Configuring the Quick Print Command

[dgschaefer]

How do I configure the "Quick Print" command in Creo 2 & Creo 3?

I'd like to have drawings print using our A-Size, full PCF file while 3D models print A-size with a white background.

In digging through the KB I'm getting conflicting info that the option "quick_print_plotter_config_file" is used to set the path to the PDF file for this (according to this list of config options), but then CS133861 says this is only used for the "Quick Drawing" command in 3D mode.

I tried it in Creo 2, M160 and it does seem that the latter is true as it did not print according to the PDF I specified.

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[gkoch]

Have you tried setting the default plotter with the config.pro option plotter ?

[dgschaefer]

There is precious little info on this option, how is it specified?

[gkoch]

The documentation says:

plotter <plotter name>

Sets the default plotter when making plot files. This option is mandatory.

This is referring to the PCF file which is used by default for plotting and it is the name only without path or extension.

In fact it is the name of the file (without .pcf) only, as long as no alternate name is defined by option button_name inside the PCF file.

The PCF files can be found under <Creo installation>\Common Files\<datecode>\text\plot_config (Creo 2.0) or <Creo installation>\<datecode>\Common Files\text\plot_config (Creo 3.0) or in the directory specified with option pro_plot_config_dir.

[dgschaefer]

That's very helpful, thank you. 

Gunter Koch wrote:

... In fact it is the name of the file (without .pcf) only, as long as no alternate name is defined by option button_name inside the PCF file. ...

If we are using the "button_name" inside our PCF files, then is that what should be specified?  If so, does that need to be in quotes since spaces are allowed?

[gkoch]

I had simply put the name, including a space in the config.pro option and when I exported it, it was output without quotes - so I guess it should work just without them, like in my case:

plotter Otto J.

My test PCF file otto.pcf contained the lines:

plotter jpeg

button_name Otto J.

When doing File > Print, it now shows Printer Otto J. instead of MS Print Manager, which is the "default" default. Without button_name, it shows Printer otto

But I have not checked with Quick Print as this would require a real printer to be set up for testing.

[dgschaefer]

I tried both the file name and the "button_name" and neither changed what happens when I choose File > Quick Print when in a drawing.

Using the "button_name" did change the default options when using the regular File > Print dialog.

Quick print is pretty worthless if there's no way to set the print options.

[MartinHanak]

Doug,

according to https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS133861 the option quick_print_plotter_config_file is only used in File > Print > Quick Drawing command in 3D mode. I tested it in CR2 M190 in Part mode and it works well.

MH

[dgschaefer]

Yep, that's the document I linked to above. Configuring that is on my list, but what I want to do is control what happens when a user hits File > Print > Quick Print, particularly in drawing mode.  (I'm also curious about what happens in part mode.)  I need to open a case with TS.

[MartinHanak]

Doug,

I tested File > Print > Quick Print command in Drawing mode in CR2 M070.

Creo read plotter option value from ms_print_mgr.pcf file located in C:\PTC\Creo2_M070\Creo 2.0\Common Files\M070\text\plot_config directory

• Creo generated plot file in appropriate format and sent it to default Windows printer

My test no.1 ... I used default ms_print_mgr.pcf file

plotter ms_print_mgr
button_name MS Printer Manager
button_help Print using Windows Printer Manager.

Creo displayed Windows print dialog box.

My test no.2 ... I put the contents of postscript.pcf file into ms_print_mgr.pcf file

plotter postscript
button_name Generic Postscript
button_help Print to any printer that supports generic postscript format.

Creo sent plot file directly to the printer, no additional dialog box was displyed.

My default printer was HP LaserJet 400 colorMFP M475dn.

MH

[dgschaefer]

That's not working for me.  Interestingly, in Creo 2 M170 I tried with the defatult ms_print_mgr file and then with replacing that file with our A size based on zoom file (renaming it to ms_print_mgr, of course) which is the one I specified with the "plotter" config option.  There was no difference in the output, both were what I expected.

In Creo 3 M060, however, the output of the "Quick Print" zooms in farther and does not match the output of our A size based on zoom file.  If I replace the file in the loadpoint, there is no change in the output.

Interestingly, the output matches the incorrect preview I mentioned in this thread:

Print Mapkey Issue

It would seem that these issues are related.  I have cases open on each, I'll have to talk to the engineers on each.