WHat program to design HPGL files to importinto FPD

[Rob Flinn]

I'm trying to design a panel in FPD & need to create some custom scales, which apparently have to be HPGL files.

The FPD youtube tutorial suggests Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw.  I am put off illustrator because I hate the subscription based SW packages.  Corel draw seems OK but I don't really know much about either of them.  Which would you recommend &  are there any alternatives ?

 

[rob_gould]

Either of your choices will work.  Neither make it easy.  I'm talking specifically about the HPGL conversion / import bit here

There's a free option which i persisted with for a bit but it was a total pain to convert and then import the hpgl files.  I gave up and went back to Corel Draw before getting any usable results.

One tip is to make your hpgl drawing 400% size when you export it, then make it 25% size when you import it into FPD.  It tends to look better this way

 

[bruno2000]

I use this
http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/frontdesigner.html
Best,
Bruno2000

 

[desol]

I know FPD have their own scale generator which can be used. There's also an online scale generator that I've used as well. One or both of them would allow me to output hpgl files. For myself, I think I ended up going with the FPD generator. Here's the online one:

http://stiftsbogtrykkeriet.dk/~mcs/Scale.html

 

[Rob Flinn]

Thanks people.  I will take a look.

With regards to Corel draw is home edition good enough for this or do I need the full version ?

 

[bluebird]

I've been dealing with this exact same thing. I've been using Inkscape which is free. at least it was when I got it a while ago.

I have been having difficulty tracing objects but one I get them traced there is an HPGL export option. It works with FPD. You have to tell FPD to look for "all files" because it looks for a .PLT file by default. Inkscape also exports to .PLT but for some reason FPD doesn't import it properly.