README - for mfpic 0.25, Tue 9 November 1993.
Author:  Geoffrey Tobin.
Based on:  Thomas Leathrum's README for mfpic version 0.1.13.1.


INTRODUCTION:

This distribution contains version 0.25 of mfpic, a macro package for
including pictures in TeX documents.  The idea behind this package is
to have Metafont do the actual drawing, and store the pictures in a
font that TeX can include in the document.  The macros have been
designed so that the user should never have to learn Metafont to use
these macros -- the TeX macros actually write the Metafont file for
you.


AVAILABILITY BY FTP:

CTAN, the Comprehensive TeX Archive Network, is the first place to
look for TeX related software.  There are three CTAN sites:

(USA)	ftp.shsu.edu : tex-archive
(UK)	ftp.tex.ac.uk : pub/archive
(DE)	ftp.uni-stuttgart.de : pub/tex

At CTAN, mfpic can be located by typing the following at the ftp
prompt:

	quote site index mfpic

Its location is the subdirectory:

	graphics/mfpic


MANIFEST:

bytes     date          file           description

 5906  Nov 10 18:31  README            This file

  512  Nov 09 19:46  mfpic/            Main mfpic distribution
  512  Nov 09 19:42  misc/             Odds and ends
  512  Nov 09 19:41  setup/            ms-dos, unix contributions

./mfpic:
total 80
10289  Nov 27 1992   graphbase.mf      MF macros for mfpic
   88  Oct 12 13:20  lamfpic.tex       Redundant LaTeX interface
 1310  Nov 26 1992   lapictures.tex    LaTeX version of pictures.tex
11511  Oct 13 19:23  mfpic.tex         TeX macros for mfpic
33459  Oct 26 16:07  mfpicdoc.tex      Documentation for mfpic.tex
 5472  Nov 26 1992   objects.tex       Samples of each drawable object
 1241  Nov 26 1992   pictures.tex      A few more complicated pictures

./misc:
total 60
 4316 Nov 26 1992  MakeTeXPK           Modified MakeTeXPK for Rokicki's dvips
46488 Aug 27 17:39 mfb3u.tex           `Metafont for Beginners', version 3 `U'
  958 Nov 26 1992  rotgroup.tex        Sample rotation macros

./setup:
total 8
  512 Oct 12 13:24 dos
  512 Oct 12 13:24 unix

./setup/dos:
total 12
 6503 Nov 26 1992  mfpic-bat.4dos      4dos batch file to run mfpic
 3449 Nov 26 1992  mfpic-bat.dos       ms-dos ditto

./setup/unix:
total 16
 3081 Nov 26 1992  Makefile            unix Makefile to run mfpic
 2415 Nov 26 1992  README.UNIX
 5043 Sep 07 1992  setups.tex          unix-specific documentation,
                                         containing csh scripts


HISTORY:

The previous net releases of this package were 0.1 in late June (to
comp.text.tex), 0.1.13.1 in early September 1992 (also to c.t.t.),
and 0.2 (to CTAN at ftp.shsu.edu) in late November 1992.

Version 0.25 is a bug fix release, incorporating the following
changes.  [Acknowledgments are in brackets].


CHANGES:

To `mfpic.tex' :

1.  If a TFM file is absent, mfpic uses the `dummy' font, and prints
    an appropriate message.  (This change was already added to version
    0.2.  It is noted here for previous users of 0.1.13.1.)
    [Don Hosek, Anil Trivedi.]

2.  LaTeX compatibility:
    Introduction of \mfpicture, to replace \picture.  [K.P. Hart]
    (\mfpic is an alternative name for \mfpicture.)
    If \picture is initially undefined when mfpic is loaded (as in
    plain TeX), then it's let equal to \mfpicture.
    Other changes to make mfpic LaTeX compatible.

3.  Fractional x and y scales are now allowed.

4.  The catcode of `@ is restored correctly.
    [Michael Downes of AMS.]

5.  The sharp character is written as `#' (no longer `\#') in the MF
    file.  Similarly for the percentage character `%'.
    [Donald Arseneau.]

6.  Bad \label options are tested for, and replaced by the default
    text alignment option, which is [bl] (bottom left).

7.  MF char codes out of range (0 - 255) are rejected.

8.  Localised the scope of some declarations.

To `mfpicdoc.tex' :

    Documentation of the above changes.

To `lamfpic.tex' :

    lamfpic.tex is redundant, except for use with LaTeX documents that
    were written for mfpic 0.1.13.1 or 0.2.


EXAMPLE:

Here's one of Thomas's personal favorite pieces of mfpic code:

\mfpicture[20]{-3}{3}{-3}{3}
\axes
\function{-2,2,0.1,(x**3-x)/3}
\endmfpicture

The first line opens up the picture environment and establishes the
coordinate system.  The coorinate scale is 20 points per coordinate
unit (x- and y-axis scales the same in this case), with bounds on both
axes being -3 and 3.  The second line draws the axes.  The third line
plots a smooth Bezier interpolation of the function f(x)=(x^3-x)/3 on
the domain -2<=x<=2, through points with x values 0.1 units apart.
Since the algebraic expression is passed directly to Metafont and
parsed there, the TeX user does not have to worry about computing the
points.  The fourth line closes the picture environment.


INSTALLATION:

Much of the process of setting up your site to use mfpic will be
site-dependent.  The biggest problem, no matter where you are, will be
convincing TeX and the DVI drivers to find the Metafont output files.
This often involves adding the current directory (sometimes also the
parent directory) to the environment variables (or the equivalent
thereof) for the TFM, GF and PK file paths.


RELATED SOFTWARE:

Anthony Starks has written fig2MF, a Fig 2.1 to Metafont converter.
Fig 2.1 is the native graphics language of an X11 GUI drawing program,
xfig.  In fact, fig2MF uses, and its distribution includes, a modified
`graphbase.mf'.  fig2MF is ftp-able from CTAN sites, in the
subdirectory (note the change of case in the name) :

	graphics/fig2mf


QUERIES AND BUG REPORTS:

If you have problems or find bugs with the mfpic macros,
please e-mail Geoffrey Tobin:

    ecsgrt@luxor.latrobe.edu.au

I probably will not be able to help much with site-dependent setup
stuff (apart from unix and ms-dos), but I should be able to answer
questions about the actual macros.

All the Best!
Geoffrey Tobin
