April 2009

From: Dr Christopher Mabb, Scientific Word Ltd.
To: Our Scientific Word/WorkPlace/Notebook Technical Typesetting list

 

1. Changing to Times New Roman or Arial fonts:    One of our users wrote saying:

   "There is probably a very easy answer to this but a journal has requested I change my font to TNR or Arial. I would like to do this but don’t know how. I am not sure what my font is at the moment (document attached)"

   and we replied:

   You will want to read the following two Help (- Search) pages: font - fonts - times package, and font - fonts - font package. Then decide whether you want to add the times, mathtime or one of the other available packages to your document. The three files attached (checkoutstandard.tex , checkouttimes.tex and checkoutmathtime.tex), when PreviewPDF-ed, will show you something of the differences introduced with the above two packages.
   Hope this is helpful. Keep a backup.

   See also checkouthelvet.tex ; these files PreviewPDF to give checkoutstandard.pdf , checkouttimes.pdf , checkoutmathtime.pdf and checkouthelvet.pdf (we suggest you open these PDF files in adjacent tabs of your web browser and click between them to compare).
       If you cannot PreviewPDF checkouttimes.tex and checkoutmathtime.tex , you are probably experiencing the Vista Ligature issue detailed at http://www.mackichan.com/techtalk/737.htm , and you should download the updated file WinFonts.map (right-click, SaveTargetAs) into your TCITeX\pdftex\config folder, overwriting the existing WinFonts.map.



2. Don't buy an Acer computer:    We got caught out buying a new computer from PC World the other month. Embarrassingly, it wouldn't run Scientific WorkPlace, and crashed out with a .mdmp message whatever we tried to do! Although we hadn't come across the problem before (obviously, or we'd have avoided the Acer brand), our friends at MacKichan Software hazarded a guess that it was an Acer computer we'd bought - saying that it was a problem caused whenever a menu item that uses a Windows common dialog opens. Correct! Our advice? Buy anything but an Acer - or at least, take our distribution CD in to the shop and make sure it runs before buying the machine.



3. Numbering of Table and Figures:    Another user of Scientific WorkPlace Emailed recently asking:

   "How can I chage the automatic numbering from 1 2 3 to i ii iii and so on"

   Our reply was that:

   If the numbering you're referring to is for the figures (graphics), then you should go to Typeset - Preamble and enter:

   \renewcommand{\thefigure}{\roman{figure}}

   Similarly for tables; other options are \alph , \Alph, \arabic , \Roman . Note that \alph and \Alph only work up to 26... See the sample .tex file attached.

   Please take a look at the numbering of graphics and tables in the sample file number.tex and its PreviewPDF output number.pdf.



4. 75% discount on Scientific Word/WorkPlace/Notebook Training:    We'd like to draw your attention to the massive 75% discount we're now extending (for the time being, at least) to all users of our software - for small groups of up to 4 people at a time. Up until now it's been restricted to the first 6 months after purchase, and to Annual Maintenance sites.
       Our Training page is at www.sciword.co.uk/training.htm - do please read the details. People usually think they 'know' Scientific Word/WorkPlace because they've had it around for a while - but we can promise a radical improvement in confidence and functionality for anyone who takes our Basic Course. It comes as either the Standard Two-Day Course (typically for secretarial/support staff) or the Graduate' One-Day Course (for faculty members/graduate students). So do you need training? Not if you're confident you could reproduce the Final Test inside an hour...
       We hope that's of interest. And for just £1320 + VAT (with Educational discount to £880 + VAT), why not take us up on a Standard Two-Day Course and see if we keep our promise? Click Reply, and include a copy of this Email, to claim your 75% discount.



5. Free manuals:    We know none of you would still be using version 4.0 or 4.1! After all, version 5.0 has been out a long time, and we're now on v5.5. So it's probably time to visit our Licence Calculator to look up the price for upgrading, if you are... But in the meantime, we've discovered some old version 4.0 manuals, which we're willing to give away free to a good home: there's a couple of boxes of Typesetting Documents, half a box of Getting Started, and a single copy of Creating Documents. All version 4.0. First come, first served.
       Be aware - we obviously have the intention of selling you something in the long run! And now that we're offering systems "Licence-only", it's easier - and quicker - than ever before to upgrade.



6. Please recommend us:    We're always happy to get new referrals, which helps the Scientific Word/WorkPlace/Notebook family continue to grow. So why not let your friends and fellow mathematicians and scientists around the world benefit from a free 30-day trial of our software? And here's a way to do it effortlessly: