VTeX 7 is the culmination of more than a year of development; the new distribution includes both enhancements and major new components. The new features include:

New Mode

In addition to the existing DVI, PDF, and HTML modes, VTeX now features direct PostScript (PS) mode. With the PS mode you can generate PostScript from TeX in a quick one-pass way, bypassing the DVI's. Extras include inclusion of many bitmapped format, EPS, /pdfmark support, and even optional PS->PS distillation (for smaller and verified PostScript output). GeX and GeXX plugins are fully supported.

The Typesetter

Other changes in the VTeX typesetter involve improvements in the PDF compilation, and removal of the last limitations (hyphenation table sizes).

Business Chart Plugin

New Business Chart Plugin allows to easily enhance your documents with a variety of charts: bars, lines, donuts, ...

Function Plot Plugin and Visual Interface

Easily add plots based on functional representations? Would like to plot sin(x)^2+cos(x)^2? Just enter the expression inside the TeX code, define gradients and shadings, draw contour maps and 3D plots.

GeX enhancements

Multiple GeX enhancements lead to tighter code; better diagnostics allows to pinpoint common errors in included PostScript code; among new features is the Level II support and the ability to switch the GeX interpreter dynamically between the Level I and II PostScript.

Animated GIF's

Pdf backend now supports Animated GIF inclusion.

The IDE

Substantial number of improvements in the IDE, in particular the Project Manager; integrated previewing of the HTML output; New File Wizard; Hyphenation Manager.

The Editor

Enhancements include include Drag-and-Drop for blocks, user-defined stoppers for word wrap and paragraph reformatting.

The Dvi Reader

Major rewrite of the DVI Reader program; a large number of new options added. Among the many changes, the DVI Reader now allows to drag the image, supports Fit Page and Fit Width, has measurement rules, GoBack and GoForward buttons, and works with the Windows 2000 Type1 rasterizer.

Other Programs

Most of other utility components and Visual Tools have been improvements; among the new improved programs are the Visual Equation editor, the \chardef Wizard, the Font Commander, and AliasPS Type1 support Wizard.

Fonts

New improved releases of EC/TC, CM Bright, BT, and some other families. [The EC set has been made darker for better PDF readability; it now uses the standard es-zet shape.]

More Type1 fonts

Full set of LA fonts (331) for Cyrillic typesetting makes creation of PDF's in Russian (and other Cyrillic languages) easy. Circ package and the full set of Type1 fonts is added.

More IF4 fonts

All of EC and the most common PSNFSS fonts are now supplied in the IF4 format as well [for use in the DVI and HTML modes.]

Improved setup files

Improved Setup files for LaTeX2E include full support for the new font families (TM 1.2, HV 1.2). The Font Setup is now entirely modular; new font families can be added without a need for updating the core setup files.

Documentation

Documentation updated and expanded to cover all the additions made during the two-year lifecycle of VTeX 6.

We hope to update the Web site with the new images and current information in the nearest future.