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Revision Browser : PlanetPhysics.org style guideline summary
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view 'PlanetPhysics.org style guideline summary
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2010-10-07 02:36:15
- revision [
Version = 2
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bci1
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\subsubsection{Including Figures}
There are two main ways of including diagrams in an entry: inline and
externally.
Inline diagrams are generated by code included directly in the \TeX\
document. They are rendered using specific packages such as
\texttt{xypic}, \texttt{pstricks}, \texttt{axodraw}, etc. However,
some of them only work with PostScript output and cannot be compiled
directly with PDF\LaTeX\ or PDF\TeX.
External figures are usually EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), PostScript, or PDF files, which can be generated with a large number of programs (see below). Once created, they should be uploaded to the article's PlanetMath filebox, along with the source (for example, the FIG file if XFig was the drawing program). Including the source alleviates concerns about compliance with the FDL license, and is just the ``right thing'' to do.
The recommended way of including uploaded figures in your entry is with the
\texttt{graphicx} package, using the \verb|\includegraphics| macro.
An example is:
\begin{quote}
\begin{verbatim}
\includegraphics[scale=0.5]{fig1}
\end{verbatim}
\end{quote}
The \texttt{graphicx} package allows scaling, rotation, cropping,
and other operations on the included figure.
Note: The reason that the extension of the external file is not written is portability. Files with the same base name but different extensions can be included by different flavors of \TeX\ during compilation. For instance, \LaTeX\ would search for \verb|.ps| or \verb|.eps| files, while PDF\LaTeX\ would search for \verb|.pdf|, \verb|.png|, or \verb|.jpg| files.
\subsubsection{Creating Postscript Figures}
There are several interactive and non-interactive applications capable
of generating mathematical or technical diagrams. If a figure is
generated using one of these applications and included in PlanetMath
(usually as an EPS file), the same figure should be included in the
format native to that application. If the native format is not human
readable, it should be readable by a widely accessible application,
preferably an open source one. Examples of such applications are given
below.
\paragraph{xfig}
\htmladdnormallink{XFig}{http://www.xfig.org/} is a general purpose vector graphics editor. It is powerful and
simple to use, but it does have some limitations. Its figures can be
exported in a variety of formats including PS, EPS, PDF, \LaTeX\ picture
macros, as well as combinations of \LaTeX\ and EPS. If generated figures
are included in a special way, the text in the figures can be formatted
with the full power of \LaTeX.
\paragraph{MetaPost}
\htmladdnormallink{MetaPost}{http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/hobby/MetaPost.html}
is an extension of Knuth's Metafont language designed to output
EPS figures. It is a full blown programming language including the
capability of solving implicit systems of linear equations. This ability
makes it a very powerful tool for drawing diagrams that require
precision. The learning curve for MetaPost is a little steep, but its
output can be of very high quality. Text included in MetaPost figures
can also be formatted using \TeX.
\paragraph{eukleides}
\htmladdnormallink{Eukleides}{http://perso.wanadoo.fr/obrecht/} is a
Eulclidean geometry drawing language. It provides a command line as
well as a graphical interface \texttt{xeukleides}. The language
is fairly simple. Eukleides can be very useful for illustrating
constructions in Euclidean geometry. Figures can be converted to
EPS and other formats.
\paragraph{gnuplot}
\htmladdnormallink{Gnuplot}{http://www.gnuplot.info/}
is a general purpose graphing and plotting tool. It is very
powerful and fairly easy to use. By default it offers only a command
line interface, but there are several GUI's that it can be used with.
It includes a small library of commonly used mathematical functions,
and it is very useful for making graphs of functions. It is also easy to
create a graph of any function by taking its values from a data file.
Gnuplot can output in a variety of formats including the ones described
for XFig and a number of editable formats such as MetaPost, and XFig
itself.
\subsubsection{Creating Inline Graphics}
There is a number of \LaTeX{} packages for drawing diagrams. Inline diagrams do not require special software, and they are easier to edit. Some of the graphics packages are described below.
\paragraph{\Xy-pic}
\htmladdnormallink{\Xy-pic}{http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/generic/diagrams/xypic/} is a diagram-description language that can produce anything from simple commutative diagrams to graphs and knots. The \htmladdnormallink{concise introduction}{http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/generic/diagrams/xypic/xy-3.7/doc/xyguide.ps.gz} and the \htmladdnormallink{full blown reference manual}{http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/generic/diagrams/xypic/xy-3.7/doc/xyrefer.ps.gz} come with the package. For simple category diagrams, it is not much more difficult than a table. For more complicated drawing, the learning curve is somewhat steep, but the effort pays off.
\paragraph{pstricks}
$\htmladdnormallink{PSTricks}{http://www.tug.org/applications/PSTricks/}$
is a \TeX/\LaTeX macro package that uses PostScript code to produce
graphics and other special effects in your document. PSTricks is
capable of producing quite elaborate diagrams, but has a steep learning
curve and should be used with care in order to create valid PostScript
output.
\paragraph{amscd}
The package \texttt{amscd} is capable of producing simple commutative diagrams. It is very easy to learn, but does not have many of the capabilites of \Xy-pic. The documentation is included as a part of \AmS-\LaTeX{} documentation, and can be found \htmladdnormallink{here}{http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/required/amslatex/math/}.
\subsubsection{Color}
Color can be an effective way to make diagrams and figures more comprehensible. However, some people can not perceive all color, and color is often lost at print time. Thus, it is a good policy to only use color to \emph{augment} an entry, rather than having the entry \emph{dependent} on the color. When considering the use of color in your entry, think of how to make it comprehensible in situations where color is not available or reliable.
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