JaxoDraw
JaxoDraw is a program for drawing Feynman diagrams. It has a complete graphical user interface that allows all actions to be carried out via mouse point-and-click-and-drag operations. Graphs may be exported to Postscript / EPS format and can be saved in XML files to be used for later sessions. One of JaxoDraw's main features is the possibility to create LaTeX source files to draw Feynman diagrams via latex and dvips.

Features;
  • Platform independent
  • Easy to compile/install, no external dependencies
  • Complete point-and-click graphical user interface
  • Pre-defined line styles for common particle representations
  • Saving and reading of graphs in XML format
  • Export to PostScript, EPS, JPG, PNG and Latex format
  • Plugin infrastructure to add custom import and export formats
  • Setting of permanent preferences
  • Internationalized: currently it comes in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish (the User Guide is only available in English)
  • Working with several graphs at a time
  • Editing groups of objects
  • Importing existing Latex files
  • Grid with customizable Size
  • Look-and-Feel: All Swing pluggable Look-and-Feels

System requirements
  • Minimum JRE version is 1.6


JaxoDraw on an eComStation machine with Open JDK


Installing JaxoDraw
Download jaxodraw-2.1-0-bin.tar.gz. The only way to get this package is via this page or via the JaxoDraw site. The files are NOT available on Sourceforge with the given menu setup, only the source or old versions are available. You also need a JaxoDraw manual.
Create a folder (directory) "jaxodraw". Open the "tar.gz" file. You get the file "jaxodraw-2.1-0-bin.tar". Open this file and you get the subdirectory "jaxodraw-2.1-0". You can copy this directory straight to the harddrive and rename it or you can go into the directory and copy all the files to the new created folder(directory). That's it!

The program is full functional, but some features need plug-ins. With this link you can go to the "List of Plugins" page. In the manual you can find how to install the plug-ins, its really easy.

The jaxodraw.cmd file
JaxoDraw works with Open JDK in OS/2-eCS. I have made a jaxodraw.cmd file with the following contents; 
@echo off
set CLASSPATH= 
set BEGINLIBPATH=[drive: java]\JAVA160ga5\bin
set path=[drive: java]\JAVA160ga5\bin
[drive: jaxodraw]
cd [drive: jaxodraw]\jaxodraw
java -Duser.home=[drive: jaxodraw]\jaxodraw -jar jaxodraw-2.1-0.jar 2>jaxodraw_bugs.txt
I use 2 separate folders (directories), one for Java and one for JaxoDraw with the files created by this program. The references used in the cmd file;

  • [drive: java] = drive with Java
  • [drive: jaxodraw] = drive with JaxoDraw

should be replaced with real drive letters. Edit and save the file "jaxodraw.cmd" from the "jaxodraw-ecs.zip" file. This file is copied to the "jaxodraw" folder (directory). Furthermore, different paths and/or Java version?, adjust according to your needs.
Create a new program object. Specify the path and file name: "[drive: jaxodraw]\jaxodraw\jaxodraw.cmd". In the tabpage Session check the boxes "OS/2 window", "Running as an icon" and "Close Window to end program". In the tabpage General you can enter the name "JaxoDraw". You find enclosed in the file a JaxoDraw OS/2 icon.

Parameters / options explained
  • The statement "-Duser.home=[drive: jaxodraw]\jaxodraw" will ensure that JaxoDraw will save all necessary files in own directory instead of saving them in the home directory.
  • The addition "2>jaxodraw_bugs.txt" ensures that errors are saved in the file "jaxodraw_bugs.txt". The 2 in "2>" is not a typo!

Download
In the file you can find the above command file (all driveletters are set to C:) and an OS/2 JaxoDraw icon: jaxodraw-ecs.zip.

revision August 12, 2016