fig2mpdf(1) | Including xfig figures into LaTeX documents | fig2mpdf(1) |
fig2mpdf - creation of multilayer pdf or eps figures from fig files using latex for typesetting
fig2mpdf [OPTION]... FILE
This tool can create pdf or eps figures using fig files as source. For beamer presentations, for example, you can use the multilayer mode to create multiple figures that can be overlayed to get a dynamic figure. For proper appearance you can use latex to typeset some or all texts, possibly containing formulas.
The default interpretation of the given fig FILE depends on its suffix.
The default interpretation of the input can be changed by using the options below.
In xfig you can assign an individual depth to all objects of the figure. These depths are normally used to determine the order of printing the objects. fig2mpdf uses these depths to group the objects into ranges in automatic mode (if the ranges option is omitted). In the list of used depths, consecutively numbered depths are grouped into one range. That is, all gaps between used depths are used to logically split the figure. With -g you can set the gapwidth which doesn't split the figure (default: zero).
The resulting list of ranges determines the number of output files. In default mode all objects with depths assigned to one range are collected and put into the corresponding output file. The contents of the output files can be changed with the two Options -i and -I.
The -i option reduces the number of output files by one. The bottommost range, that is the range which consist of the highest depths of the figure, is included into all output files.
In pyramid mode, activated by the option -I, the output files contain additionally all lower ranges. With this mode you can get stand alone figures that don't have to be overlayed to have meaningful content.
Example 1
Assume that you have a fig file foo.fig which contains the three ranges 230-233, 455-460 and 499-500.
With no options set you get three output files, one per range. But if you set the -i option you get the following two files where the bottommost range is included in both of the files:
foo-0.pdf with ranges 455-460 and 499-500
foo-1.pdf with ranges 230-233 and 499-500.
Example 2
The pyramid mode, activated by the option -I, will produce the following files from the source file of Example 1:
foo-0.pdf with ranges 499-500
foo-1.pdf with ranges 455-460 and 499-500
foo-2.pdf with ranges 230-233, 455-460 and
499-500.
Example 3
If both options are set you will get just two files with the following contents:
foo-0.pdf with ranges 455-460 and 499-500
foo-1.pdf with ranges 230-233, 455-460 and
499-500.
For various reasons you might want to change the standard latex generation, e.g., if you want to change the default font family. The following example represents a valid header file.
The usage of this example file changes the font family to sans serif and adds an additional search path for includegraphics to the `figures' subdirectory.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{german,amssymb,amsmath}
\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
\AtBeginDocument{\graphicspath{{figures/}}}
The following packages are generally used: color, graphicx and epsfig.
Sometimes it might happen that latex generates an error while processing your special texts. To keep you informed about the occurrence of that error and about what has happened, in this case the log file is shown by invoking a less command.
In single layer mode for the resulting files the suffix fig is replaced by pdf (resp. eps) (i.e. foo.fig -> foo.pdf).
In multilayer mode the base name of the source fig files is extended by '-<range>' and the suffix is set to pdf (resp. eps).
(i.e., foo.fig -> foo-0.pdf, foo-1.pdf, foo-2.pdf, ...
or foo.fig -> foo.page0.pdf, foo.page1.pdf, foo.page2.pdf, ...
if the option -G is set).
Jun 2006 |