R-beta: edit figs with xfig?

[Bill Simpson]

Thanks very much everyone for the helpful replies!

In answer to some questions.
Here is the background I am coming from.  On the Mac I routinely create
structured (vector) drawings (totally different from bitmaps!) with
something like a graphing program (e.g. Kaleidagraph) or R, then edit with
a structured drawing program (e.g. MacDraw, or Canvas [which does both
vector and bitmap reps]).  The file format used on Mac is pict.

So when I say xfig is horrible, I mean compared to ancient Mac structured
drawing software like MacDraw (circa 1988).  The xfig user interface
sucks. It is not at all like the structured drawing software people in the
Mac and Windows worlds use, and in this case the Mac and Windows worlds
are better.

If you don't make structured drawings, I guess that is because you're a
statistician rather than a scientist.  Scientists often have to make
diagrams of apparatus, etc.  A structured drawing program is also useful
for touching up graphs, etc.

Gimp is a bitmap oriented program.  xfig is for structured drawings.
Bitmaps look jaggy when printed.  Structured drawings use the maximum
printer resolution.  There other distinctions.  You can erase a bit of a
bitmap line.  In a structured drawing, the line is an object and you have
to erase the whole thing.  You can't align or group parts of a bitmap.
You can with objects in a structured drawing.

I will try the suggestions about changing the .ps file into something xfig
can read.  I will also look at the alternative suggested programs.  Thanks
again!

Bill Simpson

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