[Tugindia] any software for figure and Greek symbols

[Kapil Hari Paranjape]

Hello,

On Wed, Sep 15, 2004 at 05:12:08PM +0530, Bhaskaracharya Pratishthana wrote:
> I want to know is there any linux base free software which can draw figures as 
> well as supports greek symbols like \alpha, letters which we used for maths.
> 
> And which exports file to .eps.
> 
> I tried xfig but it is complicated. Dr. Geo is easy but Greek symbols not 
> possible.

Other than sketch and eukleides there is tgif (but this is rather
similar to xfig so you may not like it).

The application depends on the nature of the figures:

1. Figures specified by plotting --- gnuplot, grace, xmgr.
   (output is often pixel-based)

2. Figures specified mathematically --- xypic, metapost, pstricks.

3. Figures drawn mathematically --- xfig, tgif, sketch, xeukleides.
   (keyword Vector Graphics)

4. Drawings as in sketching and painting --- xpaint, gimp.
   (keyword Pixel-based graphics)

All these are only for 2-D for 3-D you would have to go elsewhere.
Here is a general resource: www.linuxartist.org.

My own preferences (though I almost never need (1)) are gnuplot,
metapost, xfig and gimp.

Almost all the above programs can write EPS files that can be included
in TeX. Xfig and the tools listed in (2) can do better and include the
actual TeX symbols in the figure so that the notation in the figure
corresponds to the notation in the accompanying text precisely. Also
note that pixel-based graphics generally do not scale well and take up
much more space than any other format.

Regards,

Kapil.

P.S. If you learned Mathematics and TeX then (2) and (3) should be easy!
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