This example illustrates how to use Jpgfdraw to help construct
frames for use with the flowfram package.
The aim is to create a LaTeX2e package based on the
flowfram package that defines frames for use with a
poster. For this example, I used the A4 landscape paper setting,
but it can just as easily be applied to other paper sizes.
Set the grid to the unit of your choice using the
Settings->Grid->Grid Settings... dialog box. For example,
I set the grid settings to major divisions of 1in, with
10 subdivisions.
I recommend that you set the grid lock on (using
Settings->Grid->Lock Grid), to help prevent
having frames with slightly different widths, which will result
in warnings from the flowfram package.
Set the typeblock, using the
TeX/LaTeX->Flow Frames->Set Typeblock... menu item.
I used 1in margins. You should now see the typeblock appear
as a light gray rectangle on the page. (Note that you can not
select or move the typeblock, you can only modify it using the
TeX/LaTeX->Flow Frames->Set Typeblock... dialog box.)
See Figure 11.39.
Figure 11.39:
Poster Example--The Typeblock
Select the rectangle tool, and create the rectangles
shown in Figure 11.40. The top rectangle is going to
be the title frame, the two tall rectangles on the left
will be flow frames containing the main text for the poster,
and the two short rectangles on the right will be dynamic frames
that will contain a table and a figure. (To ensure that the two tall
rectangles are the same size, you may prefer to use the copy and
paste function.)
Figure 11.40:
Poster Example--Adding Rectangles
Switch to the select tool, and add a
using
Bitmap->Insert Bitmap..., to give the
poster a logo, and move it to the location shown
(Figure 11.41).
Figure 11.41:
Poster Example--Adding a Bitmap
Garish posters are not recommended, but to illustrate how to
liven up the poster, set the fill colors for the rectangles
using the Edit->Path->Fill Color... dialog box. I also added two
extra smaller rectangles on top of the right hand rectangles, to
give a double border effect (Figure 11.42).
Figure 11.42:
Poster Example--Adding Some Color
Select the top rectangle and the , and
group them.
Select the bottom right hand rectangles (green) and group them.
Select the middle right hand rectangles (magenta) and group them.
Select the top group, and select the
TeX/LaTeX->Flow Frames->Set Frame... menu item. This will
open up the dialog box shown in Figure 11.43.
Set the type to Static, and call it "title". Set the
margins as desired. (I used 10 for all the margins, but you
may want to use different values to ensure that the logo is inside
the margins so that the frame's text doesn't overlap the image.)
Figure 11.43:
Poster
Example--assigning frame information. (Note that
the shape option is not available because the selected object is
a group not a path.)
Similarly, make the left hand rectangle a flow frame
with label "left" and the middle rectangle a flow frame with label
"middle".
Make the two remaining groups dynamic frames
with labels "figure" and "table". For these two, I used larger
margins (20pt) to compensate for the double border
(Figure 11.44).
Figure 11.44:
Poster Example--Frame Information Assigned
Use the menu item File->Export... to create
a new LaTeX package that defines these frames. Remember to
select the flowframe (*.sty) file filter.
I called my file poster.sty (Figure 11.45).
Figure 11.45:
Poster Example--Export Frame Information to a
LaTeX Package
Create a LaTeX document that uses this package. Since I
used A4 landscape paper, I'm going to use the article
class file. If you use a larger size (e.g. A0), it would be more
appropriate to use the a0poster class file.
I created the following file called poster.tex:
\documentclass{article}
% use new package created in this example:
\usepackage{poster}
\begin{document}
% set the contents of the static frame called ``title''
\setstaticcontents*{title}{
\title{A Sample Poster}
\author{Nicola Talbot}
\maketitle
% page numbers not appropriate for a poster:
\thispagestyle{empty}
}
This is the main body of the poster. This text will
appear in the first of the two flow frames. Once it
has reached the end of the first flow frame, it will
then continue in the second flow frame.
% Lots of text omitted
% Now set the contents of the two dynamic frames
% For this example, they could just as easily have
% been static frames
% set the contents for the frame labeled ``figure''
\setdynamiccontents*{figure}{%
\begin{staticfigure}
\centering
Insert figure here!
\caption{A Sample Figure}
\label{fig:sample}
\end{staticfigure}}
% set the contents for the frame labeled ``table''
\setdynamiccontents*{table}{%
\begin{statictable}
\caption{A Sample Table}
\label{tab:sample}
\begin{center}
Insert table here!
\end{center}
\end{statictable}}
\end{document}
To make the poster a PDF document, do:
pdflatex poster.tex
(Note that the pgf package is used to create the
borders, so you will need to use a driver that understands
the \special commands used by the pgf package,
such as PDFLaTeX or LaTeX and dvips.)
The final document is illustrated in Figure 11.46.