TpX output formats

TpX provides several output formats. Use "Picture properties" to change the format. The format is chosen separately for TeX and PDFTeX.

All of the formats are not ideal, so the choice needs thoughtful consideration.

• TeX picture environment. This standard TeX environment is enhanced by epic.sty and bez123.sty, which are TeX packages available from CTAN. Both packages are compatible with TeX/DVI and PDFTeX. The format is suitable for simple drawings only, because complicated drawings take a long time for TeX to translate and can cause memory shortage. Also, in general the result is poor.
• Encapsulated Postscript (EPS). The most popular format for advanced TeX graphics. Requires graphicx TeX package. Can not incorporate TeX formulas. Can not be used with PDFTeX. Type 1 fonts (.pfb) could be embedded. Set the path to a font in "TpX Settings".
• PDF. Requires graphicx TeX package. Can not incorporate TeX formulas. Currently font embedding is not implemented, so only Latin characters are supported. Can only be used with PDFTeX, not TeX/DVI.
• PDF using EpsToPdf. PDF is created from EPS using EpsToPdf. Set the path to the program in "TpX Settings".
• Bitmap (PNG, BMP). Requires graphicx TeX package. Obviously, bitmap is not vector graphics, so it is not scalable. On the other hand, there is no problem with fonts. Can not incorporate TeX formulas. PNG is compatible with both TeX/DVI and PDFTeX. Currently BMP is not compatible with PDFTeX. Note that PNG is more compact than BMP so it is recommended. Currently bitmaps are not compatible with DVIPS and dvi2pdf; they are for DVI previewers only when used with TeX. Thus, bitmaps are most useful with PDFTeX.
• PSTricks. PSTricks code is kept in TeX pspicture environment similar to picture environment. Requires pstricks TeX package. Not compatible with PDFTeX.
• Metapost. Graphic language similar to psricks, but an external file is created and an external MetePost program is needed. Set the path to the program in "TpX Settings". Compatible with both TeX/DVI and PDFTeX. Can have problems with TeX formulas, in which case turn MetaPostTeXText option off.
• Enhanced Metafile (EMF). Standard Windows vector format. Can be used with TeX/DVI for preview (it is converted to bitmap for this purpose). Not compatible with PDFTeX. Recommended for export only. It can also be copied to Windows clipboard.
• Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Not compatible with TeX/DVI and PDFTeX. Export only ("Save as.."). A promising Web vector graphics format. Needs a previewer. Several popular vector graphics editors like Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator can read it.