LaTeX Help 2005-2006

1. Example LaTeX research paper for you to use as a model
   • samplepaper.tex - LaTeX source code (or see this shorter example interests.tex and interests.pdf)
   • samplepaper.pdf - resulting pdf file from the LaTeX source code
   • Control of Complex, Physically Simulated Robot Groups - the original paper of which the above files are excerpts from
     (the original paper from UVa Graphics Group papers)
   • Image files necessary to compile the above LaTeX sample paper - to compile: pdflatex samplepaper.tex
     • fig1.pdf, fig2.pdf, fig3.pdf, myimage.pdf
     • To make your own pdf images for your paper (the process I used)
       1. Use Gimp (File/Acquire Screenshot) to make a screenshot of the window with the image you're copying
       2. Use the "Select rectangular areas" tool to select the image
       3. Copy/Paste this into a new gimp file
       4. Save this file as Postscript .ps
       5. In an xterm, convert this .ps image to .pdf using ps2pdf: ps2pdf image.ps

2. Bibliography formats
   • MLA format from Purdue
     • Sources in print
     • Electronic sources
     • Other types of sources

3. LaTeX tutorial links:
   • LaTeX table of contents from NASA help with LaTeX,
     Math symbols such as binary operators, delimiters, Greek letters, math functions, sums and integrals.
     Math formulas and math environments such as math and equation.
     Bibliographies (thebibliography) and bibitem.
   • Art of Problem Solving LaTeX help, also see Overall guide, Basics, Manipulating images
   • Getting Started With LaTeX
   • Beginning LaTeX
   • Images into LaTeX
   • Word Processing Using LaTeX and Text Processing using LaTeX
   • LaTeX Tricks
   • Mr. Hyatt's LaTeX Help,
     (Note that he has the source code also listed)
   • Latex with an image - produces this pdf, 2 column with an image - produces this pdf

1. Compile and generate a pdf from the latex file: pdflatex myfile.tex
   (or latex myfile.tex to generate a .dvi file)

2. xpdf will view the pdf file (also gv, gpdf, kpdf, evince can view pdf's)

3. To view a .dvi file using xdvi filename.dvi

4. dvi file to pdf: dvipdf myfile.dvi (our current image doesn't support dvipdf, use pdflatex)

5. To convert the latex file to html:
   "latex2html filename.tex"
   This creates a directory "filename" with an index.html file

6. To convert to ".ps" (postscript) format, use dvips myfile.dvi

7. To see the postscript (".ps") file, use Ghostview: gv myfile.ps