If you are interested in stopgap measures, then stick to HTML 2.0 as this
is available today, and use IMG to inline images for math. There are
several filters which generate html this way, e.g. webmaker from CERN.
In future, you then then switch to an updated filter that generates HTML 3.0.
The design goal for 3.0 to be backwards compatible with 2.0 will protect your
investment in the earlier documents. Another idea is to keep the documents in
their original format so you can rerun the filters to switch from 2.0 to 3.0
versions as and when suitable.
Note that your question confuses FIG with IMG. The latter is for images that
are placed on a baseline as part of a line of text. In contrast figures float
free with text flowing around them. Each figure is anchored in the text and
you can control the horizontal alignment and whitespace margins.
-- Dave Raggett <dsr@w3.org> tel: +44 272 228046 fax: +44 272 228003 Hewlett Packard Laboratories, Filton Road, Bristol BS12 6QZ, United Kingdom