Overlays and page segments

http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200102/msg00105.html

You don't have to have client access to get the AFP drivers. They are also available at:

http://www.printers.ibm.com/afpdr.html

Here are some instructions that I compiled a few years ago from some manual or article somewhere.

Configure the Control Panel so that the default printer is the AFPDS printer driver, and that this driver sends the output to a file instead of an LPT or COM port. When the AFPDS printer driver window comes up, choose '3812' as the printer and 'Overlay' as the AFPDS object to create.

If you create an overlay for a specific printer, E.g. 4028, you can only use this overlay for the d/t4028 printer. You can get around this by creating a generic overlay for a printer such as the d/t3820. If the overlay is generic you can use it for other printers as well.

Create the Document in any windows program, paint, Word, Visio

Within the Document, choose 'File' from the Action Bar.

Make certain that the resulting window (the 'Change Printer' window) has the AFPDS driver as the printer to use. If not, then Choose the AFPDS printer driver as the printer to use.

Click on the 'Options' button of the 'Change Printer' window.

When the AFPDS printer driver window comes up, choose '3812' or some other printer type as the printer and 'Overlay' as the AFPDS object to create.

Copying the AS/400 Document to an AS/400 Database File

You must create a physical file on the AS/400 system before you can create the AFPDS resource. The physical file must be created with a record length of 32766 and a record format level check of *NO for the resource to be created properly:

CRTPF FILE(QTEMP/OVERLAY) RCDLEN(32766) MAXMBRS(*NOMAX) LVLCHK(*NO)

Next, the data in the AS/400 folder must be copied into the physical file. For example, when creating an overlay you can use the following command:

CPYFRMPCD FROMFLR(foldername) TOFILE(QTEMP/OVERLAY) FROMDOC(OVERLAY.OVL) + TOMBR(OVERLAY) TRNTBL(*NONE) TRNFMT(*NOTEXT)

When creating a page segment you can use the following command:

CPYFRMPCD FROMFLR(AFPRES) TOFILE(QGPL/AFPRES) FROMDOC(PSEGMENT.PSG) + TOMBR(PSEGMENT) TRNTBL(*NONE) TRNFMT(*NOTEXT)

At this point, you should be ready to create the AFPDS Resource on the AS/400.

Creating the AS/400 Resource

We are now ready to create the AFPDS resource. This is done either using the Create Overlay (CRTOVL) command for overlays and medium overlays, or using the Create Page Segment (CRTPAGSEG) command for page segments. When creating an overlay, use the following command:

CRTOVL OVL(library/name) FILE(QTEMP/OVERLAY) MBR(OVERLAY) DATATYPE(*AFPDS) TEXT('Overlay created using the IBM AFP driver')

When creating a page segment, use the following command:

CRTPAGSEG PAGSEG(QGPL/PSEGMENT) FILE(QGPL/AFPRES) MBR(*PAGSEG) + TEXT('Page Segment created using the IBM AFP driver')

Once the overlay or page segment has been successfully created, it is then ready to be used whenever you are creating new AS/400 spooled files. For best results, you may need to create the spooled files with a device type of *AFPDS. This will become necessary if you are planning on using AFPDS resources to print to an ASCII printer (for example, a Lexmark Optra or HP LaserJet printer) using Host Print Transform's AFPDS-to-ASCII function.

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