Batch Printing in progeCAD - Using Publish

progeCAD can be a powerful tool for creating, editing and printing AutoCAD-format DWG files for almost any version of AutoCAD. progeCAD includes multiple tools for vector-PDF import, PDF underlay and PDF printing as well. However, more than once we have been asked at CADDIT how progeCAD manages batch printing and I have agreed to write something on it. This article will offer an overview of progeCAD batch printing using the PUBLISH command.

Batch plotting is a convenient way to print multiple documents and layouts in one run. The origin of batch plotting has its roots in the unsupervised overnight plotting of large numbers of drawings for CAD offices. The PUBLISH command was first introduced in progeCAD with a free update for progeCAD 2013 users several years ago. Since its appearance several years ago, progeCAD's publish command has expanded to embrace full batch-printing functionality, including the in-dialog ability to add and remove drawing files to the batch, as well as selecting specific layouts and workspaces from those files. progeCAD's PUBLISH command is essentially similar to the one offered in AutoCAD (which effectively replaced AutoCAD's older batch plot utility a few years ago). To begin batch plotting jobs in progeCAD, there are several ways to start the PUBLISH command:

..From the "progeCAD Button" (similar to the "Office Button")..

 

..From the "Output" Ribbon Menu...

 

..By starting to type "publish" in the progeCAD Command Bar..

 

Once started, the PUBLISH dialog will display, allowing you many options for plotting multiple documents and workspaces as a single job:

 

As one can see, there are quite a few options here to work with. The basic idea is to create a list of drawing files - either from the currently opened files in progeCAD or using the "Add Drawing" button (triangle button with the plus, above). Individual workspaces (Layouts, model spaces..) can then be added or removed from the job list using the toggle boxes next to their name in the list. For example, to only print the layout (paperspace) drawings from files above, uncheck everything in the list with name ending in "- Model". You can also re-order the way drawings are printed in the publish job by individually selecting them and using the "Move ..up" and "Move .. down" buttons.

 

Clicking the "Options" button (top right) allows us to customize the job further:

 

 

 

For batch printing to a PDF or DWF file, the "Default Output Location" folder would be significant. You can also specify a single paper size or allow the job to use various paper sizes as specified by each individual layout. Headers, footers, even DWF security password can be specified in this options box if the user so wishes it. For more detail on the various options available in the PUBLISH command, we can first suggest the progeCAD 2017 "F1" included Help topics, such as "Customizing options when publishing to a file". Users are also free to post specific questions about using this or any other progeCAD command on the CADDIT user forum.

 



 For more information about how progeCAD's powerful CAD functionality save's companies thousands in CAD software costs, or for a free progeCAD trial, visit the CADDIT website.

Linux Network Printing from progeCAD using Samba

One common network configuration for business file storage and printing is the use of Linux file and print servers on low-cost PC hardware. The advantages of UNIX & Linux servers in an SMB office automation environment are:

• Linux (also some UNIX, i.e. Solaris) is free to download
• Linux is secure, fast and stable
• Linux is scalable and highly configurable

Microsoft Windows, on the other hand, does work very well for supporting graphical end-user applications. progeCAD is a strongly graphical, end-user application for AutoCAD-compatible Computer Aided Design. To connect Windows PCs to a Linux back-office, we use Samba server. Samba is free Linux server software for sharing Windows folders or printers on a network:However, Samba will slow progeCAD's performance if not correctly configured. Samba is packaged for a wide variety of Linux types ("distributions") and installation is best carried out with free packages available for your version of Linux. Here are some more tips for setting up a network USB printer.

Once the USB printer is itself correctly configured by the local Linux printing subsystem (CUPS, LPRNG, UNIX LPR) the printer is then "shared" by its queue name onto the Windows SMB network in the Samba configuration (usually smb.conf, section shown here for Debian Linux - see Samba website for complete configuration details):

[printers]
comment = Sample Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
create mode = 0700
browseable = yes
writable = yes
guest ok = yes
public = yes
printable = yes
use client driver = no
printer admin = root

[My5500]
comment = Demo Example HP 5500 colour (change this with your own printer)
path = /var/spool/samba
browseable = yes
writable = no
guest ok = yes
printable = yes
default devmode = yes
use client driver = no
printer admin = root, administrator

Explanation: Driver configuration can either be client-side or server-side. We strongly recommend server-side drivers (default devmode = yes, use client driver = no) for speed and reliability. Only the Linux administrator is here given permission to "set up" the printer on the server side (printer admin = root). However this creates some challenges. The Windows driver will need to be "uploaded" to the Linux server. We will need to create an additional Samba configuration for allowing this:

[PRINT$]
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
guest ok = yes
browseable = yes
read only = yes
write list = root
admin users = root
create mask = 0644
directory mask = 0755

Once smb.conf is saved, Samba needs to be restarted. A quick network browse of our Linux machine from Windows (i.e. from Windows Explorer type '\\server-name') should list the shared printers and folders on that 'server-name'. NOTE: For security purposes we have only allowed "root" (and administrator) any kind of admin rights to the Samba printers. Our problem is that Windows doesn't have a UNIX user called "root". We get around this by initially connecting to our new shared printer from the DOS / Command prompt as follows:

runas /netonly /user:root "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /t3 /n \\server-name\printername" (i.e. \\pc123\My5510 in this example)

You should be prompted for the Linux password for "root", and then prompted whether you want to select a Windows driver at this time - click "No".

A spartan Properties Box for this printer should appear. Click on the "Advanced" tab along the top of the box and click the "New Driver.." button. Select a 'Generic -> Ms Publisher Color Printer' if you want to send Postscript to your Linux printer (this is a good idea, CUPS will automatically reformat Postscript files to something usable by the actual USB printer hardware if correctly configured). Windows should begin uploading the local driver from your PC to the Samba server. Now click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the properties box and you should see several more tabs appear in this dialogue box if everything goes as planned. You may now close this Properties Box.

Because "administrator" is also listed as an admin for our My5500 printer, Windows administrator can make centrally-stored changes to this Samba printer (like setting paper size from Letter to A4, or changing the Postscript mode). NOTE that we have thus far only highlighted steps to configure Samba printers on the server side. Now we can finally add this as a Windows printer by navigating to \\server-name in Windows Explorer, right-clicking the printer and clicking "connect" from the drop-down menu that appears.

This post does not completely cover Samba configuration, only those tips found best practice for printing. We have found the above approach to offer best performance and reliability for printing to Samba server on Linux in progeCAD IntelliCAD (as well as Microsoft Office applications) from Windows. However other procedures may work better for different plotters and we welcome your comments here.