#245 Exporting to a publication-ready image
Dear respected High Performance Coder,
Thank you for bringing us SciDAVis 1D8, which is a masterpiece. BTW, could you have a schedule to solve the SciDAVis export issue please? I have tried the following four ways:
1. When SciDAVis exports the draft to png or bmp, the layout, font size etc. of the image are exactly the same with the original draft, but the resolution of the image is too low for publication.
2. When exporting to pdf using file menu then export, the font size, layout, boldness of the frame are more or less different with the original draft.
3. When exporting to pdf using file...print to pdf, the font size, layout, boldness of the frame are exactly the same with the original draft, yet when the draft size is large (e.g. multilayer draft), sometimes the draft 'stretches out' of the page border. I have tried to set the printer as 'scale to fit page size' with no success.
4. The most practical way i have found so far is to export the draft as the format svg. The svg image has exactly the same layout, font size, boldness of the frame etc. with the original draft. Once the svg file is exported, it can be opened with Safari. Then you can export it into a vector pdf using file menu then print... in Safari. The output-file quality is excellent because it is a vector file and it is publication-ready. Somehow the export process is a bit complex.
I am using a MacBook Pro Retina late 2012.
Thank you for your kind-hearted and selfless help!
Please, attach example project file and exported images.
I can't understand what means "low resolution". When i export image in linux, it same to window pixel-to-pixel.
As for pdf, we can export only to nearest possible standart page size. It's by-design. I can try to fix it, but i don't think that this is a serious bug.
Thank you respected PoZitron, the example file is attached. This link is for your reference please:
https://sourceforge.net/p/scidavis/discussion/708156/thread/d1a4025c/
The reason why the image quality is so important, i think, is that the figures are the key ingredients of a scientific paper. Clean, elegant graphs can eloquently present your idea, then will definitely please the referees and eventually increase the final acceptance probability of your paper.
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-24
Exported bmp, the resolution is not suitable for publication. If you can't see the difference of the image on your screen, please magnify the image, or print it on a A4-size paper, then you can see that the printed image has a low resolution (it can't be discerned on an ordinary PC screen).
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-23
Exported png, the resolution is also relatively low.
Exported pdf using File... then export graph, the layout, font size, and boldness of the frame is a little bit different from the original draft.
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-24
Printed pdf using File... then Print... then pdf, the layout, font size, and boldness of the frame are exactly the same with the original draft, but the draft 'stretches out' of the page border whether the 'scale to fit paper size' is selected or not.
Exported svg using File... then export graph, the svg file is exactly the same with the original draft, yet it needs to be converted to pdf and then be cropped off the blank boundaries in Preview to the wanted size. The exported svg is a vector file, so it is publication-ready.
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-24
My own two bits on this.
No bitmap format is suitable for publication. It has to be vector
graphics.
The obvious vector graphics formats for export are EPS, SVG and
WMF. I'm not sure what SciDAVis currently has, but there are libraries
for SVG => EPS, so generating SVG is probably the start. The trick
will be to support WMF - I don't currently know what options there are
for that, but I have another project where WMF support is
desired. Maybe OpenOffice has some code we can pinch.
Cheers
--
Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile)
Principal, High Performance Coders
Visiting Professor of Mathematics hpcoder@hpcoders.com.au
University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au
Latest project: The Amoeba's Secret
(http://www.hpcoders.com.au/AmoebasSecret.html)
Thank you respected PoZitron and High Performance Coder (Professor Russell Standish), the most desired export of SciDAVis i think is that, the layout of the image should resemble that of the exported .bmp and .png, while the image is vectorized. It would be definitely great that it be possible to right click on the draft (canvas), copy page, and then paste in the word processor as a vector file (pdf or wmf, cropped off the blank boundaries).
But first and foremost, your invaluable and selfless effort on SciDAVis are gratefully appreciated. Thank you all.
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-24
Paul, i found way to export images in bigger resolution than it has in window, and can do option for this. Is that solves the problem?
