hayes@jazz.concert.net (Brian Hayes - Sigma Xi) (03/11/91)
Has anyone ever seen a program to convert "generic"
Postscript into the subset language recognized by Adobe
Illustrator or Aldus Freehand?
In my own work, when I create an algorithmically
generated graphic, I usually write a program that
produces Illustrator commands rather than ordinary
Postscript, so that I can view and fiddle with the image
on screen. But with Postscript code that comes from
another source--say a graph created by Mathematica--the
document can't be opened in Illustrator. (I know there
are Postscript *viewers* for various kinds of hardware,
but a viewer doesn't let you manipulate an image the way
a drawing program does.)
I'm not at all sure how difficult the conversion would
be. For simple graphics commands the translation into
Illustrator syntax is trivial:
moveto ==> m
lineto ==> l
curveto ==> c
fill ==> F
etc.
Where things get sticky is in any Postscript program that
defines and invokes procedures. What's needed is a
partial evaluation, so that the effect of executing the
procedure is expressed in those same simple commands
(such as m, l, c and F). Partial evaluation is definitely
not trivial.
Creating a translator is a project that I might
toy with myself, but my chances of success are slight,
and the world would be better off if someone else were to
undertake the project. Or perhaps someone has done it
already?
Brian Hayes
hayes@concert.netjama0252@miller.cs.uwm.edu (Naveen Jamal) (03/14/91)
>Has anyone ever seen a program to convert "generic" >Postscript into the subset language recognized by Adobe >Illustrator or Aldus Freehand? I need something that does exactly this too. (and I need it pretty bad.) Is there any other sofware.... that lets you 'edit' postscript interactively? If there is anyone willing to tell me anything about this I will be more (much more) than thrilled! Also: (I use a MAC) .. is there anyway to load a eps file on the pagemaker and 'see' what you load? For that matter can I load any file and be able to 'see' it? All it does right now is put a blob of grey where the eps file will comeup. All (any) help is appreciated.....
acka8352@miller.cs.uwm.edu (Emmanuel Ackaouy) (03/15/91)
In article <10202@uwm.edu>, jama0252@miller.cs.uwm.edu (Naveen Jamal) writes: |> >Has anyone ever seen a program to convert "generic" |> >Postscript into the subset language recognized by Adobe |> >Illustrator or Aldus Freehand? |> |> I need something that does exactly this too. (and I need it pretty bad.) |> |> Is there any other sofware.... that lets you 'edit' postscript interactively? |> If there is anyone willing to tell me anything about this I will be more (much |> more) than thrilled! |> |> Also: (I use a MAC) .. is there anyway to load a eps file on the pagemaker |> and 'see' what you load? For that matter can I load any file and be able to 'see' |> it? All it does right now is put a blob of grey where the eps file will comeup. |> |> All (any) help is appreciated..... This seems to be an opening field in the postcript world. The fact of the matter is that i NEED the EXACT same thing too... So i beg people that know THE answer to please send the answer on the news directly, instead of sending to single users... I think many people might be interested in this... (at least, 3 people in this world are...) Emmanuel (The Fourth Force)