MP(1) MP(1)
NAME
mp, MetaPost - system for drawing pictures
SYNOPSIS
mp [ -I ] [ -T ] [ first-line ]
DESCRIPTION
Mp interprets the MetaPost language and produces PostScript
pictures. The MetaPost language is similar to Knuth's Meta-
font with additional features for including tex(1) or
troff(1) commands and accessing features of PostScript not
found in Metafont. The -T flag selects troff instead of
tex.
An argument given on the command line behaves as the first
input line. That can be either a (possibly truncated) file
name or a sequence MetaPost commands starting with `\' and
including an `input' command. Thus `mp figs' processes the
file `figs.mp'. The basename of `figs' becomes the jobname,
and is used in forming output file names. If no file is
named, the jobname becomes `mpout'. The default `.mp'
extension can be overridden by specifying an extension
explicitly.
There is normally one output file for each picture gener-
ated, and the output files are named jobname.nnn, where nnn
is a number passed to the `beginfig' macro. The output file
name is jobname.ps if this number is negative.
The output files can be used as figures in a TeX document by
including
\special{psfile=jobname.nnn}
in the TeX document. Alternatively, one can `\input
epsf.tex' and then use the macro \epsfbox{jobname.nnn} to
produce a box of the appropriate size containing the figure.
btex TeX commands etex
This causes mp to generate a MetaPost picture expres-
sion that corresponds to the TeX commands. If the TeX
commands generate more than one line of text, it must
be in a `\vbox' or a minipage environment.
verbatimtex TeX commands etex
This is ignored by mp except that the TeX commands are
passed on to TeX. When using LaTeX instead of TeX the
input file must start with a `verbatimtex' block that
gives the `\documentstyle' and `\begin{document}' com-
mands.
MP(1) MP(1)
Since most TeX fonts have to be downloaded as bitmaps, the
`btex' feature works best when the output of `mp' is to be
included in a TeX document so that dvips(1) can download the
fonts. For self-contained PostScript output that can be
used directly or included in a troff document, start your
MetaPost input file with the command `prologues:=1' and
stick to standard PostScript fonts. TeX and MetaPost use
the names in the third column of the file
`/usr/lib/mp/trfonts.map'.
MetaPost output can be included in a troff document via the
mpictures(6) macro package. In this case mp should be
invoked with the -T flag so that the commands between `btex'
and `etex' or between `verbatimtex' and `etex' are inter-
preted as troff instead of TeX. (This automatically sets
`prologues:=1' ).
Here is a list of the environment variables affect the
behavior of mp:
MPINPUTS Search path for `\input' files. It should be
colon-separated, and start with dot. Default:
`.:/usr/lib/mp'
MFINPUTS Auxiliary search path for `\input' files with
`.mf' extensions. Default: `.:/usr/lib/mf'
TEXFONTS Search path for font metric files. Default:
`.:/usr/lib/tex/fonts/tfm'
MPXCOMMAND The name of a shell script that converts embed-
ded typesetting commands to a form that mp
understands. Defaults:
`/usr/lib/mp/bin/makempx' for tex and
`/usr/lib/mp/bin/troffmpx' for troff
TEX The version of TeX to use when processing `btex'
and `verbatimtex' commands. Default: `tex'
TROFF The troff pipeline for `btex' and `verbatimtex'
commands. Default: eqn -d\$\$ | troff -Tpost
MPMEMS Search path for `.mem' files. Default:
`.:/usr/lib/mp'
MPPOOL Search path for strings. Default:
`.:/usr/lib/mp'
MPEDITOR A command for invoking an editor with `%s' in
place of the file name and `%d' in place of the
line number. Default: `/bin/ed %s'
TEXVFONTS Search path for virtual fonts. Default:
`/usr/lib/tex/fonts/psvf'
A `.mem' file is a binary file that permits fast loading of
fonts and macro packages. Mp reads the default unless
another `.mem' file is specified at the start of the first
line with an `&' just before it. There is also an that sim-
ulates plain Metafont so that mp can read `.mf' fonts.
(Plain Metafont is described in The METAFONTbook).
MP(1) MP(1)
Experts can create `.mem' files be invoking mp with the -I
switch and giving macro definitions followed by a `dump'
command.
The MetaPost language is similar to Metafont, but the manual
A User's Manual for MetaPost assumes no knowledge of Meta-
font. MetaPost does not have bitmap output commands or
Metafont's online display mechanism. Use dvips(1) and
psi(9.1) to see the results before printing.
FILES
macros, `.mem' files, and
tables for handling
included tex and troff
Directory for programs that handle included
tex and troff. table of
corresponding font
names for troff,
PostScript, and TeX
The TeX input file where the `\epsfbox' macro is
defined
TeX input for a document that describes the MetaPost language
The source file for the figures used in
More information on using MetaPost with
troff.
SEE ALSO
tex(1), lp(1), psi(9.1),
Donald E. Knuth, The METAFONTbook, Addison Wesley, 1986,
John D. Hobby, A User's Manual for MetaPost AT&T Bell Labs
Computing Science Technical Report 162, 1991.