TEX2IM
Tex2im is a simple tool that converts LaTeX formulas into high resolution pixmap graphics for inclusion in text processors or presentations. I encountered the problem that the formulas generated by the editors of common office packages usually were the ugliest part of my scientific presentations; on the other hand I didn't want to use latex for my transparencies (I'm aware of the slitex and foiltex packages, nevertheless I consider them to be for masochists). EPS import can be nice, but commonly you get either display or printing problems. Additionally I doesn't want to rewrite all my formulas which are already prepared in latex. So I wrote tex2im.
With tex2im you can write files containing only the formula in latex mathmode and transform them to many different graphic formats. latex2html can do something similar, but only on whole documents. This is the direct solution.
CHANGES:
Version 1.8: Support for non-formula mode and eps-graphics, bugfix for eqnarray formulas
Version 1.7: Tex2im can now process multiple files
Version 1.6: Removed necessity of generating an input file
Version 1.5: Transparency support
Version 1.4: Support for extra header lines and user specific default settings
Version 1.3: Fixed incompabilities with older versions of bash and convert
Version 1.2: Fixed tempfile problems on Redhat & Solaris
Version 1.1: Added color support
Version 1.0: Initial release
EXAMPLES:
Let's play around in the examples directory. Just type:
> tex2im examples/example1.tex
And you'll get a nice formula in a file named "example1.png" If you need color, look at example 2:
> tex2im -b yellow -t blue examples/example2.tex
This time, the result is a color formula.
> tex2im "\sum_{i=0}^5 x_i^2"
generates a file named 'out.png', containing the formula
> tex2im *.tex
this is how multiple files can be processed.
Note that example4.tex needs the '-n' (no-formula) option when processed.
USAGE:
tex2im [options] inputfile(s)
The content of input file should be plain latex mathmode code! Alternatively, a string containing the latex code can be specified.
- Options
- -v show version
-h show help
-o file specifies output filename,
default is inputfile with new extension -f expr specifies output format,
possible examples: gif, jpg, tif...... all formates supported by "convert" should work, default: png -r expr specifies desired resolution in dpi,
possible examples: 100x100, 300x300, 200x150, default is 150x150 -b expr specifies the background color
default: white -t expr specifies the text color
default: black -x file file containing extra header lines of latex.
default: ~/.tex2im_header -n no-formula mode (do not wrap in eqnarray* environment)
default: off -a change status of antialiasing
default is on for normal mode and
off for transparent mode -z transparent background
default: off
For user specific default values, tex2im reads the file '.tex2imrc' in your home-directorty. To change a value, put inside one or more of the following 7 commands:
resolution="150x150"
format="png"
color1="white"
color2="black"
extra_header="~/.tex2im_header"
trans=0
aa=1
In the file '~/.tex2im_header', additional latex header lines can be put, for example '\usepackage{amsmath}' or your own definitions.
The transparency implementation of imagemagic has some problems in combination with antialiasing. Therefore, by default, antialiasing is off in transparent mode. If you switch it on via the -a flag you can expect pixels with something between background and text color around the letters. This can look good if the background used in tex2im and the one of your document are identical, but also very bad if this is not the case. True antialising with transparency seems not to be possible. Just play around a bit to find the optimal settings.
INSTALLATION:
To use tex2im, you need latex and convert (part of image magic) installed. For color support, also the latex color style is needed. To install tex2im, download the archive, uncompress it, and place the contained script "tex2im" in a directory in your path and make it executable. In details:
> tar xzf tex2im.tar.gz
> mv tex2im/tex2im /path/of/your/choice
> chmod 755 /path/of/your/choice/tex2im
For reporting errors, comments or contributions, please mail me.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Bernd Rinn for integrating the extra header lines, user specific default settings, the non-formula mode and some bugfixes Laurent Ferro-Famil for some hints about processing multiple files Many others for giving useful ideas, reporting errors and motivating me
CONTACT:
WWW: http://www.nought.de/tex2im.php
Mail: anderl@nought.de
Have fun!