Uploaded August 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Printing the classic AutoCad Space Shuttle Columbia on the Apple 410 Color Pen Plotter.
For some background on this device, read here:
nycresistor.com/2017/12/13/reviving-the-apple-410-color-plotter
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_410_Color_Plotter
Here's a scan of the (badly copied) manual that came with my plotter: archive.org/details/AppleColorPlotter
To get this drawing, I downloaded the columbia.dwg AutoCad file then used an online converter to change it to .dxf. From there I imported it into EAGLE, and using the info in the Wikipedia article used the CAM processor to output a YEWPL formatted .txt file. (Note: The settings on Wikipedia aren't 100% correct...).
To send the file to the plotter I'm pasting 100 lines at a time in TeraTerm. Trying to go more results in the printer's buffer filling up and getting corrupted. The pauses are me pasting the next ~100 lines. Even so, there were a few errors. The text is done with the plotter's built in font.
Thanks for watching!
Printing the classic AutoCad Space Shuttle Columbia on the Apple 410 Color Pen Plotter.
For some background on this device, read here:
nycresistor.com/2017/12/13/reviving-the-apple-410-color-plotter
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_410_Color_Plotter
Here's a scan of the (badly copied) manual that came with my plotter: archive.org/details/AppleColorPlotter
To get this drawing, I downloaded the columbia.dwg AutoCad file then used an online converter to change it to .dxf. From there I imported it into EAGLE, and using the info in the Wikipedia article used the CAM processor to output a YEWPL formatted .txt file. (Note: The settings on Wikipedia aren't 100% correct...).
To send the file to the plotter I'm pasting 100 lines at a time in TeraTerm. Trying to go more results in the printer's buffer filling up and getting corrupted. The pauses are me pasting the next ~100 lines. Even so, there were a few errors. The text is done with the plotter's built in font.
Thanks for watching!
