Multicolumn with textbox and newlines and images in a document

Question

I'm trying to make a document with images on left, center, or right with text bubbles and a hand pointing to those images. I use lualatex since I'll have complex characters like devanagari. I'm attaching an image of nearly what I want. Note that the hand from the bubble must have an angle so that it points to the image. I guess I will have to manually give the angle. Among the graphics I have at hand the images, for the text boxes I will use \tcolorbox but for the hands with adjustable angle I'm expecting ideas here.

Here is the starting point, but here there is no output for the complex font I used, and even for \tcbox{he's a boy} the output is an empty box:

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\graphicspath{ {./} {../../items/} }
\usepackage[margin=2cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{tcolorbox}
%\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{fontspec} 
\usepackage{polyglossia}
%\babelprovide[maparabic,import,main]{hindi}
%\babelprovide[onchar=ids fonts]{english}
%\babelfont{sf}{Nakula}
%\babelfont[english]{sf}{Noto Sans}
%\defaultfontfeatures{Renderer=Harfbuzz}
\setdefaultlanguage{sanskrit}
\setotherlanguages{english}
\setmainfont{chandas}
\newfontfamily\eng[Script=Latin]{Noto Serif}
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}
\usepackage{booktabs, tabularx}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{centering\arraybackslash}X}
\begin{document}
  \begin{center} \huge
  संस्कृतम् - english \
  \end{center}
  \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{llXr}
  \includegraphics[height=4cm]{boy1} &
  \tcbox{this is a boy \ एषः बालकः}
  & &
  \includegraphics[height=4cm]{boy2}
  \ &
  \tcbox{ he's a boy \ सः बालकः}
  \end{tabularx}
\end{document}

Do you already have the graphics for the hands at hand, or would you need them as well? — TobiBS, Jan 15 '22 at 11:49

TobiBS · Answer 1 · 2022-01-16T20:17:00.877

A not so nice approach, because everything is manual and no styles are used, but you probably get the idea:

\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikzpeople,dingbat}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \node at (0,0) {};
    \nodebob,shirt=blue,minimum size=1.5cm at (0,0) {};
    \nodebob,shirt=yellow,minimum size=1.5cm at (10,0) {};
\node[anchor=north west,text width=1.5cm,draw,rounded corners=0.5cm,inner sep=0.3cm,outer sep=0.3cm](this) at (bob1.south east) {This is a boy!};
\node[anchor=south east,rotate=-45,inner sep=0pt,outer sep=0pt,xshift=0.75cm,yshift=-0.2cm] at (this.north west) {\rightpointleft};

\node[anchor=north,text width=1.5cm,draw,rounded corners=0.5cm,inner sep=0.3cm,outer sep=0.3cm](hes) at (this.south) {He's a boy!!};
\node[anchor=south east,rotate=35,inner sep=0pt,outer sep=0pt,xshift=-0.1cm,yshift=-0.4cm] at (hes.north east) {\leftpointright};

\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Update

Here is an approach coupled with the rectangle with rounded corners shape created in https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/68568/156791 which places the hand correctly and rotates it in the same angle (theoratically, you could also rotate it differently)

\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikzpeople,dingbat}
\makeatletter
\pgfkeys{/pgf/.cd,
    rectangle corner radius/.initial=3pt
}
\newif\ifpgf@rectanglewrc@donecorner@
\def\pgf@rectanglewithroundedcorners@docorner#1#2#3#4{%
    \edef\pgf@marshal{%
        \noexpand\pgfintersectionofpaths
        {%
            \noexpand\pgfpathmoveto{\noexpand\pgfpoint{\the\pgf@xa}{\the\pgf@ya}}%
            \noexpand\pgfpathlineto{\noexpand\pgfpoint{\the\pgf@x}{\the\pgf@y}}%
        }%
        {%
            \noexpand\pgfpathmoveto{\noexpand\pgfpointadd
                {\noexpand\pgfpoint{\the\pgf@xc}{\the\pgf@yc}}%
                {\noexpand\pgfpoint{#1}{#2}}}%
            \noexpand\pgfpatharc{#3}{#4}{\cornerradius}%
        }%
    }%
    \pgf@process{\pgf@marshal\pgfpointintersectionsolution{1}}%
    \pgf@process{\pgftransforminvert\pgfpointtransformed{}}%
    \pgf@rectanglewrc@donecorner@true
}
\pgfdeclareshape{rectangle with rounded corners}
{
    \inheritsavedanchors[from=rectangle] % this is nearly a rectangle
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{north}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{north west}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{north east}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{center}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{west}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{east}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{mid}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{mid west}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{mid east}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{base}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{base west}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{base east}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{south}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{south west}
    \inheritanchor[from=rectangle]{south east}
\savedmacro\cornerradius{%
    \edef\cornerradius{\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/rectangle corner radius}}%
}

