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Annotation of OpenXM_contrib/gnuplot/docs/old/README.pic, Revision 1.1.1.1

1.1       maekawa     1:
                      2: HOW TO USE PIC driver:
                      3:
                      4:
                      5: I have tested driver under gnuplot3.2, and I am currently using it
                      6: with the reengineered troff, groff, which is distributed by Free
                      7: Software Foundation, but it should work for AT&T's DWB as well. As
                      8: gpic can produce TeX output, it could possibly be an alternative to
                      9: the LaTeX driver for TeX-users having the tpic macros (see the gpic
                     10: man page - I don't know much about TeX so please don't ask me about
                     11: this).
                     12:
                     13: A simple graph can be formatted using
                     14:
                     15: groff -p -mpic -Tps file.pic > file.ps.
                     16:
                     17: The output from pic can be pipe-lined into eqn, so it is possible to put
                     18: complex functions in a graph with the set label and set {x/y}label commands.
                     19: For instance,
                     20:
                     21: set ylab '@space 0 int from 0 to x alpha ( t ) roman d t@'
                     22:
                     23: Will lable the y-axis with a nice integral if formatted with the
                     24: command:
                     25:
                     26: gpic filename.pic | geqn -d@@ -Tps | groff -m[macro-package] -Tps > filename.ps
                     27:
                     28: Figures made this way can be scaled to fit into a document. The pic
                     29: language is easy to understand, so the graphs can be edited by hand if
                     30: need be. All coordinates in the pic-file produced by gnuplot are given
                     31: as x+gnuplotx and y+gnuploty. By default x and y are given the value 0
                     32: If this line is removed with an editor in a number of files one can
                     33: put several graphs i one figure like this (default size is 5.0x3.0 inches)
                     34:
                     35: .PS 8.0
                     36: x=0;y=3
                     37: copy "figa.pic"
                     38: x=5;y=3
                     39: copy "figb.pic"
                     40: x=0;y=0
                     41: copy "figc.pic"
                     42: x=5;y=0
                     43: copy "figd.pic"
                     44: .PE
                     45:
                     46: This will produce an 8 inches wide figure with four graphs in two rows
                     47: on top of each other
                     48:
                     49: One can also achieve the same thing by the command
                     50:
                     51: set term pic x y
                     52:
                     53: For example, using
                     54:
                     55: .PS 6.0
                     56: copy "trig.pic"
                     57: .PE
                     58:
                     59: the following session generated a two by two figure with
                     60: four graphs:
                     61:
                     62:
                     63:        G N U P L O T
                     64:        unix version 3.2
                     65:        patchlevel 2, Mar 24 92
                     66:        last modified Sat Mar 24 21:08:47 PST 1992
                     67:
                     68: Copyright(C) 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992  Thomas Williams, Colin Kelley
                     69:
                     70:        Send bugs and comments to bug-gnuplot@ames.arc.nasa.gov
                     71:
                     72: Terminal type set to 'x11'
                     73: gnuplot> set out 'trig.pic'
                     74: gnuplot> set ter pic 0 5
                     75: Terminal type set to 'pic'
                     76: Options are 'Pic's origin is at (0.000000,5.000000)'
                     77: gnuplot> plot sin(x)
                     78: gnuplot> set ter pic 5 5
                     79: Terminal type set to 'pic'
                     80: Options are 'Pic's origin is at (5.000000,5.000000)'
                     81: gnuplot> plot cos(x)
                     82: gnuplot> set ter pic 0 0
                     83: set ter pic 0 0
                     84: Terminal type set to 'pic'
                     85: Options are 'Pic's origin is at (0.000000,0.000000)'
                     86: gnuplot> plot tan(x)
                     87: gnuplot> set ter pic 5 0
                     88: Terminal type set to 'pic'
                     89: Options are 'Pic's origin is at (5.000000,0.000000)'
                     90: gnuplot> plot cos(x)/sin(x)
                     91: plot cos(x)/sin(x)
                     92: gnuplot> quit
                     93:
                     94:
                     95:
                     96: Scaling can be done using set size.
                     97:
                     98:
                     99: I prefer this way of including graphs to using encapsulated in troff
                    100: documents, because of the possiblity to preprocess with eqn, and
                    101: because pic is much easier to understand than postscript  - at least for me.
                    102:
                    103:
                    104: WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE THIS DRIVER
                    105:
                    106: 1.) Nice markers
                    107:
                    108: 2.) Dot-dashed line styles
                    109:
                    110: 3.) Possibly make line thickness an option when set term pic
                    111:
                    112: 4.) Making it possible to select fonts for both pic and eqn from
                    113:     gnuplot's command line.
                    114:
                    115:
                    116: I am happy to share this piece of software with anyone, in the hope
                    117: that it will be useful for at least someone. But taking into account
                    118: that it is the very first version of the driver, I would be happy if I
                    119: could get into contact with people able to help me improve it.
                    120:
                    121: Mind you: Anything thats free comes with no guarantee!
                    122:
                    123: Good Luck
                    124:
                    125: Sigfrid Lundberg (siglun@volterra.teorekol.lu.se)