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Is there a way to print by Printer?

vvvv beta question
#1

Hi, I’m going to make some installation using Thermal Printer.
I have Thermal Printer named BIXOLON SRP-350plusII.
http://www.bixolon.com/html/en/product/product_detail.xhtml?prod_id=2

I’m using this printer well manually.
In win7, printer driver well-installed works. it is default printer now.
notepad, paint … any other program prints successfully by using this Thermal Printer.

but, in vvvv,
I found this, Print and Printer Contribution print-printer
but this plugin does not work for me, must be older version vvvv? I don’t know.
I’m using 45beta30 x86. win7 x64.

then,
I also found this, https://discourse.vvvv.org/t/4582
this is a way to print from existing file.
but I just want to print renderer screen.
in this case, it looks necessary renderer screen export to image file by using Writer node.
is there a more simple example of printing?
To use Shellexcute, for me, looks difficult.

#2

I am trying using this method.
https://discourse.vvvv.org/t/4582 # comment-58131

However, if I printed without the unecessary creation of a file, it would be better.

#3

Hey sansui,

I had the same issue a few years back and I ended up using the Writer Node to save the Renderer as a texture. Then I used a delayed Shell Execute command to print the picture with the default printer.
If you’re interested I can see if I can find the file on my external hard drive and post it here.

Cheers,
dl-110

#4

@dl-110 thanks for commenting.
If you show your useage, it will be helpful for me.

because I don’t know how long delaying for ImageFile Creating, Temporarily I use 3second-delay before executing shellExecute.

#5

you should not delay by time, but by a frame. it vvvv it is guranteed that if start an action (unless its in background) it will be executed before the next frame. so bang->writer and the same bang->framedelay->print should work.

#6

So you say that I can safely assume that the writer saves a picture in 1 vvvv frame and I can use it the next frame? Thanks, always wondered about those things.

#7

@tonfilm, I have a question.
I’m not sure I understand what you have said.
I understand you said that image generating (Writer) - Frame Delay - ShellExecute order.
Not Image generating (Writer) - 3 second delay - ShellExecute.

But I think I don’t forecast how long take image generating, it would be affected CPU or writing speed of the HDD, etc. or other variables.
For example If I create ImageFile on renderer backbuffer size 4000x4000px high resolution from low-end computer, Writer will take a long time for generating ImageFile.
Then, when ShellExecute starts after FrameDelay, Generating of still images could not finished. maybe.

Did I understand incorrectly?
Perhaps… In Writer, before image file creation is complete, proceeding doesn’t go the next frame?

#8

Since vvvv is single threaded it will “pause” as long as the writer is writing the image. In other words the frame in which you started the writer, will last as long as it takes the writer to “create” the image, hence you can start printing in the next frame. Hope that makes sense.

#9

@bjoern thanks for commenting.
so I tried, then I found Write(EX9.Texture) using very large backbuffer size cause renderer freeze. maybe during file creating, vvvv renderer couldn’t other work as you told me. um… main question and this question is different. but I wonder.
Is there a way to render window undisturbed while Write process?

#10

Hi sansui!

Sorry I haven´t posted my patch yet. I´m pretty busy right now but I should find some time towards the weekend.

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