Outman

Note: Starting from O/15.5 Outman is no longer supported.

 

Output Manager (OutMan) is a utility for managing the communication to all the attached Plotters in an Optitex/OptiGrade system. OutMan is designed to work in the background while you continue to work on your new designs, marker making or any other Windows application.

OutMan can work on a single Workstation connected to a single Plotter as well as on a Network of many Workstations several of which are connected to several Plotters.

Note: In order for OutMan to run properly, SHARE must be installed. If using a network, SHARE must be installed on both the server and the workstations. If using Windows For Workgroups (recommended), SHARE is built in, if using Windows V3.1, SHARE must be run from AUTOEXEC.BAT (before starting Windows).

 

Setup and Installation - Non-Network

 

Installing OutMan - Non-Network

In this configuration, one or more Plotters are connected to a single computer which is running Optitex/OptiGrade and OutMan. Use this installation also if you have two or more computers connected to a single Plotter using a switch box. In this case, repeat the installation for each computer.

The first step is to number your Plotters.

For example, if you have three Plotters, an old IOLINE plotter, a HI plotter and a new IOLINE plotter. Decide which is Plotter number one (for instance IOLINE OLD), which is number two (Houston) and which is Plotter number three (IOLINE NEW).

 

The second step is to determine to which serial port each Plotter is connected. For instance, IOLINE OLD is connected to COM1, Houston to COM3 and IOLINE NEW to COM4.

Note: If you use a serial mouse, it will use one of the serial ports.

 

The third step is to install the software:

  • Run Optitex SETUP (from Program Manager).

  • Select to install the OutPut Manager component.

  • Select Non-Network Installation

  • Select the number of attached Plotters, in our example this is three.

  • Select the location for OutMan Files. The default Directory and Drive are:

C:\OUTMAN

SETUP will copy OUTMAN.EXE and all relevant files to this location. In addition, one OutMan Icon for each attached Plotter will be created in the Optitex Group. The Icons are named OutMan 1, OutMan 2, etc. OutMan 1 is responsible for Plotter 1, OutMan 2 is responsible for Plotter 2 and so on. In our examle, three OutMan Icons will be created:

 

OutMan 1 for IOLINE OLD (Plotter 1),

OutMan 2 for Houston (Plotter 2),

OutMan 3 for IOLINE NEW (Plotter 3).

 

Note: The OutMan icons will be placed in the StartUp Group (in addition to the OptiTex Group), so the next time you start Windows, they will be run automatically.

 

The final step is to run each OutMan Icon, and enter the correct Settings, that is, correct Port, Plotter name, Communication parameters and so on. In our example, run OutMan 1, and select Settings, Communication, and set Port to be COM1, , and enter the correct communication parametrs: Baud=9600, Parity=EVEN, 1Stop bit, Flow=Xon/Xoff. Select Settings, Plotter... and enter IOLINE OLD for Plotter Name.

 

Now run OutMan 2 (You do NOT have to close OutMan 1, all three OutMans can run simultaneously) select Settings, Communication, and set Port=COM3, and the correct communication parameters. Select Settings, Plotter... and set Plotter Name = Houston
Finally run OutMan 3, select Settings, Communication, and set Port=COM4, and the correct communication parameters. Select Settings, Plotter... and set Plotter Name = IOLINE NEW.

Setting up OptiTex / OptiGrade to work with OutMan (Non-Network):
Run either OptiTex or OptiGrade, and in Files, select Plot Setup, and set OutMan path to the Directory where OutMan was installed, in our example:

 

C:\OUTMAN

Click the Default Plotter list, and you will get a list off all installed Plotters. In our example the list will be:

IOLINE OLD

Houston

IOLINE NEW

Select one of them to be the default Plotter.

That's it! The OutMan installation is completed!

Now, whenever you select Plot (from OptiTex or OptiGrade), by default the plot job will be sent to the Default Plotter (to be more precise, the plot job will be added to the queue of that Plotter). Of course, you can click the Plotter list box in the Plot dialog and select a different Plotter.

Setup and Installation - Network

Installing OutMan - Network

In this configuration, one or more Plotters are connected to a one or more computers on a Local Area Network (LAN e.g. Novell, LANtastic, Windows for Worgroups, etc.). Some of these computers are running OptiTex/OptiGrade. OutMan should be run on each computer that has a Plotter attached.

The first step is to number your Plotters.

For example, if you have three Plotters, an old IOLINE plotter, a HI plotter and a new IOLINE plotter. Decide which is Plotter number one (for instance IOLINE OLD), which is number two (Houston) and which is Plotter number three (IOLINE NEW).

In this example we will assume that you have three computers running the LANtastic Network.

One computer is a SERVER, the second belongs to BOB, and the third to MARY. All three computers are running Windows. BOB and MARY can access the server disk through Drive F:

 

The second step is to determine to which computer and serial port each Plotter is connected. For instance, IOLINE NEW is connected to COM1 on SERVER, Houston to COM2 on SERVER and IOLINE OLD to COM2 on MARY.

The computers and Plotters layout is shown below:

 

The third step is to install the software. This requires installing OutMan files on the file server, and installing OutMan icons on each computer that has a plotter attached to it.

