Using Unicode in Pajek's pictures

To be adapted to version 2.00 – see Unicode.

Sometimes we would like to use in Pajek's picture some characters from unusual alphabets (special symbols, Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Chinese, …). They are available in Unicode, but unfortunately Pajek doesn't support it.

Here is a way around:

• Using the free Unicode editor BabelPad we prepare the Unicode version of the *.NET file. Use the U tool (Unicode table) to enter the Unicode characters.
• Using the BabelPad option File/Save as/ASCII plus decimal NCR we transform it into an ASCII file in which the Unicode characters are represented using numeric codes &#dddd; . This file is used in Pajek 1.27 (or higher) to produce picture. The picture is exported in the SVG format.
  

• The SVG picture can be opened in the free drawing program InkScape. Here we can make some additional enhancements of the picture.
  

• In InkScape we can, using the option File/Save as/pdf or eps, save the picture in the desired format (PDF or EPS or some other) with labels containing Unicode characters. Note that the PDF (1.4 or higher) also supports the transparency (example). The EPS file can be inserted in Word document (example).

A set of example files is available in unicode.zip.