summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/graphics/tktexcad/doc/tkTeXCADen.sgml
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'graphics/tktexcad/doc/tkTeXCADen.sgml')
-rw-r--r--graphics/tktexcad/doc/tkTeXCADen.sgml103
1 files changed, 103 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/graphics/tktexcad/doc/tkTeXCADen.sgml b/graphics/tktexcad/doc/tkTeXCADen.sgml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab11f2fac4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/graphics/tktexcad/doc/tkTeXCADen.sgml
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+<!doctype linuxdoc system>
+
+<article>
+
+<!-- Title information -->
+
+<title>TkTeXCAD -- Short description
+<author>Hilmar Straube, <tt/hilmstr@web.de/
+<date>Aug 16, 2001
+<abstract>
+Short description for TkTeXCAD, a Python/Tkinter-Script to interactively create LaTeX picture environments.
+</abstract>
+
+<!-- Table of contents -->
+<toc>
+
+<!-- Begin the document -->
+
+<sect>Introduction
+
+<p>TkTeXCAD means to make creation of standard LaTeX picture environments easy. It knows about LaTeX' limitations and
+attempts to preview the dvi output. It is able to save and load pictures in its own format (realized using the module
+pickle provided with Python), but only exports LaTeX source. Special focus is laid on processing reusable picture
+parts.
+
+<sect>(Not-)Features
+
+<p>The program uses the unit pt and the picture environment without additional extension packages (except graphicx for
+.eps inclusion).
+
+So, the program only generates these: \circle (empty circle; stepped up to 40 pt), \circle* (filled, only up to 15 pt),
+lines and vectors (limited elevations; a very bold version is used to implement filled rectangles), various text boxes,
+the \qbezier splines, \includegraphics (requieres \usepackage{graphicx} in the preamble) and of course commands to
+insert saved picture parts.
+
+Moreover, it is possible to show the same object several times by using \multiput.
+
+<sect1>Saved picture parts
+
+<p>The program makes a difference between classes of pictures and instances of these picture classes. A picture class
+contains some objects with their individual properties. An instance of a picture class can then be an object inside
+other picture classes where it appears as a special, user-defined objects. Whenever the inner picture class changes, all
+instances of this class will be changed as well.
+
+The object "instance of a picture class" can be scaled (\unitlength). This may cause the diameters of the arcs of \oval
+and the circles to change un-proportional, but the program will (hopefully) preview that.
+
+So a picture for TkTeXCAD consists of several picture classes. There is a main picture, that will be inserted directly
+into the LaTeX source. All other classes will be referenced to (possibly indirectly) from the main picture. When
+exporting, the program creates a file for every exported picture class <em/with exactly the same name; so you have to
+take care that this name will be legal on your system./
+
+<sect1>Inclusion of EPS pictures
+
+<p>As noted above, the program is able to include EPS files. It will preview their contents, but will need the help of
+the Python Imaging Library (PIL). This library then uses Ghostscript to render the pictures, but only on UNIX derivates
+with Ghostscript installed. If you have already installed the PIL on another platform, append some letters to the line
+"import Image" in tktc.py. This will raise an "ImportError" exception and thus tell the programm that there is no EPS
+support on your system.
+
+With no EPS support, every EPS picture will appear as a striked out rectangle whose aspect ratio is unknown. The
+programm will assume 1/1 which is probably wrong.
+
+The EPSs will not be saved, neiter in the .pic files of tkTeXCad nor in the exported files. So, you should copy them
+with your whole LaTeX document. (The exported files contain absolute paths to the files.)
+
+<sect>Notes on the user interface
+
+<sect1>The display menu
+
+<p>Every click into the canvas will be transformed into LaTeX coordinates. Additionally it will be placed onto the
+nearest point in the grid. This grid can be hidden, but this does not change that behavior. If you don't want it,
+just make the grid spacing small enough.
+
+To change the coordinate system, the data in the upper field of the menu is used. It denotes the number of points on
+the screen that will be one TeX pt.
+
+<sect1>The menu picture parts
+
+<p>To create a new picture class, select the objects you want to transfer into (elements/... mark) and select "create
+new picture class". These objects will be deleted in the picture class you are just editing and pasted into the newly
+created class. Then, the program places the first instance of this newly created picture class exactly to where it took
+the objects from.
+
+The next menu items are the picture classes that you have already created. Some of them may be grayed to make it
+impossible to insert them into classes whose instances they contain (to avoid circular references).
+
+The last menu item gives access to editing all classes.
+
+This does not really fit in here, but probably needs some explanation: Objects that are \multiputted can be changed into
+several stand-alone objects by selecting "create count simple objects". The same thing can be done with an instance of a
+picture class. This detaches it from its picture class; changes to the picture class will not affect the newly created
+objects any more.
+
+<sect>The file menu
+<p>Load, save and import refer to the files created by TkTeXCAD and pickle. Import will only work, if the imported file
+does not contain any picture classes whose names are ambiguous with those already in memory. The imported classes can
+then be selected in the menu picture classes.
+
+Exporting creates for every picture class a .tex file with the same name. These refer to one another and can be placed
+into your LaTeX source using \import{<em/name/>
+
+</article>