[XeTeX] How does xetex handle non-native image files suchas eps?

[Ulrike Fischer]

Am Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:26:02 +0000 (UTC) schrieb Yuan Qi:


>>> Does xetex support converting the image to PDF before compilation  
>>> or is it only
>>> doable via a script.
>> 
>> Look into xetex.def (/usr/local/texlive/2008/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/ 
>> xetex-def/xetex.def).
> 
> Basically, I am wondering if it's possible for the file conversion to happen
> before the file is compiled so that a separate boundingbox file is not needed.

It is -- like with other TeX-engines -- always possible to call an
external application during compilation which does whatever you want
when write18 (--shell-escape) is enabled. 

When -shell-escape is not enabled, xetex needs either to be able to open
the graphic file and get the bounding box ("native images") or needs a
separate bounding box file. In any case: xetex needs the size of the
graphic during compilation to decide about the place it should reserve
for the graphic.


-- 
Ulrike Fischer