HPGL-Distiller

HPGL-Distiller is a software program designed to optimize HPGL files for various output devices, such as vinyl cutters. When creating HPGL files, the program eliminates any irrelevant data in order to improve the performance of the output device. The program is simple and straightforward, written in C, and it breaks down the incoming HPGL data set into individual commands, copying or ignoring each command based on the preset list of 'acceptable' HPGL commands.

The HPGL commands generated by pstoedit, such as line type, width, pen colour, and pen width, aren't always relevant for the cutting processes. HPGL-Distiller eliminates these unnecessary commands, resulting in a more efficient and accurate final product. Furthermore, higher-end plotters/cutters tend to support a wider range of HPGL features, such as arcs, circles, and rectangles natively.

HPGL-Distiller is used as a post-processing tool following the conversion of a vector format (e.g., SVG, DXF, EPS) into HPGL via pstoedit. The output of pstoedit with -f plot-hpgl formats contains many HPGL commands irrelevant to the final vinyl cutter results. After creating the full output.hpgl file, HPGL-Distiller reduces the unnecessary commands and produces the useful distilled.hpgl file which can then be outputted to the cutter. The distilled HPGL can be easily transferred to the cutter using the 'cat distilled.hpgl > /dev/ttyS1' command.

This latest release of HPGL-Distiller introduces a new shell script, which enables Inkscape and other programs to print directly to HPGL vinyl cutters. Overall, HPGL-Distiller is an excellent software tool designed to streamline and optimize HPGL files, making it easier to operate vinyl cutters and other related devices.