LaTeX and Xfig

How to Import Xfig Figures in Your LaTeX Files

Changing the Size of Pictures

Xfig and Metapost by Josselin Mouette (jmouette@ens-lyon.fr)

1. The file generated from xfig is directly included or embedded into your TeX/LaTeX file. Usually, it will be necessary to load a macro package to enable TeX or LaTeX to process the file. The latex, tikz, pict2e, pstricks, epic and eepic output languages fall into this category.

   latex

   Include the generated file with, e.g., \input{fig1.latex} into your document, or simply embed it. No packages are required, but the capabilities of the latex output language are quite limited.

   tikz

   \input{fig1.tikz} or embed the contents of the generated tikz file into the TeX-document. In the preamble of a LaTeX document, use
   \usepackage{tikz, graphics} % graphics, if the figure contains embedded images
   \usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta, % if the figure contains arrow-tips
                   bending,     % arrow tips on arcs are "bent," i.e., deformed a bit
                   patterns     % if the figure contains pattern fills
                  }
   

   pict2e

   Embed or \input the generated file into your LaTeX document. In the preamble include
   \usepackage{pict2e,
               color,     % if the figure contains color
               graphics   % if the figure contains embedded images
              }

   pstricks

   \usepackage{pstricks}

   epic

   \usepackage{epic}

   eepic

   \usepackage{epic,eepic} % order matters!

2. Export the figure from xfig to eps or pdf (or both) and import the file with \includegraphics into your document. For instance, write \usepackage{graphics} into the preamble and use \includegraphics{fig1.eps} or \includegraphics{fig1}.

3. Export the figure to two files, partially to eps or pdf or both, partially to a latex file, and include the latex file. The latex file contains the text and includes the eps or pdf file which contains the graphics. For example, try \input{fig1.pstex_t} for latex + eps, \input{fig1.pdf_t} for latex + pdf, or \input{fig1.pspdftex} for a latex file that includes an eps or a pdf file. The latter can be processed by any LaTeX engine.

For methods A and C, the Text flag TeX Text must be set for text that should be typeset using TeX. For instance, to render the text $\beta$ in the xfig-drawing as β. Otherwise, characters special to TeX are quoted and $\beta$ prints as $\beta$. The choice of the font, namely, latex of postscript fonts, is irrelevant to the interpretation of text strings.

The most powerful method, in terms of capabilities and output quality, is to export the figure to tikz. The file can be processed using TeX or LaTeX, TeX and Postscript fonts can be freely used and even mixed in the same figure, and the typesetting capabilities of TeX can be used. If xelatex is used, eps and pdf graphics can be imported into the same drawing. The tikz-file can be embedded into the TeX-document, hence a single document can contain all text and graphics.

The postscript and pdf output languages support all capabilities of xfig, except that only postscript fonts can be used and text is not interpreted by TeX. With method C, all text which has the Text flag "TeX Text" set is exported to the LaTeX file and a TeX-font is used. Text without the "TeX Text" flag is printed using a Postscript-font. A variant of method B is to use the psfrag package and replace strings in the eps file from within LaTeX.

To set the Text flag TeX Text and use LaTeX-fonts for all text, use the commandline

xfig -specialtext -latexfonts -startlatexFont default

Fig.latexfonts: true
Fig.specialtext: true

With method A, other notable export formats are the pict2e and the pstricks output. The pict2e output language does not allow pattern fills and can not generate a background grid, but the macro package is much smaller and the document compiles faster than with the tikz macro package. The pstricks output language also generates graphics output which is on a par with the tikz or the postscript output.

If scaling cannot be avoided, the commands \scalebox and \resizebox from the graphics package can be used,

\scalebox{1.5}{\input{fig1.pstex_t}}	% \scalebox{factor}{object}
\resizebox{10cm}{!}{\input{fig1.latex}}	% \resizebox{width}{height}{object}

To set the width of tikz-drawings produced by xfig, you can use

\newlength\XFigwidth\XFigwidth84mm
\newlength\XFigheight\XFigheight56mm

\XFigwidth0pt \XFigheight0pt

1. METAPOST
   There is nothing special to do in xfig to use MetaPost. All the text you type will be treated as plain TeX code - note, this will be not compiled within your document, so you don't have acess to packages like AMS-TeX, neither have you to your macros. In xfig, export your file with the MetaPost filter, it creates foo.mp. Then, type mpost foo.mp, it will generate foo.0 (or foo.1, sometimes). In your document, put this in the preamble:

       \input supp-pdf.tex
       \usepackage[pdftex]{graphicx}
       

   And to include your figure :

       \convertMPtoPDF{foo.0}{1}{1}
       

   That's it. Quite simple, and you can put a bit TeX inside.
   Pros: Can be easily included in a dual-output (pdf/dvi) file: for including it as PS, just put a \includegraphics{foo.0} in the document.
   Cons: Not adapted to big formulas, as AMS-LaTeX is not accessible. Long phrases may look bad as well, if your document is not in English (babel cannot be used).

2. MULTI-METAPOST
   This method is designed to be used in PDF presentations. Using the \pause command, it will display step by step the layers of your figure as you click on the button, which can look very nice (and can even be useful sometimes). All that have been told about MetaPost inclusions is true, but there are a few extra things to know:
   1. When creating your figure, be careful with the depth of your objects. When exporting your figure in the MultiMetaPost format, transfig will treat the consecutive depth levels where is an object as a single layer, for example:

         Circle at depth 51 \__first displayed layer
         Text at depth 50   /
         *** Nothing at depth 49
         Square at depth 48 \
         Text at depth 48    > Second displayed layer
         Curve at depth 47  /
         ... and so on.
         

   2. After exporting, mpost foo.mmp will create a set of files named foo.0, foo.1... To include them in the document, you will need the mpmulti.sty provided with the latest version of PPower4 (still in Beta stage at the time of writing). The preamble of your document should look like this:

          \input supp-pdf.tex
          \usepackage[pdftex]{graphicx}
          \usepackage{pause,mpmulti}
          

      And to include your animation, just put:

          \multiinclude{foo}
          

      You can adjust it to a defined size by using:

          \multiinclude[graphics={width=5cm}]{foo}
          

      Compile your document, then ppower4 it. Nifty, isn't it?
      Pros: The only way to insert automatically animations. Benefit of the existing xfig's depth system.
      Cons: Are there any?

   ---

   [ Contents | Introduction | Credits ]