From:	PHAST::RADFORD      16-AUG-1986 12:42
To:	MANAGER,RADFORD     
Subj:	qpost

The scaling feature of qpost is quite handy for filling out a space
with graphic meaterial, but...  I have some graphs with circles, and
other shapes that depend on the two axes being equally scaled, and
I'm putting these in boxes whoose dimensions aren't known until 
run time (i.e. the space left on the page after captions). Would
it be possible to modify the \
\grafix macro to scale the

two axes the same amount? I.e, have it calculate the scale factors
as usual, then choose the larger (or smaller) and use that for both axes.
If you tell me where the source code is, I'll give it a whirl.
Simon

Subj:	RE: qpost
perhaps one way to specify wheter or not to keep the aspect ratio fixed
is to use a glue specification;  i.e. saying 5in minus 3in allows \grafix
to keep the aspect ratio fixed if the result is between 2in and 5in.
In other words, specify a range of dimensions (max minus something, or 
min plus something) and have qpost try and keep the aspect ratio fixed, if
the glus will stretch.  The result would be: for scaling in both dimension,
specify 'hard' dimensions: 5in,5in;  for scaling to keep the aspect fixed
specify one hard dimension, one glue: 5in,5in minus 5in (this would allow
the second dimension to sk
shrink to nothing if necessary;  (what would glue in both dimensions do?
Would have to decide something there.)  If the glue were 5in minus 2in,
and scaling to keep the aspect fixed were to generate a 2in (< 3in)
plot, qpost should scale to 3in, the minimum glus
glue.  qpost should probably center everything that doesn't fill its
dimension.  

\grafix probably cannot calculate the scaling itself, as you point out, 
so there seem no way to give the info back to TeX, simply at least.

I have another upgrade for you to ponder; allowing specification
of landscape/portrait orientation of the overlayed stuff in TeX.
For example, say you have a landscape plot ( i.e, the default for PL)
but you want to put it on a portrait page, in its original orientation
i.e. landscape; or you have some other permutation of this situation;
It might be nice to be an
able to specify the orientation of the stuff without having to recreate
the plot file.
Simon

Subj:	RE: qpost
ps on glue as the dimension in \grafix:

Although glue seems to be a natural way to specify a dimension that can
stretch or shrink, and it certainly has a tex-y flavor, glue always
goes between things in tex, and doesn't contain anything (except white
space).  Also tex will have to reserve a box as big as the largest
dimesion the glue can stretch to, even if qpost doesn't fill it up.
Simon