# Unit 5: Slide Preparation (MT144) ## Beamer Class and Frames **Beamer** is a LaTeX class for presentation slides producing PDF output: `\documentclass{beamer}`. - A **frame** is one slide (or a set of overlaid slides): ``` \begin{frame} \frametitle{Title} Content of the slide. \end{frame} ``` - Fragile material (verbatim) needs `\begin{frame}[fragile]`. ## Sectional Units - `\section{...}` and `\subsection{...}` in Beamer do not create text on slides but build the **navigation** and the outline. - `\tableofcontents` on a frame gives an agenda; `\tableofcontents[currentsection]` highlights the current section. - Navigation symbols can be hidden: `\setbeamertemplate{navigation symbols}{}`. ## Presentation Structure and Title Page - Preamble: `\title{}`, `\subtitle{}`, `\author{}`, `\institute{}`, `\date{}`, `\titlegraphic{}`. - Title slide: `\begin{frame} \titlepage \end{frame}` or `\frame{\titlepage}`. - Typical flow: title, outline, introduction, main sections, conclusion, references, "Thank you". ## Appearance and Themes - `\usetheme{Madrid}` (or Berlin, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Boadilla, CambridgeUS ...) sets overall layout. - `\usecolortheme{beaver}` (crane, dolphin, seahorse, whale), `\usefonttheme{serif}`, `\useinnertheme{circles}`, `\useoutertheme{infolines}`. - Aspect ratio: `\documentclass[aspectratio=169]{beamer}`. ## Frame Customisation - Colours and templates: `\setbeamercolor{structure}{fg=blue}`, `\setbeamertemplate{footline}[frame number]`. - Fonts: `\setbeamerfont{title}{size=\large}`. - Background: `\setbeamertemplate{background canvas}{...}`, logo: `\logo{\includegraphics[height=0.8cm]{logo}}`. - Frame options: `[plain]`, `[shrink]`, `[t]`/`[c]` alignment. ## Piece-wise Presentation (Overlays) - **Overlay specifications** `` reveal content step by step: - `\pause` shows content progressively. - `\item<1->` first appears on slide 1 onwards; `\only<2>{}`, `\uncover<3->{}`, `\visible<2->{}`, `\onslide<2->`, `\alert<2>{}`. - `\begin{itemize}[<+->]` uncovers each item in turn. - `\temporal<1>{before}{now}{after}` swaps content. ## Environments in the Beamer Class - Lists: `itemize`, `enumerate`, `description`. - Block environments: `block`, `alertblock`, `exampleblock`. - Theorem-like environments: `theorem`, `lemma`, `definition`, `corollary`, `proof`, `example`. - Others: `columns`, `center`, `verbatim`, `quote`. ``` \begin{block}{Title} Block text. \end{block} ``` ## Tables and Figures - Tables via `tabular` inside a frame; figures with `\includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{fig.png}` (package `graphicx`). - `\begin{figure}` is allowed, but captions are limited; `\caption` works in Beamer. - Overlays can be applied to tables and images with `\only` or `\uncover`. ## Dividing a Frame Column-wise ``` \begin{columns} \column{0.5\textwidth} Left text \column{0.5\textwidth} \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{fig} \end{columns} ``` - Options `[t]`, `[c]`, `[onlytextwidth]` control alignment and width. ## Repeating Slides and Jumping to Other Slides - **Repeating**: `\againframe{label}` re-displays a frame defined with `\begin{frame}[label=name]`; `\againframe<2>{name}` shows only a specific overlay. - **Jumping**: `\hyperlink{target}{\beamerbutton{Go}}`, with `\hypertarget<1>{target}{text}`; `\beamergotobutton`, `\beamerreturnbutton`. - Appendix slides: `\appendix` followed by backup frames. ## Likely Exam Questions 1. What is a frame in Beamer? (2 marks) 2. Name four Beamer themes. (2 marks) 3. Write the code to create a title page and an outline for a presentation. 4. Explain overlay commands such as `\pause`, `\only`, `\uncover`. 5. Explain how a slide can be divided into two columns with text and a figure. 6. How are slides repeated and how is a jump to another slide made?