\backgroundpath{%
    \northeast\advance\pgf@y-\cornerradius\relax
    \pgfpathmoveto{}%
    \pgfpatharc{0}{90}{\cornerradius}%
    \northeast\pgf@ya=\pgf@y\southwest\advance\pgf@x\cornerradius\relax\pgf@y=\pgf@ya
    \pgfpathlineto{}%
    \pgfpatharc{90}{180}{\cornerradius}%
    \southwest\advance\pgf@y\cornerradius\relax
    \pgfpathlineto{}%
    \pgfpatharc{180}{270}{\cornerradius}%
    \northeast\pgf@xa=\pgf@x\advance\pgf@xa-\cornerradius\southwest\pgf@x=\pgf@xa
    \pgfpathlineto{}%
    \pgfpatharc{270}{360}{\cornerradius}%
    \northeast\advance\pgf@y-\cornerradius\relax
    \pgfpathlineto{}%
}

\anchor{before north east}{\northeast\advance\pgf@y-\cornerradius}
\anchor{after north east}{\northeast\advance\pgf@x-\cornerradius}
\anchor{before north west}{\southwest\pgf@xa=\pgf@x\advance\pgf@xa\cornerradius
    \northeast\pgf@x=\pgf@xa}
\anchor{after north west}{\northeast\pgf@ya=\pgf@y\advance\pgf@ya-\cornerradius
    \southwest\pgf@y=\pgf@ya}
\anchor{before south west}{\southwest\advance\pgf@y\cornerradius}
\anchor{after south west}{\southwest\advance\pgf@x\cornerradius}
\anchor{before south east}{\northeast\pgf@xa=\pgf@x\advance\pgf@xa-\cornerradius
    \southwest\pgf@x=\pgf@xa}
\anchor{after south east}{\southwest\pgf@ya=\pgf@y\advance\pgf@ya\cornerradius
    \northeast\pgf@y=\pgf@ya}

\anchorborder{%
    \pgf@xb=\pgf@x% xb/yb is target
    \pgf@yb=\pgf@y%
    \southwest%
    \pgf@xa=\pgf@x% xa/ya is se
    \pgf@ya=\pgf@y%
    \northeast%
    \advance\pgf@x by-\pgf@xa%
    \advance\pgf@y by-\pgf@ya%
    \pgf@xc=.5\pgf@x% x/y is half width/height
    \pgf@yc=.5\pgf@y%
    \advance\pgf@xa by\pgf@xc% xa/ya becomes center
    \advance\pgf@ya by\pgf@yc%
    \edef\pgf@marshal{%
        \noexpand\pgfpointborderrectangle
        {\noexpand\pgfqpoint{\the\pgf@xb}{\the\pgf@yb}}
        {\noexpand\pgfqpoint{\the\pgf@xc}{\the\pgf@yc}}%
    }%
    \pgf@process{\pgf@marshal}%
    \advance\pgf@x by\pgf@xa% 
    \advance\pgf@y by\pgf@ya%
    \pgfextract@process\borderpoint{}%
    %
    \pgf@rectanglewrc@donecorner@false
    %
    % do southwest corner
    \southwest\pgf@xc=\pgf@x\pgf@yc=\pgf@y
    \advance\pgf@xc\cornerradius\relax\advance\pgf@yc\cornerradius\relax 
    \borderpoint
    \ifdim\pgf@x&lt;\pgf@xc\relax\ifdim\pgf@y&lt;\pgf@yc\relax
    \pgf@rectanglewithroundedcorners@docorner{-\cornerradius}{0pt}{180}{270}%
    \fi\fi
    %
    % do southeast corner
    \ifpgf@rectanglewrc@donecorner@\else
    \southwest\pgf@yc=\pgf@y\relax\northeast\pgf@xc=\pgf@x\relax
    \advance\pgf@xc-\cornerradius\relax\advance\pgf@yc\cornerradius\relax
    \borderpoint
    \ifdim\pgf@x&gt;\pgf@xc\relax\ifdim\pgf@y&lt;\pgf@yc\relax
    \pgf@rectanglewithroundedcorners@docorner{0pt}{-\cornerradius}{270}{360}%
    \fi\fi
    \fi
    %
    % do northeast corner
    \ifpgf@rectanglewrc@donecorner@\else
    \northeast\pgf@xc=\pgf@x\relax\pgf@yc=\pgf@y\relax
    \advance\pgf@xc-\cornerradius\relax\advance\pgf@yc-\cornerradius\relax
    \borderpoint
    \ifdim\pgf@x&gt;\pgf@xc\relax\ifdim\pgf@y&gt;\pgf@yc\relax
    \pgf@rectanglewithroundedcorners@docorner{\cornerradius}{0pt}{0}{90}%
    \fi\fi
    \fi
    %
    % do northwest corner
    \ifpgf@rectanglewrc@donecorner@\else
    \northeast\pgf@yc=\pgf@y\relax\southwest\pgf@xc=\pgf@x\relax
    \advance\pgf@xc\cornerradius\relax\advance\pgf@yc-\cornerradius\relax
    \borderpoint
    \ifdim\pgf@x&lt;\pgf@xc\relax\ifdim\pgf@y&gt;\pgf@yc\relax
    \pgf@rectanglewithroundedcorners@docorner{0pt}{\cornerradius}{90}{180}%
    \fi\fi
    \fi
}

