[vox-tech] Rant: LaTeX graphics programs

[Jonathan Stickel]

Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> On Fri 29 Apr 05, 10:46 AM, Jonathan Stickel <jjstickel at sbcglobal.net> said:
> 
>>>My hat is off to anyone on this list who is actually handy with this
>>>monstrosity.
>>
>>Well, I think I'm rather handy with Xfig.  It certainly does have a way 
>>of doing things that is quite different from most "drawing" programs. 
>>But once I figured out its quirks I actually like it.  The only thing 
>>that gets to me is when typing in a box, the mouse cursor MUST stay in 
>>the box.
> 
>  
> My hat's off to you.   ;-)
> 
> I don't suppose you have any idea how to generate something that looks like
> a mechanical spring (a coil)?  Can't find it in any libraries.
> 
> I can actually use Dia's inductor coil (a spring is an inductor of sorts).
> But there are things I need in xfig that I can't do with Dia.  Dia is really
> limited...
> 
> 
<snip>
> Is it possible to use Dia's coil and turn it into a library element for xfig
> (so I can scale it and all that good stuff).  That would make me really
> really happy...
> 

I'd forgotten about the library feature!  Anyway, I found a spring in 
xfig:  Electronic/Schematic/Coil.  Also, I discovered that Dia exports 
in xfig format.  So if you get something you like in Dia, including its 
libraries, you can export it to xfig.  In particular, you can export a 
library object as xfig, then place it where xfig looks for libraries, 
and you have a new xfig library object!

HTH,
Jonathan