Add support for creating metapost files

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hi!

Is it possible to add support for metapost files?

For example when using the feynmf package I have to run pdflatex once for the 
creation of .mp files, on which I need to call mpost file.mp. After that, the 
final pdflatex run can be done.

Regards, Tobias

Original issue reported on code.google.com by tobias.n...@gmail.com on 26 Jul 2011 at 7:44

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hi Chris,

I also use Metapost graphics for my dissertation, and it would be a very handy 
additional feature to include support.  I believe that it may only be necessary 
to change the Makefile for BUILD-STRATEGY := latex.

When I compile my Metapost source files, the output file gets a .mps extension. 
 Interestingly, these .mps files are useful because they can be called 
(omitting the extension) whether the document is processed with LaTeX or 
pdfLaTex.

From this TUGboat article on Metapost
(http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb30-2/tb95hoeppner.pdf):

"...the PostScript subset created by METAPOST can be interpreted by pdfTeX. So 
METAPOST figures can be directly included with e. g. the standard graphics 
package, while normal EPS images have to be converted first to be usable with 
pdfLaTeX."

When running Makefile (2.2.0) on a document that contains calls to .mps files, 
there is different behavior for pdfLaTeX and for regular LaTeX.

For BUILD-STRATEGY := pdflatex, things work great, and the pdf is built as it 
should be with the included graphic.  No problems!

For BUILD-STRATEGY := latex, the result is "no rule to make target foo...", 
although there is a workaround: if one changes the name of the graphic file 
from foo.mps to foo.eps, then the compilation will proceed as it should.

When using BUILD-STRATEGY := latex, I once tried to workaround by setting 
includes.eps := foo.mps in Variables.ini, but still got the "no rule to make..."

I hope this info helps!  Thanks again very much for sharing continuing to 
develop your Makefile.

Sincerely,
Chas

Original comment by charles....@gmail.com on 8 Aug 2011 at 10:38

[GoogleCodeExporter]

If I understand correctly, there is nothing to be done for 
BUILD_STRATEGY=pdflatex, right?

So, for strategy "latex", we have the following issue:

- The .mps files are built correctly,
- The makefile is properly inserting dependencies on "foo", but
- Doesn't know how to build foo.eps from foo.mps, so
- It fails, even though it should work.

Correct?

Can you try adding the following (use tabs, not spaces) to your Makefile.ini 
and let me know how it works?

%.eps: %.mps
  $(CP) '$<' '$@'

Original comment by shiblon on 9 Aug 2011 at 4:38

• Changed state: Accepted

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for the follow-up!  I now realize that I omitted the important fact that 
in my last post, I was assuming that the .mps (Metapost postscript output) 
files had already been created manually from the .mp (Metapost source) files 
using the command 'mpost foo.mp'.  That's how I generally do it, but I realize 
now that the original poster might have wanted the makefile to ascertain that 
foo.mp was a Metapost source, and then call 'mpost foo.mp' to create a .mps 
file which would then be included in the LaTeX file.

For now, I'll continue assuming that the .mps files are already created when 
make is invoked.  So, for strategy = "pdflatex", if the file foo.mps already 
exists, a statement such as \includegraphics{foo} works properly, and the 
document is built with the graphic.

For strategy = "latex" I added the new rule from your last comment to my 
Makefile.ini, but still received the message:
= my_latex.tex --> my_latex.d my_latex.dvi.1st.make (0-1) =
make: *** No rule to make target `foo', needed by `my_latex.d'.  Stop.

Interestingly, if I first issued the command 'make foo.eps', then the correct 
copy command was invoked, creating 'foo.eps', then I could issue a subsequent 
make command and the document would be built correctly.

But, if I only issued 'make', without first issuing 'make foo.eps,' then I got 
'no rule to make target.'  It seems that make was not figuring out that a 
statement such as \includegraphics{foo} could ultimately depend on a .mps 
file... so maybe the correct dependencies are not made after all?

I've attached a file 'foo.mps' in case it might be helpful.

Thanks again!

