ePiX-1.2 -- NEWS

Last Change: September 12, 2007

Please consult the following files as appropriate:

INSTALL -- Detailed installation instructions
NEWS (this file) -- Recent major changes (see ChangeLog for code changes)
README -- General overview and information


If you are new to ePiX, you may safely ignore this file.

OVERVIEW

ePiX 1.2.x has been written almost entirely from scratch.  The drawing
model is unchanged, and some old files will compile as is, but there
are a few changes of syntax. 


SYNTAX CHANGES

Generally, global variables have been deprecated or removed, and
should be replaced by function calls in new files.

* (Recommended) The global size variables x_min, x_max, y_min, y_max,
  x_size, and y_size should be replaced by the function calls xmin(),
  etc. (No underscores.)

* (Mandatory) The global variable tix in a flix file must be
  manipulated through the function tix().

* (Suggested) The camera may be accessed through the function
  the_camera().

* (Mandatory) Camera orientation is controlled with functions named
  tilt, pan, and roll; each rotates the camera about an axis through
  the viewpoint, not through the target.

* (Suggested) The size and bounding box may be given in one command,
  such as picture(P(-1,0), P(1,1), "4x3in"). The old syntax will be
  retained indefinitely.

* (Mandatory) The command use_pstricks() is obsolete.

* (Mandatory) Deprecated aliases no longer exist: triple (for the P
  class), D (for Deriv), and I (for Integral). Lowercase trig function
  names conflicted with the standard namespace and have been removed.

* (Mandatory) The geometric object commands (circle, plane, segment,
  sphere) which used to create class objects now perform drawing. The
  classes are available with capitalized names (Circle, Plane,
  Segment, Sphere).


NEW FEATURES

* Output is cleanly separated from the internal representation.
  Figures may be written with a choice of macros---PSTricks, tikz, and
  eepic at present---and new output types are easily coded so long as
  the format supports arbitrary line segments, color, and the ability
  to place a LaTeX box at a specified location.

* Colors are a manipulable data type, available in RGB, CMY, CMYK, and
  Gray models. xcolor-style operations, such as color model
  conversion, blending, superposition, and inversion are provided.

  The camera has a filter which affects the colors of all scene
  elements. Filters performing CMYK separation are provided.

* Color filling is controlled with declarations, similarly to line
  colors in ePiX 1.0.x.  Arrows and markers of type spot, dot, ddot,
  and~circ are now colored like other markers.  Shaded surfaces may be
  colored with position-dependent functions.

  If a figure contains many shaded elements, a color-capable output
  format (PSTricks or tikz) should be used for efficiency.  Filled
  regions are implemented as fine hatching in eepic.

* An axis class provides coordinate axes with labels in a variety of
  styles: decimals or scientific notation of specified precision,
  fractions, trig fractions, logarithmic labels in arbitrary (integer)
  base, and user-supplied styles.

* ePiX 1.2.x performs page layout. Sub-figures may be manipulated
  flexibly. The sample files give several applications.

* Non-member intersection operators for Circles, Planes, Segments, and
  Spheres are provided.  A ``non-generic'' intersection does not
  throw an exception, but instead returns an undrawable ``malformed''
  object.