}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
    \tikzset{textbox/.style={text width=1.5cm,rectangle with rounded corners,draw,rectangle corner radius=10pt,align=center,outer sep=0pt}}
    \tikzset{finger_right/.style={anchor=west,inner sep=0pt,outer sep=0pt}}
\newcommand{\rightfinger}[1]{\node[finger_right,rotate=#1] at (hes.#1) {\hspace{-0.2em}\raisebox{-2ex}{\leftpointright}};}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \node at (0,0) {};
    \node[bob,shirt=blue,minimum size=1.5cm](bob1) at (0,0) {};
    \node[bob,shirt=yellow,minimum size=1.5cm](bob2) at (10,0) {};

    \node[anchor=north west,text width=1.5cm,draw,rounded corners=0.5cm,inner sep=0.3cm,outer sep=0.3cm](this) at (bob1.south east) {This is a boy!};
    \node[anchor=south east,rotate=-45,inner sep=0pt,outer sep=0pt,xshift=0.75cm,yshift=-0.2cm] at (this.north west) {\rightpointleft};

    \node[anchor=north,textbox,yshift=-0.5cm](hes) at (this.south) {He's a boy!};
    \rightfinger{90}
    \rightfinger{45}
    \rightfinger{25}
    \rightfinger{0}
    \rightfinger{-15}
    \rightfinger{-30}
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

The problem however: On a circle the rotation for the finger as well as the angle-anchor on the boundary would match. The problem with a rounded rectangle however is, that this does not work, so what exactly would you like your graphic look like in those cases?

The hand can only be of this shape? nice "tikzpeople", didn't know about that. — user1850133, Jan 15 '22 at 12:55
@user1850133 At the command line, enter albatross ☛ to see the fonts on yout system which supply Unicode’s black right pointing index. (Unicode also has white and left-, up-, and down-pointing fingers.) If you want something fancier, there are fonts composed entirely of manicules, as you can see in Luc Devroye’s discussion. — Thérèse, Jan 15 '22 at 16:40
it looks interesting, but seems not included in texlive. I'm using hands in different shapes to show distance. The ideal is an additional character with one hand folded pointing at someone close, and the other hand with straight arm pointing as someone far. But couldn´t find such character images. — user1850133, Jan 15 '22 at 17:02
@user1850133 well with dingbats it can only be of this shape, but this is why I asked if you already have suitable vector graphic hands, then you can write a simple ˋˋˋ\includegraphicsˋˋˋ to load them. — TobiBS, Jan 15 '22 at 22:21
yes i have some vector images, but is there a way to include them in the document without having to specify the coordinates? I should only specify the angle and lualatex has to attach it to the frame of the textbox. — user1850133, Jan 16 '22 at 03:24

Multicolumn with textbox and newlines and images in a document

1 Answers1

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