Re: st: Video from multiple graph exports

[Michael Hanson <mshanson@mac.com>]

Martin:

Since epstopdf is available for the same three platforms as Stata  
(i.e., Mac, Unix, Windows), perhaps a few examples showing how you  
"talk to it from inside Stata" would be of general interest.  Indeed,  
without stepping on the feet of the Stata Journal editors, I think  
this would be a good topic for a Stata Tip in an upcoming issue of  
the SJ.

-- Mike 


On Dec 3, 2008, at 5:58 PM, Martin Weiss wrote:

> Well, epstopdf is free as well and I know how to talk to it from  
> inside Stata. In contrast to ps2pdf, there are no white margins to  
> take care of...
>
> HTH
> Martin
> _______________________
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paula Lackie"  
> <plackie@carleton.edu>
> To: <statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 11:53 PM
> Subject: Re: st: Video from multiple graph exports
>
>
> > Any Mac can "print to PDF" and there are a number of options for  
> > getting a PC to print to PDF. One reliable free version is  
> > "PDFCreator"
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Martin Weiss" <martin.weiss1@gmx.de>
> > To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 3, 2008 3:20:01 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada  
> > Central
> > Subject: Re: st: Video from multiple graph exports
> >
> > "Export the Stata graphs as PDF format.  (A feature only available
> > in the Mac version, I believe.)"
> >
> > In Windows, -gr export- as .eps and use !epstopdf from your MikTeX
> > distribution. Not much more effort than on the MAC...
> >
> > HTH
> > Martin
> > _______________________
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Hanson"  
> > <mshanson@mac.com>
> > To: <statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu>
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 10:13 PM
> > Subject: Re: st: Video from multiple graph exports
> >
> >
> > > Dan:
> > >
> > > I have done something like this for several presentations --  
> > > although  I
> > > typically prefer to use a remote to step through the "movie frames"
> > > rather than automate the transitions.  That way I can stop and   
> > > comment on
> > > certain slides (the audience sees it as "freezing" the   
> > > animation), or go
> > > back to a specific slide to answer questions.
> > >
> > > The caveat, given the details you have provided in your message:  my
> > > process requires a Macintosh.  Specifically, it requires use of   
> > > Keynote,
> > > Apple's presentation software available only for Mac OS X.
> > >
> > > Briefly, in three steps (though I am happy to provide details if
> > > requested):
> > > 1. Export the Stata graphs as PDF format.  (A feature only  
> > > available  in
> > > the Mac version, I believe.)
> > > 2. Place PDFs of graphs into individual slides in Keynote.
> > > 3. Add automatic timed transitions and effects as needed.  You  
> > > can  set
> > > transition times on a per-slide basis, as you inquired.
> > >
> > > This whole process is very easy with Keynote, as it provides fine
> > > controls for aligning the graphs and professional transitions  
> > > between
> > > slides.  Plus, since everything is done with PDF, you don't get  
> > > those
> > > "jaggies" (i.e. pixelation) that often afflict graphics in   
> > > PowerPoint.
> > > Additionally, with Keynote you can export your  presentation to  
> > > QuickTime
> > > (.mov) or Flash (.swf) formats as a self- running, cross-platform  
> > > file if
> > > desired.
> > >
> > > I suspect one could use LaTeX-based presentation tools (beamer?  
> > > powerdot?
> > > prosper?) to accomplish the same thing, albeit with (much)  more  
> > > effort.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps,
> > > Mike
> > >
> > >
> > > On Dec 3, 2008, at 2:49 PM, Dan Weitzenfeld wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Folks,
> > > > I'm considering making a movie using multiple Stata graphs,  
> > > > exported.
> > > > E.g., for t=0,1,...n, graphing the data at each t, and then using a
> > > > slide-show program to stack the graphs in time order, creating a
> > > > "movie" illustrating how the data changes over time.
> > > > My questions:
> > > >
> > > > 1.  Has anyone does this before, and if so, do you have
> > > > recommendations for the most flexible slide-show program?
> > > > Specifically, I'm wondering if there is a program that will  
> > > > allow for
> > > > variable intervals between slides (e.g., t=0, 1.5, 2, 2.2,....)
> > > >
> > > > 2.  Is there a way to overlay a Stata graph on top of a .jpg file?
> > > > I've been doing this manually, using -spmap- to plot my
> > > > location-oriented data, exporting graphs as .emf/.wmf,  
> > > > ungrouping the
> > > > result in PowerPoint and aligning the .jpg overlay.
> > > >
> > > > 3.  Am I trying to use Stata to do something it's not suited  
> > > > for?  I
> > > > know JMP can play movies from data, but I don't think the movies  
> > > > can
> > > > be exported, and, well, I'm partial to Stata.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks in advance,
> > > > -Dan
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