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(web2c.info)Online Metafont graphics

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Online Metafont graphics
========================

  The Web2c implementation of Metafont can do online graphics with a
number of devices. (See the Metafont manual for more information about
how to draw on your screen.)  By default, no graphics support is
enabled.

  Metafont examines the `MFTERM' environment variable or config file
value at runtime, or the `TERM' environment variable if `MFTERM' is not
set, to determine the device support to use.  Naturally, only the
devices for which support has been compiled in can be selected.

  Here is a table of the possibilities, showing the `MFTERM' value and
the corresponding `configure' option(s) in parentheses.

`epsf'
     (`--with-epsfwin') Encapsulated PostScript pseudo-window server
     (see `web2c/window/epsf.c'). This device produces an EPS file
     containing the graphics which would be displayed online on other
     devices. The name of the EPS file defaults to metafont.eps but can
     be changed by setting the MFEPSF environment variable to the new
     filename.  Contributed by Mathias Herberts.

`hp2627'
     (`--with-hp2627win') HP2627a color graphics terminals.

`mftalk'
     (`--with-mftalkwin') Generic window server (see
     `web2c/window/mftalk.c').

`next'
     (`--with-next') NeXT window system. This requires a separate
     program, called `DrawingServant', available separately. See the
     `web2c/window/next.c'.

`regis'
     (`--with-regiswin') Regis terminals.

`sun'
     (`--with-suntoolswin') The old Suntools (not any flavor of X)
     window system. (You can get the even older SunWindows `gfx' system
     by using `sun-gfx.c'.)

`tek'
     (`--with-tektronixwin') Tektronix terminals.

`uniterm'
     (`--with-unitermwin') Uniterm, Simon Poole's emulator of a smart
     Tektronix 4014 terminal.  This may work with regular Tektronix
     terminals as well; it's faster than the driver `--with-tek'
     selects.

`xterm'
     (`--with-x11win', `--with-x', `--with-x11') The X window system
     (version 11).

     There are two variants of the X11 support, one that works with the
     Xt toolkit, and another that works directly with Xlib. The Xt
     support is more efficient and has more functionality, so it is the
     default. If you must use the Xlib support, use `configure --with-x
     --with-x-toolkit=no'.

     You cannot specify any of the usual X options (e.g., `-geometry')
     on the Metafont command line, but you can specify X resources in
     your `~/.Xdefaults' or `~/.Xresources' file. The class name is
     `Metafont'. If you're using the Xt support, all the usual X toolkit
     resources are supported.  If you're using the Xlib support, only
     the `geometry' resource is supported.

     You specify the X display to which Metafont connects in the
     `DISPLAY' environment variable, as usual.

  Writing support for a new device is straightforward. Aside from
defining the basic drawing routines that Metafont uses (see `mf.web'),
you only have to add another entry to the tables on the last page of
`web2c/lib/texmfmp.c'.  Or you can write an independent program and use
MFtalk (see `web2c/window/mftalk.c').