Plan 9 /sys/man/6/mpictures

NAME

mpictures – picture inclusion macros

SYNOPSIS

troff –mpictures [ options ] file ...

DESCRIPTION

Mpictures macros insert PostScript pictures into troff(1) documents. The macros are:
.BP source height width position offset flags label

Define a frame and place a picture in it. Null arguments, represented by "", are interpreted as defaults. The arguments are:
sourceName of a PostScript picture file, optionally suffixed with (n) to select page number n from the file (first page by default).
heightVertical size of the frame, default 3.0i.
widthHorizontal size of the frame, current line length by default.
position

l (default), c, or r to left–justify, center, or right–justify the frame.

offsetMove the frame horizontally from the original position by this amount, default 0i.
flags   One or more of:

ad    Rotate the picture clockwise d degrees, default d=90.
o     Outline the picture with a box.
s     Freely scale both picture dimensions.
w     White out the area to be occupied by the picture.
l,r,t,bAttach the picture to the left right, top, or bottom of the frame.

labelPlace label at distance 1.5v below the frame.
If there's room, .BP fills text around the frame. Everything destined for either side of the frame goes into a diversion to be retrieved when the accumulated text sweeps past the trap set by .BP or when the diversion is explicitly closed by .EP.

.PI source height,width,yoffset,xoffset flags.

This low–level macro, used by .BP, can help do more complex things. The two arguments not already described are:
xoffset

Offset the frame from the left margin by this amount, default 0i.

yoffset

Offset the frame from the current baseline, measuring positive downward, default 0i.

.EP   End a picture started by .BP; .EP is usually called implicitly by a trap at frame bottom.
If a PostScript file lacks page–delimiting comments, the entire file is included. If no %%BoundingBox comment is present, the picture is assumed to fill an 8.5×11–inch page. Nothing prevents the picture from being placed off the page.

SEE ALSO

troff(1)

DIAGNOSTICS

A picture file that can't be read by the PostScript postprocessor is replaced by white space.

BUGS

A picture and associated text silently disappear if a diversion trap set by .BP isn't reached. Call .EP at the end of the document to retrieve it.
Macros in other packages may break the adjustments made to the line length and indent when text is being placed around a picture.
A missing or improper %%BoundingBox comment may cause the frame to be filled incorrectly.

Copyright © 2025 Alcatel-Lucent. All rights reserved.


	A picture file that can't be read by the PostScript postprocessor is replaced by white space.


	A picture and associated text silently disappear if a diversion trap set by `.BP` isn't reached. Call `.EP` at the end of the document to retrieve it. Macros in other packages may break the adjustments made to the line length and indent when text is being placed around a picture. A missing or improper `%%BoundingBox` comment may cause the frame to be filled incorrectly.