[yandytex] Pictex help

[Murray Eisenberg]

It should be straightforward.  You need pictexwd.sty along with 
prepictex.tex, pictexwd.tex, postpictex.tex.

pictexwd.sty is the package you "use" in LaTeX.  It does three things: 
It defines \fiverm if it's undefined; it \input's prepictex(.tex), 
pictexwd(.tex), and postpictex(.tex); and finally changes a catcode.

pictexwd.sty is a modified version of pictex.sty in which inputting of 
picmore.tex and piccorr.sty are commented out.  pictexwd is a patched 
version of PicTeX that uses fewer registers.

At least this is the way I began doing it many years ago, and it still 
works with Y&Y TeX.  I don't recall all the reasons that one needed to 
do it this way.

You should be able to get all these files from a CTAN site.  Just search 
on "pictex" and when you download be sure to get the "addon" 
subdirectory, too, of the pictex directory.

If you cannot locate what is needed, I'll be glad to help more, or send 
you a copy.  Also, if you want a bound, printed copy of the PiCTeX 
manual by Michael Wichura (along with the manual for the Table macro), 
you can buy it from www.pctex.com.

It's possible to include pictex commands within a conventional LaTeX 
picture environment, and vice versa, but I haven't done that in a long 
time.  (There may be some additional files required for that.)

Here's a sample LaTeX file that uses pictex:

% lighthouse.tex -- example using pictex
%
\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{pictexwd}

\begin{document}

A boat dock is located on a straight coastline.  A lighthouse is 2 km 
offshore from the dock (see the figure).  The light beam from the 
lighthouse rotates at 6 radians per minute.  How fast is the beam's spot 
of light moving along the coastline when that spot is 3 km down the 
coastline from the dock?

\medskip

\hspace*{0.8in}\mbox{%
{\small%
\beginpicture
     \setcoordinatesystem units <0.5in,0.5in>
     \setlinear
     \plot -1 0 4.25 0 / % coastline
     \thicklines
     \arrow <10pt> [.2,.67] from 0 2 to 2.9 0.1
     \thinlines
     \setdashes
     \plot 0 0 0 2 /
     \betweenarrows {2 km} [r] <-0.1in, 0in> from 0 0 to 0 2
     \put {lighthouse} at 0.25 2.35
     \put {light beam} [l] at 1.7 1.2
     \put {dock} [t] at 0 -0.2
     \put {coastline} [lt] at 0.8 -0.2
     \put {spot of light} [lt] at 2.75 -0.2
     \put {{\large\textbullet}} at 3 0
     \put {\rule{8pt}{8pt}} at 0 0
     \put {$\bigcirc$} at 0 2
     %\put {$\bullet$} at 0 2
     \setsolid
     \circulararc 54 degrees from 0 1.3 center at 0 2
\endpicture
}% end small
}



George McCormack wrote:
> I am running Y&Y, and I need help accessing Pictex. Is there anyone out
> there wo is familiar with using pictex on a yandy system? 
> 
> George McCormack, Ed.D.
> Mathematics Department E218s
> LaGuardia Community College
> 31-10 Thomson Avenue
> Long Island City, NY 11101
> (718) 482-5733
> gmccormack at lagcc.cuny.edu
> --
> http://tug.org/mailman/listinfo/yandytex
> 

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305