It would be a big help to me in getting the EMF sections of the code right if some developers who uses an R->L language and a T->B language could prepare a set of samples similar to the files listed below. Then email them to me. But before actually starting work on this please post back to the list first saying you will be doing this, so only one person needs do this for each language. Samples are only required for one R->L and one T->B language. These samples don't need to be a 1:1 translation from English - I probably won't be able to make any sense of what they say anyway, but it is important that the starting document edited normally in PowerPoint in whichever language you use, since that will likely affect what the emf file will look like internally.

Examples of what I need in English are in these files:

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/pub/software/inkscape/formatted_text_en_test.ppt

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/pub/software/inkscape/formatted_text_en_test.emf

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/pub/software/inkscape/formatted_text_en_test.png

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/pub/software/inkscape/formatted_text_en_test.svg

I used Arial font which I think has support for most common languages, at least on Linux.

Left,center,right justification will look more or less the same (at a distance) in a R->L language. That is, the same parts of the screen are written, just different characters. For a T->B language I believe Left justify slides to the top.

The near collision of the text blocks at +45 and -45 degrees is intentional, please do that in the other languages too.

The samples from other languages do not need to have the text in exactly the same positions as the English samples.

The English language sample files were made as follows.

1. Compose the file in Powerpoint in a standard slide. Be sure to put a slide sized rectangle on the bottom or step (2), below , will not scale correctly:

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/PPT_G_P_I/#P2I_method

Save the presentation as a *.ppt file. 2. In PowerPoint, in that slide window select all right click one selected object save as picture. (give it a name and use "Enhanced Windows Metafile" to create the *.emf file). 3. Take a screen shot of the PPT slide, or of the EMF in Windows Preview, and save as PNG to make the *png file. 4. The SVG in the example was constructed by hand so that text would be at least somewhat editable. EMF import was not used because the text ends up in many little pieces, ie:

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/PPT_G_P_I/#I2P_formatted_strings

To make the SVG in Inkscape I suggest: format a 10 x 7.5" page, then import the *.png into it, align it to the page, and lock it. If the underlying rectangle was used in step (1) then the PNG will be exactly the right size. Then create a second layer above the first, enter text to match the underlying PNG. Easiest if the underlying text is black, and the upper layer is red. I used vertical kerning for super and subscripts, because it was not otherwise possible to match those character positions. When the overlay is done, remove the lower layer, change the text to black, save to make the *svg file.

Thank you,

David Mathog mathog@...1176... Manager, Sequence Analysis Facility, Biology Division, Caltech