![[Print Panel]](images/print-panel.gif)
To export or print a Fig file,
xfig calls fig2dev, the post-processor which converts the Fig
file to the desired output language. For printing, this is PostScript.
For exporting, there are a dozen or so languages, including PostScript, EPS,
LaTeX, MetaFont, and bitmap formats such as GIF, JPEG, PPM and several others.
See the Language description of the Exporting section.
This means that you must have fig2dev installed on your system along
with xfig. Fig2dev, which is part of the TransFig
distribution is always available where you find xfig.
See Getting and Installing Xfig for details.
Magnification
Fit to Page
Orientation
Justification
Paper Size
The following paper sizes are available:
Letter (8.5in x 11in)
Legal (8.5in x 14in)
Tabloid (17in x 11in)
ANSI A (8.5in x 11in)
ANSI B (11in x 17in)
ANSI C (17in x 22in)
ANSI D (22in x 34in)
ANSI E (34in x 44in)
ISO A9 (37mm x 52mm)
ISO A8 (52mm x 74mm)
ISO A7 (74mm x 105mm)
ISO A6 (105mm x 148mm)
ISO A5 (148mm x 210mm)
ISO A4 (210mm x 297mm)
ISO A3 (297mm x 420mm)
ISO A2 (420mm x 594mm)
ISO A1 (594mm x 840mm)
ISO A0 (840mm x 1189mm)
JIS B10 (32mm x 45mm)
JIS B9 (45mm x 64mm)
JIS B8 (64mm x 91mm)
JIS B7 (91mm x 128mm)
JIS B6 (128mm x 182mm)
JIS B5 (182mm x 257mm)
JIS B4 (257mm x 364mm)
JIS B3 (364mm x 515mm)
JIS B2 (515mm x 728mm)
JIS B1 (728mm x 1030mm)
JIS B0 (1030mm x 1456mm)
Pages
If Single is selected here, this facility will not be used; any part of the figure outside the paper boundary will be clipped.
Background
Printer
If your system uses /etc/printcap to define printers, xfig will make a pulldown menu of printers next to the entry.
Print Job Params
The default is empty, but it may be specified by Fig*job_params*string resource.
Figures in batch
Dismiss
Print FIGURE/BATCH to Printer
The label of this button will be Print BATCH to Printer if there are any figures in the batch file, or Print FIGURE to Printer if there are none.
When printing to the printer, xfig will first convert the figure to PostScript with fig2dev program, and pass the result to lpr (lp on System V system). When executing lpr (or lp), the printer name specified by PostScript Printer field and options specified by Print Job Params will be passed as command-line options.
Print FIGURE to Batch
The figures stored in the batch file will be printed to the printer when Print BATCH to Printer is clicked later. You can use this facility when you want to send some figures to the printer at one time.
Clear Batch
Use File/Print if you want to print the figure to a PostScript printer.
If the export language is GIF, a menu to select a color
which may be considered transparent is offered:
![[Export GIF]](images/export-gif.gif)
If the export language is JPEG (JFIF), an entry to select the
"quality factor" is offered:
![[Export JPEG]](images/export-jpeg.gif)
Magnification
Fit to Page
Paper Size
Landscape
Justification
Pages
Export Offset
Language
The following formats are available:
LaTeX picture environment
PicTeX macros
IBMGL (HP-GL)
Encapsulated PostScript (EPSF)
PostScript
PDF (Portable Document Format)
Combined PostScript/LaTeX
Textyl
TPIC
PIC
MF (MetaFont)
CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile - useful to import into Microsoft WORD, etc.)
Tk (Tck/Tk toolkit canvas)
HTML Image map
GIF
Graphic Interchange Format
JPEG
PCX
Paintbrush format
PNG
Portable Network Graphics
PPM
Portable Pixmap
SLD
(AutoDesk slide format)
TIFF
Tag Image File Format
XBM
X11 Bitmap
XPM
X11 Pixmap
As a variation of the LaTeX format, epic, eepic and eepicemu macros are also available. It is also possible to output the text part of the figure in LaTeX and the graphics part in PostScript using Combined PostScript/LaTeX. This is especially useful when complex numerical formulas are included in the figure (see also TEXT FLAGS).
Not all of the features in xfig are supported by all export languages. For example, imported pictures are not supported for IBMGL export. The PostScript export language supports all features of xfig and a fairly high quality output will be generated.
The fig2dev program, part of the TransFig package available with xfig does the actual conversion from Fig to the output language.
To export the figure in a bitmap format such as GIF or JPEG, you must have the GhostScript and netpbm packages on your system.
Smooth
Border Margin
Background
Transparent Color
The default is None.
Default Filename
This file name is the figure name plus an extension that reflects the output format at the default, and it will be changed to the specified file name if export has been performed by specifying a file name in Output Filename.
Output Filename
The file name in the Output Filename field may be changed by selecting a file name in the Fig Files list, or typing the file name from keyboard directly. If return is typed after file name is entered, export to the file will be performed as if the Export button was clicked.
