R help - Dec 2010 - Poor quality plotting symbols in Windows metafile

Hello,
when I try to use the filled circle (pch = 16) in a Windows metafile, it appears
highly pixelated rather than as a smooth vector.
The other filled circles (pch = 19 and 20) are vector circles, filled with
pixels.

Results are the same whether I use windows() and save or copy as a metafile, or
win.metafile()

Also, some of the other symbols are misshapen, e.g. the diamond pch = 23 is not
symmetrical.
There is no problem using postscript(), although Microsoft Word does not do a
good job of importing postscript graphics (text comes out too large).

Is there a way to make the plotting symbols in metafiles appear as vectors?

Thanks,
Dan Bebber

Using: R 2.11.1, Windows Vista Business

You could use the my.symbols function from the TeachingDemos package to create
your own versions of the symbols that you want.  Using the ms.polgon function
with it will draw polygons (which can simulate most of the symbols you want) and
should show up vectorized in metafile formats.

-- 
Gregory (Greg) L. Snow Ph.D.
Statistical Data Center
Intermountain Healthcare
greg.snow at imail.org
801.408.8111
> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of Dan Bebber
> Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 4:08 AM
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: [R] Poor quality plotting symbols in Windows metafile
> 
> Hello,
> when I try to use the filled circle (pch = 16) in a Windows metafile,
> it appears highly pixelated rather than as a smooth vector.
> The other filled circles (pch = 19 and 20) are vector circles, filled
> with pixels.
> 
> Results are the same whether I use windows() and save or copy as a
> metafile, or win.metafile()
> 
> Also, some of the other symbols are misshapen, e.g. the diamond pch > 23
is not symmetrical.
> There is no problem using postscript(), although Microsoft Word does
> not do a good job of importing postscript graphics (text comes out too
> large).
> 
> Is there a way to make the plotting symbols in metafiles appear as
> vectors?
> 
> Thanks,
> Dan Bebber
> 
> Using: R 2.11.1, Windows Vista Business
> 
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