Software to draw illustrations?
Hi all, What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them. -- William Park <opengeometry@yahoo.ca>
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019, William Park via talk wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them.
I use emacs to write PostScript programs and convert them to JPG or GIF or PNG with ImageMagick. But you might be more comfortable with GIMP. There are also several other paint programs, such as gpaint, xpaint, rgbpaint.
For simple stuff, open office draw suffices. --dave On 2019-02-10 2:51 a.m., Chris F.A. Johnson via talk wrote: On Sun, 10 Feb 2019, William Park via talk wrote: Hi all, What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them. I use emacs to write PostScript programs and convert them to JPG or GIF or PNG with ImageMagick. But you might be more comfortable with GIMP. There are also several other paint programs, such as gpaint, xpaint, rgbpaint. --- Talk Mailing List talk@gtalug.org<mailto:talk@gtalug.org> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk -- David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com<mailto:dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com> | -- Mark Twain CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER : This telecommunication, including any and all attachments, contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited and is not a waiver of confidentiality. If you have received this telecommunication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return electronic mail and delete the message from your inbox and deleted items folders. This telecommunication does not constitute an express or implied agreement to conduct transactions by electronic means, nor does it constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment or an acceptance of a contract offer. Contract terms contained in this telecommunication are subject to legal review and the completion of formal documentation and are not binding until same is confirmed in writing and has been signed by an authorized signatory.
For simple stuff, open office draw suffices. --dave On 2019-02-10 2:51 a.m., Chris F.A. Johnson via talk wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019, William Park via talk wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them.
I use emacs to write PostScript programs and convert them to JPG or GIF or PNG with ImageMagick.
But you might be more comfortable with GIMP.
There are also several other paint programs, such as gpaint, xpaint, rgbpaint. --- Talk Mailing List talk@gtalug.org https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
*/CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER/*/ : This telecommunication, including any and all attachments, contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited and is not a waiver of confidentiality. If you have received this telecommunication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return electronic mail and delete the message from your inbox and deleted items folders. This telecommunication does not constitute an express or implied agreement to conduct transactions by electronic means, nor does it constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment or an acceptance of a contract offer. Contract terms contained in this telecommunication are subject to legal review and the completion of formal documentation and are not binding until same is confirmed in writing and has been signed by an authorized signatory./ -- David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest davecb@spamcop.net | -- Mark Twain
On 2019-02-10 2:51 a.m., Chris F.A. Johnson via talk wrote:
I use emacs to write PostScript programs and convert them to JPG or GIF or PNG with ImageMagick.
I use a horseshoe magnet to manipulate the bits directly on a floppy disk, then output them to paper tape on my PDP-8... --Bob. (but really, I never considered PS a human-writeable language!) -- Bob Jonkman <bjonkman@sobac.com> Phone: +1-519-635-9413 SOBAC Microcomputer Services http://sobac.com/sobac/ Software --- Office & Business Automation --- Consulting GnuPG Fngrprnt:04F7 742B 8F54 C40A E115 26C2 B912 89B0 D2CC E5EA
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019, Bob Jonkman via talk wrote:
On 2019-02-10 2:51 a.m., Chris F.A. Johnson via talk wrote:
I use emacs to write PostScript programs and convert them to JPG or GIF or PNG with ImageMagick.
I use a horseshoe magnet to manipulate the bits directly on a floppy disk, then output them to paper tape on my PDP-8...
--Bob.
(but really, I never considered PS a human-writeable language!)
If you can write Forth, you can write PS. I also generate PS with other programs.
On 2019-02-10 6:49 p.m., Chris F.A. Johnson via talk wrote:
If you can write Forth, you can write PS.
If you can write Forth or if you are used to using RPN calculators you can write PS. I wrote some PS code for a project I worked on a few years ago. It generated three separate graphs that were printed on a single page. -- Cheers! Kevin. http://www.ve3syb.ca/ | "Nerds make the shiny things that https://www.patreon.com/KevinCozens | distract the mouth-breathers, and | that's why we're powerful" Owner of Elecraft K2 #2172 | #include <disclaimer/favourite> | --Chris Hardwick
If you can write Forth, you can write PS.
I also generate PS with other programs.
Exactly. I'd used it as a poor-mans CAD package ( http://melwilsonsoftware.ca/psfiles/whitenoise-panel.ps ). It's an excellent way to get pixel-level control of printed matter, and that's around 1/300" on ink-jet printers. For my big use, membership cards from a database, it was Python program->Postscript program->Ghostscript rendering->printer. Your favorite HLL could replace Python.
Yes; I don't know if the Emacs thing was meant as a joke, but Postscript is human readable and if you need to generate a bunch of something relatively simple then just writing a script that spits out PS is often the easiest way to do it. I've used that approach for generating place-cards for a company dinner and for end-of-year tax receipts for a non-profit. That being said, it sounds like Inkscape is more what the OP is looking for. On Mon, Feb 11, 2019 at 12:15 PM mwilson--- via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
If you can write Forth, you can write PS.
I also generate PS with other programs.
Exactly. I'd used it as a poor-mans CAD package ( http://melwilsonsoftware.ca/psfiles/whitenoise-panel.ps ). It's an excellent way to get pixel-level control of printed matter, and that's around 1/300" on ink-jet printers. For my big use, membership cards from a database, it was Python program->Postscript program->Ghostscript rendering->printer. Your favorite HLL could replace Python.
