Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!milano!uudell!chinacat!woody
From: woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: how to send binary images to LaserWriter ?
Summary: yes I have
Message-ID: <1233@chinacat.Unicom.COM>
Date: 9 May 90 04:01:55 GMT
References: <7788@latcs1.oz.au> <1990May8.065455.23290@allgfx.agi.oz>
Organization: a guest of Unicom Systems Development, Austin
Lines: 66

In article <1990May8.065455.23290@allgfx.agi.oz>, shn@allgfx.agi.oz (Si-Hanh Nguyen) writes:
> 
> I am trying to find a way to send 8-bit transparent data over the 
> serial line, from a Sun 3/50 to an Apple LaserWriter. The reason 
> is I would like to send image in binary instead of in hexadecimal.
> The problem is images in binary form contains control characters 
> such as ^D, ^C, ^T  which have special meanings to the LaserWriter.
> 

Yep, this is one of my gripes.  I understand however, that the APPLETALK
channel will do this.  If you have a Paralell port on the laserprinter, it
might work.  Generaly, you are out of luck.  Adobe in thier *INFINITE 
WISDOM* messed everyone up for whatever reason.


> The "transparent" boolean is mentioned in "Inside PostScript, Frank 
> Merritt Braswell, Systems of Merit & Peachpit Press  1989", page 13-5. 
> If its value is TRUE then the serial chanel is opened in transparent 
> mode. I test the folllowing code, it does not work, ^T is still 
> intepreted as a query :

Yes it will not work.  This is printer or statusdict dependant.  I have
used it, and it works, but you lose control of the machine.  The boolean
transparent is used in one of the serial channel commands that are not
documented.  If you examine your serverdict and statusdict, you will
find out just how it is used (providing you have a PARALELL interface,
or HP Laserjet emulation)

You can do this by first getting into interactive mode (use a terminal
emulation program and type in    executive

you should be greeted with a PS> prompt.
then turn on your ascii screen file capture, and do the following

statusdict begin serverdict begin
/statusdict load {== ==} forall
/serverdict load {== ==} forall


You will be looking for a procedure array named exeswitch or something
along those lines.  Look for the code that starts the HP emulation, or
Paralell mode.  I think that the Diablo mode might also invoke it.
Copy the example.

Cheers
Woody
> 
> 
> % begin test
> serverdict begin 0 exitserver	    % have to exit server
> serverdict /transparent true put    % to modify serverdict
> 300 400 translate 72 72 scale 	    % 
> 8 8 1 [8 0 0 8 0 0] { (^T0) } 	    % image in binary
> image 				    
> showpage
> %end test
> 
> 
> Has anybody tried that /transparent before ?
> And any help in 8-bit transparent data will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> Si-Hanh Nguyen
> ----------------------------------------------------
> nguyensh@lastcs1.oz	OR	shn@allgfx.agi.oz.au
> ----------------------------------------------------