[R] Save image as metafile

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Mon, 8 Dec 2008, David Winsemius wrote:

>
> On Dec 8, 2008, at 7:51 AM, mentor_ wrote:
>
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> how can I save an image as a metafile?
>> I know within windows you can do a right click and then 'save image as
>> metafile'
>> but I use Mac OS X...
>
> Which means this question would be better posed on the Mac OS list.
>
>> I know as well that mac users have a right click as
>> well, but
>> it does not work.
>
> Are you using the R.app? If so, then you need to focus on the quartz device 
> window (by clicking on it or choosing it from the Window" pulldown menu)  and 
> choose Save as.. from the File menu. It will not offer to save it as a 
> windows metafile, but rather does so as a pdf. In Preview you can open the 
> pdf and then save as other formats, although wmf is not one of the options. 
> If you prefer a tiff file, you could use Grab. Even LemkeSoft's 
> GraphicConverter does not offer a WMF option, so it's probably a proprietary 
> format that M$ is not documenting well or trying to restrict in some manner.

It is basically a set of calls to the (proprietary) Windows GDI.  There 
seems to be no viable implementation on any other platform (except as a 
bitmap, but then there are lots of portable bitmap formats supported by R)

> To find out what devices are available, try:
>
>> capabilities()
>   jpeg      png     tiff    tcltk      X11     aqua http/ftp  sockets 
> libxml     fifo   cledit    iconv      NLS
>   TRUE     TRUE    FALSE     TRUE     TRUE     TRUE     TRUE     TRUE 
> TRUE     TRUE     TRUE     TRUE     TRUE
> profmem    cairo
>  FALSE     TRUE
>
> So on my machine, a png device can get graphics output. That should provide 
> all of the functionality of a wmf format and be much more cross-platform.

Not so: wmf is a primarily a vector format: however PDF is a good 
cross-platform substitute.

>> Is there a command in R for saving images as metafiles?
>
> It would appear not, but why would it be necessary? What's wrong with the 
> choice among jpeg, png, pdf or tiff?
>
> -- 
> David Winsemius
>
>> 
>> 
>> Regards,
>> mentor
>> -- 
>> View this message in context: 
>> http://www.nabble.com/Save-image-as-metafile-tp20894737p20894737.html
>> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>> 
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>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
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-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595