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<title>Ipe Manual -- 1 Introduction</title>
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<table width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2><tr><td bgcolor="#99ccff"><a href="manual_2.html"><img border="0" alt="2 About Ipe files" src="next.png"></a></td><td bgcolor="#99ccff"><a href="manual.html"><img border="0" alt="Top" src="up.png"></a></td><td bgcolor="#99ccff"><img alt="" src="blank.png"></td><td align="center" bgcolor="#99ccff" width="100%"><b>1 Introduction</b></td></tr></table>
<h1>1 Introduction</h1>
<p>Preparing figures for a scientific article is a time-consuming
process. If you are using the LaTeX document preparation system in
an environment where you can include (encapsulated) Postscript figures
or PDF figures, then the extendible drawing editor Ipe may be able to
help you in the task. Ipe allows you to prepare and edit drawings
containing a variety of basic geometry primitives like lines, splines,
polygons, circles etc.
<p>Ipe also allows you to add text to your drawings, and unlike most
other drawing programs, Ipe treats these text object as LaTeX
text. This has the advantage that all usual LaTeX commands can be
used within the drawing, which makes the inclusion of mathematical
formulae (or even simple labels like "<i>q<sub>i</sub></i>") much simpler. Ipe
processes your LaTeX source and includes its Postscript or PDF
rendering in the figure.
<p>In addition, Ipe offers you some editing functions that can usually
only be found in professional drawing programs or CAD
systems. For instance, it incorporates a context sensitive snapping
mechanism, which allows you to draw objects meeting in a point, having
parallel edges, objects aligned on intersection points of other
objects, rectilinear and <i>c</i>-oriented objects and the
like. Whenever one of the snapping modes is enabled, Ipe shows you
<em>Fifi</em>, a secondary cursor, which keeps track of the current
aligning.
<p>One of the nicest features of Ipe is the fact that it is
<em>extensible</em>. You can easily write your own functions, so-called
<em>ipelets</em>. Once registered with Ipe by adding them to your ipelet
path, you can use those functions like Ipe's own editing
functions. (In fact, some of the functions in the standard Ipe
distribution are actually implemented as ipelets.) Among others,
there is an ipelet to compute Voronoi diagrams.
<p>Making an on-line presentation, or just slides for a presentation, is
another task that requires drawing figures. You can use Ipe to
prepare presentations in PDF format, and either print them on
transparencies or display them using Acrobat Reader using a beamer
during the presentation. Ipe gives you access to the
presentation-features of Acrobat Reader, such as automatic advance to
the next page and fancy transition modes.
<p>Ipe tries to be self-explanatory. There is online help available, and
most commands tell you about options, shortcuts, or errors.
Nevertheless, it would probably be wise to read at least a few
sections of this manual. Strongly suggested is the chapter on general
concepts, and the chapter that explains the snapping functions. If you
want to use Ipe to prepare slides, you should also read the chapter on
<a href="manual_29.html">page views</a>. And if you have used Ipe 5 before,
please read <a href="manual_40.html">this</a>.
<hr />
<table width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2><tr><td bgcolor="#99ccff"><a href="manual_2.html"><img border="0" alt="2 About Ipe files" src="next.png"></a></td><td bgcolor="#99ccff"><a href="manual.html"><img border="0" alt="Top" src="up.png"></a></td><td bgcolor="#99ccff"><img alt="" src="blank.png"></td><td align="center" bgcolor="#99ccff" width="100%"><b>1 Introduction</b></td></tr></table></body></html>
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