 

Installing OutMan Files:

Note: Since the files are installed onto a file server this can be done from any computer.

 

  • Run Optitex SETUP (from Program Manager).

  • Select to install the OutPut Manager component.

  • Select Network Installation

  • Select Install OutMan Files , you will be asked for a location (destination drive and directory), be sure to enter a FILE SERVER drive, in our example, F:\OUTMAN

 

SETUP will copy OUTMAN.EXE and all relevant files to this Directory.

Note:The Optitex system can also be installed on the FILE SERVER but it is not necessary, it can be installed on local drives. On the other hand, the Design files (*.pds) and Marker files (*.mrk) MUST reside on the FILE SERVER so that the OutMan programs running on any other computers on the network can access them and send them to the appropriate Plotter. If there are any Plotters attached to this computer, SETUP offers you to install OutMan Icons which is described below.

 

Installing OutMan Icons:

 

  • Run SETUP (from Program Manager).

  • Select to install only the Output Manager component.

  • Select Network Installation

  • Select Install OutMan Icons.

  • Specify the location were OutMan Files were installed. The default Directory and Drive are:

 

C:\OUTMAN

Correct the drive to the Network drive (F: in our example)

 

  • The Attached Plotters Dialog Box will be displayed.

 

Check the Plotter Numbers that are attached to this computer. In our example, when installing OutMan Icons on SERVER, check Plotters 2 and 3, when installing on MARY, check Plotter 1. One OutMan Icon for each attached Plotter will be created in the OptiTex Group. The Icons are named OutMan i, Where i is the Plotter Number. In out example, on SERVER the icons OutMan 2 and OutMan 3 will be created, and on MARY, OutMan 1 will be created.

 

Note: The OutMan icons will be placed in the StartUp Group (in addition to the OptiTex Group), so the next time you start Windows, they will be run automatically.

 

The final step is to run each OutMan Icon, and enter the correct Settings, that is, correct Port, Plotter name, Communication parameters and so on. In our example, on MARY, run OutMan 1, and select Settings, Communication and set Port to be COM2, and enter the correct communication parametrs: Baud=9600, Parity=EVEN, 1Stop bit, Flow=Xon/XoffIOLINE OLD. Now on SERVER run OutMan 2, select Settings, Communication, and set Port=COM2, and the correct communication parameters. Select Settings, Plotter... and set Plotter Name=Houston.

 

Finally run OutMan 3, select Settings, Communication, and set Port=COM1, and the correct communication parameters. Select Settings, Plotter... and set

Plotter Name= IOLINE NEW

 

Setting up OptiTex / OptiGrade to work with OutMan (Network):

In Network installations, you must setup the OptiTex system on each computer.

On each computer where the Optitex system is installed, run either OptiTex or OptiGrade, and in Files, select Plot Setup, and set OUTMAN.INI path to the Directory where OutMan was installed, in our example, for MARY and BOB this is:

 

F:\OUTMAN

Note: if the OptiTex system is run on SERVER also, the OUTMAN.INI path is:

 

C:\OUTMAN In any case, use the BROWSE button to find OUTMAN.INI

 

Click the Default Plotter list, and you will get a list off all installed Plotters. In our example the list will be:

IOLINE OLD

Houston

IOLINE NEW

 

Select one of them to be the default Plotter.

 

That's it! The OutMan installation is completed!

 

Now, whenever you select Plot (from OptiTex or OptiGrade) on any computer on the network, by default the plot job will be sent to the Default Plotter (to be more precise, the plot job will be added to the queue of that Plotter). Of course, you can click the Plotter list box in the Plot dialog and select a different Plotter.

 

To use Outman:

 

Whenever you send a plot job to a Plotter, this job is added to the queue of jobs for this Plotter.

If the “Alert on Start” was checked, before starting to send the job, OutMan displays a message:

 

    Job F:\OPTITEX\SHIRTS\77641.DMP is about to start. 
       
                OK 
              Cancel 
 

If the Plotter is ready, select OK.

If you do not want to plot this job, select Cancel. This will remove this job from the queue, and OutMan will proceed to the next job.

 

If the “Alert on End” was checked, at completion of the job, OutMan displays a message:

 

    Job F:\OPTITEX\SHIRTS\77641.DMP has been sent.       
                        OK

Stopping and Re-starting jobs:

 

If for some reason you wish to stop the current job, select Stop from the file menu in OutMan. The following message will be displayed:

 

    Job F:\OPTITEX\SHIRTS\77641.DMP is stopped.       
                Retry 
           Cancel

If you fixed the problem in the Plotter (for instance: No paper, No ink in the pen, etc.) and you want to Re-start this job, select Retry..

If you do not want to plot this job, select Cancel. This will remove this job from the queue, and OutMan will proceed to the next job.

Setting paper data:

 

Each time you load a new roll of paper on to the plotter, update the length and width in OutMan., This will enable OutMan to monitor the length of paper left on the roll and warn you if a job is too long and a new roll has to be installed. Also this will enable OutMan to warn you if a job is too wide for the installed paper.