Skip to main content

Latex

Press play to preview the animation
import ...

export default makeScene2D(function* (view) {
  const tex = createRef<Latex>();
  view.add(<Latex ref={tex} tex="{{y=}}{{a}}{{x^2}}" fill="white" />);

  yield* waitFor(0.2);
  yield* tex().tex('{{y=}}{{a}}{{x^2}} + {{bx}}', 1);
  yield* waitFor(0.2);
  yield* tex().tex(
    '{{y=}}{{\\left(}}{{a}}{{x^2}} + {{bx}}{{\\over 1}}{{\\right)}}',
    1,
  );
  yield* waitFor(0.2);
  yield* tex().tex('{{y=}}{{a}}{{x^2}}', 1);
});

The Latex component is used to show mathematical formulas and animate them.

Defining LaTex​

You can specify the LaTex formula to show using the tex property. Similarly to the Txt node, you can control the color and size of the text using the fill and fontSize properties respectively.

caution

Make sure to always set some fill color otherwise nothing will be shown!

Press play to preview the animation
import ...

export default makeScene2D(function* (view) {
  view.add(
    <Latex
      // Try editing the formula below:
      tex="a^2 + b^2 = c^2"
      fill="white"
      fontSize={32}
    />,
  );
});

Animating LaTex​

We can animate LaTex by tweening the tex property. To enable deletion, insertion and transformation animation you must split the formula into several parts. You can do this by providing an array of strings:

<Latex tex={['a^2', '+', 'b^2', '=', 'c^2']} />

Or by using the curly bracket ({{}}) syntax:

<Latex tex="{{a^2}} + {{b^2}} = {{c^2}}" />
// equivalent to
<Latex tex={['a^2', '+', 'b^2', '=', 'c^2']} />

You can also mix both:

<Latex tex={['{{a}}^2', '+',  '{{b}}^2', '=', '{{c}}^2']} />
// equivalent to
<Latex tex={['a','^2', '+', 'b', '^2', '=', 'c', '^2']} />

A tex part that only exists in the source formula is considered deleted and gets faded out. Analogically, a part that only exists in the target formula is faded in. Tex parts that exist in both the source and destination formulas will be tweened:

Press play to preview the animation
import ...

export default makeScene2D(function* (view) {
  const tex = createRef<Latex>();
  view.add(<Latex ref={tex} tex="{{1}} + {{2}}" fill="white" />);

  yield* waitFor(0.5);
  yield* tex().tex(['2', '+', '3', '+', '4'], 1);
});

If a given tex part occurs multiple times in the source and target formula, but the number of occurrences does not match, the part will duplicated or merged. You can see this in action in the example above. The formula starts with only one plus sign (+), but ends with two.

Common pitfalls​

Escaping slashes​

The backslash character (\) is used as an escape character in JavaScript. In order to use it as part of a LaTex formula, you need to escape it by doubling it:

node().tex('{{\\frac{1}{2}}}');

Note that this does not apply inside JSX string attributes:

// No escape needed:
<Latex tex="{{\frac{1}{2}}" />
// Escape necessary:
<Latex tex={'{{\frac{1}{2}}'} />

Missing spaces​

As of right now, tex parts are put together by joining them with no separator. This may break your formula if it depends on a space between two parts. For example, the following formula will break:

<Latex tex={['\\Delta', 'y']} />

The node will attempt to parse it as \\Deltay instead of the correct \\Delta y. To prevent it, you should wrap the y part in curly brackets:

<Latex tex={['\\Delta', '{y}']} />

This will be parsed as \\Delta{y} which is correct.