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I have written a program that generates PostScript files that will cause
your PS printer to print sheets similar to Universal Plotting Sheets.
It was inspired by some PostScript programs by John Hughes, but mine
includes many changes which allow you to customize your output.

The program is written in MetaCard which will run on almost all systems
(Mac, Windows, UNIX, and Linux).

You can download a beta version (it works correctly as far as I know,
but there are still some user-interface issues left) from my ftp site:
sextant.u-aizu.ac.jp.  (anonymous ftp).  There are two versions on the
site:  one is the program itself (upsdr.mc) which I guess requires that
you download in binary mode.  There is also a .sit.hqx version for those
with binhex-stuffit decoders.  There is also a sample UPS.ps file which
you can use for testing your printer (it's set for A4 paper).

In order to run the program you must also go to the www.metacard.com
site and download an engine for your computer (no cost and there are
many UNIX flavors avilable).

The program allows you to set bounding latitudes, west-most longitude,
line intervals, optional compass, optional variation compass, optional
deviation compass, and optional DR course with speed, heading, and
duration.  You get an on-screen sample of the output before printing.

To print a PostScript file you need three things:
1.  A PostScript Printer.
2.  A PostScript printing utility program (like Drop.PS on a Mac,
available from my site).  You cannot print from a word-processor
normally.
3.  A PostScript file such as is output by my program.

You can sometimes debug and view onscreen PostScript output with a
GhostScript Viewer or similar program available on the web.

Note:  When setting paper size above you may run into problems.  My
printer, an Epson LP-8200, accepts paper "sideways" usually, but if I
want to print on "big" paper like A3 I have to feed it the long way.
The printer apparently thinks that this is Landscape even though it
seems like like Portrait to me, if I don't think about it too much.
Then I realized that its normal feeder expects paper the wide way, but
prints it as Portrait, so you may have to reverse your dimensions for
custom sizes.  You know what I mean!

Please report complaints and suggestions.

--
Steven D. Tripp        +-------------------------------------------+
University of Aizu     |+-----------------------------------------+|
Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan  ||     Lat 39.5 N  Long 140 E  GMT +9      ||
tripp@u-aizu.ac.jp     |+-----------------------------------------+|
fax +81-242-37-2599    +-------------------------------------------+
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