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UseIpeFilesDirectlyInLyX

How to use Ipe files (*.ipe) directly in LyX, using converts. With preview and export support.

Use Ipe files directly in LyX

It is possible to set up LyX to allow direct inclusion of Ipe drawings. To do so, one has to add the Ipe file format to LyX and setup converts to allow automatic conversion to various file formats.

Prerequisits

Working LyX and Ipe installation. Ipe executables ipetoipe, iperender in Path. Maybe you can specify the full path instead.

Setup

You can edit the preferences file or do the setup manually.

Preferences file

Copy and paste the listed text into the file "preferences" (typically located in C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.4 on Windows 7 or more recent C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Application Data\LyX on Windows XP or ~/.lyx on most other systems, and created for the first time after changing your LyX settings and pressing the "Save" button).

#
# FORMATS SECTION ##########################
#

\format "ipe" "ipe" "Ipe" "" "" "ipe" "document,vector"

#
# CONVERTERS SECTION ##########################
#

\converter "ipe" "eps" "ipetoipe -eps $$i $$o" ""
\converter "ipe" "pdf3" "ipetoipe -pdf $$i $$o" ""
\converter "ipe" "pdf2" "ipetoipe -pdf $$i $$o" ""
\converter "ipe" "pdf" "ipetoipe -pdf $$i $$o" ""
\converter "ipe" "png" "iperender -png $$i $$o" ""

Manual setup

To add the file format go to "Tools --> Preferences...", then "File Handling --> File Formats". Enter the following text into the fields:

* Format: Ipe
* Short Name: ipe
* Extension: ipe
* Editor: ipe

Leave the rest empty. Check "Document format" and "Vector graphics format", then click "New...". Dont't forget to "Apply" the change.

To add the converts go to "File Handling --> Converters". Enter/select the following text in the fields:

* From Format: Ipe
* To Format: EPS
* Converter: ipetoipe -eps $$i $$o

Leave "Extra flag" empty. Check "Enabled" and leave "Maximum Age" unchanged. Now click "Add".

Repeat this step for the following formats:

* From Format: Ipe
* To Format: PDF (dvipdfm)
* Converter: ipetoipe -pdf $$i $$o

* From Format: Ipe
* To Format: PDF (pdflatex)
* Converter: ipetoipe -pdf $$i $$o

* From Format: Ipe
* To Format: EPS (ps2pdf)
* Converter: ipetoipe -pdf $$i $$o

* From Format: Ipe
* To Format: PNG
* Converter: iperender -png $$i $$o

This is used for preview.

Then save. Now you can use "Insert --> Graphics..." to include Ipe documents.

Tested with Ipe 7.0.1.0 and LyX 1.6.4 on Ubuntu Karmic.

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