--- Talk Mailing List talk@gtalug.org https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
The Open Office set (Writer, Draw, Calc etc.) can get you started with WSYG pages quite nicely. Tex & Latex were traditionally used to mark up math notation and other txt ligature styles for printing and are well documented. There are also a number of specialzed diagramatic tools for scientific venn-euler formats like Mattlab and Dia. GIMP is the mainstay swiss army knife of image compositors. However it comes with a high learning curve and the ability to assemble massive documents and transmogrify them into all sorts of formats. On Sun, Feb 10, 2019, 12:51 AM William Park via talk <talk@gtalug.org wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them. -- William Park <opengeometry@yahoo.ca> --- Talk Mailing List talk@gtalug.org https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
On Sun, Feb 10, 2019, 12:52 AM William Park via talk <talk@gtalug.org wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them.
I almost inevitably head to GraphViz https://www.graphviz.org/ That does the layout automatically.
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 at 08:37, Christopher Browne via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
On Sun, Feb 10, 2019, 12:52 AM William Park via talk <talk@gtalug.org wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them.
I almost inevitably head to GraphViz https://www.graphviz.org/
That does the layout automatically.
Not to call out Chris or graphviz (in fact I use graphviz a fair bit myself), but like many of the drawing tools mentioned, it has a very specific domain. It's excellent for what it does well - a particular type of graphing - and no good for a huge variety of other kinds of drawings. My broader point being that what tool you use should depend on what you're trying to achieve. The GIMP (which I'm quite familiar with) is a much more general purpose drawing program. You can draw graphviz-style graphs in the GIMP, or you could draw a graph of a quadratic equation in the GIMP. It is TERRIBLE for both these things. But it's able to do it (whereas it would be essentially impossible in graphviz). So what are you trying to achieve? The GIMP is a fantastic general pixel-based editor (primarily used for photos, but also for drawing). I understand Inkscape is excellent in its domain - vector-based drawing (no good for photos). Both have a wickedly steep learning curve - but are worth it if you're going to be doing a wide variety of drawing types in their domain. Chances are neither of these is the optimal path for you for what you're implying would be relatively simplistic drawings (although I'm guessing based solely on your wording). So - can you be more specific about the type of drawing(s) you want to create? If you have no idea what to call them, or what tool is better or why, point us to some example images: we (not the royal "we," not necessarily me, but TLUG) can probably figure it out and point you in the right direction. A classic Linux conundrum: there are actually too many ways to achieve the same end. And the corollary question is which tool to invest your precious learning time in ... -- Giles https://www.gilesorr.com/ gilesorr@gmail.com
On 2019-02-10 11:56 a.m., Giles Orr via talk wrote:
I understand Inkscape is excellent in its domain - vector-based drawing
It is. I basically live in it, and have done for the last three years. You *can* do photo work in it, but I don't recommend it. In the same way, you *can* do vector work in Gimp using paths — but I really don't recommend that, either. I wouldn't use Inkscape for mathematics. LibreOffice equation editor is okay, if you must. Geogebra is rather good for mathematical diagrams and equations and is a fun program to mess around with if you're nerdly inclined. cheers, Stewart
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 00:51:09 -0500 William Park via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them.
William, Xfig was designed to work with LaTeX. The files can be converted to EPS, PNG, and all sorts of other graphics formats. The transfig packages means you can write scripts and Makefiles to do convert FIG files. If you are using LibreCAD, the trick is to print to file. You get PDF format. Select an appropriate scale and sheet size. There are lots of sheet sizes to chooser from. The command pdftops will give you an EPS file suitable for import into LaTeX or LibreOffice. I have not played with LibreOffice's drawing program, or Dia. -- Howard Gibson hgibson@eol.ca jhowardgibson@gmail.com http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson
On 2019-02-10 12:51 a.m., William Park via talk wrote:
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations?
The program(s) you can use will depend in part on the type of illustrations you need. One program no one has mentioned yet is Inkscape. I've used it in the past to create some simple block diagrams. -- Cheers! Kevin. http://www.ve3syb.ca/ | "Nerds make the shiny things that https://www.patreon.com/KevinCozens | distract the mouth-breathers, and | that's why we're powerful" Owner of Elecraft K2 #2172 | #include <disclaimer/favourite> | --Chris Hardwick
I haven't used it in many many years, but Dia was pretty good for making data diagrams, flow charts, etc. It's just drag-n-drop elements and filing in labels. Google Drawing isn't too bad for that type of thing, too.
On 2019-02-10 12:51 a.m., William Park via talk wrote:
Hi all,
What software do people use to draw illustrations that you'd see in textbooks or presentations? Eg. data structure, high school math, block diagrams, etc. I mean, I see them, but I don't know how to create them.
Hello William, I'm surprised not to see draw.io on here. It's free online and if you're not into the online-app, it can be downloaded locally under the Apache license to run locally in a browser. They seem to make money by selling integration with Confluence. -- Mike Kallies mike@kallies.ca 647-606-5442
participants (15)
-
Bob Jonkman -
Chris F.A. Johnson -
Christopher Browne -
Dave Collier-Brown -
David Collier-Brown -
Giles Orr -
Howard Gibson -
Kevin Cozens -
Matthew Gordon -
Mike Kallies -
mwilson＠Vex.Net -
Russell Reiter -
Stewart C. Russell -
Tim Tisdall -
William Park