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Conference vaxuum::document_ft

Title:DOCUMENT T1.0
Notice:**New notesfile (DOCUMENT.NOTE) now available (see note 897)**
Moderator:CLOSET::ADLER
Created:Mon Feb 09 1987
Last Modified:Thu Oct 31 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:897
Total number of notes:4397

574.0. "Figures float too far" by COOKIE::JOHNSTON () Mon Jun 29 1987 21:40

I've integrating graphics and text and have noticed two things:

1.  DOCUMENT will float figures across sections; hence, a figure
    referred to in 1.1 may not appear until 1.2, 1.3, or even later.
    The good news is that the figure is kept within a chapter!

    Still, I'm uncomfortable with figures floating across sections.
    I have several instances where a figure referred to on page 1
    don't even show up until page 3 or later.  What are the real-
    world editing guidelines for placement of figures?


2.  I use <keep> often as it lets me keep the figure in the same section.
    The price I seem to be paying is that I sometimes get lots of 
    white space between text and a figure; white space into which the figure
    should fit.  This has been brought up under BL6 and BL7 notes both, 
    I think.  And as I recall, the advise was that such figures probably
    had embedded white space.  But consider this process I use:

                 a.  Create the file and move it to the lower left
                     corner of the screen.  Do not crop.

                 b.  Render the file for sixel and frame it.  This leaves
                     about 3 "-" at the bottom of the sixel.

                 c.  Strip all the white space off the top of the file
                     and insert 8 "-", or the equivalent of about 3/8"
                     of white space at the top.
                    
                 d.  Code <figure-file> such that the vertical size 
                     allows about 3/8" white space at the bottom.


   I use this same process for every graphic included in the document.
   Sometimes the text and figures merge nicely; sometimes there is
   extraneous white space.

   So, is it still possible that it's something I'm doing/no doing--or
   is it DOCUMENT giving me all that extra white space?

Thanx

Rose

P.S.  This was a long note, so this is a friendly reminder that there
      were 2 questions.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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574.1GNUVAX::LIBRARIANLooking at the big skyTue Jun 30 1987 11:4015
    
>    The price I seem to be paying is that I sometimes get lots of white
>    space between text and a figure; white space into which the figure
>    should fit.  This has been brought up under BL6 and BL7 notes both, 
 
    
    You mean there is a whitespace left that is as large as the graphic?
    
    
    
    With the latest version of GRED you should be able to CROP and use
    RENDER/FRAME and shouldn't have to play around with the sixel file
    directly. Try it!
    
    				Lance
574.2DECWET::KOSAKTue Jun 30 1987 12:2412
    It's been so long since I've tried including sixel files that I just
    gave it a shot using baselevel 8.  GRED's cropping feature does work,
    but, for me anyway, it shifts the figure 2 picas up within the figure
    space.  If this is consistent behavior you might work around it
    by cropping an extra 2 picas above the figure.  That might work.
    
    When your PostScript printers show up you shouldn't have to worry about
    this anymore.  We've been including a lot of figures and haven't
    run into any real problems (sound of knocking on wood in the
    background).
    
    -- Craig
574.3Yup, lots of space for a figure...COOKIE::JOHNSTONTue Jun 30 1987 16:3010
RE: .1

Yes, it leaves plenty of white space into which the figure could easily fit.

And it's not consistent behavior; some figures do it, some don't.

What is the latest version of GRED?  We are probably running something really 
old here...

Thanx  Rose
574.4Check for latest and greatestGNUVAX::LIBRARIANLooking at the big skyTue Jun 30 1987 16:3611
    
    You should probably check the GRED notesfile
    (VAXUUM/CLOSET::DOC_GRAPHICS) and make sure you're running the latest
    version of GRED _and_ HCUIS. 
    
    We're creating and including graphics by the hundreds here and we're
    not seeing the behavior you described. 
    
    
    				Lance
    
574.5DECWET::KOSAKTue Jun 30 1987 16:409
    Check the version number of GRED.EXE.  The latest is ;107.  If you're
    running a *really* old GRED you'll need to copy over new fonts as
    well.  Also, you'll need to be running HCUIS 3.2 (sounds like that's
    what you're running Rose, since you use the /FRAME qualifier).
    
    The VAXUUM::DOC_GRAPHICS conference will point you to the location
    of the latest files.
    
    
574.6How about the floating-across-sections question?COOKIE::JOHNSTONMon Jul 06 1987 17:3314
Thanx for the all the pointers to the lates GRED info.

To regress a bit, the first question I asked in .0 is directed at the
development team; I'll restate it here, slightly rephrasing.

    Figures float across sections in a chapter; will this be fixed
    in V1.0 so that figures remain within the section in which 
    the <figure> tag appears?


Thanx

Rose

574.7KEEPCLOSET::ANKLAMTue Jul 07 1987 09:087
    
    sorry, I thought I had answered that. If you don't want a figure
    to float, give it the attribute KEEP. When the text formatter
    floats a figure, it simply holds it until a good place; it has
    no knowledge of content (i.e. sections)
    
    
574.8Keep figure in its section (wishlist)COOKIE::JOHNSTONTue Jul 07 1987 13:2519
Actually, Patti, you have answered how to <keep> figures in many notes 
previous this one.  I was using it; but thanx still for the reminder.

WISHLIST:  Have DOCUMENT (V1.1?) know enough to float figures within sections 
only, and not across them.  Then use <keep> only for those times that a 
figures absolutely must appear exactly where tagged in the source file.

In my experience, figures can float within sections with little negative
impact on the reader; floating them across sections makes it harder on the
reader. 

Fulfilling this wish would also make it easier on the illustrators, who 
currently take great pains during pasteup to keep a figure in the section 
that references it; having DOCUMENT do it would save some significant pasteup
effort. 

Thanx

Rose 
574.9An untried but maybe true meansBUNSUP::LITTLETodd Little NJCD SWS 323-4475Tue Jul 07 1987 19:2020
    I think you can modify the design to prevent figures from floating
    beyond section boundries.  I haven't tried the following, but it
    is worth a chance.  Place the following loop inside the definitions
    for sections (over which you don't want figures to float) in your 
    design file:
    
    \ifheldfigures
      \loop
        \figureejectpage
        \line{}\kern-\topskip\nobreak
        \ifheldfigures
      \repeat
    \fi
    
    I think this will force all floating figures to be "ejected", although
    again, I say this is untested.  If you try this in any form, please
    post a note with your results.

    
    -tl