Beamer: Block width?

[pebo]

Hello,
what's the best way to draw a block with some contents, as with the block environment, that does not span over the whole slide's width?
Currently I use a single column with a specified width, but I find it a little long:

Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX

\begin{columns}
\column{7em}
\begin{block}{Title}Text
\end{block}
\end{columns}

Any hint is appreciated

[Stefan_K]

Hi Pebo,

you could define your own block environment with an optional parameter for its width. Have a look at this example:

Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX

\documentclass{beamer}
\usetheme{Warsaw}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\title{Variable block demo}
\author{Stefan Kottwitz}

\newenvironment<>{varblock}[2][\textwidth]{%
  \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}
  \begin{actionenv}#3%
    \def\insertblocktitle{#2}%
    \par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block begin}}
  {\par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block end}%
  \end{actionenv}}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\begin{block}{Standard}
  Normal block
\end{block}
\begin{varblock}[4cm]{New block}
  Variable width, here 4cm
\end{varblock}
\begin{varblock}{New block}
  If no width was given, \textbackslash textwidth will be used
\end{varblock}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

Stefan

[mathfeel]

Hi Pebo,

you could define your own block environment with an optional parameter for its width. Have a look at this example:

Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX

\documentclass{beamer}
\usetheme{Warsaw}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\title{Variable block demo}
\author{Stefan Kottwitz}

\newenvironment<>{varblock}[2][\textwidth]{%
  \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}
  \begin{actionenv}#3%
    \def\insertblocktitle{#2}%
    \par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block begin}}
  {\par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block end}%
  \end{actionenv}}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\begin{block}{Standard}
  Normal block
\end{block}
\begin{varblock}[4cm]{New block}
  Variable width, here 4cm
\end{varblock}
\begin{varblock}{New block}
  If no width was given, \textbackslash textwidth will be used
\end{varblock}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

Stefan

Been looking for this. Thanks. One thing: the resized block is not centered (The box is left-aligned). How do I center the box?

[Stefan_K]

You could center the box by using a center environment and a minipage environment, if needed:

Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX

\begin{center}
  \begin{minipage}{4cm}
    \begin{varblock}[4cm]{title}
      text
    \end{varblock}
  \end{minipage}
\end{center}

Stefan

[mathfeel]

Yes, but this would defeat the purpose of reusing code. Suppose I want some new environment called "cvarbox", I cannot just stick the \begin{center} and \begin{minipage} into the \newenvironment<>, can I?

I am not familiar with TeX, so I am not sure how to do this. Thanks.

[EDIT]:GOT IT. Simply inserting center/minipage in the newenvironment definition worked.

[fabriciomarques1]

Hi,
I achieve what you were trying to do by changing the Stefan's code as:

Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX

   
\newenvironment<>{varblock}[2][\textwidth]{
    \begin{center}
      \begin{minipage}{#1}
        \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}
          \begin{actionenv}#3
            \def\insertblocktitle{#2}
            \par
            \usebeamertemplate{block begin}}
  {\par
      \usebeamertemplate{block end}
    \end{actionenv}
  \end{minipage}
\end{center}}