ASYMPTOTE (VECTOR GRAPHICS LANGUAGE)

'Asymptote' is a powerful descriptive vector graphics language, developed by Andy Hammerlindl, John Bowman, and Tom Prince, that provides a natural coordinate-based framework for technical drawing. Labels and equations are typeset with LaTeX, for high-quality PostScript output. It is inspired by Metapost, but has a C++-like syntax. It provides a standard for typesetting mathematical figures.
Asymptote is free software, available under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

Contents

Features

References

External links

Features

★ provides a portable standard for typesetting mathematical figures, just as TeX/LaTeX has become the standard for typesetting equations;

★ inspired by MetaPost, with a much cleaner, powerful C++-like programming syntax and floating-point numerics;

★ runs on all major platforms (UNIX, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows);

★ is mathematically oriented (e.g. rotation of vectors by complex multiplication);

★ LaTeX typesetting of labels (for document consistency);

★ uses simplex method and deferred drawing to solve overall size constraint issues between fixed-sized objects (labels and arrowheads) and objects that should scale with figure size;

★ fully generalizes MetaPost path construction algorithms to three dimensions;

★ compiles commands into virtual machine code for speed without sacrificing portability;

★ high-level graphics commands are implemented in the Asymptote language itself, allowing them to be easily tailored to specific applications;

★ the power of a script-based language coupled to the convenience of a GUI;

★ functions that can create new (anonymous) functions.

References

★ Asymptote homepage

External links

★ http://asymptote.sourceforge.net/

★ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Asymptote