# New Features

## Current release (xfig.3.2.9):

For text objects utf-8 encoded unicode is used internally and when saving to fig files.

## Older releases of xfig:

## xfig.3.2.8

### User interface changes:

Panning sideways is enabled with Shift + Wheel up or down. Shift + Wheel Up pans left, Shift + Wheel Down pans right. Alt or Meta + Wheel Up pops up the edit panel, Alt or Meta + Wheel Down pops up the drawing panel. Previously, Shift + Wheel Up or Down popped up the edit or drawing panel, respectively, and panning sideways could only be achieved by moving the wheel sideways.

### New features:

To display gif image files, either giftopnm and ppmtopcx from the netpbm package, or imagemagick, or graphicsmagick must be installed.
Obey the resolution given in embedded png, tiff and jpeg image files.
Embedded image files are displayed in full color, not reduced to a maximum of 256 colors.
Display embedded pdf files.

## xfig.3.2.7b

New drawings in Electronic/Schematic library. Thanks to Niko Sauer.

## xfig.3.2.7

Several new export languages (gbx, dxf, ptk). The backend-driver fig2dev had the capability before, but the language chooser in the export panel did not show these languages.
Export to full-page PDF and multi-page PDF (similar to PostScript) now possible.

## xfig.3.2.6a

Lines on the screen are now drawn with the same width as in PostScript and other outputs. Previously, lines on screen were thicker.

## xfig.3.2.6

Update of documentation.

## xfig.3.2.6-rc

These changes were made because the original view was of the drawing on the page instead of the modern view of the observer moving left/right/up/down:
Left arrow moves observer left (used to scroll canvas left)
Right arrow moves observer right
Up arrow moves observer up
Down arrow moves observer down
Ctrl+Wheel up zooms in, Ctrl+Wheel down zooms out (was the other way around)

## xfig.3.2.6-beta

New export options: pict2e and tikz.
Build using autoconf (./configure: make; make install), replacing xmkmf.

## xfig.3.2.5c

New library objects from Markus Laner: Networks: NodeB.fig, cloud.fig, router.fig, wlan.fig Computers: datacard.fig, screen.fig, usbpen.fig, xbox.fig
New command-line option -nowrite_bak to turn off automatic renaming of .fig to .fig.bak when saving .fig file. X resource is "write_bak". Also command-line option -write_bak to force renaming to true.
Can now specify small buttons with command-line argument -smallicons From Ed Rosten

## xfig 3.2.5b: No new features, only bug fixes.

## xfig 3.2.5a

"Chop" tool which allows you to chop polylines, arcs and circles into individual objects that together, approximate the original object. From Chris Moller
Fig-color merged into Fig app-defaults file because almost no one knows about the "*customization: -color" option to make X programs read the color def file.
22 new arrowhead types
changed default browser to firefox and default pdf viewer to xpdf
HTML MAP export (fig2dev) produces reference to .png file instead of .gif now
A note added to i18n.html that says if you run fig2dev standalone, you must pass the -j option to it
No need to have the C99 complex functions in the math library.
New computers from Andre Esser (Libraries/Computers)
Some network icons colored and/or combined by Roland Rosenfeld.
When exporting only active layers have choice of bounding area of whole figure or only the active layers
Two new library figures - piano_keyboard.fig, top view of a piano keyboard by Reinaert Albrecht, and piano_keyboard_perspect.fig, a perspective view of a piano keyboard by Brian Smith, both in the Libraries/Music directory.
New library figure - scissors.fig in Libraries/OfficeEquip from Kasie Breezer Talbot
Search tolerance increased from 4 pixels to 10 for zoom < 20
Isometric grids to ease making isometric drawings From Jasper Wesselingh
New 37-pin D connector and 50-pin ribbon connector in Libraries/Electronic/Physical

## xfig 3.2.5

Shift-U accelerator added to popup units panel
The library menu button sizes with the library panel, to show longer path names if the user wants.
The cursor for drawing lines, splines, etc. is a crosshair now instead of an arrow.
Snap features to allow snapping points to endpoints, midpoints and intersections of other objects. From Chris Moller.
Keyboard input of object coordinates for precise positioning. From Chris Moller.
Can grab arc anywhere along the curve instead of just at grab points From Chris Moller.
Added -noflipvisualhints for cases where, due to "different" pointer devices, they aren't really flipped, but the mapping indicates they are.
Export to all of PS, PDF and LaTeX in one operation From Alistair Ramsey
Reorganized Networks library and new devices: ASX-200, 1000, and 4000 by Bill Chimiak
New figures "betty.fig" (Betty Boop) and "nikke.fig" (German detective Nick Knatter) in Libraries/Examples drawn by Markku Reunanen
Can finish text input by pressing Escape. This removes the cancellation of a compose sequence (e.g. a-umlaut)
Actually a bug fix, import of PDF files is now possible. The code was there since version 3.2.3, but the user interface was not.
Nearly-full ANSI protoization of code by Harald Koenig
Installation of Libraries and doc files faster with tar instead of shell loop
New Gregorian chant music symbols from Bill Chimiak. Also, Music library divided into "chant" and "modern"
Popup edit panel slightly more compact vertically
New library "Fasteners" containing various bolts and screws From Jim Yuzwalk
Increased size of numeric entry fields in indicator panels
N-channel IGBT in Electronic/Schematics Library from Art Blair
starting values for arrow type, width, length, thickness may be specified on command-line or in X resources: -startarrowtype, -startarrowwidth, -startarrowlength, -startarrowthick

