figuresettings.tex

\usepackage{mdframed}

% define a pale background for figures
\mdfdefinestyle{palestyle}{%
  linewidth=2pt,%
  backgroundcolor=red!4,%
  linecolor=red!4%
}

% centered figure with a pale background
\newenvironment{frcenter}{%
  \begin{mdframed}[style=palestyle]%
  \begin{center}
}{%
   \end{center}\end{mdframed}
}

% narrow itemized list with a pale background
\newenvironment{topiclist}{%
\begin{mdframed}[style=palestyle]%
  \begin{list}{$\bullet$}{\setlength\itemindent{0.00in}% 
                 \setlength\listparindent{0.90in}%
                 \setlength\leftmargin{0.85in}%
                 \setlength\labelsep{0.10in}%
                 \setlength\labelwidth{1.5in}%
                 \setlength\itemsep{-2.0pt}%
	       \setlength\parsep{2pt}%
  }}{\end{list}%
\end{mdframed}}

% wide numbered list with a pale background
\newcounter{ncounter}
\newenvironment{widenlist}{%
  \begin{mdframed}[style=palestyle]%
  \begin{list}{%
    \arabic{ncounter}.}{%
    \usecounter{ncounter}%
    \setlength\itemindent{0.00in}% 
    \setlength\listparindent{0.45in}%
    \setlength\leftmargin{0.30in}%
    \setlength\rightmargin{0.20in}%
    \setlength\labelsep{0.10in}%
    \setlength\labelwidth{0.75in}%
    \setlength\itemsep{-2.0pt}
    \setlength\parsep{2pt}%
}}{%
  \end{list}\end{mdframed}%
}

% wide itemized list with a pale background
\newenvironment{widetopiclist}{%
\begin{mdframed}[style=palestyle]%
  \begin{list}{$\bullet$}{\setlength\itemindent{0.00in}% 
                 \setlength\listparindent{0.45in}%
                 \setlength\leftmargin{0.30in}%
                 \setlength\rightmargin{0.20in}%
                 \setlength\labelsep{0.10in}%
                 \setlength\labelwidth{1.5in}%
                 \setlength\itemsep{-2.0pt}%
	       \setlength\parsep{2pt}%
  }}{\end{list}%
\end{mdframed}}

%                                 pic command
\newcommand{\pic}[3][height=3in,width=5in]{
  \begin{figure}[hbtp]
    \begin{center}
      \begin{shaded}
      \includegraphics[#1]{#2}
      \end{shaded}
      \caption{#3}%
      \label{#2}
    \end{center}
  \end{figure}
}
%                                 pix environment
\newenvironment{pix}[2]{%
  \begin{figure}[hbtp]
  \def\mycaption{\caption{#1}}%
  \def\mylabel{\label{#2}}%
  \begin{shaded}
}{%
  \end{shaded}
  \mycaption%
  \mylabel%
  \end{figure}
}
%                                 blistfigure environment
\newenvironment{blistfigure}[2]{%
  \begin{figure}[hbtp]
  \def\mycaption{\caption{#1}}%
  \def\mylabel{\label{#2}}%
  \begin{shaded}
  \begin{btopiclist}
}{%
  \end{btopiclist}
  \end{shaded}
  \mycaption%
  \mylabel%
  \end{figure}
}