Patch wrapfig to work with lines instead of paragraphs

Question

I think I have an idea how to alleviate some of the following problem:

Two floating wrapfigures in a row

but I'm not sure how to implement it. A significant part of the floating issue seems to be related to the insistence of putting the wrapfig in the beginning of a paragraph. How do I relax this restriction?

For example, I put a wrapfig before a paragraph that has a pagebreak in the middle. The wrapfig would float to the next paragraph (which, e.g., may be too small--before the section ends--or used by another wrapfig), ignoring the current paragraph completely. However, if I break the paragraph into a line-size, small paragraphs, then wrap fig would start at the first chance it gets. Instead of splitting into small paragraphs (or manually position wrapfig within a paragraph every time the document changes), I'd like to lift the paragraph restriction.

---

EDIT

The comments below made me wonder:

Low-level latex--does it need a makeover?

Answer 1

You might find this interesting. It was an attempt to apply \parshape to multiple paragraphs and equations.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{mwe}
\usepackage{showframe}
\tracingmacros=1
% global varaibles
\newtoks\MSeverypar
\newcounter{MScount}
\newcounter{MSlines}
\newlength{\MSleft}
\newlength{\MSright}
\newlength{\MSvert}
\newsavebox{\MSbox}
\newif{\ifMSdone}
\newif{\ifMSnext}
\newcommand{\MSparshape}{}% reserve global name
\newcommand{\MSnextshape}{}% reserve gloval name
\newenvironment{minishape}[1]% #1 = shape blocks (left,right,vert)
 {\MSeverypar=\expandafter{\the\everypar}
  \def\END{\END}% token only. Do not expand!
  \setcounter{MScount}{0}%
  \xdef\MSlastleft{0pt}%
  \xdef\MSlastright{0pt}%
  \MSparse#1\empty\END% save instructions as macros
  \edef\MStotal{\theMScount}%
  \setcounter{MScount}{0}%
  \MSnext
  \everypar{\MSparagraph}}{}
\def\MSparse#1(#2,#3,#4)#5\END{% #1=throwaway #2=left, #3=right, #4=vert, #5=next
  \ifx!#4\relax
    \xdef\MSlastleft{#2}%
    \xdef\MSlastright{#3}%b
  \else
    \stepcounter{MScount}%
    \expandafter\xdef\csname MSleft\theMScount\endcsname{#2}%
    \expandafter\xdef\csname MSright\theMScount\endcsname{#3}%
    \expandafter\xdef\csname MSvert\theMScount\endcsname{#4}%
  \fi
  \ifx\empty#5\relax\else\expandafter\MSparse#5\END\fi}
\newcommand{\MSmerge}[2]{\edef\MSshape{#1 #2}}
\long\def\MSparagraph#1\par{% \everypar#2)
  \setcounter{MSlines}{1}%
  \global\let\MSparshape=\MSnextshape
  \MSdonefalse
  \loop
    \MSmakebox{#1}%
    \MSsplitbox
  \ifMSdone\else\repeat
  \global\advance\MSvert by -\parskip
  \ifnum\value{MScount}>\MStotal\relax
    \stepcounter{MSlines}%
    \MSmerge{\MSparshape}{\MSnextshape}%
    \global\let\MSparshape=\MSshape
  \fi
  \MSmerge{\theMSlines}{\MSparshape}%
  \parshape=\MSshape #1\par}
\newcommand{\MSmakebox}[1]% #1 = paragraph
{\bgroup
  \clubpenalty=0
  \widowpenalty=0
  \displaywidowpenalty=0
  \predisplaypenalty=0
  \postdisplaypenalty=0
  \interlinepenalty=0
  \everypar=\expandafter{\the\MSeverypar}
  \MSmerge{\theMSlines}{\MSparshape}%
  \global\setbox\MSbox=\vbox{\parshape=\MSshape \strut#1\strut}%
\egroup}
\newcommand{\MSsplitbox}% extend \MSparshape
{\bgroup% local varaibles and loops
  \countdef\count=1
  \dimendef\delta=0
  \dimendef\test=1
  \count=1
  \loop\ifnum\count<\value{MSlines}%
    \advance\count by 1
    \global\setbox0=\vsplit\MSbox to \baselineskip%
  \repeat
  \MSnextfalse
  \loop
    \delta=\ht\MSbox
    \advance\delta by \dp\MSbox
    \ifdim\delta>0pt\relax
      \global\setbox0=\vsplit\MSbox to \baselineskip%
      \advance\delta by -\ht\MSbox
      \advance\delta by -\dp\MSbox
      \ifdim\delta>\MSvert
        \count=\value{MScount}%
        \ifnum\count<\MStotal\relax
          \advance\count by 1
          \ifdim\MSleft<\csname MSleft\the\count\endcsname\relax \MSnext
          \else
            \ifdim\MSright<\csname MSright\the\count\endcsname\relax \MSnext\fi
          \fi
        \fi
      \fi
      \stepcounter{MSlines}% global
      \MSmerge{\MSparshape}{\MSnextshape}%
      \global\let\MSparshape=\MSshape
      \global\advance\MSvert by -\delta
      \ifdim\MSvert>0pt\relax\else\MSnext\fi
    \else
      \global\MSdonetrue
      \MSnexttrue
    \fi
  \ifMSnext\else\repeat
\egroup}
\newcommand{\MSnext}{% at end of block
  \MSnexttrue
  \ifnum\value{MScount}<\MStotal\relax
    \stepcounter{MScount}%
    \global\advance\MSvert by \csname MSvert\theMScount\endcsname\relax%
    \global\MSleft=\csname MSleft\theMScount\endcsname%
    \global\MSright=\csname MSright\theMScount\endcsname%
  \else
    \stepcounter{MScount}%
    \global\MSdonetrue
    \global\MSleft=\MSlastleft\relax
    \global\MSright=\MSlastright\relax
  \fi
  \MSmerge{\the\MSleft}{\the\dimexpr\linewidth-\MSleft-\MSright}%
  \global\let\MSnextshape=\MSshape
}
\begin{document}
\begin{minishape}{(.25in,.25in,1in) (.5in,.5in,1.5in)}
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit,
vestibulum ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida
mauris. Nam arcu libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna.
Donec vehicula augue eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus
et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra
metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus
eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium
quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean
faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu, pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. 
Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget risus. Duis nibh mi, congue
eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget orci sit amet orci dignissim
rutrum.
Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi. Morbi
auctor lorem non justo. Nam lacus libero, pretium at, lobortis vitae, ultricies et,
tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet magna,
vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis. Suspendisse
ut massa. Cras nec ante. Pellentesque a nulla. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et
magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Aliquam tincidunt urna.
Nulla ullamcorper vestibulum turpis. Pellentesque cursus luctus mauris.
\end{minishape}
\end{document}