This file is /cdf/run1/documents/development/cdfsga_xfig.note
Last update was March 23rd, 2000

The xfig drawing program is available on cdfsga.   The xfig 
program can be extremely useful in making transparencies for
talks.

It is launched with the commands:
     > source ~cdfman/CDF_BASE
     > setup ghostview 
     > setup ximagetools
     > xfig &


xfig performs the following functions (at least):

    1) Colors.
    2) Text can be rotated (handy for the Y axis).
    3) A Greek letter font is available for Text objects.
    4) Accents, umlauts, cedillas.
       For an example, the key sequence
           <Compose> U " 
       produces a u with an umlaut over it.
    5) PostScript can be imported. 
       A good feature is that for imported PostScript, 
       the resolution of the printed output created by xfig
       is usually better than the resolution that xfig shows on the screen.
    6) Encapsulated PostScript can be output.

One especially useful feature of the above functions is
the ability to annotate or to amend PostScript figures.

Note that the native storage format is as Objects.  Sometimes
one finds it useful to draw over part of an object with a WHITE FILL 
in order to erase a part of an object.






The xfig and ghostview products are supported by Marc Mengel
(mengel@imapserver1.fnal.gov)
of the Fermilab Computing Division.