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}}