TeX is a powerful typesetting program which allows for complex text layouts but by itself lacks a general graphics capability. However, when coupled with an appropriate printer driver program, external graphics files can be inserted into the printed document. In this mode, TeX is instructed to leave space for a drawing. The drawing is inserted by the printer driver program. The TeXdraw macros described here generate the external graphics file from within TeX and generate the instructions to the the print driver program to position the graphics at the appropriate position on the page.
TeXdraw consists of a set of TeX macros that create line drawings and other figures. The drawing primitives include solid lines, patterned lines, Bezier curves, circles and arrows. Other commands allow for the filling of a region with a gray level. The drawing commands generate PostScript code. This limits TeXdraw to systems which use PostScript printers. TeXdraw also provides commands to position TeX text, including mathematics, on the drawing. The final drawing, with text and graphics, can be positioned on the page like any other TeX box.
The basic TeXdraw macros for TeX use the \special syntax
recognized by the printer driver program dvips. However, when
invoked as a LaTeX2e package, the TeXdraw macros can be used with
any of the PostScript printer driver programs supported by the standard
graphics package for LaTeX2e.
The basic TeXdraw macros provide only simple drawing commands. However, TeXdraw provides a drawing segment environment which allows parameter changes and coordinate scaling changes to be kept local to the drawing segment. This facility, together with TeX's macro capabilities allows one to modularize drawing units and extend TeXdraw by building more complex graphics entities from simpler elements.
The TeXdraw routines are provided free of charge without warranty of any kind. Note that the TeXdraw routines are copyrighted. They may be distributed freely provided that the recipients also acquire the right to distribute them freely. The notices to this effect must be preserved when the source files are distributed.
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