\includegraphics: Dots in filename

Question

\includegraphics cannot handle filenames that contain more than the one dot, separating the filename from the extension. Apparently it uses everything after the first dot as extension and then, of course, complains about an unknown graphics extension.

This is annoying as I very often have filenames that contain parameter values, e.g. plot_a0.4_b0.6.pdf.

Is there a way to teach LaTeX to interpret only the string behind the last dot as extension?

Answer 1

You can hide the other dots by masking them from TeX's token scanner with { }, i.e.:

\includegraphics{{plot_a0.4_b0.6}.pdf}

works fine.

Note that the extension can also be dropped, then a list of default extensions is used. See the graphicx manual for more information. If you want to do this, you need to double group the filename, which makes three together with the one for the arguments:

\includegraphics{{{plot_a0.4_b0.6}}}

Answer 2

You can use package grffile with option multidot.

https://texfaq.org/FAQ-grffilenames

Answer 3

Actually supporting such file names was part of the initial design spec for graphicx. The filetype is defaulted from the extension but for cases like this there is a type key so you can go type=eps or type=bmp or whatever is needed.

---

(copying an answer from a question marked as duplicate of this one)

For example, to tell latex it is eps type and the extension to use for the file itself and to find the bounding box, you can use:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}


\includegraphics[width=5cm,type=eps,ext=.1.eps,read=.1.eps]{example}

\end{document}

this includes example.1.eps using xelatex, or latex/dvips etc.

Answer 4

It is possible to automate Martin Scharrer's routine:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{catoptions}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\makeatletter
\def\parsegraphicsfilename#1{%
  \begingroup
  \def\flname{}\def\flext{}%
  \def\updateflname##1{%
    \edef\flname{\ifcsnullTF\flname{}{\flname.}##1}%
  }%
  \ifinsetTF{.}{#1}{%
    \def\reserved@a##1.##2\@nil{%
      \ifinsetTF{.}{##2}{%
        \updateflname{##1}%
        \reserved@a##2\@nil
      }{%
        \updateflname{##1}%
        \ifinsetTF{,##2,}{,eps,pdf,png,jpeg,jpg,mps,}{%
          \def\flext{##2}%
        }{%
          \updateflname{##2}%
        }%
      }%
    }%
    \reserved@a#1\@nil
    \ifcsnullTF\flname{%
      \@latex@error{Filename is empty;
        \ifcsnullTF\flext{}{ extension '\flext'}}\@ehc
    }{%
      \edef\flname{\ifcsnullTF\flext{{{\flname}}}{{\flname}.\flext}}%
    }%
  }{%
    \def\flname{#1}%
  }%
  \postgroupdef\flname\endgroup
}
\robust@def*\newincludegraphics{%
  \cpt@testopt\new@includegraphics{}%
}
\def\new@includegraphics[#1]#2{%
  \parsegraphicsfilename{#2}%
  \includegraphics[#1]{\flname}%
}
\makeatother 

Examples

\begin{document}
\def\result{{\tt\detokenize\expandafter{\flname}}\endgraf}
\parsegraphicsfilename{xx}
\result
\parsegraphicsfilename{xx.yy}
\result
\parsegraphicsfilename{xx.yy.pdf}
\result
\parsegraphicsfilename{xx.yy.zz.}
\result
\parsegraphicsfilename{plot_a0.4_b0.6.pdf}
\result
% The next one gives error because there is no filename:
%  \parsegraphicsfilename{.pdf}
\end{document}

Real-life application:

\newincludegraphics[scale=1.2,clip]{my..image.file.with..many.dots.ex.pdf}

Answer 5

While the question is answered for the generic case - I often have a case, where I have files with constant (unchanging), yet unstandard extensions; and where I'd like to use these files as input "as is" to pdflatex in a batch script context (meaning, I wouldn't want to code any parsing logic in respect to filenames, either in the Latex code, or the batch code).

For instance, the usual \includegraphics{mydir/file01.csv_.pdf} would fail with:

! LaTeX Error: Unknown graphics extension: .csv_.pdf.

One thing that works, is as per the answer by @DavidCarlisle:

\includegraphics[ext=.csv_.pdf,type=pdf,read=*]{mydir/file01}

... but this requires me to strip the extension from the filename, so I'd have to introduce filename parsing logic somewhere.

However, what really works for me is using \DeclareGraphicsRule{ext}{type}{read-file}{command} (see grfguide.pdf: Packages in the 'graphics' bundle):

% preamble:
\DeclareGraphicsRule{.csv_.pdf}{pdf}{*}{}

% ...

\begin{document}

% ...

\includegraphics{mydir/file01.csv_.pdf}

... and this seems to work fine, without any changes to the filename argument of \includegraphics. Note that command argument can be left empty (it's for a system conversion otherwise), and read-file is where do we read the size/bounding box information from: since the .csv_.pdf is a .pdf file proper, with * we simply say - read the size from the same file that has matched the declared extension.