combining binary+vector terminals

[Mojca M. <moj...@gm...>]

Hello,

I'm using gnuplot a lot for different kinds of graphs. I'm mostly
using the TeX terminal (my own one, ConTeXt), but as soon as one wants
to draw a complicated graphic (it's enough to request this:
http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/demo_4.3/pm3d.8.png) the following
happens:
- TeX runs out of memmory very quickly
- even if TeX manages to process the graphic, desplaying it becomes
extremely slow if you ask any PS/PDF viewer to display one million
points or lines; it needs to draw every line separately even if most
of them are hidden
- If I want to use 3D, I would like to display at least 200x200 or
better grid (let alone the fact that I don't like the straight lines
when smooth splines could be used, but I know that I cannot request
gnuplot to do that), or I would like to draw several million points
when drawing scatter plots; that's too much to request from either TeX
or the viewer

If I use GD terminal, then I'm very limited with the labels I use (I
cannot use TeX tricks on them, the fonts don't scale, switching fonts
is very complicated and not too much platform-independent; I'm
copiling my documents on multiple platforms) etc. etc.

I would like to create a terminal that would combine some "pixel"
terminal with a TeX terminal. The same has been done with epslatex
where PS takes care for graphical part of the plot and TeX is used for
generating labels. I would like to do the same, but in the way that
drawing pixel data is delegated to some third terminal that generates
a PNG figure (could be GD or pango or whatever) and TeX labels are
handled with the TeX terminal. TeX would then include the generated
PNG image and draw true labels on top of image.

My main question is: how difficult is the configuration process that
needs to be done in the background? I know a bit about programming and
managed to write a terminal that works OK, but I don't understand a
bit about configuring the bits and pieces, so that the code compiles
properly when using different libraries.

I would be grateful for any pointers, opinions or idas.

Thanks,
    Mojca