Vertical timeline with certain pictures at each line

Question

I am preparing some slides in which I used this post. Here it is:

  \documentclass{beamer}
  \usepackage{charter}
  \usepackage{environ}
  \usepackage{tikz}
  \usetikzlibrary{calc,matrix}
  \usepackage{chronology}
  \usetheme{metropolis}   
  \usecolortheme{dolphin}
  \makeatletter
  \let\matamp=&
  \catcode`\&=13
  \def&{%
      \iftikz@is@matrix%
      \pgfmatrixnextcell%
      \else%
      \matamp%
      \fi%
  }
  \makeatother
\newcounter{lines}
  \def\endlr{\stepcounter{lines}\}
\newcounter{vtml}
  \setcounter{vtml}{0}
\newif\ifvtimelinetitle
  \newif\ifvtimebottomline
\tikzset{
 description/.style={column 2/.append style={#1}},
 timeline color/.store in=\vtmlcolor,
 timeline color=red!80!black,
 timeline color st/.style={fill=\vtmlcolor,draw=\vtmlcolor},
 use timeline header/.is if=vtimelinetitle,
 use timeline header=false,
 add bottom line/.is if=vtimebottomline,
 add bottom line=false,
 timeline title/.store in=\vtimelinetitle,
 timeline title={},
 line offset/.store in=\lineoffset,
 line offset=4pt,
 }
\NewEnviron{vtimeline}[1][]{%
\setcounter{lines}{1}%
\stepcounter{vtml}%
\begin{tikzpicture}[column 1/.style={anchor=east},
    column 2/.style={anchor=west},
    text depth=0pt,text height=1ex,
    row sep=1ex,
    column sep=1em,
    #1
    ]
    \matrix(vtimeline\thevtml)[matrix of nodes]{\BODY};
    \pgfmathtruncatemacro\endmtx{\thelines-1}
\path[timeline color st]
($(vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.north east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-1-2.north west)$)--
($(vtimeline\thevtml-\endmtx-1.south east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-\endmtx-2.south west)$);

\foreach \x in {1,...,\endmtx}{
    \node[circle,timeline color st, inner sep=0.15pt, draw=white, thick]
    (vtimeline\thevtml-c-\x) at
    ($(vtimeline\thevtml-\x-1.east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-\x-2.west)$){};
    \draw[timeline color st](vtimeline\thevtml-c-\x.west)--++(-3pt,0);
}

\ifvtimelinetitle%
\draw[timeline color st]([yshift=\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.north west)--
([yshift=\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.north east);

\node[anchor=west,yshift=16pt,font=\large]
at (vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.north west)
{\textsc{Timeline \thevtml}: \textit{\vtimelinetitle}};
\else%
\relax%
\fi%

\ifvtimebottomline%
\draw[timeline color st]([yshift=-\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.south west)--
([yshift=-\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.south east);
\else%
\relax%
\fi%
\end{tikzpicture}
}

\begin{document}
   \begin{frame}
   \begin{vtimeline}[description={text width=8cm},
        row sep=5ex,
        use timeline header,
        timeline title={Historical views}]
        1691 & G. W. Leibniz (1646-1716) imagines a universal and formal language.\endlr
        1879  & G. Frege (1848-1925) publishes a notational system for logic. \endlr
        1893/1903 & Frege publishes a formal language for arithmetic\endlr
        1906-1914 & A. Thue (1863-1922) publishes papers on words and language, introducing       Thue systems.\endlr
        1947 & E. L. Post (897-1954) proves the word problem for semigroups is undecidable, using Thue systems.\endlr
        1956 & N. Chomsky (1928- ) introduces the Chomsky hierarchy of formal languages and grammars.
        \endlr
      \end{vtimeline}

      \end{frame}
      \end{document}

I thought, it would be nice if I could paste a properly scaled picture of the person next to each name or at the end of each event so the audiences can see the persons.

