Directory graphics/metapost/contrib/macros/blockdraw_mp

The blockdraw_mp package
========================

This material is subject to the LaTeX Project Public License. See 
http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/help/Catalogue/licenses.lppl.html 
for the details of that license.

History
-------
o  Submitted to CTAN: 2006-03-08
   -  First submission.
o  Updated 2006-07-18
   -  Added documentation sources and created separate sub-directories
      for the implementation and documentation.
o  Updated 2007-01-21 (Backward incompatible changes for bond graphs.)
   -  Bond graphs can be drawn with arrowheads that are not filled.
   -  Bond graph labels that depend on the LaTeX preamble have been
      removed from the bond graph package file, and must now be defined
      in every bond graph application source.
   -  See further comments in bondgraph.mp, and how the changes affect
      the example bonddemo.mp.
   -  Thanks to Johan Engelen for suggesting added features and bringing
      my attention to the problem of preamble-dependent content in package
      files.

Description
-----------
This package targets the simple problem of producing block diagrams
and bond graphs.  In more detail, the provided functionality can be
divided into
o  Standard elements such as labeled blocks and bond graph arrows.
o  Standardized way for selecting input and output points on blocks.
o  Means for the construction of "carpented" paths connecting points.
o  Standardized label positioning along block connections.
o  Higher-level macros that specialize and/or combine some of the above.

An important example from the group of higher-level macros is the 
macro that takes two blocks as arguments and generates a path connecting
them.

Experienced MetaPost users will certainly prefer to write their own
macros for this purpose, but less experienced users may find these
simple macros accessible and handy in combination with the series
of examples provided on the WWW (see below).

Further information
-------------------
The main source of information for this package is located at
  http://www.control.isy.liu.se/~tidefelt/projects/blockdraw/


Please let me know if you run into problems or have suggestions,

Henrik Tidefelt