Adding a dashed vertical line between subfigures and their subcaptions

Question

Similar to this: How to set color dashed vertical rule between images

I want to place a dashed line between two subfigures. I have been able to get it working with a \vrule, but anything I do with the dashed lines stops at the base of the figures rather than extending through the subcaptions. I am using the subcaption package for the figures.

Here is the code so far:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{subcaption,graphicx}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage[multidot]{grffile}
\usepackage{calc}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
    \centering
    \subcaptionbox{This is the first subcaption
        \label{fig:solid1}}
    {\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{example-image-a}}
    \hspace{2pt}
    \unskip\vrule
    \hspace{2pt}
    \subcaptionbox{Get your second subcaptions here
        \label{fig:solid2}}
    {\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{example-image-a}}
    \caption{This separator has the right height, but isn't dashed.}
    \label{fig:solid}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
    \centering
    \def\testBox{\subcaptionbox{This is the first subcaption
            \label{fig:dash1}}
        {\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{example-image-b}}}
    \newlength\figHeight
    \setlength\figHeight{\heightof{\testBox}}
    \testBox
    \hspace{3pt}
    \tikz{\drawdensely dashed, thick -- (0,0);}
    \hspace{1pt}
    \subcaptionbox{Get your second subcaptions here
        \label{fig:dash2}}
    {\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{example-image-b}}
    \caption{This separator is dashed, but is too short.}
    \label{fig:dashes}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

Also, why do I need to have different \hspace distances to center the dashed line?

Why not use a light-coloured \vrule instead of a solid, dashed rule? — Werner, Oct 18 '23 at 01:06
Welcome! Please edit your code to make it something we can compile to reproduce the problem. — cfr, Oct 18 '23 at 02:05

Simon Dispa · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-18T22:32:39.490

Use the nicematrix package to encapsulate the subtitle boxes in tabular form, and then use the \Block command to draw the dashed rule.

\Block[borders={right,tikz=dashed}]{1-1}{} will draw the dashed rule only on the right side of the first node.

Requires the Tikz package to be loaded. I will compile it twice.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{subcaption,graphicx}
\usepackage{tikz}%<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
\usepackage{nicematrix}%<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
    \centering 
    \begin{NiceTabular}{cc}
        \Block[borders={right,tikz={densely dashed, thick}}]{1-1}{}%draw the dashed rule only on the right side of the first node
        \subcaptionbox{This is the first subcaption \label{fig:solid1}} {\includegraphics[width=0.25\linewidth]{example-image-b}}&
        \subcaptionbox{Get your second subcaptions here \label{fig:solid2}}{\includegraphics[width=0.25\linewidth]{example-image-b}}
    \end{NiceTabular}

\end{figure}
\end{document}

Thank you! This works great and is much simpler than trying to capture and measure components. — Popyd10, Oct 18 '23 at 22:05

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 19 '23 at 08:32

You can use arydshln

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{subcaption,graphicx}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage{arydshln}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[htp]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{@{} c : c @{}}
  \subcaptionbox{This is the first subcaption\label{fig:solid1}}
    {\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{example-image-a}}
&
  \subcaptionbox{Get your second subcaptions here\label{fig:solid2}}
    {\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{example-image-a}}
\end{tabular}
\caption{This separator has the right height, but isn't dashed.}
\label{fig:solid}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

I can't see how this improves the typesetting, though.

Adding a dashed vertical line between subfigures and their subcaptions

2 Answers2