[vitorsr]

It is not my intention to overstep what you seem to be very engrossed in but have you tried LuaLaTeX? You can have Lua code that generates valid LaTeX and LaTeX macros that execute Lua code (see [1]). LuaLaTeX also supports TTF and OTF formats which plays well with other publishing software.

In relation to formatting, I cannot tell what could be the issue but this does not correspond to mine and others' experiences.

Typically you would typeset the book with the generally intended text areas with LaTeX, and then generate the preprint with previously not included graphical elements and fine-tuned text layouts with Adobe InDesign. This is what publishers typically do, again, from mine and others' experiences.

[1] http://mirrors.ctan.org/info/luatex/lualatex-doc/lualatex-do...

[Ghast]

I've heard of it, but never seen anything that suits my exact needs. If it solves image float problems, it'll be worth it.