[pdftex] Re: PdfTeX and SVG graphics

[Hans Hagen]

Brian Elmegaard wrote:
> Ben Crowell <pdftexcrowell04 at lightandmatter.com> writes:
> 
> 
>>I have about 700 preexisting figures, used in a series of physics textbooks.
>>I originally did them in Adobe Illustrator, and am now trying to get so I
>>I can do all the editing of them in open-source software. I'm now at the
>>point where my only reason for maintaining a Mac is to run Illustrator.
> 
> 
> Isn't AI just another name for/kind of postscript? Can you get from
> ai to ps?

the current version of ai is just pdf, while previous versions (if i'm right 
<10) were ps

Normally older ai code (ps format) has 'private adobe' code in it which leads to 
problems during conversion with ghostscript; this is one normally first has to 
do a rigourous clean up of the ai file (no problem, can be done automatically).

In the current ai format has (last time that i looked into it) the graphic info 
in it several times (depends on how one saves): as final pdf as well as as 
enriched pdf (so that it can be edited; funny aspect: if you consider pdf code 
to be assembler, reading the file in an editor sometimes comes down to 
disassembling those 'typeset streams' back into strings (e.g. as used in option 
menus)); finally i also noticed that there can be large chunks of eps (ps) code 
in the file. Another confusing aspect is the way those art/crop/media boxes are 
used (in dtp one just sees the media bxo and then crops in the end app; while in 
tex we want to kno wthe intended size/areas)

Hans

ps. in many aspects, pdf is inspired by ai

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