PDF Export Functionality

The gallery now includes the ability to export multiple plots to a merged PDF with grid layout.

Features

Select up to 4 plots from any gallery page
Automatic grid layout (1x1, 1x2, 2x2)
Export to PDF with proper scaling
Keyboard shortcuts for easy access

Usage

Selecting Plots

Press Ctrl+E to enter selection mode
Click on up to 4 plot thumbnails to select them
Selected plots will show a checkmark overlay
A counter shows how many plots are selected (e.g., "2/4 selected")

Exporting

After selecting plots, click the 📄 export button (appears in floating buttons)
The system will show export instructions with:
- JSON data for the export request
- Command to run the export script
Copy the JSON data and save it as export_request.json
Run the export command in your terminal

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl+E: Toggle selection mode
Escape: Clear all selections and exit selection mode

Export Methods

The system supports two PDF merging methods:

Method 1: pdfjam (Recommended)

# Install on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install texlive-extra-utils

# Check if available
python export_plots.py --check-deps

Method 2: Python libraries

# Install Python dependencies
pip install PyPDF2 reportlab

# Check if available
python export_plots.py --check-deps

Export Script Usage

# Basic usage
python export_plots.py export_request.json

# Specify output file
python export_plots.py export_request.json --output my_plots.pdf

# Check available dependencies
python export_plots.py --check-deps

JSON Request Format

{
  "plots": [
    "/path/to/plot1.pdf",
    "/path/to/plot2.pdf"
  ],
  "layout": {
    "rows": 1,
    "cols": 2
  },
  "output_name": "merged_plots.pdf"
}

Layout Options

1 plot: 1x1 grid
2 plots: 1x2 grid (horizontal)
3 plots: 2x2 grid (one empty slot)
4 plots: 2x2 grid (full)

Technical Details

The export functionality consists of:

Frontend: JavaScript selection UI and export manager
Backend: Python script for PDF merging
CSS: Styling for selection mode and overlays

The system is designed to work without requiring a web server, using file-based communication between the browser and Python script.

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