<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">The code shown below is intended to draw a sphere, a point on the sphere, the plane tangent to the sphere there, and the normal vector there.<div><br></div><div>Everything works well, except the normal vector. When I try to use the predefined pst3d-solides object vecteur, I get the appropriate vector, but</div><div>the arrowhead on it is awful (is there a way to control arrowheads in this setting?)</div><div>So I tried a pst-3dplot macro(defined just before \begin{document} which has worked in the past;</div><div>it is called in the last uncommented line before \end{pspicture}. When this call is commented out, the code compiles fine (of course,</div><div>with no vector shown), but when it is not commented out, the error message is</div><div><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Error: /typecheck in --show--</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Operand stack:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; "> --nostringval--</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Execution stack:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; "> %interp_exit .runexec2 --nostringval-- --nostringval-- --nostringval-- 2 %stopped_push --nostringval-- --nostringval-- --nostringval-- false 1 %stopped_push 1862 1 3 %oparray_pop 1861 1 3 %oparray_pop 1845 1 3 %oparray_pop 1739 1 3 %oparray_pop --nostringval-- %errorexec_pop .runexec2 --nostringval-- --nostringval-- --nostringval-- 2 %stopped_push --nostringval-- --nostringval--</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Dictionary stack:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; "> --dict:1150/1684(ro)(G)-- --dict:0/20(G)-- --dict:80/200(L)-- --dict:771/1012(L)-- --dict:180/300(L)-- --dict:38/200(L)-- --dict:186/200(L)--</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Current allocation mode is local</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Last OS error: 2</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">Current file position is 551632</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; ">GPL Ghostscript 8.70: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1</div></blockquote></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Monaco; "><br></div></div><div>Where is the conflict causing this problem? Does anyone have a workaround?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><blockquote type="cite"><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">% !TEX TS-program = latex</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\listfiles</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\documentclass[11pt]{article}</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\usepackage{pst-solides3d, pst-3dplot, pst-math,pstricks-add}</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\usepackage{pst-3d}</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%\usepackage{graphicsmacros}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\newcommand{\vecThree}[6]{\pstThreeDLine[arrows=->]%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">(#1\space,#2\space,#3\space)(#4\space,#5\space,#6\space)</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%arrow from (#1,#2,#3) to (#4,#5,#6)</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\begin{document}</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">a little text before, going on and on and on and on....</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\begin{figure}[htbp]</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\begin{center}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\begin{pspicture}(-3,-3.5)(3,3)</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psset{unit=0.75}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psset{lightsrc=50 -20 40, viewpoint=20 20 50 rtp2xyz,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Decran=50}</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\axesIIID[linecolor=red](1,1,1)(2,2,2)</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psSolid[</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">object=sphere,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">r=1,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">ngrid=20 20,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">fillcolor=lightgray,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">grid,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">]</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psPoint(0.612,-0.612,0.5){P}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psPolygonIIID[linestyle=none,fillstyle=solid,fillcolor=red!20, opacity=0.1]%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">(0.259,-0.29,1.366)%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">(0,-1.224,0.5)%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">(0.965,-0.965,-0.366)%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">(1.224,0,0.5)%</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psdots[dotstyle=o, dotsize=0.2,fillcolor=red](P)</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\psSolid[</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">object=vecteur,</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">linecolor=red,</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">args=0.53 -0.53 0.433] (0.612,-0.612,0.5)</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">]</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\vecThree[linecolor=red, arrows=->] {0.612}{-0.612}{0.5}{1.142}{-1.142}{0.933}</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">%</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\pstThreeDPut(1,0.5,0.3){\textcolor{red}{$(1,\half,\recip{8})$}}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\end{pspicture}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\caption{Tangent Plane to Sphere at $\left(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2\sqrt{2}},-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2\sqrt{2}},\frac{1}{2}\right)$}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\label{fig:spheretan}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\end{center}</font></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\end{figure}</font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </font></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">a little text after</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">\end{document}</font></div></blockquote><div><br></div>Picture when line "vecThree[linecolor=red..." is commented out:</div><div></div></body></html>