Editing Xfig

{{Short description|Vector graphics editor for UNIX-like systems}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Xfig
| logo = 
| screenshot = Xfig.png
| screenshot size = 250px
| caption = Screenshot of Xfig with example drawings
| developer = 
| released = {{start date and age|1985}}<ref name=XfigCredits/>
| latest release version = 3.2.8b
| latest release date = {{start date and age|2021|10}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/mcj/files/|title = Xfig - Browse Files at SourceForge.net}}</ref>
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]] and [[Xlib]]
| operating system = [[Linux]], [[FreeBSD]], [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], [[Cygwin]]
| language = English and Japanese
| genre = [[Vector graphics editor]]
| license = xfig<ref>[http://mcj.sourceforge.net/frm_authors.html Xfig license]</ref>
| website = {{URL|http://mcj.sourceforge.net}}
}}

'''Xfig''' is a [[free and open-source]] [[vector graphics editor]] which runs under the [[X Window System]] on most [[Unix|UNIX]]-compatible [[Computing platform|platforms]].

In Xfig, figures may be drawn using objects such as circles, boxes, lines, spline curves, text, etc. It is also possible to import images in a number of formats, including [[JPEG]], [[Encapsulated PostScript|EPS]], [[PostScript]], and [[SVG]]. Those objects can be created, deleted, moved or modified. Attributes such as colors or line styles can be selected in various ways. For text, 35 [[font]]s are available.

Xfig saves figures in its native text-only "Fig" format. Xfig has a facility to print figures to a PostScript printer, too.<br>
A convenient feature is the [[PSTricks]] or [[PGF/TikZ]] packages code that allows a smooth integration of Xfig-generated images into [[LaTeX]] documents. However, through the EPS export facility, figures can be imbedded into [[Groff (software)|groff]] documents also, when rendered to PostScript, e.&thinsp;g. though ''grops''.

Most operations in Xfig are performed using the mouse, but some operations may also be performed using keyboard accelerators (shortcuts). The interface is designed for a three-button mouse, although it is also possible to use a two-button or a one-button mouse with appropriate emulation, for example on a Macintosh under OS X.{{citation needed|reason=It isn't clear that it runs on Mac at all.|date=November 2019}}

== History ==
Xfig was written by Supoj Sutanthavibul in 1985 for [[SunView]]. Ken Yap ported xfig to X11.  In 1989, Brian V. Smith added many features.  In 1991, Paul King added many features including overhauling the GUI for version 2.0.  In 1997, Tom Sato added Japanese text support, spell checker, and search/replace.<ref name=XfigCredits>{{cite web|url=http://xfig.org/userman/frm_authors.html |title=Credits |date=2009-06-01 |work=Xfig Users Manual version 3.2.5b |publisher=xfig.org |access-date=2011-02-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514193743/http://www.xfig.org/userman/frm_authors.html |archive-date=May 14, 2011 }}</ref>

== Imports ==
Xfig can import various files as images:<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://xfig.org/userman/frm_drawing.html 
 |title=Drawing Objects 
 |date=2009-06-01 
 |work=Xfig Users Manual version 3.2.5b 
 |publisher=xfig.org 
 |access-date=2011-02-03 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416093357/http://xfig.org/userman/frm_drawing.html
 |archive-date=April 16, 2013
}}
</ref>
*Raster formats: [[GIF]], [[JPEG]], [[PCX]], [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]], [[Portable pixmap|PPM]], [[TIFF]], [[XBM]], and [[X PixMap|XPM]]
*Vector graphics formats: [[Encapsulated PostScript|EPS]], [[PostScript]]

== Exports ==
Xfig can export into various formats:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xfig.org/userman/frm_printing.html |title=Printing and Exporting |date=2009-06-01 |work=Xfig Users Manual version 3.2.5b |publisher=xfig.org |access-date=2011-02-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416050832/http://xfig.org/userman/frm_printing.html |archive-date=April 16, 2013 }}</ref>
*Raster formats: [[GIF]], [[JPEG]], [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]], [[Portable pixmap|PPM]], [[XBM]], [[X PixMap|XPM]], [[PCX]], [[TIFF]], [[.SLD|SLD]]
*Formats for printed documents: [[PostScript]], [[PDF]], [[HP-GL]] (printer control language used by Hewlett-Packard plotters),
*Vector graphics formats: [[Encapsulated PostScript|EPS]], [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]], [[Pic language|PIC]], [[Computer Graphics Metafile|CGM]], [[Metafont]], [[MetaPost]], [[Windows Metafile|EMF]], [[Tk (programming language)|Tk]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=LaTeX and Xfig |url=http://mcj.sourceforge.net/latex_and_xfig.html |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=mcj.sourceforge.net}}</ref>
*LaTeX files: [[PGF/TikZ]], [[PSTricks|PStricks]]<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
*Ipe – A modern vector graphics editor in the spirit of Xfig (including, e.g., LaTeX support).
*[[Tgif (program)|Tgif]] - An Xlib-based 2D vector drawing tool very similar to Xfig.
*[[Comparison of vector graphics editors]]
*[[WinFIG]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040213005807/http://epb.lbl.gov/xfig/ XFig Version 3.2.5 User Manual]
*{{webarchive |url=http://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20121222045133/http://www.xfig.org/ |date=December 22, 2012 |title=Xfig homepage }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070920204655/http://epb.lbl.gov/xfig/fig-format.html Native Fig file format]
*[http://winfig.com/ WinFIG, an Xfig clone for Windows (shareware with demo version)]
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425000636/http://www.go.dlr.de/pdinfo_dv/xfig.figapps.html |date=April 25, 2010 |title=Applications producing Fig format output files }}

{{Vector graphics editors}}

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''Copied from the Xfig home page with formatting changes. For additional details, check the '''xfig''' documentation or home page at https://sourceforge.net/projects/mcj/

[[Category:1985 software]]
[[Category:Free diagramming software]]
[[Category:Free vector graphics editors]]
[[Category:Vector graphics editors for Linux]]
[[Category:X Window programs]]