GCG Graphics

GCG Graphics Files

Typical UNIX emulators cannot deal with graphical output. This is problematic for GCG programs that put out graphics, like FRAMES or COMPARE. For these programs, you will need to learn to download and view these files with a microcomputer program. The way to do that is dependent upon the type of computer (Mac) or PC and upon programs available at the site running the GCG suite.

The awkwardness of this funciton is one of the primary reasons that I switched to SeqWeb.

Your first steps are to generate a graphics file on the mainframe and to download it to your PC. When you generate the graphics file, you must redirect the graphic output to this file, and the output must be of a type appropriate for your system. So, directions for the two common systems, Mac and PC, based on "least common denominator" installations are given below.

Our class can use the .gif driver, which is a universal solution!

Mac

   1. Redirect graphic output to a figure file
            frames -fig=myfigure.fig myseq.seq would make a graphic file named myfigure.fig
            FTP myfigure.fig to your Mac
            Use GCGFigure to open myfigure.fig. Now you can save as .PICT, which can be used by many other programs, including Adobe Photoshop on the laboratory Macs. Use Adobe or some other Mac program to edit these images.

GCGFigure is freeware from GCG. We did have it on the Macs last year, and will try to do so this year. If not, you should download it to a diskette for lab use. There is a manual for the use of GCGFigure, but the program is straightforward.

GCG can provide two formats for PC use: Postscript (.ps) and HPGL (.hgl). Microsoft's current products no longer support .hgl files. Some graphic importers will support these files, feel free to use them if you have access to them.

If you are using a PC, you have 2 basic options that depend on the software that you have.

If you have a full version of a talented image processor, like Adobe Photoshop, it will accept graphics generated by GCG in the default format, which is HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language). Older versions of CorelDraw and older versions of Office97 also have HPGL import filters, as do most CAD programs.
You can view the graphics by redirecting graphic output to a file. An example would be:

frames -plo=myplot.hpgl myseq.seq

Download the file myplot.hpgl to your PC, and open it with Adobe Photoshop as a Hewlett Packard Graphics Language format file. Some programs need the extensions .hgl or .plt to recognize this file type.

If you have only Office97 type applications, you can probably use only one GCG graphics format, .ps. To use this, you must first set your graphics configuration to postscript, then generate a file, download it, and process it.
setplot initiates this. Your default will be HPGL. Create a new description that is postscript. Now, use setplot to select that configuration. Your graphics configuration is reset every time you logout to a default that is set in a file called .gcgrc. To view your GCG graphics configuration, type showplot. For example, once you set your configuration use the following commands.
frames -plo=myplot.ps myseq.seq would make a graphic file named myplot.ps
Download myplot.ps to your PC. You can print this by simply dropping the file onto a printer in Win95/98/NT. You can also go to a DOS window, then type print myplot.ps | lpr. Alternatively, you can use the freeware utility Ghostview to open the .ps file and save it to EPS, a more manipulable picture format. Please note, Postscript IS NOT the same as EPS (Encapsulated Postscript). Most image processors, including Office97 applications have .EPS import filters.

Universal

First, use setplot to create and to use a graphics configuration like the following. Type in setplot and follow the menus. Your first screen will look like this.

C(reate) a new configuration that looks like the next image! Note that there are 5 options to set!!!

You can now use commands like:

frames -plo=myfigure.gif

to redirect output to a .gif format file that can be be transferred via FTP to your PC and viewed in many applications, such as Netscape or manipulated with editors like Adobe Photoshop.

You will need to use setplot EVERY TIME you login to select (not to create) the right graphics configuration!!!!

Now you see one of the reasons I was seduced by SeqWeb.