Exons:
Relevant bits of information for using the MUSC Shared Resource,
 the  BioMolecular Computing Resource (BCR).

EXON_6: GCG Graphics Modes

GCG supports graphics in three modes. Interactive on-screen 
presentation, hardcopy production and save to disc modes. 
The user must define the medium of choice. Optimal use 
depends on the terminal emulator softwarethe user has 
available.

Interactive Screen Mode

TEKTRONIX  allows on-screen display of graphics images, by 
turning your PC into a Tektronics graphics emulator. Several 
modes are available (including Tek4014 and VersaTerm-Tek4105).
DOS users running KERMIT or NCSA telnet should use this mode. 
The image will appear on screen but can not be printed.  MAC users  
with VersaTermPro should use this mode as well. The Versaterm 
software allows immediate saving of "pict" format files and/or 
printing to an attached printer.

20% tektronix versaterm4105  term
This would be a suitable command for a MAC user with Versaterm 
software.

21%tektronix  vt340-tek4014  term
This would be a suitable commmand for a DOS user with KERMIT
 software.


XWINDOWS allows users with suitable server software (resident 
on personal computers) to create an x-window graphics shell from 
which the user may zoom or copy to the clipboard. Xwindows is 
BY FAR the fastest graphics display!

Hardcopy Mode:

GIF sets up the GIF device driver and creates a graphics output file
in GIF format. Output is usually directed to a specific file. That
file then needs to be transferred to a location where some GIF reader
can access the file. If FTP transfer is involved be sure to use
binary mode. Programs which can accept GIF format include WIN95
PowerPoint, an SGI utility called "imgworks" and a MAC program called
GIFconverter.

HPGL sets up several device drivers to create a series of commands
in the Hewlett Packard Graphics Language which enable a 
plotter (several models available including HP LaserjetIII and 
HP7475). DOS Windows having an attached HP LaserJetIII, 
who are operating through KERMIT will find this driver especially 
convenient for producing B&W prints of high quality. 

POSTSCRIPT allows selection of a number of printer types 
including LASERWRITER and EPSF(encapsulated postscript file). 







Save to disc mode:

In each case typing the above command gives you  a device 
menu and then a choice for output device [ (*TERM*) for terminal
is the default]. It is at this point that the user may elect to enter a 
filename where the graphics output is to be stored. This file may 
then be downloaded via KERMIT or FTP and then printed on your
 local device such as an HP plotter or a laser printer.

Recommendation:
ALL GCG graphics routines support an option called "figure". This 
option creates a user specified generic output file which is stored in 
the user's UNIX directory. The file may be viewed by first selecting 
one of the presentation graphics modes listed above then  typing :

figure -infile=mygraph.fig

An example. The user wants to produce a restriction map of a DNA 
sequence which is called  hamster_1.seq. The user has xwindows 
software on his machine. He types:

25% mapplot -infile=hamster_1.seq  -figure=hamster_1.mapplot

This creates a restriction map generic file which is stored in
 "hamster_1.mapplot".

26%xwindows

This initializes the xwindow graphics driver.

27% figure hamster_1.mapplot

This causes an xwindows-specific graphics plot to be produced 
in the x-window.The user may then zoom or cut and paste the 
graphics to a secondary graphics or word processor program.

By issuing a different  graphics command  eg 
"hpgl  laserwriterIII  term", 
the user could create an output plot specific for a DOS system 
with an attached laserjetIII and reproduce the identical plot on 
the newly selected medium by repeating command 27% above.