Re:Pen plotters: not just output devices (2016)
by ddingus on Sunday May 02, 2021 @01:10AM
(#27012518)
I love them for similar reasons.
In my case, I was doing precision sheet metal and would often produce 1:1 layout plots for various purposes.
They sound amazing, and the better ones can really move and repeat to crazy good precision.
I got a copy of AutoCAD from a warez site (downloaded over dial-up, obviously!), and learned how to use it, using the plotter to print my masterpieces - things like floor plans and building elevations - yeah, I was a weird teenager, and went through a phase of being interested in technical drawing. I thought I'd end up as a draftsman or an architectural technologist.
Anyway, it was absolutely fascinating to watch the plotter at work! The pen would fly across the page at high speed to the next target site, then make all these incredibly quick, tiny, precise movements, before flying off to another part of the page. I can still remember the pleasing electrical whine of the motor as it worked. Wonderful bit of kit :)