Frequently Asked Questions about Mlpost

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1) When I run the mlpost tool on my figure, I get the error "! Unable to make
mpx file.".

Answer:

This is a cryptical error message from metapost saying that there is some
error in the Latex code that is part of your figure. However, it often points
to some random Latex code, so you will have to figure out the problem by
yourself, or by looking at the "mpxerr.tex" file that has been generated. You
can also try to pass the "mpxerr.tex" file to latex to see which is the exact
latex error message.

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2) When I look at generated "foo.1" or "foo.mps" file, gv/evince does
not display the figure correctly / gives some error.

Answer:

These generated files are not proper PostScript files. They need to be
included in a Latex file using \includegraphics. If you pass the -eps option
to mlpost, it generates encapsulated PostScript files that can be viewed with
a PostScript viewer like gv. However, font rendering may be quite different.

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3) In my Latex prelude I include other Latex files using "\input{foo.tex}".
    When I compile my figure with mlpost, these files are not found.

You are probably compiling your figure and your Latex file in different
directories. You can make the file "foo.tex" visible to Latex changing the
environment variable $TEXINPUTS to contain the directory where "foo.tex"
lives.

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