Original comment by charles....@gmail.com on 10 Aug 2011 at 5:29

Attachments:

• foo.mps

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Aha.  I see what I did wrong.  I forgot to tell you to add this at the top of 
your Targets.ini file:

graphic_source_extensions += mps

Original comment by shiblon on 10 Aug 2011 at 1:42

[GoogleCodeExporter]

OK, that worked!  Now, make with strategy "latex" can recognize an 
already-existing Metapost postscript .mps file, copy that into a .eps file, and 
then build the document properly with the .eps file.

Original comment by charles....@gmail.com on 10 Aug 2011 at 5:20

[GoogleCodeExporter]

All right.  That's a good step forward.  Let's keep track of that as working by 
summarizing what we did here, then we can discuss what comes next.

===========================
What we did:
===========================

Add to Targets.ini the following lines:

graphic_source_extensions += mps
%.eps: %.mps
  $(CP) '$<' '$@'

=================
What's next
=================

Next we need to make sure that both build strategies (latex and pdflatex) can 
detect when a .mps file needs to be generated from a .mp file, and we need to 
create a .mp -> .mps build rule that can do it.

The last step is the easiest (again with tabs, not spaces):

%.mps: %.mp
  mpost $<

Of course, we'll do a lot more than that, since it's going to generate a lot of 
output and we'll want to catch errors, etc.  It will probably be set up in its 
own definition, and will call mpost and then run sed on the output to catch 
issues.  That's pretty straightforward.

The not-so-straightforward stuff comes in detection.  Since we're just doing 
includegraphics on it, I *think* the need will be detected correctly, but I'm 
not sure.

============================
What would help
============================

If someone could attach a minimal tarball containing a .tex source file and 
some .mp files that it tries to include, I can work on getting this up and 
running.  Shouldn't take too long, but real logs made from real source are 
invaluable to the process.  I just don't particularly feel like learning 
metapost to generate my own .mp files at the moment.  :-)

Original comment by shiblon on 10 Aug 2011 at 5:32

• Changed state: Started

[GoogleCodeExporter]

[deleted comment]

[GoogleCodeExporter]

OK, here is a very simple, one-page latex document that includes two Metapost 
graphics.  So, initially, one would need to run mpost first on the two Metapost 
source files, then compile the latex file -- that is, until the Makefile does 
it all automatically :)
Thanks much!

Original comment by charles....@gmail.com on 10 Aug 2011 at 7:26

Attachments:

• mptest.tar.gz

[GoogleCodeExporter]

[deleted comment]

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Here is a minimal example where the problems occur:

\documentclass{scrreprt}
\usepackage{feynmp}
\DeclareGraphicsRule{*}{mps}{*}{}
\begin{document}
\begin{fmffile}{feyntest}
\begin{fmfgraph*}(100,60)
    \fmfleft{a}
    \fmfright{b}
    \fmf{fermion,label={test}}{a,b}
\end{fmfgraph*}
\end{fmffile}
\end{document}

I use make; then need to call mpost feyntest.mp to create the graphics file. 
Then I run make again which works but further invocations fail because the 
Makefile tries to make a pdf file from the created graphics:

make: *** No rule to make target `feyntest.1.pdf', needed by `test.pdf'.  Stop.

To circument this as a temporary bugfix I removed the get-graphics call:
-   $(call get-graphics,$*) >> $*.d; \

Original comment by tobias.n...@gmail.com on 16 Aug 2011 at 8:51

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hey, tobias - sorry for disappearing for a while.  Unfortunately, your minimal 
example is a little too minimal for little old me :).  What is feynmp, and 
where can I get feyntest.mp to fiddle with it?

Original comment by shiblon on 6 Sep 2011 at 8:17

[GoogleCodeExporter]

tobias - never mind.  I see that you're generating feyntest.mp from within the 
.tex.  I'm still not sure about the feynmp package, though

Original comment by shiblon on 6 Sep 2011 at 8:18

[GoogleCodeExporter]

This is the feynmf package: 
http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/feynmf or if you have a 
debian basted distro use the package feynmf.

Original comment by tobias.n...@gmail.com on 6 Sep 2011 at 9:01

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks, tobias.

Meanwhile, I think I have initial, basic support for mp files included via 
\includegraphics.  Please see attached.

Original comment by shiblon on 6 Sep 2011 at 9:16

Attachments:

• Makefile