HPGL Commands.txt

from: http://paulbourke.net/dataformats/hpgl/

Introduction

HPGL is the HP graphics language designed for specifying 2D graphical information for the HP range of plotters. It was not intended as an interchange format but some software suppliers use it as such. At least it is efficient and easy to write and read. This short note describes those aspects of the format which may be used to describe geometry. The language itself has a large number of instructions, most of the ones not touched on here relate directly to plotter devices, for a full description of the language the HPGL description is normally provided with an HPGL compatable plotter.

Basics

HPGL commands are basically two uppercase character instructions followed by any arguments, and finally ending in the separator character which is a semicolon by default. The arguments are normally separated by commas. String arguments are normally terminated by carriage return.

In what follows, all the standard HPGL commands are listed, those which are likely to be useful for data interchange will be discussed at the end of this document. Optional arguments for any command are shown in brackets.

Commands

     Instruction                Arguments
AA   Arc Absolute               x,y,angle(,tolerance)
AF   Advance page
AH   Advance page
AP   Automatic Pen Operations   n
AR   Arc Relative               x,y,angle(,tolerance)
AS   Acceleration Select        acceleration(,pennumber)
BF   Buffer Plot
BL   Buffer label               string
CA   Select Alternative Charset set
CC   Character chord angle      angle
CI   Circle                     radius(,tolerance)
CM   Character Selection Mode   switchmode(,fallbackmode)
CP   Character Plot             spaces,lines
CS   Select Standard Charset    set
CT   Chord Tolerance            n
CV   Curved line generator      n(,inputdelay)
CD   Digitize Clear
DF   Default
DI   Absolute Direction         run,rise
DL   Define Download character  charnumber(,pencontrol),x,y(...)
DP   Digitze Point
DR   Relative Direction         run.rise
DS   Designate Charset          slot,set
DT   Define Label Terminator    terminator
EA   Edge Rectangle Absolute    x,y
EP   Edge Polygon            
ER   Edge Rectangle Relative    x,y
ES   Extra Space                spaces(,lines)
EW   Edge Wedge                 radius,startangle,sweepangle(,tolerance)
FP   Fill Polygon            
FS   Force Select               force(.pennumber)
FT   Fill Type                  type(,spacing(,angle))
GC   Group Count                countnumber
GM   Graphics Memory            (polygonbuff)(,downloadbuff)(,replotbuff)(,vectorbuff)
GP   Group Pen                  (groupnumber(,pennumber(,numberofpens,(length))))
IM   Input Mask                 emaskvalue(,smaskvalue(,pmaskvalue))
IN   Initialize
IP   Input p1 and p2            x,y(,x,y)
IV   Invoke Character Slot      slot,(left)
IW   Input Window               x,y,x,y
KY   Define Key                 key(,function)
LB   Label                      string
LO   Label Origin               positionnumber
LT   Line Type                  patternnumber(,patternlength)
NR   Not Ready
PA   Plot Absolute              x,y(,...)
PB   Print Buffered Label
PD   Pen Down                   x,y(,...)
PG   Page Feed                  n
PM   Polygon Mode               n
PR   Plot Relative              x,y(,...)
PT   Pen Thickness              thickness
PU   Pen Up                     x,y(,...)
RA   Fill Rectangle Absolute    x,y
RO   Rotate Coordinate System   n
RP   Replot                     n
RR   Fill Rectangle Relative    x,y
SA   Select Alternative Charset      
SC   Scale                      x,y,x,y(,type(,left,bottom))
SG   Select Pen Group           groupnumber
SI   Absolute Character Size    width,height
SL   Character Slant            tantheta
SM   Symbol Mode                character
SP   Select Pen                 pennumber
SR   Relative Character Size    width,height
SS   Select Standard Charset 
TL   Tick Length                tp(,tn)
UC   User Defined Character     (pencontrol,)x,y
UF   User Defined Fill          gap1(,gap2,...gap20)
VS   Velocity Select            speed(,pennumber)
WD   Write to Display           string
WG   Fill Wedge                 radius,startangle,sweepangle(,tolerance)
XT   X Tick
YT   Y Tick