QPC2 v5 released

Discussion and advice about emulating the QL on other machines.
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xpdualcore
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by xpdualcore »

Many many thanks Marcel!


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mk79
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by mk79 »

dilwyn wrote:Me being me, I thought it'd be a good idea to use the "Microsoft Print To PDF" as default printer on my Windoze 10 system to generate PDFs direct from QPC2. Oops. All it does is generate a "QPC2 Print Job.pdf" file (without asking for filename like it does for other programs) which the PDF reader claims is broken and zero length. Maybe QPC2 treats it as a printer filter (although the USE FILTER option isn't available), or maybe it just needs a different kind of input text? Anyhow, it works fine for the Windows programs, just not QPC2.
You still need QPCPrint if you want to print to a generic Windows printer. QPC itself can only pass raw data to one of the ports or printers.


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mk79
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by mk79 »

Thank you everybody, the feedback so far has been fabulous! Really appreciated!


afx
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by afx »

Great!!

I have updated to the new version and everything has been perfect.

Thank you very much Marcel for the support of QPC2.


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dilwyn
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by dilwyn »

mk79 wrote:
dilwyn wrote:Me being me, I thought it'd be a good idea to use the "Microsoft Print To PDF" as default printer on my Windoze 10 system to generate PDFs direct from QPC2. Oops. All it does is generate a "QPC2 Print Job.pdf" file (without asking for filename like it does for other programs) which the PDF reader claims is broken and zero length. Maybe QPC2 treats it as a printer filter (although the USE FILTER option isn't available), or maybe it just needs a different kind of input text? Anyhow, it works fine for the Windows programs, just not QPC2.
You still need QPCPrint if you want to print to a generic Windows printer. QPC itself can only pass raw data to one of the ports or printers.
Ah, that clarifies that, thank you Marcel.

QPC2 v5 going great so far. I like the new sound features, and the range of things in the QPCdemo.win was great too.

Ended up wasting a lot of time today, playing games like The Wall :oops:


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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

What a QL weekend this was!

Many thanks for the present QPC2v5, Marcel!

Just before leaving to work today, I gave it a first try with QL/E. With just QPC2.exe and smsqe.bin added to the current distribution, start-up was flawlessly and performance is great.

Thumbs up!
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dilwyn
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by dilwyn »

mk79 wrote:
dilwyn wrote:Me being me, I thought it'd be a good idea to use the "Microsoft Print To PDF" as default printer on my Windoze 10 system to generate PDFs direct from QPC2. Oops. All it does is generate a "QPC2 Print Job.pdf" file (without asking for filename like it does for other programs) which the PDF reader claims is broken and zero length. Maybe QPC2 treats it as a printer filter (although the USE FILTER option isn't available), or maybe it just needs a different kind of input text? Anyhow, it works fine for the Windows programs, just not QPC2.
You still need QPCPrint if you want to print to a generic Windows printer. QPC itself can only pass raw data to one of the ports or printers.
Big thank you to Marcel for this as well as all his other work. Print to PDF works now. If anyone else wishes to create PDFs from QPC2 with programs like Quill or Xchange, here's how I did it in the end - thought I may as well share the info as Marcel went to the trouble to help. I have QPCprint - was astonished to find the licence key still worked after all these years as I haven't used it for a long time.

1. Make sure the Microsoft Print To PDF driver is installed in Windows (not tried any other PDF 'drivers'). It wasn't by default, but easy to add in Windows 10 in the usual way.
2. Set up one of the printer ports in QPC2's configuration window, putting a tick in the "Use Filter" box next to the M$ Print To PDF (in my case, PAR4)
3. Now, using a basic "Epson" style printer driver in QPC2, just print the document to the printer port chosen, in my case I print to "PAR4" (or in Psion Xchange use "_PAR4". Can't remember why, probably the leading '_' indicates it's a non-directory device to print to). It may ask you if you wish to "Overwrite" - safe to press Yes at this point.
printtopdf.jpg
Also works in registered versions of QemuLator, by using the Printer Emulation facility described in Chapter 6 of its manual. In the Configuration options for the serial ports, bind a serial port to the Printer (QL->Configuration->Serial ports tab). In the Printer emulation window, select the options you require and click OK. When you print to that serial port from QL software in QemuLator e.g. to SER1 (again, in Xchange enter _SER1 or whatever you specified as printer port if it's configured differently), then after a short while a Windows dialogue will appear to ask you to select which driver is needed - select Microsoft Print To PDF and off it goes.

Next question is probably "why does Dilwyn need all those printers?".

The Epson Stylus 880 is the workhorse. It has Epson control codes, plus parallel and USB, works with QL and PC. Can even be plugged into both QL and PC same time if need be, although total chaos ensues if both computers try to print at the same time as you might expect. Such an ancient printer, it has no right to still work. But it does, there's even Windoze 10 printer drivers for it!

The Brother is my son's A3 printer/scanner which he currently doesn't have room for at his house so I "reluctantly" :D :D :D offered a home for it.

The HP Deskjet is a "work" wireless printer on the network. Ink cartridges too expensive to make much use of for home use, but it's the best print quality of the three for work documents, photos, etc.

OK, back to work. All these new QL goodies last few days distracting me too much :oops:


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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by pjw »

Thanks Dilwyn :) I knew I didnt have to try to fiddle it out myself; just wait patiently and youd write it up! Super!


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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by pjw »

Lots of nice things to say about QPV2 V5 but, as is often the case, such things rarely get a mention; its the problems that get the most attention. Sorry about that!

So heres my first problem: I tested the assertion that the host OS'es file system could now be used as a (better) alternative to the native one. There is a wee problem with that though. For example, save a simple text file of a few lines in QD to DOS2_something_txt. Load it back up again. All swell; it looks the same. But it isnt the same file: Theres an extra CR on every line. COPY DOS2_something_txt TO scr and you can see it!

That breaks a lot of programs that rely on lines ending on LF only. Is this a bug? Or is there a way of switching this feature off? Or am I missing something..?


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Derek_Stewart
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Re: QPC2 v5 released

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

The extra <CR> control codes are a symptom of the other operating systems, I use QD to strip off the Carriage Returns.

Is the new sound commands going to be documented, would the QSound documentation be relative to the QPC2 v5 command?


Regards,

Derek
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