.plt to .eps conversion

[TheSnowman]

I've been asking a lot of questions lately, but I'm new here, and I can't believe how much I've learned in the past few days. Anyway, when I bought the current sign business I own, I was given an old Gerber Plotter, running on Windows 95, and designs were being done using "composer". Cutting edge @ the time I'm sure. Anyway, I am now usin' Illustrator, and Digital Printing, and still, the old gerber...but I want to back all of those old .plt files up, and have them converted to .eps, so that when the ole' Packard Bell (which should have died 7 years ago) bites it, I still have my customers information, and logo's...etc. Anyone know of an easy program to do this in, that I can download for free or something like that? Or is there an add on to Illustrator that I can do it with? There's like probably 1,000 things in there, so a batch converter would be SWEET.

 

[iSign]

you still have a working copy of Composer? Which version?

I don't know of any batch converter, but if you have the software, you should be able to keep it around after "the ole' Packard Bell bites it"

if you don't, then I guess your troubles are upon you regardless of the fate of the packard bell. Since Composer won't run without a dongle, if all you lack is a CD, to move it to another newer computer, I think you could get a copy direct from Gerber for a few bucks, or even some kind soul out in cyberspace... since it's not pirating anything to help someone launch their own software on a different machine.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Your wish is my command.

And the good news is that you already have it. It is part of the utility applications that are included with Gerber software. Look in your Gerber Program Group for the File Converter.

It does singles or batches and will export your vectors out cleanly. The logic of the GUI and the language may seem a bit hard to follow but it will convert all your old jobs in a very short time. We use the current version to batch convert from EPS to PLT. I can tell you that to convert the entire Vector Art Mega Collection of 6,500 files took a little over two hours but that is because the directory structure is almost 300 directories and the converter will only do the contents of one directory at a time.

Be prepared that while the vectors are clean and unmodified from the original PLT files, you will have to recompound the fills.

 

[Fred Weiss]

you still have a working copy of Composer? Which version?

I don't know of any batch converter, but if you have the software, you should be able to keep it around after "the ole' Packard Bell bites it"

if you don't, then I guess your troubles are upon you regardless of the fate of the packard bell. Since Composer won't run without a dongle, if all you lack is a CD, to move it to another newer computer, I think you could get a copy direct from Gerber for a few bucks, or even some kind soul out in cyberspace... since it's not pirating anything to help someone launch their own software on a different machine.

See my last post. There is a converter and, surprisingly, it does not require the dongle to be attached to run. It launches independent of Composer from the Gerber Program Group.

 

[iSign]

Cool!
I just messed around a little with that converter last week on my laptop, without the dongle... but it never occured to me that I could do an entire folder. (I hate to think of all the computing I've done in my life going the long way around )

 

[TheSnowman]

See my last post. There is a converter and, surprisingly, it does not require the dongle to be attached to run. It launches independent of Composer from the Gerber Program Group.

I'm going to try that tomorrow Fred. I'd forgotten about this thread I started, and just now stumbled across it again. Hopefully I have that software...we'll see if good ole' Win95 comes through. Do they make a newer version? I was thinkin' about plugging the hard drive in to a new computer, draggin' over, and then just lettin' er' rip since I can't burn on that old computer, or even use a jump drive. I guess I'll just see what I can do, and check back here in the near future. Thanks for the advice!

 

[DARLAK]

fred, probably the best answer to any question asked on this forum...