HighWater Speedway Plugins README

HighWater Speedway Plugins README


HighWater Speedway Plugin Installer November 2003

Installation

Double-click on setup.exe in the CD drive in Windows Explorer or File Manager, or type 'setup.exe' in an MS-DOS command prompt window.

NOTE: Installation of these plugins on the Windows 2000 platform requires the Windows 2000 Speedway Driver v2.0.1.10.


Contents

Important Notes
Limitations
Known Problems
Configuration Tool
Herkules
Signasetter
Primesetter
Contacting HighWater Technical Support


Important Notes

  • If your imagesetter has no punches please edit the file Speedway.ini which is placed in your Windows NT folder during installation. Change the line

USE_PUNCH_AS_REF = 1

to

USE_PUNCH_AS_REF = 0

and save the file.

  • If your imagesetter has an On-line Processor and punched output is required, then a value must be entered in the 'Feed around each page' option in the Media Manager. During testing a value of 1" (25mm) was used successfully. This overcomes a problem where the cut occurs after the punch holes for the next output.

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Limitations

  • Speedway 2 card only is supported on Windows 2000.
  • Page Features (Fill Film) in the PageSetup dialog produces an unrecognised error. Please use Collect Mode for filling film.
  • In the RIP/Plugin, all images are rounded up to a whole multiple of 32 pixels per line. This can lead to oversize problems when attempting a full size output.

For example:

The user wants to image full size to a device which is 21.65 inches wide and 29.53 inches long at the maximum resolution e.g. 5080 dpi. The image printed from the DTP package is 21.65 inches wide by 29.53 inches long. The calculation to round up (performed by the RIP) is as follows:

21.65 * 5080 = 109982

(109982 + 31) / 32 = 3438

3438 * 32 = 110016

110016 / 5080 = 21.656

So the width of the image sent to the plugin is now 21.656 which is greater than the imageable width of the device. Also, the pixel count is 110016 which exceeds the maximum pixel count of the imagesetter. The solution to this problem is to print 0.01 inches smaller than the dimensions of the device. So in this case the job size would become 21.64 inches wide by 29.53 inches long.

  • Centering jobs on a Tail punch will not currently work.
  • If 'Centre page on Media Width' is selected in 'Page Setup->Page Layout...' the top margin will never be printed black. If a value has been entered for a left margin and 'Black margins' has been selected in 'Page Setup-> Configure device...' then only the left margin will be printed black. If 'Expose right and bottom margins' is also checked, then all margins with positive values entered, except the top margin, will be black.

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Known Problems

  • The imagesetter must be switched on, must have the output cassette and loaded supply cassette in position, must be connected to the PC and must not be in an error state in order for the plugin to load when the RIP is started. If this is not done, then the plugin will not be available in the device list in the PageSetup Manager.

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Configuration Tool

  • If your imagesetter has already been calibrated using another RIP or calibration utility, and the Touch Memory on your supply cassette contains the correct Filter, Light and Focus settings then there is no need to re-calibrate your imagesetter using the Configuration Tool. The data from the Touch Memory will be read and used by the plugin.

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Herkules

Revision History (Plugin)

Version: 2.4
Date: December 2002
Platforms: Windows NT / Windows 2000 INTEL

Release 2.4 December 2002

  • Fixed bug where Centre Head punch was being calculated wrongly.

Release 2.3.5 May 2002

  • Added support for more than 5 head punches.

Release 2.3.4 March 2002

  • Added full support for exposure control.

Release 2.3.3 December 2001

  • Allow Pre- & Post-page feeds to be set to zero when outputting in Collect Mode.

Release 2.3.2 November 2001

  • Fixed bug which occurred when centering image on punch AND setting negative offset. Software would report that job was too long to be centred around the selected punch.
  • Allow 0mm SlowScan and FastScan offsets in Collect Mode.
  • Allow SlowScan and FastScan offsets when centering on Reference Punch or Media Width.

Release 2.3 October 2001

  • Modified behaviour so that unwanted messages do no output to the RIP monitor.

Release 2.2 September 2001

  • Centre page on Media Width is now fully functional for Herkules imagesetters with and without punches.
  • Negative and fractional image offsets are now available from Page Setup-> Configure Device dialog.
  • Exposure Control is now functional from the Page Setup dialog.

Release 2.1.5 July 2001

  • Fixed bug which didn't allow for full ExposeWindow length to be used for calculating whether or not image would fit. Sent to sea office and to Jan at Online Grafics.

Release 2.1.4 May 2001

  • Special release to SEA office for customer with punchless Herk. Fixed (I think) bug which had been introduced which stopped output to Herk with no punches. Also sent to Jan at Online Grafics in Belgium June 8th.

Release 2.1.3 January 2001

  • Implemented user interface message to inform user that a requested fast scan or slow scan image offset is being ignored because a request to centre the job on the reference punch has also been made.

Release 2.1.2 January 2001

  • Corrected problem introduced in v2.1.1 where jobs centred on Head punch with a fast scan offset of less than 16mm would fail with an error: "The image (including margins) is too wide to be positioned at the selected punch/offset."
  • Implemented improved oversize/positional checks when centering around punch.

Release 2.1.1 January 2001

  • Fixed bug causing failure when trying to centre a near full-size job on the centre head punch. Plugin previously reported: "The image (including margins) is too long to be centred around the selected reference punch."
  • Removed some errors/warnings being displayed in a dialog box and instead now print them to the RIP Monitor window and logfile.

Release 2.1 January 2001

  • Changed the Engine Parameter dialog to be more user-friendly.

