beamer: Block Environment in Combination With Column Environment

Question

I want to use the block environment together with the column environment in a beamer document.

The margin/spacing is getting wrong/ugly in this combination. I want that the blocks are exactly as wide as a normal text would occupy (so that the text margins are still correct).

\documentclass{beamer}

\setbeamersize{text margin left=5mm}
\setbeamersize{text margin right=5mm}

\setbeamercolor{block title}{fg=white,bg=red}
\setbeamercolor{block body}{fg=black,bg=gray}
\setbeamercolor{background canvas}{bg=yellow}

\begin{document}

% Frame 1 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{No Column Environment}
    \begin{block}{Block Title}
    Block Text.
    \end{block}
\end{frame}

% Frame 2 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Column Environment -- Only Left Block Environment}

\begin{columns}
    \column{.50\textwidth}
        \begin{block}{Block Title}
        Block Text.
        \end{block}
    \column{.50\textwidth}
        \color{blue}\vrule width\textwidth height\textwidth
\end{columns}
\end{frame}

% Frame 3 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Column Environment -- Left and Right Block Environment}

\begin{columns}
    \column{.50\textwidth}
        \begin{block}{Block Title}
        Block Text.
        \end{block}
    \column{.50\textwidth} 
        \begin{block}{Block Title}
        Block Text.
        \end{block} 
\end{columns}
\end{frame}

% Frame 4 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Column Environment Only}

\begin{columns}
    \column{.50\textwidth}
        \color{blue}\vrule width\textwidth height\textwidth
    \column{.50\textwidth}
        \color{blue}\vrule width\textwidth height\textwidth
\end{columns}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

The reason for the yellow background is, so that it is clear where the page has its borders.

Trying the idea from samcarter in one of the comments leads to.

\begin{frame}
    \begin{columns}[onlytextwidth] 
        \begin{column}{.45\textwidth} 
        \begin{block}{Block Title} Block Text. 
        \end{block}%
        \end{column} \hfill%
        \begin{column}{.45\textwidth} 
        \begin{block}{Block Title} Block Text. 
        \end{block} 
        \end{column} 
    \end{columns}
    \begin{block}{Block Title}
    Block Text.
    \end{block}
\end{frame}

Bug?! I Opened an Issue on GitHub

I opened an issue on github: https://github.com/josephwright/beamer/issues/381
Update [2020-02-17]: The issue was closed on 22 Aug 2017 :).

Similar or Duplicate or Related

DG' · Answer 1 · 2017-03-02T20:11:17.243

5

Setting the width of the columns environment to fixed value will solve your issue. You can do so i.e. using the option [onlytextwidth]:

\documentclass{beamer}

\setbeamersize{text margin left=5mm}
\setbeamersize{text margin right=5mm}

\setbeamercolor{block title}{fg=white,bg=red}
\setbeamercolor{block body}{fg=black,bg=gray}
\setbeamercolor{background canvas}{bg=yellow}

\begin{document}

% Frame 1 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{No Column Environment}
    \begin{block}{Block Title}
    Block Text.
    \end{block}
\end{frame}

% Frame 2 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Column Environment -- Only Left Block Environment}

\begin{columns}[onlytextwidth]
    \column{.47\textwidth}
        \begin{block}{Block Title}
        Block Text.
        \end{block}
    \column{.47\textwidth}
        Right Column Text.
\end{columns}
\end{frame}

% Frame 3 -----------------------
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Column Environment -- Left and Right Block Environment}

\begin{columns}[onlytextwidth]
    \column{.47\textwidth}
        \begin{block}{Block Title}
        Block Text.
        \end{block}
    \column{.47\textwidth}
        \begin{block}{Block Title}
        Block Text.
        \end{block}
\end{columns}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

(You have to do some fine tuning of the widths of the actual columns)

edited Mar 02 '17 at 20:11

answered Mar 02 '17 at 20:03

DG'

21,727

Thanks. I was hoping that I do not have to do fine tuning. The right border is still "dancing". – Dr. Manuel Kuehner Mar 02 '17 at 20:21
Well, I set the column width to .47\textwidth so that there is a gap. Maybe the manual will help you figure out the correct (not ad hock dreamt up) values . . . – DG' Mar 02 '17 at 20:26
1

the boarder problem with onlyextwidth is an old problem of the rectangular blocks, does not happen with rounded blocks. I think we already had this questions somewhere... I'm going to search – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 02 '17 at 20:34
@samcarter Thanks for the info. I tried to search the problem before -- if you find the answer/question that you mention, then please let me know – Dr. Manuel Kuehner Mar 02 '17 at 20:36
@Dr.ManuelKuehner My first answer ever on this site: http://tex.stackexchange.com/a/131881/36296, see especially my third approach. – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 02 '17 at 20:41
@samcarter I tried the code in the comment -- see updated answer. Still not a good solution -- assuming I did it right. – Dr. Manuel Kuehner Mar 02 '17 at 20:43
@samcarter you are right: with rounded blocks (i.e. \setbeamertemplate{blocks}[rounded][shadow=false]) it doesn't jump. – DG' Mar 02 '17 at 20:45
@Dr.ManuelKuehner Sorry for the confusion with the comment, still had the rounded them in my code from testing...have deleted it now. But the redefinition from the linked answer should work – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 02 '17 at 20:46
@samcarter Could this be considered a bug in beamer? – Dr. Manuel Kuehner Mar 02 '17 at 20:48
@Dr.ManuelKuehner Ask the maintainer. – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 02 '17 at 20:50
@Dr.ManuelKuehner: Is your original question a duplicate of http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/131879/beamer-default-blocks-in-and-out-the-columns-environment or not? Looks a lot like it to me. – DG' Mar 02 '17 at 20:54
@DG' Looks pretty similar -- thanks for pointing ist out. I just opened a issue on GitHub. I'll wait if there is a response. If not then I will delete my question if the community thinks so. – Dr. Manuel Kuehner Mar 02 '17 at 20:58
@DG' Sorry for chatting in your comments, you must have had a ton of pings :) – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 02 '17 at 20:58
2

@Dr.ManuelKuehner no need to delete anything – DG' Mar 02 '17 at 21:02

beamer: Block Environment in Combination With Column Environment

Bug?! I Opened an Issue on GitHub

Similar or Duplicate or Related

1 Answers1