CAD Forum

Jon72 · Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 6

I am having an issue with printing from Progecad 09 where it seems to work fine when logged into my office network, but when logged into my client's network, the print command simply fails to do anything...after a few seconds the command line scrolls through to accept the next command.

I searched the forum and found some information about resetting the configuration, but couldn't find the commands referred to.

Regards

Jon

caddit

Hi Jon72,

Are you physically moving between these networks or connecting to one/the other through VPN? Moving between networks is really tricky business with any application, and usually requires a skilled and experienced administrator to diagnose each individual situation correctly:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/learnmore/russel_02march04.mspx

We would need to know a bit more about the actual network printer configurations with the printers / plotters involved. At the end of the day, the behaviour you describe usually results when progeCAD 2009 fails to completely communicate setting information with the printer(s) involved.

Some background: Windows networks use a protocol stack called "SMB" to share resource information like drives and printers on a network. SMB depends on host resolution ("computer host name" = Actual.network.IP.address). There are several ways to achieve this host name/resource resolution, but the main ways are either using static IP & host files or using a windows domain server with DHCP & DNS lookup. Problems usually occur when moving between "ad-hock" networks which lack any of these formal mechanisms of name resolution, or that resource addresses conflict or are not properly configured on the laptop in question, etc.

Check your control panel. Do you actually have printers from BOTH networks locally installed on your PC (with drivers)? Do both networks have actual domain/DHCP/DNS servers? Are all of these printers shared off someones PCs (bad) or free-standing network printers with their own Ethernet cards (good)?
_________________
CAD Software Support
progeCAD Software Asia Pacific
Alibre Australia, PTC and MathCAD

Jon72 · Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 6

Physically moving between locations and connecting via ethernet. We did have it working for a while, but the past two times I have been on site, I have had this issue.

I have all printers installed locally.

The thing that concerns me is if that I log off the network and change the default printer to something like the Progecad PDF printer, I still get the same thing happening. I am not able to access the printer setup or print preview either.

When I log back onto my office network, I can only get the printing to start working by opening a drawing that I have previously printed on my office printer.

caddit · Last edited by caddit on Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hi Jon72,

Jon72 · Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 6

Right, I have checked everything on your list.

1) Same sub-net
2) Can access the printer manually
3) Can change settings from the control panel
4) No jobs in the queue at the times I am trying to print
5) Test page prints OK from properties page
6) Won't print from a brand new drawing
7) Reinstallation of the printer makes no difference.

I also tried rolling back the printer install to a time when we know it was working.

Additionally, I have tried uninstalling all physical printers, leaving only software based devices (pdf writers etc), setting the default printer to the Progecad PDF writer, then rebooting and running without the network. Same result.

My only other option at this stage seems to be re-installation of Progecad?

caddit

Hi Jon72,

Are you able to print to the PDF printer? Do you have only the two 2009 software printers installed when you reboot or any others?

Interesting here is you did say "printing from Progecad 09 where it seems to work fine when logged into my office network". I could be a simple permissions issue, but I doubt it when you can print test pages and view the printer properties.

BTW you didn't say yet what kind of network it is(domain or workgroup), if DHCP is enabled, how hostnames are resolved, or how the printer is connected (shared from PC or free-standing). If there isn't a way of managing IP addresses on that network, the information your laptop has about the printers location could be wrong/outdated..

Are you using any custom print styles ("Advanced" tab, far right in the "Printing" dialogue box)?

Are you using a special profile in progeCAD? (Options -> Profiles)?

Are you able to "Restore Toolbar and Menu" (START menu: All Programs->progeCAD 2010 Professional ENG->Utility) and see if that helps?
_________________
CAD Software Support
progeCAD Software Asia Pacific
Alibre Australia, PTC and MathCAD

Jon72 · Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 6

I ran the restore command (this was what you had referenced in the post from last year, but I didn't know where to find it).

That has fixed the problem

Thanks

Jon