When you select a printer/plotter, you can also change the following default printer/plotter-specific options:

When you choose File > Print, you can select from the following additional options:

Your print setup is saved in $HOME/.Xprinterdefaults. If you do not have a local copy of this file, or the file .Xpdefaults (from a previous release), the default file is read from the $HPEESOF_DIR/xprinter directory. When you change your print setup, the changes are saved (as new defaults) to $HOME/.Xprinterdefaults.

Note
If you do have a file .Xpdefaults (from a previous release), the settings of this file are copied to the new filename to serve as the starting point for your print setup. Both files are valid, depending on which release of ADS you are using. The old file is maintained for running an earlier version of ADS, but the new file is used when you run ADS 1.5 (or later).

Setting Up a Printer

The Print Setup dialog box enables you to setup and manage your printer options.

To access the Print Setup dialog box,

  1. Choose File > Print Setup. The Print Setup dialog box appears.

For detailed information on using the Print Setup dialog box, refer to the table below.

Using the Print Setup Dialog Box
Option Description
Printer Use this section of the Print Setup dialog box to define and manage your printers.
Name: Select a printer from the Name drop-down list. If the printer you want to use is not available in the list, click the Printer Management button. For more information, refer to Managing Printers.
Printer Management If you want to add, replace, or remove a printer, click the Printer Management button to access the Printer Management dialog box. For more information, refer to Managing Printers.
Model Info: This section displays the selected printer model information.
Resolution (dpi): This option enables you to set the print quality (resolution) in dots per inch (dpi).
Scale Factor (%): This option enables you to set a scaling factor that defines the percentage of normal size by which to enlarge or reduce the document on the page. Default is 100%.
Paper Use this section of the Print Setup dialog box to define the paper settings.
Size: Use the Size drop-down menu to select the paper size. Default is Letter.
Note that paper sizes can vary depending on the paper manufacturer. If you own a printer that provides a specific paper size that you are not familiar with, consult your printer manual for information on the paper size options available. The more common American paper sizes are listed below in inches (Width vs. Height).
Letter = 8.50" (W) x 11.00" (H)
Executive = 7.25" (W) x 10.55" (H)
Legal = 8.50" (W) x 14.00" (H)
Tabloid = 17.00" (W) x 11.00" (H)
Ledger = 11.00" (W) x 17.00" (H)
Consult the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for standard A through D-sizes as well as RA and SRA-sizes.
Source: Use the Source drop-down menu to select the tray that has the paper you want to use. For more information, consult your printer documentation. Default is the Upper tray.
Duplexing: The Duplexing drop-down menu enables you to print on both sides of the paper. The options available are:
  • None - No duplexing, the document will only print on one side of the paper.
  • Flip on Short Edge - This option prints on both sides of each sheet and flips the page along the short edge of the paper.
  • Flip on Long Edge - This option prints on both sides of each sheet of paper and flips the page along the long edge of the paper.
    The default Duplexing option is None.
Orientation Use this section of the Print Setup dialog box to define the orientation of your printed page.
Portrait Click this option if you want your output printed in portrait orientation mode. Portrait is taller than it is wide when you view the text right-side up. Default is activated.
Landscape Click this option if you want your output printed in landscape orientation mode. Landscape is wider than it is tall when you view the text right-side up. Default is deactivated.
Color Use this section of the Print Setup dialog box to define your color settings.
Black and White Click this option if you want your output in black and white. Default is activated unless the system detects support for color printer. If this is the case, the system will default to the color option.
Color Click this option if you want your output in color. Default is deactivated unless the system detects support for color printer. If this is the case, the system will default to the color option.

Managing Printers

The Printer Management dialog box enables you to manage an individual printer or group of printers.

To access the Printer Management dialog box,

  1. Choose File > Print Setup. The Print Setup dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Printer Management button in the Print Setup dialog box. The Printer Management dialog box appears.

For detailed information on using the Print Management dialog box, refer to the table below.

Using the Print Management Dialog Box
Option Description
Installed Printers The Installed Printers field displays a list of all currently installed printers.
Printer Drivers Use the Printer Drivers drop-down list to select a printer driver.
Defined Ports Use the Defined Ports drop-down menu to select a defined port.
Ports To define a new printer port and/or replace or remove an existing printer port, click the Ports button to access the Ports dialog box. For more information on the Ports dialog box, refer to Defining Printer Ports.
Add To install a new printer, select a printer driver and a defined port, then click the Add button. The new printer appears in the Installed Printers list.
Replace To replace an existing printer, click the printer you want to replace in the Installed Printers list. Then select a new printer driver and a new defined port. Click the Replace button to replace the printer. The new printer appears in place of the old printer in the Installed Printers list.
Remove To remove an existing printer or group of printers, click the printer(s) you want to remove in the Installed Printers list and then click the Remove button.
Help Click the Help button to access the online context sensitive help.
Close Click the Close button to dismiss the Print Management dialog box and accept the changes. Settings will be saved upon exit.

Defining Printer Ports

The Ports dialog box enables you to define new printer ports and/or replace or remove existing printer ports.

To access the Ports dialog box,

  1. Choose File > Print Setup. The Print Setup dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Printer Management button. The Printer management dialog box appears.
  3. Click the Ports button. The Ports dialog box appears.

For detailed information on using the Ports dialog box, refer to the table below.

Using the Ports Dialog Box
Option Description
Ports The Ports field displays a list of ports. Port names can be any names you choose with the exception of FILE: which is a reserved port name.
Edit Port The Edit Port field is used to enter a new port. After you have entered the port definition, click the Add/Replace button.
Add/Replace Click the Add/Replace button to update the Ports list with contents of Edit Port field.
Remove If you want to remove a port from the Ports list, click the port name in the Ports list to activate the Remove button. Click the Remove button to remove the selected port.
Import from Spooler Click the Import from Spooler button to generate a list of ports (based on your printcap file).
Help Click the Help button to access the online context sensitive help.
Close Click the Close button to dismiss the Ports dialog box and accept the changes. Settings will be saved upon exit.

Printing to a Printer, Plotter, or File

The Print dialog box enables you to output your information to a supported printer, plotter, or specified file.

To access the Print dialog box,

  1. Choose File > Print. The Print dialog box appears.
Note
Alternatively, you can click the Print The Current Design button in the toolbar of a Schematic or Layout window to access the Print dialog box. The Print this window button in the Data Display uses the same user interface.

For detailed information on using the Print dialog box, refer to the table below.

Using the Print Dialog Box
Option Description
Printer The Printer options in the Print dialog box enable you to define a printer and the output characteristics.
Name: Select a printer from the Name drop-down list. If the printer you want to use is not available in the list, click the Cancel button and access the Print Setup dialog box.
Model Info: This section displays the printer model information.
Status: This section displays information on the printer status. If the printer is ready to print, the Status will display Ready.
Properties Click the Properties button to view or set additional options used in the Print Setup dialog box. For more information, refer to Setting Up a Printer.
Fit to Page Activate the Fit to Page option if you want your output to be automatically scaled to fit on the page.
Print to File Activate the Fit to Page option if you want your output to be directed to a file.
When this option is selected, the Number of Copies feature is deactivated and the Print to File feature is activated.
When this option is deactivated, the Number of Copies feature is activated and the Print to File feature is deactivated.
Copies This section is used to set the number of copies to print.
Number of Copies Use this feature to specify the number of copies to print. If Print to File is selected, this feature is deactivated.
Print to File This section is used to define the type of file you want to send your output to.
File Format: Use this feature to specify the file format to save your output to.
After you have selected your file format, click OK in the Print dialog box. A Print to File dialog box will appear enabling you to define the path and name of the file. For more information on the Print to File dialog box, refer to Printing to a File.
If the Print to File radio button is deselected, this feature is deactivated.
OK Click the OK button to accept the settings and send your output to the selected printer or file, depending on how you have set your options. Settings will be saved upon exit.
Cancel Click the Cancel button to dismiss the Print dialog box. Settings will not be saved upon exit.
Help Click the Help button to access the online context sensitive help.

Printing to a File

The Print to File dialog box enables you to define a destination path and file name and then output your information to the specified file.

To use the Print to File dialog box,

  1. Choose File > Print. The Print dialog box appears.
  2. Select the Print to File option in the Printer section of the Print dialog box. Notice that when you select the Print to File option, the Print to File section is activated enabling you to select a file format.
  3. Use the File Format drop-down list to select the desired file format. Options include JPEG, GIF, PDF, Bitmap, and HP-GL/2.
  4. Click OK in the Print dialog box. The Print to File dialog box appears.
  5. Enter the file name for your output in the Selection field.
  6. Click the OK button to output the file.

