All, Not strictly a context question, but it has to do with Metapost, so maybe someone can help. I have a file of macros called qdftools.mp: numeric s; s=0.2; color gridlines; gridlines:=(s,s,s); def openbluedot(expr pos)= fill fullcircle scaled 4pt withcolor white; draw fullcircle scaed 4pt withcolor blue; enddef; def openreddot(expr pos)= fill fullcircle scaled 4pt withcolor white; draw fullcircle scaed 4pt withcolor red; enddef; def filledreddot(expr pos)= fill fullcircle scaled 4pt withcolor red; draw fullcircle scaed 4pt withcolor red; enddef; def filledbluedot(expr pos)= fill fullcircle scaled 4pt withcolor blue; draw fullcircle scaed 4pt withcolor blue; enddef; def vtick(expr pos)= draw ((0,-3)--(0,3)) shifted pos; enddef; def htick(expr pos)= draw ((-3,0)--(3,0)) shifted pos; enddef; def gridfivefive = for k=-5u step 1u until 5u: draw (-5u,k)--(5u,k) withcolor gridlines; draw (k,-5u)--(k,5u) withcolor gridlines; endfor; enddef; def xyaxesfivefive= drawdblarrow (-5u,0)--(5u,0); label.rt(btex $x$ etex, (5u,0)); label.bot(btex $5$ etex, (5u,0)); drawdblarrow (0,-5u)--(0,5u); label.top(btex $y$ etex, (0,5u)); label.lft(btex $5$ etex, (0,5u)); enddef; endinput; In the same directory as qdftools.mp, I have a file useemp.tex. Note that I am using the emp package. \documentclass{article} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{emp,ifpdf} \ifpdf \DeclareGraphicsRule{*}{mps}{*}{} \fi \setlength{\unitlength}{1cm} \begin{document} Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. \empprelude{input qdftools} \begin{empfile} \begin{empdef}[david](4,4) numeric u; 10u=3in; gridfivefive; xyaxesfivefive; \end{empdef} \end{empfile} \immediate\write18{mpost \jobname} \empuse{david} Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. \end{document} Now, here is what I fail to understand. If I compile useemp.tex with: pdflatex --shell-escape useemp Then all is well. I get a nice pdf file. However, if I change one line in the file useemp.tex, namely \immediate\write18{mpost \jobname} to: \immediate\write18{mpost -tex=latex \jobname} Then if I remove the file qdftools.mpx and compile useemp.tex with: pdflatex --shell-escape useemp Then I get: loading : Context Support Macros / PDF (2004.03.26) )This is MetaPost, Version 0.901 (Web2C 7.5.5) (useemp.mp (qdftools.mpnewer: target file `qdftools.mpx' doesn't exist. /usr/local/teTeX/bin/powerpc-apple-darwin-current/makempx: Command failed: latex mpxerr.tex; see mpxerr.log
qdftools.mp qdftools.mpx ! Unable to make mpx file. l.41 label.rt(btex $x$ etex, (5u,0)); Transcript written on useemp.log.
Can anyone tell how to work around this problem? I know Context has much better support for labels, but I need to write this in Latex for our online testing system. http://scinux.redwoods.edu/cgi-bin/ online_s06/testing.cgi/