July 2014

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

1. Limits of sigma:    An exchange of Emails a few months ago revealed that users don't necessarily know that Scientific Word/WorkPlace/Notebook automatically position the limits of sigmas correctly, according to the convention that inline maths has the limits to the right, whereas displayed maths has them above/below... but that this default behaviour can be overridden if you wish.
   So we produced a brief sample document, to make it clear. Just click here (then Typeset – PreviewPDF).
   The same applies to limits of integrals, though the default behaviour is for limits of integrals to be to the right for both inline and displayed maths.



2. Tracking changes:    Some prospective users asked us last week whether Scientific Word includes the facility to track changes in a document; this is a standard feature in MS-Word, useful when collaborating with another author on a joint paper. Unfortunately, Scientific Word does not (yet?) include Tracking changes.
   There is a single-level facility available with the ulem package: see Help – Search – ulem package – ulem package – marking changes in text, for the instructions. This involves:

   1. Adding the ulem package (Typeset – Options & Packages – Package Options – Add – ulem – OK – OK)
   2. Setting the Behaviour of the Added text and Deleted text tags to Show in the Tag Bar List (in Tag – Appearance)
   3. Adding the extra 4 lines of LaTeX commands to the Typeset – Preamble, after \input{tcilatex}

   Please download our sample here (and then Typeset – PreviewPDF to see the Deleted and Added text in the theorem).
   We'd like to know whether users are already using ulem for this purpose (we accept it is somewhat limited when compared to MS-Word's ability) or whether you have made use of either the LaTeX changes package or the trackchanges package with Scientific Word/WorkPlace. Do please let us know how you're tracking changes, and we'll circulate useful information next time.



3. FlexLM (again):    Further to our February 2013 (Item 2, bullet point 3) and April 2014 (Item 4) mailings, we now have some updated information from MacKichan Software for you. We recommend you download and read this FlexLM June14 information before moving or re-registering your FlexLM Floating licence server.
   Essentially, apart from checking whether your version of FlexLM is up-to-date, you need to edit the server licence file you receive, in two ways:

   1. Remove the extraneous port reference 57321 in the first line
   2. Add in the appropriate 6 lines starting PACKAGE above the bottom line containing your serial number

   If you need any help, just ask us and we'll be glad to generate the server licence file for you.



4. \noindent:    Earlier this month, a user at one of our UK universities asked us to:

   "help: i have forgotten how to instruct  the first line of a new
   paragraph not to be indented"

   All you need is a TeX Field (Insert – Typeset Object – TeX Field) at the start of the relevant paragraph, saying:

   \noindent

   This is another indication that, to make the most of Scientific Word/WorkPlace, there's really no substitute for professional Training (the \noindent question, for example, is part of Session 3 of our Standard Training Course). Which groups within your university/bank/research group would benefit most from our Standard Two Day Course, or the Graduates' One-Day Course (same content compressed into one day, but really hard work)?
   Please let us know. All sites in the Annual Maintenance scheme, and anyone buying their software in the previous 6 months, will qualify for the massive 75% discount for small groups of up to 4 people, bringing the Two-Day Course down from £6400 to just £1600 (£4266 to £1067 with Educational discount), plus VAT.
   I lead all the Training Courses personally, having evolved them over the last 20+ years. It also has the advantage that I’m on site for 2 days, allowing me to catch any other installation or technical problems your users might be having. If you think we’re good on Technical Support, just wait till you have me there in person!



5. LaTeX Very Short Guide:    We've mentioned this before, but it's seven years ago... Someone trying out our free 30-day demo from Cyprus Emailed us saying:

   "I am quite a novice trying to learn and use the LATEX. Particularly, I intend using it for academic publications in journals. How can you help me with a easy guide method of understanding and using the LATEX."

   In our reply, we said:

   "...Well, Yes and No: the whole purpose of Scientific Word is that we give you an interface to LaTeX, so that you don’t need to learn the LaTeX commands. And academic publishing with LaTeX is exactly what Scientific Word is for. <snip>
       And since you asked, you will find this document a useful introduction to LaTeX: www.scientific-word.com/veryshortguide.pdf – which, as we’ve said, is information you don’t need to know, and our program Scientific Word protects you from."

   But for anyone producing typeset documents it's an interesting read. And it might just have some useful information for you!



6. Radians/degrees:    (This only applies to Scientific WorkPlace and Scientific Notebook.) We had an enquiry from our page at http://www.scientific-workplace.com asking:

   "Hi Christopher,
   Can we plot using radian measures?
   thanks
   Joe"

   Radians are in fact the default unit for plots, although it’s easy to use degrees as well: please see the sample attached if you'd like to know how. Joe's probably not the only person who will benefit from this...



7. Rubik's cube:    You'll remember from last time (Item 7) the "Rubik's cube Inside 3 Minutes" video course I produced as a tribute to my Dad (8/8/29 – 20/1/14): "A party trick that will consistently amaze your friends".
   This has now generated a website of its own: http://www.rubiks-cube.me where you can see my Sub-2-Minute Demo and get the videos. (If you're interested in making some extra money, I'm looking for people to promote it: go now and read the Affiliates page at http://www.rubiks-cube.me/affiliate-goodies.)
   Or if you're still planning on taking up the offer we made last time of a 50% discount on the course on Udemy, you've still got a month before the coupon expires... on condition you leave a review (an honest one!) afterwards. Just click here for your special deal.