HPGL files not displayed in intended colors

[bjbonner]

We create HPGL files for use with an engraving machine. The engraving functions (engrave v. cut) are determined by pen color. To get the right functions, we remap the pen colors when creating the file from our CAD system.

CAD Viewer seems to display the line colors in a fixed default color palette, rather than the colors established within the HPGL file. No matter how I remap the pens, the lines are always displayed in the same colors. The files are working correctly with our engraver. The problem is that when people go to check the file before submitting, they can't see the intended pen colors.

We did not have this problem in a previous version of CAD Viewer running on Win2K.

Is there a setting or security priviledge that we've missed? (We are running XP Pro SP2).

Thanks!

[GuthCAD Software Support]

Hi,

Are you able to email us an example of your HPGL so that we can check it out?

thanks
Software Support

[GuthCAD Software Support]

Hi William,

Thanks for sending the file.

Now I just noticed, when viewing the file in Notepad, that PC1 is set to 0,255,255 and PC2 is set to 255,0,0. That would be cyan and red, respectively. So maybe CAD Viewer is doing what it's supposed to do.
Yes, as you have noted yourself, I believe that CAD Viewer is doing what it is supposed to, the cyan text and red border are as they are defined in the plot file.

In the past, when viewing the HPGL file in CAD Viewer, the text (pen 1) would be displayed as red, and the cut lines (pen 2) would be yellow. You can get CAD Viewer to do this via pen mappings in the HPGL.INI file. (Probably you did this in the past.) HPGL.INI resides in the CAD Viewer installation folder. To get the Red / Yellow pen settings as above:

[Settings]
HPGLPens=1

[HPGLPens]
; HPGL_pen_number=ACAD_Pen_number
; e.g. map hpgl pen 3 to AutoCAD Pen 1 (red)
; 3=1
1=1
2=2


best regards,
Software Support