[pdftex] psfrag like functionality in pdflatex?

[Mark A. Wicks]

On Fri, 15 Jun 2001, Ross Moore wrote:

>  A.
> Using Metapost you can create a completely new graphic, in a different
> format, which includes your TeX-ed labels. 
> 
>  B.
> I haven't used  psedit  but presumably this is just a way to edit the
> PostScript, which then needs to be converted back to PDF for inclusion.
> How this will handle complicated mathematics, I don't know without trying.

   It's more than a way to edit PostScript, and it does not need to be
converted to PDF for inclusion.  Pstoedit allow you to pass PS strings
(labels) through TeX. For example, in Matlab, I just typed

>> t=0:0.01:5;y=exp(-t);plot(t,y);
>> title('Plot of $e\^\{-t\}$');  
>> print -deps exp.ps    

   I ran the result through pstoedit -> gpic -> tex and got the equation
properly typeset in the figure with cmr10.  I had to do a little (trivial)
massaging along the way, but the end result is fine.  One can also run
pstoedit -> mpost, but I am having a little trouble getting the pstoedit
MP output processed by TeX.  In principle, this should possible because MP
can pass arbitrary strings through TeX.  Whether using tpic or MP, a
conversion to PDF is not required.
______________________________________________________________________

  Mark A. Wicks                                mwicks at kettering.edu
  ECE Department, Kettering University         Voice: (810) 762-7992
  1700 West Third Ave, Flint, MI 48504-4898    Fax:   (810) 762-9830