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From: Taco Hoekwater <taco@elvenkind.com>
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Subject: Re: pictures for numbers
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 11:36:47 +0100
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"Andres Loeh" <andres@cs.uu.nl> wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am writing a document where I want to give the chapter numbers as roman
> numerals, but with each letter replaced by a (hand-drawn) picture (I have
> them in .jpg ,.png,.eps).
> 
> I wonder what would be the best approach to do it:
> 
> (1) make some kind of virtual (or real) font out of the pictures
>     (but how?)

This definately sounds elegant, but it is quite a large amount of work.

> (3) write a macro that transforms the output of \romannumeral
>     into a sequence  of \useexternalfigure calls; then define
>     a conversion that makes use of that macro

This is the next best bet, I think. Here is a macro that does the
key work. You have to change the \message to do what you want:

\def\expandromannumerals#1%
  {\expandafter\expandromannumeral\romannumeral #1\relax}

\def\expandromannumeral#1%
  {\if #1\relax
     \let\next\relax
   \else
     \message{#1}%
     \let\next\expandromannumeral
   \fi
   \next }

\expandromannumerals{19}% call example

-- 
groeten,

Taco