Release 2.03 November 2000

  • Added Feed and Cut functionality to Device menu within the Rip.

Release 2.02 August 2000

  • Fixed bug where punches remained on after being selected once.

Release 2.01 August 2000

  • Added facility to operate in timed demo mode.
  • Fixed bug where image wasn't output if punches were not selected.

Release 2.0 July 2000

  • CollectMode and Optimisation have been implemented. - Full margin support has been implemented. - Improved handling for imagesetters with less than 5 punches on the head/tail punch bars, and support for those with no punches.

Release 1.0 February 2000

  • First release.

Revision History (Personality)

Release 1.86 October 2003

  • Fix for bug relating to Calibration Tool.

Release 1.85 August 2002

  • Minor fix so that punch installation reported correctly in logfile.

Release 1.84 April 2002

  • Fixed bug so that required margin colour is retained regardless of Photometric setting. - Modified so that no feed or cut is done in CollectMode if there has been no output to film.

Release v1.83 March 2002

  • Added full support for exposure control. - Fixed memory leak when outputting with margins.

Release v1.8 February 2002

  • Fixed so that non-32-bit aligned images can be output (affects Speedway Imager only). - Fixed bug which caused CollectMode to ignore Advance if Cut had failed, so next output would not start at beginning of imaging area, but would be placed as though a feed had not occurred at all.

Release r1.07.002 October 2001

  • Corrected behaviour to allow time for OLP feed/cut actions on Speedway imagesetters, not directly related to Herkules.

Release r1.06.005/6/7 May 2001

  • Corrected behaviour of Cut and Advance while operating in Collect Mode.

Release r1.06.004 April 2001

  • Fixed bugs specific to development of Calibration Tool

Release r1.06.003 April 2001

  • Introduced Endian conversion by sofwtare.

Release r1.06.002 March 2001

  • Fixed bugs specific to development of Calibration Tool

Release r1.06.001 March 2001

  • Fixed bug which prevented large margin outputs.

Release r1.06.000 February 2001

  • Calibration Tool supported

Release r1.05.012 January 2001

  • Fixed bug causing occasional crash when closing the RIP.

Release r1.05.011 January 2001

  • A bug has been fixed whereby, if an engine error occurred on the Herkules while outputting, it could take up to two minutes for the error to be reported and control to be returned to the RIP.

Release r1.05.010 December 2000

  • A bug has been fixed which occasionally caused the personality to fail to load.

Release r1.05.008b November 2000

  • A modification has been made which increases the output data rate.

Release 1.05.004 August 2000

  • A bug has been fixed which caused the image to be placed outside the imaging area in an imagesetter with no punches.

Release 1.05.003 July 2000

  • CollectMode and Optimisation have been implemented.
  • Full margin support has been implemented.
  • Support has been added for imagesetters with no punches.
  • A bug has been fixed which caused the output queue to hang after several
  • A bug has been fixed where a feed was not executed in Collect Mode or Optimisation when quitting the RIP. After re-starting the RIP, the previous images would have been overprinted.

Release 1.0 February

  • First release.

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Signasetter

Revision History (Plugin)

Version: 2.4
Date: December 2002
Platforms: Windows NT / Windows 2000 INTEL

Release 2.4 December 2002

  • Fixed bug where Centre Head punch was being calculated wrongly.

Release 2.3.3 May 2002

  • Added support for more than 5 head punches.

Release 2.3.2 March 2002

  • Add full support for exposure control.

Release 2.3.1 December 2001

  • Allowed Pre- & Post-Page Feeds to be set to zero if outputting in Collect Mode

Release 2.3 20th November 2001

  • Standardised so that the 25mm 'Feed around each page' MUST be entered for punched output whether an On-line Processor or an output cassette is being used.

Release 2.3b3 5th November 2001

  • Fixed bug which occurred when centering image on punch AND setting negative offset. Software would report that job was too long to be centred around the selected punch.
  • Allow 0mm SlowScan and FastScan offsets in Collect Mode.
  • Allow SlowScan and FastScan offsets when centering on Reference Punch or Media Width.

Release 2.3b1 October 2001

  • First release for Signasetter.

Revision History (Personality)

Release 1.86 October 2003

  • Fix for bug relating to Calibration Tool.

Release 1.85 August 2002

  • Minor fix so that punch installation reported correctly in logfile.

Release 1.84 April 2002

  • Fixed bug so that required margin colour is retained regardless of Photometric setting. - Modified so that no feed or cut is done in Collect Mode if there has been no output to film.

Release 1.83 March 2002

  • Add full support for exposure control.

Release v1.8 February 2002

  • Fixed so that non-32-bit aligned images can be output (affects Speedway Imager only).
  • Fixed bug which caused Collect Mode to ignore Advance is Cut had failed, so next output would not start at beginning of imaging area, but would be placed as though a feed had not occurred at all.

Release r1.07.002 September 2001

  • First release for Signasetter.

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Primesetter

Revision History (Plugin)

Version: 2.41
Date: December 2002
Platforms: Windows NT / Windows 2000 INTEL

release 2.41 December 2002

  • Fixed bug where Centre Head punch was being calculated wrongly.

Release 2.4 August 2002

  • First full release for Primesetter.

Revision History (Personality)

Release 1.83 August 2002

  • First release for Primesetter.

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Contacting HighWater Technical Support

E-Mail:

support@highwater.co.uk

Web site:

www.highwater.co.uk

Voice:

+44 (0)1242 542102

Fax:

+44 (0)1242 251600


This page last updated: 25th November 2003