[comp.text.tex] How do I get half-width figures side-by-side?

tas@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Tasman Derk Van Ommen) (11/12/90)

I have a query relating to Lamport's LaTeX book....

Section 3.5.1 (page 60) explains how to use figures and notes that section
5.4.3 shows how to make paragraphs of different widths, position two half-
width figures side-by-side.....etc

Well, I want to put half-width figures side-by-side, but I did not find
any help in section 5.4.3   I did think that I could use a minipage environ-
ment, but LaTeX choked on my use of figures inside any kind of parbox.

How DO I put half width figures side by side?  A negative vspace after the
first figure is difficult unless I can work out how much extra vertical space
LaTeX has added with the figure caption.  Oh, and how do I force the
figure caption to actually come out half-width?

I await solutions....

Tas van Ommen

Physics Department,                    Email:  tas@physvax.phys.utas.edu.au
University of Tasmania,
GPO Box 252C,
Hobart.
Tasmania.  7001.
Australia.

ps3@ph3hp840.physik.uni-stuttgart.de (ps-Gruppe) (11/15/90)

In article <tas.658396808@tasman> tas@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Tasman Derk Van Ommen) writes:  
...
>Well, I want to put half-width figures side-by-side, but I did not find
>any help in section 5.4.3   I did think that I could use a minipage environ-
>ment, but LaTeX choked on my use of figures inside any kind of parbox.
>
>How DO I put half width figures side by side?  A negative vspace after the
>first figure is difficult unless I can work out how much extra vertical space
>LaTeX has added with the figure caption.  Oh, and how do I force the
>figure caption to actually come out half-width?
>
Putting two figures side by side is quite easy, you just have to understand
what the figure-environment really does. The figure-environment gives TeX
the advice to put the included stuff to a position in the document with
enough space for the figure. Furthermore the figure-environment is telling
the \caption-command to produce "Figure #:" (instead of "Table #:").
Knowing this, the solution is easy (but it took me about 6 months):
You put two minipages inside the figure. Each minipage may have its own
\caption and so you get 2 figures side by side. The following example can
demonstrate this:

\documentstyle{article}
\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
  \begin{minipage}[b]{4cm} % option "b" to become the captions on the same line
    \vspace{5cm}
    \caption{The left picture}
  \end{minipage}   % no empty line here to become the figures side by side!
  \begin{minipage}[b]{5cm}
    \vspace{7cm}
    \caption{The right picture}
  \end{minipage}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Regards
   Thomas Stuempfig
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Pikosekunden-Labor           |  ocac@rusvm1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de
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