[R] vector graphics/ ungroup and edit in CorelDraw

[Prof Brian Ripley]

The R graphics model is low-level, and the problem is CorelDraw's limited 
capabilities (Adobe Illustrator seems to do rather better with postscript 
generated by R).  The XFig and SVG drivers may produce output that is more 
easily editable, but ultimately the problem is that R graphics is done by 
precise placement of basic elements (lines, rectangles, polygons, text) 
and not designed to be post-processed.

One of my students had some success generating SVG plots via RSvgDevice 
and editing with Inkscape: that has announced PDF import support, but I've 
not yet tried it.


On Thu, 18 Oct 2007, Sam McClatchie wrote:

> System:
> Linux kernel 2.6.15 Ubuntu dapper
> R version 2.5.1
> ESS 5.2.11 on Emacs 21.4.1
> -------------------------
> Colleagues
>
> Having read the posts on producing perfect graphs in R, or using
> inkscape to edit R graphics output, I have a related question.
>
> Lately I am publishing in a journal that is very picky about their
> graphics formats. It is more efficient for me to get the final picky
> details of each graph done by our graphics department, who use Windows
> CorelDraw. The problem is that I have not yet been able to give them a
> vector graphics format that can be ungrouped in CorelDraw for editing.
> Bitmaps cannot be ungrouped <www.eatbywest.com/pub/vectorbitmap/>. The
> standard postscript that I am producing in R cannot be ungrouped either,
> and comes into CorelDraw looking fragmented. While I may be doing
> something odd in the production of my postscript files, they look fine
> elsewhere, and print well, so I don't think there is a problem.
>
> Can anyone tell me how to produce vector graphics in R that can be
> ungrouped for editing in CorelDraw?
>
> Best fishes
>
> Sam
>
>

-- 
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