I have in mind something like the following slide where certain pictures are put in corresponding positions. So, I have 5 non-similar pictures:

Thanks for your time!

samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz · Accepted Answer · 2024-02-05T16:52:19.677

Your timeline is essentially a matrix of nodes. This means that each cell already has a name which you can use afterwards to add images etc. The advantage of this approach is that it won't disturb the layout of your timeline:

\documentclass{beamer}
\usepackage{charter}
\usepackage{environ}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc,matrix}
\usepackage{chronology}
\usetheme{moloch}% modern fork of the metropolis theme   
\usecolortheme{dolphin}
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}
\makeatletter
\let\matamp=&
\catcode`\&=13
\def&{%
    \iftikz@is@matrix%
    \pgfmatrixnextcell%
    \else%
    \matamp%
    \fi%
}
\makeatother
\newcounter{lines}
\def\endlr{\stepcounter{lines}\}
\newcounter{vtml}
\setcounter{vtml}{0}
\newif\ifvtimelinetitle
\newif\ifvtimebottomline
\tikzset{
 description/.style={column 2/.append style={#1}},
 timeline color/.store in=\vtmlcolor,
 timeline color=red!80!black,
 timeline color st/.style={fill=\vtmlcolor,draw=\vtmlcolor},
 use timeline header/.is if=vtimelinetitle,
 use timeline header=false,
 add bottom line/.is if=vtimebottomline,
 add bottom line=false,
 timeline title/.store in=\vtimelinetitle,
 timeline title={},
 line offset/.store in=\lineoffset,
 line offset=4pt,
 }
\NewEnviron{vtimeline}[1][]{%
\setcounter{lines}{1}%
\stepcounter{vtml}%
\begin{tikzpicture}[
    remember picture,
    column 1/.style={anchor=east},
    column 2/.style={anchor=west},
    text depth=0pt,text height=1ex,
    row sep=1ex,
    column sep=1em,
    #1
    ]
    \matrix(vtimeline\thevtml)[matrix of nodes]{\BODY};
    \pgfmathtruncatemacro\endmtx{\thelines-1}
\path[timeline color st]
($(vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.north east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-1-2.north west)$)--
($(vtimeline\thevtml-\endmtx-1.south east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-\endmtx-2.south west)$);

\foreach \x in {1,...,\endmtx}{
    \node[circle,timeline color st, inner sep=0.15pt, draw=white, thick]
    (vtimeline\thevtml-c-\x) at
    ($(vtimeline\thevtml-\x-1.east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-\x-2.west)$){};
    \draw[timeline color st](vtimeline\thevtml-c-\x.west)--++(-3pt,0);
}

\ifvtimelinetitle%
\draw[timeline color st]([yshift=\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.north west)--
([yshift=\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.north east);

\node[anchor=west,yshift=16pt,font=\large]
at (vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.north west)
{\textsc{Timeline \thevtml}: \textit{\vtimelinetitle}};
\else%
\relax%
\fi%

\ifvtimebottomline%
\draw[timeline color st]([yshift=-\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.south west)--
([yshift=-\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.south east);
\else%
\relax%
\fi%
\end{tikzpicture}
}

\begin{document}
   \begin{frame}
   \begin{vtimeline}[description={text width=8.5cm},
        row sep=5ex,
        use timeline header,
        timeline title={Historical views}]
        1691 & G. W. Leibniz (1646-1716) imagines a universal and formal language.\endlr
         1879  & G. Frege (1848-1925) publishes a notational system for logic. \endlr
        1893/1903 & Frege publishes a formal language for arithmetic\endlr
        1906-1914 & A. Thue (1863-1922) publishes papers on words and language, introducing       Thue systems.\endlr
        1947 & E. L. Post (897-1954) proves the word problem for semigroups is undecidable, using Thue systems.\endlr
        1956 & N. Chomsky (1928- ) introduces the Chomsky hierarchy of formal languages and grammars.
        \endlr
      \end{vtimeline}

      \begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture,overlay]
        \node[left] at (vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.west) {\includegraphics[height=0.5cm]{example-image-duck}};
        \node[left] at (vtimeline\thevtml-3-1.west) {\includegraphics[height=0.5cm]{example-grid-100x100bp}};
      \end{tikzpicture}
      \end{frame}
      \end{document}

Thanks for the time. many thanks indeed. nothing left to be asked. :) — Mikasa, Jul 03 '23 at 14:10

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 03 '23 at 13:49

Something like this?

