[PLUG] Creating vector plots: xfig? sketch? Something else?

Rich Shepard rshepard at appl-ecosys.com
Fri Sep 5 08:22:02 UTC 2003


  For the book I'm writing now I need to create many illustrative plots.
These are line graphs (Y axis on the left, X axis on the bottom) with
bell-shaped curves, S-curves, Z-curves, triangular curves or trapezoidal
curves. Many figures will have multiple curves on the same set of axes.

  If I had real data to plot I'd use gri. However, these are illustrations,
not real data plots so it would be a major effort to cobble together a
contrived data file to draw each illustration using gri.

  So I'm looking for an alternative. The 'dia' Web site appears to be down.
I believe that 'sketch' is a possibility and I strongly suspect that xfig
would do a top-notch job (if I knew how to use it). I would greatly
appreciate feedback, suggestions and advice from those of you who have used
any of these tools (particularly xfig). The output needs to be .eps for
inclusion in a LaTeX document (go LyX!).

  I've scanned the sketch Web site and read the xfig man page. Having used
neither I've no feel for capabilities or ease of learning/use.

TIA,

Rich

Dr. Richard B. Shepard, President

                       Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc. (TM)
            2404 SW 22nd Street | Troutdale, OR 97060-1247 | U.S.A.
 + 1 503-667-4517 (voice) | + 1 503-667-8863 (fax) | rshepard@appl-ecosys.com
                         http://www.appl-ecosys.com/




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