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Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:46:56 -0700
From: Dave Curtis <davecurtis AT sonic DOT net>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] How to print large check plots?
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Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com

On 06/30/2014 04:24 PM, DJ Delorie wrote:
> I can think of two options off the top of my head...
>
> 1. Use the available PS filters/tools to print one big "page" across
>     multiple pages
Well with psselect, ps2pdf, and pdfposter, and a whole lot of 
jiggery-pokery, I was able to get some output that is useable, but a bit 
awkward.   Good enough that we can play paper-dolls for mechanical 
design, and also actually see the check plots, although the design is 
simple enough where that isn't a huge issue.
>
> 2. Edit PCB to print across multiple pages
Yes, well.  After this exercise I'm convinced that is the correct 
solution for people doing large boards.  Conceptually it doesn't seem 
like it should be hard:

1. Notice the board doesn't fit in 8.5x11 (or the real print area, which 
I guess is about 8 x 10.5)
2. Iterate over a few pages, moving the origin for each, and drawing the 
whole layer on each.  Let the current clipping do it's clipping thing.  
Total brute force, but shouldn't bog down to the point of being unusable.

That's a naive guess without looking at the actual code.  How close was 
I?  Since the current check plots come out 1:1, nicely centered in the 
page, with the ends lopped off, I assume clipping is happening someplace 
other than my printer, buy maybe not.  Doesn't postscript actually 
clip?  Maybe it's even simpler -- for large boards, emit the check plot 
page multiple times but with the origin in Postscript code moved around 
on each, and let the printer do the clipping.  Even bruter-forcier. :)
>
> Ok, three options..
>
> 3. Get a bigger printer :-)
Yes, rub money on the problem until it goes away -- that always works 
until you run out of money.

I did consider e-mailing a large sheet to Kinko's.  (For some things 
Kinko's is well worth it. This past spring during the heat of science 
fair season I discovered that Kinko's can print directly onto foam core 
panels for surprisingly reasonable prices. My daughter did her whole 
display in Libre Office Impress and slapped it on a flash drive. 24 
hours later, display done.  I can't imagine how much cut/paste time was 
saved and how many howls of despair were not heard.)
>
> You can export the board as an EPS or PNG and print *that* using
> normal tools, which may give you multi-page by default.
gimp would probably handle that reasonably well.
>
> For example, I can export a pcb as a suitably-sized PNG and print it
> at up to 3 feet by 150 feet on my wide-bed printer.
>