But i can't understand how save png with same resolution, but more detail.
In attachment you can see expample of such export. Please, do not pay attention for black lines - it's will be fixed. Just say about quality. Now better? Or you want something else?
Last edit: PoZitron 2014-07-24
Dear respected PoZitron, thank you for your prompt reply. This png looks much better now. It would be great for SciDAVis to have export quality options for bmp and png (150dpi, 300dpi or greater, this is conventionally required by most of the scientific journals' editorial offices), or it would be excellent that the image is exported as a vector image (pdf, eps or wmf), with the layout, font size and frame boldness exactly the same with the original draft, and the blank boundaries being cropped off.
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-24
Thank you for report, Paul. I found one of bugs you talking about. Bug is that SciDAVis don't export to pdf (and some over formats) in original size, but trys to find nearest standart paper size. Another nearest bug, is that SciDAVis force to choose between album or portrait orientation.
I try to fix this, the result in attachment, I exports 3 times you graphs, in 72, 300 and 600 dpi. As you can see, better dpi gives better quality.
So, i think, this part of bug is fixed. Do you think same?
If yes, i can commit fix soon.
I found way to fix other bugs, but i can't fix it within a month.
Thank you indeed respected PoZitron, the quality of these three images looks fantastic. BTW, is it possible to right click on the canvas (original draft), select 'copy page', and then paste to the word processor as a vector image? This function i think is greatly longed for by many SciDAVis users.
Many thanks again!
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-24
Sorry, but I can't commit my changes now, because i found another bugs in export procedure. As you can see on pdfs above, with non-standart dpi the scale ticks are misplaced. I can't fix it now. Possibly, we need to rewrite export code, it looks like a trick.
Paul, i found how we can copy svg to clipboard. I think, it's will be optional feature. So user will be able to choose between format for action "copy page". Is that good idea?
But sorry again, i can't do this within a month (go on vacation).
Confirm problems with exporting, see comments above. We need to rewrite export code.
Dear respected PoZitron, to my limited knowledge, the vector graphs don't have dpi, while the pixel graphs (.bmp and .png) have dpi. So i think exporting to bmp/png needs dpi options, while exporting to vector pdf/wmf does not need dpi options. Do you think so?
Please refer to:
http://www.mathworks.nl/matlabcentral/newsreader/view_thread/151032
It would be excellent to have export format options for "copy page". The best format would be vector pdf or wmf. Eps would also be great, yet it can only be opened with special softwares (photoshop or something).
Wish you have a wonderful and joyful vacation! All is the best!
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-26
Paul, maybe you right, but pdf have dpi, see attachments above. But, as you can see, scale ticks are broken when dpi not equal 96. Just compare attachments below and this attachment.
So, we need to fix it.
Dear respected PoZitron, personally i think the rasterized (pixel) pdf has dpi, while the vector pdf does not have dpi. The pdf with dpi exact to 96 (your attachment) can perfectly meet the publication-quality requirements. So there is no need, i think, to cultivate other dpi options for the vector pdf, while the dpi options (150, 300, 600dpi) may be available for the rasterized/pixel graphs (bmp, png and tiff). Do you think so?
Last edit: bbbear2002 2014-07-27
If scidavis is really exporting bitmap graphics as its PDF export
option, then this needs to change, as there is no good reason for it
to do so.
I haven't verified this is the case, but if true, its probably
somewhere between a priority 2 and 3 bug. Publication quality figures
is an essential feature of any plotting package.
Having said that, people need to be patient, as we only have two
active developers on the project, and Dmitriy's the more active of those.
Cheers
On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 02:13:43AM +0000, Paul wrote:
--
Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile)
Principal, High Performance Coders
Visiting Professor of Mathematics hpcoder@hpcoders.com.au
University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au
Latest project: The Amoeba's Secret
(http://www.hpcoders.com.au/AmoebasSecret.html)
Related
SciDAVis Bugs: #245
Thank you Pozitron and High Performance Coder, much obliged.