Given that problems with the graphics inset feature fairly high on the
lyx-users list, I thought I'd augment the relevant section of the
User Guide. I've tried to write a 'How it works' subsection that
doesn't baffle the reader with science but does provide enough
information to enable him to go do the same with his own, weird
graphics format.
Thoughts?
Angus
ps Sorry to cross-post, but I don't know how widely read the lyx-docs
list is anymore...
? UserGuide.diff
? UserGuide.tex
Index: UserGuide.lyx
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/lyx/cvsroot/lyxdoc/UserGuide.lyx,v
retrieving revision 1.55
diff -u -p -r1.55 UserGuide.lyx
--- UserGuide.lyx 30 Jul 2003 11:42:44 -0000 1.55
+++ UserGuide.lyx 16 Apr 2004 11:00:36 -0000
@@ -12196,18 +12196,6 @@ No document preparation system is comple
graphics from other utilities into the document.
In LyX, these are referred to as ``figures'' whether they are actually
figures in the traditional sense or simply some kind of imported image.
- Encapsulated PostScript® figures are handled very well by LyX, which uses
-
-\family typewriter
-ghostview
-\family default
- to generate an on-screen image for the LyX window, and the
-\family typewriter
-
-\backslash
-includegraphics
-\family default
- LaTeX command to insert the figure in the final document.
\layout Standard
@@ -12233,7 +12221,8 @@ nsert\SpecialChar \menuseparator
\bar under
G
\bar default
-raphics
+raphics...
+
\family default
from the menu.
\layout Standard
@@ -12261,17 +12250,6 @@ File
\family default
tab allows you to choose your image file (note that a wide variety of image
formats are supported automatically).
- You can set the
-\family sans
-Subfigure
-\family default
- option for use in figure floats (see Section\SpecialChar ~
-
-\begin_inset LatexCommand \ref{sec:figurefloats}
-
-\end_inset
-
-).
The figure can be transformed by setting a rotation angle, using a bounding
box, and scaling.
It is possible to set a bounding box automatically for some image formats
@@ -12289,6 +12267,154 @@ Box
Extras
\family default
tab.
+ You can also set the
+\family sans
+Subfigure
+\family default
+ option here, for use in figure floats (see Section\SpecialChar ~
+
+\begin_inset LatexCommand \ref{sec:figurefloats}
+
+\end_inset
+
+).
+\layout Subsection
+
+How it works
+\layout Standard
+
+LyX has the ability to handle literally any graphics format in the known
+ universe so long as a conversion path from this graphics format to the
+ target output format can be created.
+ If that sounds a little obtuse, consider how LyX handles Encapsulated PostScrip
+t® figures.
+ LaTeX provides native support for this format, so LyX needs do nothing
+ other than use the
+\family typewriter
+
+\backslash
+includegraphics
+\family default
+ LaTeX command to insert the figure in the final document.
+
+\layout Standard
+
+To view the figure on the LyX screen, however, some additional work is required
+ because neither the XForms nor the Qt GUI libraries can load PostScript®
+ figures themselves.
+ The XForms library can load figures in the following, widely used graphics
+ formats:
+\family typewriter
+bmp
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+gif
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+jpeg
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+pbm
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+pgm
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+ppm
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+tif
+\family default
+ and
+\family typewriter
+xbm
+\family default
+ whilst the Qt library can also handle
+\family typewriter
+mng
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+png
+\family default
+ and
+\family typewriter
+xpm
+\family default
+ format figures.
+ Thus, LyX must initiate a conversion from Encapsulated PostScript® to a
+ loadable graphics format.
+\layout Standard
+
+It does this using the powerful, configurable converters mechanism exposed
+ in the
+\family sans
+Converters
+\family default
+ section of the
+\family sans
+\bar under
+E
+\bar default
+dit
+\family default
+\SpecialChar \menuseparator
+
+\family sans
+\bar under
+P
+\bar default
+references
+\family default
+ dialog.
+ If LyX cannot create a conversion path (which might have many steps) from
+ Encapsulated PostScript® to one of the loadable formats listed above, then
+ it defaults to the use of ImageMagick's
+\family typewriter
+convert
+\family default
+ utility.
+ If, after all that, LyX
+\emph on
+still
+\emph default
+ cannot load the figure, then it'll tell you so with a message
+\begin_inset Quotes eld
+\end_inset
+
+Error converting to loadable format
+\begin_inset Quotes erd
+\end_inset
+
+ in place of an on-screen view of your figure.
+ If you're presented with such a message, then you'll need to augment the
+ list of known converters.
+\layout Standard
+
+This strategy is used both to generate on-screen views of your image and
+ when generating the final document.
+ In the latter case, the LaTeX compiler must be supplied with graphics files
+ in PostScript® format.
+ Similarly the PDFLaTeX compiler requires files in
+\family typewriter
+ pdf
+\family default
+,
+\family typewriter
+png
+\family default
+ or
+\family typewriter
+jpeg
+\family default
+ format.
+ LyX will handle the necessary conversions behind the scenes.
\layout Subsection
Figure Floats
@@ -12439,7 +12565,7 @@ Figure
Float
\family default
.
- This allows LyX [actually LaTeX] to best position each figure.
+ This allows LyX (actually, LaTeX) to best position each figure.
\layout Standard
Right-clicking on a float opens a dialog where you can alter the placement
