Re: figure directory is sort of searched

[Sanjoy Mahajan <sanjoy@mrao.cam.ac.uk>]

> The figure searching code gets confused if a file of the same
> basename (but in a different directory) has already been loaded.

Looking a bit into this, it seems that the decision about whether a
figure is already loaded is made in core-fig.tex, in

\def\calculateexternalfigure[#1][#2][#3][#4][#5][#6]%
...
   \ifcase\figurestatus
     \let\@@efframe\v!on
     \let\@@efobject\v!no
     \showmessage\m!figures1\@@effilename
   \or
     \showmessage\m!figures2\@@effullname
   \or
     \showmessage\m!figures3{\@@effullname,\@@eflenttype}%
   \or
     \showmessage\m!figures4\@@effullname
   \or
     \showmessage\m!figures5{\@@effullname,\@@efloadname}%
   \or % no message
     \doifnot\@@efsymbol\v!yes{\showmessage\m!figures8\@@effullname}%
   \fi
...

The "no message" comment suggests that when \figurestatus isn't set,
the message shown is figures8, which is

         8: figureobject -- is reused

But I couldn't figure out who sets \figurestatus and where the
judgement of 'already loaded' is made.  The comment at the beginning
of the above \def ("this whole mess needs a clean up anyway") scared
me away :-)

-Sanjoy

`Never underestimate the evil of which men of power are capable.'
         --Bertrand Russell, _War Crimes in Vietnam_, chapter 1.