Re: epslatex terminal canvas size changed with "set size"

[Ethan M. <merritt@u.washington.edu>]

On Monday 01 June 2009 09:21:07 Miguel Rubio Roy wrote:
> Hi all,
>   I'm using epslatex terminal, and as far as I know the way to change the
> canvas size is using "set term epslatex size 10cm,10cm", for example.
>   This command works, but when I want to modify the size of the plot inside,
> if I use "set size 0.8,0.8", for example, the canvas size is also changed,
> so that I end up with a pdf file of 8x8 cm. Is this the expected behavior?

From the documentation under "help canvas"

 The major exception to this convention is the PostScript driver, which
 by default continues to act as it has in earlier versions. Be warned that
 the next version of gnuplot may change the default behaviour of the
 PostScript driver as well.

The documentation should probably mention explicitly that the PostScript
driver is also used by epslatex.

So yes, it is expected and documented.  But that doesn't mean it is the
right thing to do.  It's great that you point this out now, because we
have just begun laying out the plan for release of the next gnuplot version,
4.4.  I had forgotten that the issue of PostScript + "set size" needed review,
so it is good that you remind us.

> How do I change the plot size without changing the canvas size.

The only way I can think of at the moment is to edit the files by hand.
In the *.eps file you would be editing the line
  %%BoundingBox: 50 50 276 276
(change 276 to 333)

In the *.tex file you would be editing the line
  \begin{picture}{4534.40,4534.40}%
(change 4534.40 to 5668.00)

Please file a bug report on the project site on SourceForge.
That way it will not be forgotten as we put together the next release.

	Ethan