Used with many plotters, the.prc file format is one of the most popular vector plotter file formats for CAD (computer aided design) and graphic software, because it offers a simple interface between vector graphics, PLT files and.crt files.
The format is based on Postscript and contains four levels of object definitions (parameters): lines, polylines, polygons, and paths. It is designed to accommodate the most sophisticated CAD and DWG software.
LINE
The.prc file is based on the Postscript language and is used to define lines (single stroke lines). A line object is defined by a start-point, a line-width, a color, a dash pattern, and end-points.
POLYLINE
The.prc file is based on the Postscript language and is used to define vectorized (closed-shape) lines (polylines). A polyline object is defined by an exterior or interior color, a dash-pattern, and a number of consecutive points.
POLYGON
The.prc file is based on the Postscript language and is used to define vectorized (closed-shape) polylines. A polygon object is defined by a color, a dash-pattern, a number of consecutive points, and a counterclockwise ring or a clockwise ring.
PATH
The.prc file is based on the Postscript language and is used to define vectorized (closed-shape) paths. A path object is defined by a start-point, a line-width, a color, a dash-pattern, a number of consecutive points, a counterclockwise ring or a clockwise ring, and an end-point.
Rasterization of.prc files
While the.prc file format is useful to plot very complex shapes and shapes of a multitude of geometric shapes, it is not suited for rasterized printing. There are two major problems: firstly, the image objects are not yet defined in rasterized form; secondly, the image objects are processed in vectorized form and therefore are individually scaled. Both are of no use if the printing resolution is higher than the resolution of the software used to create the.prc file, and the graphic is supposed to be printed as a continuous line.
To illustrate the issue, the following.prc file is available from the website. This file is r
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