Paint driver for HP plotters?

[W. Fredrick Limp]

> 
> I have been assigned the task of buying a plotter to use with GRASS. 
> I have been looking at the HP DraftMaster SX (pen plotter) and the 
> new HP DesignJet (Ink Jet technology) plotters.  Both use HP-GL
> (HP-GL/2) plotting language.  I don't see a paint driver for this, 
> in the GRASS paint subdirectory.  
> 
> 1. Does GRASS have drivers for HP plotters?  Am I once again missing
>    something obvious?  :) 

Yep.... GRASS qua GRASS dosen't use any pen plotters... just raster
painters.  BUT MAPGEN is a plotter system (for vectors in GRASS)
and works fine with many pen plotters.  The HP pen plotters are one of the ones
that MAPGEN works well with... there are others
The DesignJet might be a good idea as it is an ink jet (works with GRASS
at least conceptually) and as a "pen" plotter w/ MAPGEN.  
I don't have any experience w/ the DesignJet.  Is it a color ??? inkjet
for the quoted price??  If so its a real bargin!

> 2. Is anyone using either of these plotters to do GRASS stuff?
>    If so, what are your impressions, etc?

We personally haven't got any but hear good things about the HP pens..
don't know (see above) on the ink jet

> 3. Can anyone recommend other plotters, in a similar price range?
>    I can get the HP's at between $5000 and $9000 Canadian; my 
>    budget can handle only the low end of the range.

We have a HI.. not, perhaps, as solid as the HP but much cheaper.

If the goal is a raster output device for GRASS (not a "pen" plotter)
and if the DesignJet is too good to be true... (if it isn't post to
the group) .. then the trusty Tek 4697 at about 1,200 - 2,000 depending
on deals is a good option.  It can be costly to operate... uses its ink
to purge etc etc... but is does nice work.  I'm told that Freedom of
the Press has a driver so you can output color postscript.  There
may be others out there as well I hear good things about Rastergraphics
but they may be above your price range..   
Now if you had a pot of money there is this Iris printer.... :)
> 
> Thanks for any comments.
> 
> Tim.
> 
>  -------------------------------------------------------------
>   Tim Martin                   *
>   Spatial Information Systems  *   These opinions are my own:
>   University of Alberta        *      My employer has none!
>   martin at cs.ualberta.ca        *
>  -------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 


-- 
W. Fredrick Limp,   Director                     FAX: (501) 575-3846
CAST, Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies   TEL: (501) 575-6159     
12 Ozark Hall, University of Arkansas         
Fayetteville AR 72701                             fred at kirk.uark.edu