printim
The printim command
was introduced in version 1.8. It produces a PNG, GIF, or JPG formatted image file based on the current
contents of the GrADS metabuffer, which is the stuff displayed in the
graphics window, minus any widgets. printim will work in
batch mode.
outxwd
The outxwd command draws the contents of the graphics display window to a file in XWD (X window dump) format. It does not work in batch mode.
wi
The wi command was deprecated long ago and is not included in version 1.9 or later.
1. Set-up the GrADS metafile
The first step in creating hardcopy image output is to invoke the enable print command -- this opens the output file and enables
GrADS to direct image information to that file. If the file exists, it will be overwritten.
2. Display the image
The next step is to display the graphic that you want to print. When
you have finished, issue the printcommand. GrADS copies the vector instructions used to create the current
display into the output file in a GrADS metacode format.
For multiple images in your metafile, use clear, create the new image, and then print again.
3. Close the GrADS metafile
There are three way to close the output file:
disable print
reinit
quit
GrADS metacode files may be translated into postscript using the GrADS
external utilities gxps and gxeps. Both utilities will
prompt for input and output filenames, unless they
are provided on the command line. The input filename should be the
file created by the enable
print command. The output filename can be anything, but a
".ps" extension is conventional. Any existing file with this name will
be overwritten. Once the output file is created, you may print it
using UNIX print commands. Please consult the references pages for
gxps and
gxeps to see
all the command line arguments and options.
gxps and gxeps are not
GrADS commands. They must be executed from the UNIX command line, or
preceded by a ! and
executed as a shell command from the GrADS command line.
There is a shortcut for creating an encapsulated postscript (EPS) file directly from within a GrADS session: use the print command without invoking the enable print command first. This shortcut allows the user to skip the steps of creating the GrADS metafile and invoking the external utility gxeps. However, using this shortcut means there can only be one image per file, and none of the options available when invoking gxeps directly can be used.
GrADS metacode files may be displayed using the GrADS external utility
gxtran. The input
filename should be the file created by the enable print
command. If the GrADS metafile contains more than one image, gxtran will animate them.
The animation can be automatic or controlled by the user with carriage
returns. Please consult the gxtran reference page to
see all the command line arguments and options.
The GrADS metafile Viewer (GV) allows you to view and manipulate GrADS graphics output files using Windows 95/NT. There are two files to download:
To open the metafile simply double click on a file listed in the File Manager or Explorer, drag and drop the file onto GV, or use the standard Open dialog box. GV assumes that default extension of GRADS metafiles is GMF. If your file includes more than one picture you can browse through pages using the keyboard keys (PageDown and PageUp) or the toolbar buttons.
Use the View commands and the View/Options dialog box to customize the image -- display it as black-and-white or color, change the line thickness, or clip and enlarge any part of the image. Use the right mouse button to access the most commonly used features.
There are two ways to save separate pages of a GRADS metafile as Windows Metafile (WMF): 1) use the File/Save Page As command, or 2) use the Edit/Copy command to copy the current page to the Windows Clipboard and then Edit/Paste it in your favorite Windows application that handles Windows Metafiles.
Use File/Print command to print a current document to any printer (you do not need a Postscript printer). Use File/Print Preview to display the active metafile as it would appear when printed.