Basic code can be:

\documentclass{beamer}
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}    % <--- added
\usepackage{charter}
\usepackage{environ}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc,matrix}
\usepackage{chronology}
\usetheme{metropolis}
\usecolortheme{dolphin}
\makeatletter
\let\matamp=&
\catcode`\&=13
\def&{%
\iftikz@is@matrix%
\pgfmatrixnextcell%
\else%
\matamp%
\fi%
}
\makeatother
\newcounter{lines}
\def\endlr{\stepcounter{lines}\}
\newcounter{vtml}
\setcounter{vtml}{0}
\newif\ifvtimelinetitle
\newif\ifvtimebottomline
\tikzset{
description/.style={column 2/.append style={#1}},
timeline color/.store in=\vtmlcolor,
timeline color=red!80!black,
timeline color st/.style={fill=\vtmlcolor,draw=\vtmlcolor},
use timeline header/.is if=vtimelinetitle,
use timeline header=false,
add bottom line/.is if=vtimebottomline,
add bottom line=false,
timeline title/.store in=\vtimelinetitle,
timeline title={},
line offset/.store in=\lineoffset,
line offset=4pt,
}
\NewEnviron{vtimeline}[1][]{%
\setcounter{lines}{1}%
\stepcounter{vtml}%
\begin{tikzpicture}[column 1/.style={anchor=east},
column 2/.style={anchor=west, font=\linespread{0.92}\selectfont},
text depth=0pt,text height=1ex,
row sep=1ex,
column sep=1em,
#1
]
\matrix(vtimeline\thevtml)[matrix of nodes]{\BODY};
\pgfmathtruncatemacro\endmtx{\thelines-1}
\path[timeline color st]
($(vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.north east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-1-2.north west)$)--
($(vtimeline\thevtml-\endmtx-1.south east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-\endmtx-2.south west)$);
\foreach \x in {1,...,\endmtx}{
\node[circle,timeline color st, inner sep=0.15pt, draw=white, thick]
(vtimeline\thevtml-c-\x) at
($(vtimeline\thevtml-\x-1.east)!0.5!(vtimeline\thevtml-\x-2.west)$){};
\drawtimeline color st--++(-3pt,0);
}
\ifvtimelinetitle%
\draw[timeline color st]([yshift=\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.north west)--
([yshift=\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.north east);
\node[anchor=west,yshift=16pt,font=\large]
at (vtimeline\thevtml-1-1.north west)
{\textsc{Timeline \thevtml}: \textit{\vtimelinetitle}};
\else%
\relax%
\fi%
\ifvtimebottomline%
\draw[timeline color st]([yshift=-\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.south west)--
([yshift=-\lineoffset]vtimeline\thevtml.south east);
\else%
\relax%
\fi%
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\newcommand{\image}[1]{\includegraphics[valign=t]{#1}\ }        % <---
\begin{document}
\begin{frame}
\setkeys{Gin}{width=7.5mm, height=10mm}
\hspace*{-2em}\begin{vtimeline}[description={text width=85mm},   % <---
                                row sep=5ex,
                                use timeline header,
                                timeline title={Historical views}
                                ]
\image{example-image-duck}                                          % <---
    1691 & G. W. Leibniz (1646-1716) imagines a universal and formal language.\endlr
\image{example-image-duck}
    1879  & G. Frege (1848-1925) publishes a notational system for logic. \endlr
    1893/1903 & Frege publishes a formal language for arithmetic\endlr
\image{example-image-duck}
    1906-1914 & A. Thue (1863-1922) publishes papers on words and language, introducing       Thue systems.\endlr
\image{example-image-duck}
    1947 & E. L. Post (897-1954) proves the word problem for semigroups is undecidable, using Thue systems.\endlr
\image{example-image-duck}
    1956 & N. Chomsky (1928- ) introduces the Chomsky hierarchy of formal languages and grammars.
\endlr
    \end{vtimeline}
\end{frame}
\end{document}

In above MWE are changes marked by % <---. For your real images you need to use in \image command names of person images files.

Thanks many times. You are indeed a Latex wizard. :) – Mikasa Jul 03 '23 at 14:09 — Mikasa, Jul 03 '23 at 14:09

Vertical timeline with certain pictures at each line

2 Answers2