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- README - for mfpic 0.2.5.1 bug fix, Tue 12 July 1994.
- Document's Author: Geoffrey Tobin.
- Based on: Thomas Leathrum's README for mfpic version 0.1.13.1.
-
-
- INTRODUCTION:
-
- This distribution contains version 0.2.5.1 of mfpic, a macro package for
- including pictures in TeX documents. The idea behind this package is
- to have Metafont do the actual drawing, and store the pictures in a
- font that TeX can include in the document. The macros have been
- designed so that the user should never have to learn Metafont to use
- these macros -- the TeX macros actually write the Metafont file for
- you.
-
-
- AVAILABILITY BY FTP:
-
- CTAN, the Comprehensive TeX Archive Network, is the first place to
- look for TeX related software. There are three CTAN sites:
-
- (USA) ftp.shsu.edu
- (UK) ftp.tex.ac.uk
- (DE) ftp.dante.de
-
- At each of these, the TeX archive is located in the directory named:
-
- tex-archive
-
- CTAN also has several mirror archives around the world; see the
- CTAN.MIRRORS file for more information.
-
- At CTAN, mfpic can be found by typing this at the ftp prompt:
-
- quote site index mfpic
-
- mfpic is the subdirectory:
-
- graphics/mfpic
-
-
- MANIFEST:
-
- bytes date file description
-
- 6345 Jul 12 21:35 README This file
- 2165 Jul 12 21:28 CTAN.MIRRORS List of CTAN archives
-
- 512 Nov 09 19:46 mfpic/ Main mfpic distribution
- 512 Nov 09 19:42 misc/ Odds and ends
- 512 Nov 09 19:41 setup/ ms-dos, unix contributions
-
- ./mfpic:
- total 80
- 10312 Jul 12 21:20 graphbase.mf MF macros for mfpic
- 88 Oct 12 13:20 lamfpic.tex Redundant LaTeX interface
- 1310 Nov 26 1992 lapictures.tex LaTeX version of pictures.tex
- 11511 Oct 13 19:23 mfpic.tex TeX macros for mfpic
- 33459 Oct 26 16:07 mfpicdoc.tex Documentation for mfpic.tex
- 5472 Nov 26 1992 objects.tex Samples of each drawable object
- 1241 Nov 26 1992 pictures.tex A few more complicated pictures
-
- ./misc:
- total 60
- 4316 Nov 26 1992 MakeTeXPK Modified MakeTeXPK for Rokicki's dvips
- 48447 Jul 07 18:24 mfb.tex `Metafont for Beginners', version 3 `W3'
- 958 Nov 26 1992 rotgroup.tex Sample rotation macros
-
- ./setup:
- total 8
- 512 Oct 12 13:24 dos
- 512 Oct 12 13:24 unix
-
- ./setup/dos:
- total 12
- 6503 Nov 26 1992 mfpic-bat.4dos 4dos batch file to run mfpic
- 3449 Nov 26 1992 mfpic-bat.dos ms-dos ditto
-
- ./setup/unix:
- total 16
- 3081 Nov 26 1992 Makefile unix Makefile to run mfpic
- 2415 Nov 26 1992 README.UNIX
- 5043 Sep 07 1992 setups.tex unix-specific documentation,
- containing csh scripts
-
-
- HISTORY:
-
- The previous net releases of this package were 0.1 in late June (to
- comp.text.tex), 0.1.13.1 in early September 1992 (also to c.t.t.),
- and 0.2 (to CTAN at ftp.shsu.edu) in late November 1992.
-
- Version 0.2.5 is a bug fix release, incorporating the following
- changes. [Acknowledgments are in brackets].
-
- Version 0.2.5.1 is a supplement to 0.2.5, to repair a bug in
- graphbase.mf.
-
-
- CHANGES:
-
- To `mfpic.tex' :
-
- 1. If a TFM file is absent, mfpic uses the `dummy' font, and prints
- an appropriate message. (This change was already added to version
- 0.2. It is noted here for previous users of 0.1.13.1.)
- [Don Hosek, Anil Trivedi.]
-
- 2. LaTeX compatibility:
- Introduction of \mfpicture, to replace \picture. [K.P. Hart]
- (\mfpic is an alternative name for \mfpicture.)
- If \picture is initially undefined when mfpic is loaded (as in
- plain TeX), then it's let equal to \mfpicture.
- Other changes to make mfpic LaTeX compatible.
-
- 3. Fractional x and y scales are now allowed.
-
- 4. The catcode of `@ is restored correctly.
- [Michael Downes of AMS.]
-
- 5. The sharp character is written as `#' (no longer `\#') in the MF
- file. Similarly for the percentage character `%'.
- [Donald Arseneau.]
-
- 6. Bad \label options are tested for, and replaced by the default
- text alignment option, which is [bl] (bottom left).
-
- 7. MF char codes out of range (0 - 255) are rejected.
-
- 8. Localised the scope of some declarations.
-
- To `mfpicdoc.tex' :
-
- Documentation of the above changes.
-
- To `lamfpic.tex' :
-
- lamfpic.tex is redundant, except for use with LaTeX documents that
- were written for mfpic 0.1.13.1 or 0.2.
-
- To `graphbase.mf' (version 0.2.5.1) :
-
- unxconv is now a linear transform, not affine.
-
-
- EXAMPLE:
-
- Here's one of Thomas's personal favorite pieces of mfpic code:
-
- \mfpicture[20]{-3}{3}{-3}{3}
- \axes
- \function{-2,2,0.1,(x**3-x)/3}
- \endmfpicture
-
- The first line opens up the picture environment and establishes the
- coordinate system. The coorinate scale is 20 points per coordinate
- unit (x- and y-axis scales the same in this case), with bounds on both
- axes being -3 and 3. The second line draws the axes. The third line
- plots a smooth Bezier interpolation of the function f(x)=(x^3-x)/3 on
- the domain -2<=x<=2, through points with x values 0.1 units apart.
- Since the algebraic expression is passed directly to Metafont and
- parsed there, the TeX user does not have to worry about computing the
- points. The fourth line closes the picture environment.
-
-
- INSTALLATION:
-
- Much of the process of setting up your site to use mfpic will be
- site-dependent. The biggest problem, no matter where you are, will be
- convincing TeX and the DVI drivers to find the Metafont output files.
- This often involves adding the current directory (sometimes also the
- parent directory) to the environment variables (or the equivalent
- thereof) for the TFM, GF and PK file paths.
-
-
- RELATED SOFTWARE:
-
- Anthony Starks has written fig2MF, a Fig 2.1 to Metafont converter.
- Fig 2.1 is the native graphics language of an X11 GUI drawing program,
- xfig. In fact, fig2MF uses, and its distribution includes, a modified
- `graphbase.mf'. fig2MF is ftp-able from CTAN sites, in the
- subdirectory (note the change of case in the name) :
-
- graphics/fig2mf
-
- CTAN also has fig2mfpic, which writes mfpic TeX code:
-
- graphics/fig2mfpic
-
-
- QUERIES AND BUG REPORTS:
-
- If you have problems or find bugs with the mfpic macros,
- please e-mail Geoffrey Tobin:
-
- G.Tobin@ee.latrobe.edu.au
-
- I probably will not be able to help much with site-dependent setup
- stuff (apart from unix and ms-dos), but I should be able to answer
- questions about the actual macros.
-
- All the Best!
- Geoffrey Tobin
-