Printing from the PC

This section describes some of the actual printing features available on the PC. For information on basics (such as adding a printer), refer to your Windows documentation.

Printing from Advanced Design System on the PC is accomplished by establishing the desired print setup and then choosing File > Print (or Print Area). Listed below are some of the more common options you can set through the Print Setup and related dialog boxes:

Note
The options available vary based on the printer/printer driver that you select.

When you choose File > Print, you can select from the following additional options:

Establishing a Print Setup

To establish a print setup:

  1. Choose File > Print Setup.
  2. Select the desired printer from the drop-down list.
  3. Change any of the options here as desired, or click Properties to set additional options, such as Scaling. Note that the appearance of the Properties dialog box varies depending on the selected printer.
  4. Change any other options as desired and click OK to dismiss the Properties dialog box.
  5. Click OK in the Print Setup dialog box and you are ready to print.

Basic Printing

To send the entire contents of the window to the printer:

  1. Choose File > Print and a dialog box appears.
    Note
    The Fit to page option overrides any scaling percentage set. Disable this option if you have intentionally set a scaling percentage.
  2. Change any print options as needed, and click OK.

To print a specific region of your schematic or layout:

  1. Choose File > Print Area. As you move your pointer into the drawing area, it changes to a cross-hair cursor, and the Status panel prompt changes to read, PrintArea: Enter the starting point.
  2. Position the pointer at one corner of a window that will enclose the area you want to print, and click. The Status panel prompt changes to read, PrintArea: Enter the next point.
  3. As you move the mouse, a ghost image of the window is drawn. Click again to specify the opposite corner of the window and the Print dialog box appears.
  4. Change any options as needed and click OK to print the specified region.

Printing a Scaled Layout

To scale a layout for printing:

Note
This process involves flattening and, potentially, scaling your layout in ADS. You can do this to your actual design - and then close it without saving changes - or make a copy of it before printing and make the changes to the copy.
  1. Choose File > Save Design As to make a copy of the layout.
  2. Choose Edit > Component > Flatten to convert it to shapes-only information (Components are not scalable).
  3. Choose Insert > Measure and establish the size of the design.
  4. Determine the appropriate scaling factor based on the actual size of the design and the paper size you want to use.
    Note
    The ability to scale a design for printing is a function of the printer driver associated with the selected printer. In general, PostScript printer drivers enable scaling while PCL printer drivers do not. Many printer drivers can be downloaded from the Internet. If your printer driver does not allow a sufficiently large scaling factor, you can also scale the design in ADS to reach a combined scale factor appropriate for your layout.

    The example shown here is based on a design from the examples directory: /examples/MW_Ckts/drc_via_prj/pwramp.

    This design measures 1525 microns (or 0.1525 cm) across, and is close enough to being square to use that measurement as the basis for determining a scaling factor. In this example we want to basically fill ANSI E paper (34" × 44") and so we convert the metric units to English units 0.1525 cm × 0.39370 = ~0.06 inches. To simplify this example, we settle on a 30 inch image, yielding a required scaling factor of 500 (30 / 0.06 = 500).

  5. To verify the maximum scaling factor your printer driver allows, choose File > Print Setup and click Properties.
  6. Locate the Scaling option. It may appear on the tab displayed by default, or in an Advanced tab, as shown in this example.
  7. Select the Scaling option and supply the desired scaling percentage in the field provided.
    In this example, we opted for 500% (factor of 5) scaling through the printer driver, and a scale factor of 100 (for a total of 500) through ADS.
  8. Select the Paper Size option and select the appropriate size.
  9. Change any other options as desired and click OK to dismiss the Properties dialog box.
  10. Click OK in the Print Setup dialog box.
  11. If necessary, scale the design in ADS. Choose Select > Select All., then choose Edit > Scale/Oversize > Scale. Supply the desired scaling factor, in this example, 100, and click OK.
  12. Choose View > View All.
  13. Choose File > Print Area and draw a border around the layout. (This is to ensure best results, since printing otherwise begins at the coordinates 0,0 and may include empty space.)
  14. When the Print dialog box appears, select any other options as desired, such as Color Output if your printer is a color printer.
    Note
    The Fit to page option overrides any scaling percentage set. Disable this option if you have intentionally set a scaling percentage.
 

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