Ref: 11640162
Title: Printing ViewBuilder Maps
Date: 8/26/91

Copyright 3Com Corporation, 1991.  All rights reserved.


You can print ViewBuilder maps using a shareware program called CLIP.  CLIP
is an OS/2 application that allows you to capture the screen of the
ViewBuilder network management station and save the screen capture to a
file.  This file can then be copied to a Postscript printer.

For the following procedure, it is assumed that you know how to use
ViewBuilder, build maps, and work with different OS/2 screen groups.  It
is also assumed that you are can link a Postscript printer to a DOS or
OS/2 personal computer.

There are four files associated with the use of CLIP:

   CLIP.EXE - the program that allows you to capture screens.

   CLIPLIB.DLL -  the DLL necessary for CLIP to function.

   PATCH -  a text file that explains how to modify CLIP to define a
   different key (other than the default key) to capture screens.

   README -  a text file that contains simple instructions on using
   CLIP, plus instructions on where to send payment for its use.

These four files are contained in the Ask3Com Unsupported Utilities library,
in a file called CLIP.ZIP.  Download CLIP.ZIP and unzip it with PKUNZIP.EXE.
Then follow these steps to print ViewBuilder maps:

1.  Copy CLIPLIB.DLL to one of the directories on the ViewBuilder station
that contains other DLLs used by the workstation.  One of the recommended
places is C:\LANMAN\NETLIB.

2.  Copy CLIP.EXE to the hard disk of the ViewBuilder station.  For
example, you might place the file in C:\VIEWBLDR\CLIP.  This could be your
default directory used to store screen captures.

3.  Execute CLIP.EXE.  The program's default parameters should be
adequate for screen capturing.  There is an extensive help section that
can be accessed by pressing the F1 key.

4.  Capture a screen.  The default capture key is the "Print Scrn" key.
Pressing the capture key captures the current screen into CLIP.

As a test, open any map (or any OS/2 screen group) and maximize it.  Press
the "Print Scrn" key.  Switch to the CLIP screen group, and maximize it.
You should see the captured screen in the CLIP window.

5.  Save the file.  From the CLIP submenu File, choose the option "Save As..."

    a.  Provide a name for the file.

    b.  Select the "Postscript-Landscape" format.

    c.  Select "16 Grays" in the Rendering options.

    d.  Select the "Compress if possible" box.

6.  Print the image.  Link a Postscript printer to one of the LPT ports on
the ViewBuilder station or on any other workstation.

To print the file, copy it to the LPT port.  For example, assuming a
captured screen was saved to a file name called MAP1.PS, the correct
command to print it would be COPY MAP1.PS LPT1:

Depending on the age of the Postscript printer and the amount of memory it
contains, the picture can take five minutes or longer to print.


CLIP contains a few interesting options that you might like to explore:

From the Capture menu, choose Rectangle.  This allows you to select the
specific area you wish to capture, instead of capturing the entire screen.
From the Options menu, choose Capture Options.  One of the options is to
include or exclude the mouse pointer when capturing a screen.  This is
handy when you do not want your screen marred by having the mouse pointer
included in the picture.

From the Edit menu, choose Stretch to Fit.  This option allows you to resize
the captured image in the same manner that you resize any OS/2 window.  The '
resized image is now smaller or larger than the originally captured
screen.  (This may produce a picture that does not print acceptably.)


Note:  If you like CLIP and plan to use the program on a permanent basis,
it is a good idea to send $20 to CLIP's author:

Dynalink Technologies, Inc.
PO Box 593
Beaconsfield, Quebec
Canada H9W 5V3
Telephone: (514)489-3007

$20 is inexpensive for the value CLIP brings to ViewBuilder.  Dynalink also
has a commercial version of the product called "Clip'nSave 1.2" which
contains many more features.

