Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ Suggestions for Drawing Tools

[ThomasJacobs]

Hi. I am trying to write documentation for a large data warehouse development project and would like to include data or process maps to depict datasources and MySQL scripts that modify said datasources in producing intermediate and final tables, etc. I am a newbie to LaTeX, MikTex and TeXnic Center although I have managed to create a couple of documents.

Can anyone guide me on choices? I have read about MetaPost but am unsure how to determine whether my use of TeXnic Center and MikTex place any limits on what I might choose for this work. Thanks.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Thomas,

welcome to this board!
If you want to create the pictures inside yor LaTeX documents I recommend pgf/TikZ, have a look at the manual.
There's a very good example collection by Kjell Magne Fauske, have a look at the gallery.
PSTricks is another possibility.

You could also use an external drawing program, export the pictures as pdf files and import those pdf files into your document by \includegraphics.

Stefan

[localghost]

Processing data sets is supported by the datatool package. Regarding pgf/TikZ you can take a closer look at the pgfplots package. If you are interested in external solutions, feel free to ask.


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten¹

[ThomasJacobs]

Stefan and Thorsten,

Thanks very much for the timely replies and kind welcome to the board. The pgf manual looks very impressive. I think I will try that route.

Tom

[GeorgeLeCompte]

I've been trying to use PSTricks package; but \pstextpath does not seem to be defined:
cert1.tex is listed below

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}%
\usepackage{pstricks}

\begin{document}
\newpsobject{showgrid}{psgrid}{subgriddiv=1,griddots=10,gridlabels=6pt}
\begin{pspicture}(0,0)(4.2,6.2)\showgrid
\pstextpath[c]
\pscurve(0,2)(2,4)(4,2)
{Centered text}
\end{pspicture}
\end{document}

result of latex cert1.tex >>Trouble yields:

Code: Select all

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592-1.40.4 (MiKTeX 2.7)
entering extended mode
(cert1.tex
LaTeX2e <2005/12/01>
Babel <v3.8h> and hyphenation patterns for english, dumylang, nohyphenation, ge
rman, ngerman, french, loaded.
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\latex\base\article.cls"
Document Class: article 2005/09/16 v1.4f Standard LaTeX document class
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\latex\base\size10.clo"))
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\latex\pstricks\pstricks.sty"
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\generic\pstricks\pstricks.tex"
`PSTricks' v1.20  <2008/01/01> (tvz)
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\generic\pstricks\pstricks.con"))
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\latex\xcolor\xcolor.sty"
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\latex\00miktex\color.cfg")
("I:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7A\tex\latex\graphics\dvips.def"))) (cert1.aux)
! Undefined control sequence.
<recently read> \pstextpath 
                            
l.8 \pstextpath
               [c]
? No pages of output.
Transcript written on cert1.log.

help please

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi George,

use the pst-text package:

Code: Select all

\usepackage{pst-text}

\pstextpath is defined by that package.

Stefan