Re: [ePiX-users] Figure size

[Andrew D. Hwang]

On Fri, 25 Apr 2008, José Alexandre Nalon wrote:

> > However, code that can automatically choose the bounding box (as you asked
> > about via email) would ensure picture contents nearly fill the bounding
> > box. I'll experiment with some ideas in the coming weeks.
>
> That would help a lot. I looked in the generated .eepic file, and
> noticed that it contains a lot of numbers, which I suppose are
> coordinates used to draw the picture elements.
Yes, that's right. :)

Changing the bounding box rescales these coordinates without affecting the 
font size, which is easier than writing a script. As you note, scaling eps 
files generally changes the text size, and therefore isn't optimal.

Here's the technique I use: Guess the approximate corners of the bounding 
box, and define them in the picture command

  picture(P(a,c), P(b,d), "...");

rather than defining (a,c) and (b,d) as symbolic entities. Compile the 
figure with a border(); command added, and adjust the bounding box 
visually.

The previewer gv has a "watch file" option, which updates the preview when 
the eps file changes on disk. If you use emacs with Jay Belanger's epix 
mode, the visual adjustment is a matter of changing the corners in the 
input file and typing C-c C-l to recompile. When the bounding box is set
correctly, remove the border(); command.

Admittedly, this can be tedious if you've already created a large number 
of figures of different virtual size.

--
Andy

Andrew D. Hwang                 address@hidden
Department of Math and CS       http://mathcs.holycross.edu/~ahwang
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