## xfig 3.2.5-alphas

Added note to README and FAQ html file: If the Xaw or Xaw3d Athena widget sets are compiled with the ARROW_SCROLLBAR style of scrollbars, there is no StartScroll action and you won't be able to scroll using the wheel on the mouse. If you want to be able to scroll using the wheel, you must recompile the Xaw library from sources, disabling the ARROW_SCROLLBAR option.
Astrological symbols for planets in Miscellaneous/Astrology by Andrew Collier
Added key bindings to text dialogs to be more like modern systems (the Athena Widget Set that xfig uses is very old): Home: beginning-of-line End: end-of-line Del: delete-character-right
Added *.jpeg* to picture browse options
Snap mode to snap the point to selected features of selected objects.
Keyboard entry capability to allow users to specify drawing or editing points from the keyboard.
Chop editing operation to slice objects into pieces.

## xfig 3.2.5-alpha4

Note: There is a minor change to the copyright/permission notice for xfig. Basically, I have restored the part that allows one to sell xfig regardless of whether it is bundled as part of a package or not. This is identical to the original copyright/permission notice for xfig, which was based on the MIT (then later, the X Consortium) copyright notice. Here is the new notice (different files have different author copyrights at the top):

    	> FIG : Facility for Interactive Generation of figures
    	> Copyright (c) 1985-1988 by Supoj Sutanthavibul
    	> Parts Copyright (c) 1989-2012 by Brian V. Smith
    	> Parts Copyright (c) 1991 by Paul King

    	> Any party obtaining a copy of these files is granted, free of charge, a
    	> full and unrestricted irrevocable, world-wide, paid up, royalty-free,
    	> nonexclusive right and license to deal in this software and documentation
    	> files (the "Software"), including without limitation the rights to use,
    	> copy, modify, merge, publish distribute, sublicense and/or sell copies of
    	> the Software, and to permit persons who receive copies from any such
    	> party to do so, with the only requirement being that the above copyright
    	> and this permission notice remain intact.

Introduction.html and installation.html updated to include Macintosh port of xfig
Button to collapse depths of a compound object (make all same depth) in popup object editor
Grid changed from dotted line to light red solid line
Candle in Libraries/Miscellaneous by Dr. Lyman Hazelton
Right-click on depth checkbox sets current depth in indicator panel to that depth
Library of symbols used when diagramming folding instructions to make origami models and example contributed by Marc Vigo
Can adjust width and height directly in popup editor for picture objects
Support for David Hawkey's Xaw3D version 1.5E (ftp://ftp.visi.com/users/hawkeyd/X/Xaw3d-1.5E.tar.gz)

## xfig 3.2.5-alpha3

introduction.html and installation.html updated to include Macintosh port of xfig
Button to collapse depths of a compound object (make all same depth) in popup object editor
Grid changed from dotted line to light red solid line
Candle in Libraries/Miscellaneous by Dr. Lyman Hazelton
Right-click on depth checkbox sets current depth in indicator panel to that depth
`-autorefresh` command-line option (resource: `Fig.autorefresh)` which will make xfig look at the timestamp on the .fig file and automatically load it and display it every time it changes.
Removed requirement to compile with WHEELMOUSE when using wheelmouse
When placing library objects, the name and comments are displayed in message window
Mouse wheel can be used to scroll through filename lists in File and Export panels and icons or object lists in Library panel
Thickness of ticks in dimension lines are user-adjustable now
For attribute popup dialogs with only one text entry, keyboard now focuses on the entry as long as the pointer is anywhere in the dialog
When using the "Open compound, keep rest visible", the other objects are drawn in shades of gray similar to the inactive layers feature.
Zooming in or out with the Z or z key respectively will keep the canvas centered on the mouse pointer
Full version and patchlevel is included in Fig file header for diagnostics
Can explicitly set the rotation of imported pictures in edit panel after importing
Export option to produce both EPS and PDF (in two files) in one step. Useful for those who both use LaTeX and PDFLaTeX
"Epoch" added to rpm spec
New HP/GL2 (fig2dev) driver from Glenn Burkhardt with paper size selection, offset, centering and orientation options

[ Contents | Introduction | Credits ]