R help - Nov 2008 - Including graphics files in MS office / open office

Hi all,

I'm trying to write up some recommendations for what graphics formats
are most useful for inclusion into ms office and openoffice.  There
have been a few discussions on the list in the past, but I haven't
seen a summary.  These are the options I've seen so far, along with
there costs and benefits:

 * high-resolution (600-dpi) png output (or tiff or jpg or other
raster format).  The main disadvantage is that it's a raster format,
so you need to know the eventual output size.

 * windows metafile: works well in MS office, but does not support
transparency.  Can only be produced on windows, and openoffice support
isn't great

 * encapsulated postscript: supported by both MS office and open
office, but won't display a preview image unless you add one with an
external program.  Prints fine.

 * svg: R output devices still experimental and open office import
still experimental.  No support in ms office.

Have I missed anything?  Is the information correct?

Hadley

-- 
http://had.co.nz/

Hello Hadley,

I have started this: 
http://wiki.r-project.org/rwiki/doku.php?id=tips:graphics-misc:export.

One solution that works not too bad in OpenOffice is to output the graph 
in XFig format, and then use fig2dev from transfig to get an EMF file. 
That one is rather well readable by OpenOffice. There are some 
limitations of XFig with R graphs, see ?xfig.

Best,

Philippe
..............................................<?}))><........
  ) ) ) ) )
( ( ( ( (    Prof. Philippe Grosjean
  ) ) ) ) )
( ( ( ( (    Numerical Ecology of Aquatic Systems
  ) ) ) ) )   Mons-Hainaut University, Belgium
( ( ( ( (
..............................................................

hadley wickham wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm trying to write up some recommendations for what graphics formats
> are most useful for inclusion into ms office and openoffice.  There
> have been a few discussions on the list in the past, but I haven't
> seen a summary.  These are the options I've seen so far, along with
> there costs and benefits:
> 
>  * high-resolution (600-dpi) png output (or tiff or jpg or other
> raster format).  The main disadvantage is that it's a raster format,
> so you need to know the eventual output size.
> 
>  * windows metafile: works well in MS office, but does not support
> transparency.  Can only be produced on windows, and openoffice support
> isn't great
> 
>  * encapsulated postscript: supported by both MS office and open
> office, but won't display a preview image unless you add one with an
> external program.  Prints fine.
> 
>  * svg: R output devices still experimental and open office import
> still experimental.  No support in ms office.
> 
> Have I missed anything?  Is the information correct?
> 
> Hadley
>

>  * svg: R output devices still experimental
I've been using the svg device in the Cairo package for a while now.
I've never had any issues with it and wouldn't characterize it as
experimental (of course, others may have had issues).

I have had problems generating svg using some of the non-Cairo
packages, but this was some time ago.

Until OO can import them without going to great lengths, I guess it is
a moot point.

-- 

Max