Alternatives
Clicking a file name in this list with mouse button 1 will copy the file name to the Output Filename field. Double-clicking a file name in this list with mouse button 1 will cause exporting to the file as if Export button was clicked. Note that exporting to the existing file will over-write the old contents of the file.
Filename Mask
Typing return in this field will cause rescan of the current directory as if Rescan button was clicked. The initial value of this string is ``*ps'', but it may be changed by the Fig*export_panel*mask*string resource if necessary.
Current Dir
The directory name in the Current Dir field may be changed by clicking a directory name in Directories list, or by typing the directory name from keyboard directly. If return is typed after directory name is entered, the directory will scanned as if Rescan button was clicked and the contents of Alternatives list will be updated.
Directories
``..'' indicates the parent directory. Moving to the parent directory may also be performed by clicking mouse button 3 on the Alternatives list or the Directories list.
Home
Show Hidden
Rescan
Cancel
Export
When trying to export to an existing file other than Default Filename, popup panel will appear and the user will asked to confirm the export operation. If the figure is exported to a file other than Default Filename, then Default Filename will be set to the actual export file name.
When you call xfig use the following command line:
xfig -specialtext -latexfonts -startlatexFont default
If you want ALL of your figures to be started with special text and
LaTeX fonts, you can set the following resources in your .Xresources
or whatever resource file you use:
Fig.latexfonts: true Fig.specialtext: true
There are several formats to which xfig can generate output and LaTeX can read. I will only cover three cases:
In your LaTeX preamble (the part that preceeds your \begin{document} statement) place the following lines:
![[Export Panel]](images/export-panel.gif)
\input{psfig}
So your preamble could look like:
\documentstyle[12pt,bezier,amstex]{article} % include bezier curves
\renewcommand\baselinestretch{1.0} % single space
\pagestyle{empty} % no headers and page numbers
\oddsidemargin -10 true pt % Left margin on odd-numbered pages.
\evensidemargin 10 true pt % Left margin on even-numbered pages.
\marginparwidth 0.75 true in % Width of marginal notes.
\oddsidemargin 0 true in % Note that \oddsidemargin=\evensidemargin
\evensidemargin 0 true in
\topmargin -0.75 true in % Nominal distance from top of page to top of
\textheight 9.5 true in % Height of text (including footnotes and figures)
\textwidth 6.375 true in % Width of text line.
\parindent=0pt % Do not indent paragraphs
\parskip=0.15 true in
\input{psfig} % Capability to place postscript drawings
\begin{document}
\end{document}
When drawing lines for type A drawings make sure you restrict yourself to the proper angle geometry in xfig. Otherwise when you export your figures to LaTeX format, xfig will approximate your lines to the nearest angle available in LaTeX. Usually this has unpleasant results. In this mode, you can type any LaTeX string on your figure. Once imported to LaTeX, the string will be interpreted properly. For example:
$\int_0^9 f(x) dx$
would result in a integration from 0 to 9 of the function f(x).
To create your LaTeX file just choose the export option off the
xfig main menu. Then select LaTeX picture as the language
to export. This will create a file with a .LaTeX extension which
you can then call directly into your LaTeX document.
For example this code would import the file yourfile.LaTeX directly into LaTeX format:
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\input{yourfile.LaTeX}
\caption{The caption on your figure}
\label{figure:yourreferencename}
\end{center}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\ \psfig{file=yourfile.eps}
\end{center}
\caption{Your caption}
\label{figure:yourreference}
\end{figure}
$\int_0^9 f(x) dx$
and they will be processed by LaTeX. You will need to export
your file twice when using this format: once to the
combined ps/LaTeX (ps part) language and once to the combined
ps/LaTeX (LaTeX part) language. The first will create a .pstex
file and the second will create a .pstex_t file. The .pstex_t
file automatically calls the .pstex file and you do not need
to include it explicitely in your tex file (users of the previous
version please take note of this.) To include your figure
just use something similar to this:
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\input{yourfigure.pstex_t}
\caption{Your figure}
\label{figure:example}
\end{center}
\end{figure}
N.B. You might want to edit the .pstex_t files created by xfig.
When it refers to the other file (.pstex) it automatically
gives the path specification to the .pstex file. This
can be an inconvenience if you move your files to another directory
because your LaTeX processing will fail. I personally prefer to
remove the full path specification and only keep the filename.
Use ps2epsi in ghostscript to encapsulate your postscript if you only have .ps files.
If you just include the picture using
\input{file.psttext_t}
there is no way of specifying the size of the picture.
\scalebox{factor}{object}
Will scale the object by any factor.
Factor is just a number (<1 = reduction; >1 = enlargement)
Object is normally some text or graphics
eg: \scalebox{2}{ \input{file.pstex_t} }
will scale the picture by 2, dependent on driver (.ps works, but xdvi
wont). Scaling bitmap fonts may produce ugly results, so try and
avoid them!
\resizebox{width}{ht} {stuff}
will resize "stuff" to be of size width x ht. Using "!" as an argument
retains the aspect ratio of the box.
eg \resizebox{5cm}{!}{fat cat}
will make "fat cat" appear 5 cm wide, and suitably high.
(From p129, Lamport)