Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[DEBRY.Edouard]

Hello,

I would like to create an animated gif for a latex src block.

Here to fix ideas such a block :

<====================================================================================>
#+header: :file test4.gif
#+header: :exports results
#+header: :results output silent graphics file
#+header: :imagemagick yes :iminoptions -density 600 -delay 8 -loop 0 -background white -alpha remove
#+header: :fit yes :noweb yes :headers '("\\usepackage{tikz}")
#+begin_src latex
\foreach \angle in {0,10,...,360}
{
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    % fill circle and plot
    \fill[blue!50] (-1,0) arc (0:\angle:1) -- (-2,0) -- cycle;
    \fill[blue!50] plot[smooth,domain=0:\angle] (pi/180*\x,{sin(\x)}) |- (0,0);
    % draw connection
    \draw (-2,0) +(\angle:1) circle (2pt) -- (pi/180*\angle,{sin(\angle)}) circle (2pt);
    % draw axes an ticks
    \draw (-3.5,0) -- (7,0);
    \foreach \deg in {90, 180, 270, 360}
      \draw (pi/180*\deg,2pt) -- (pi/180*\deg,-2pt) node[below] {$\deg^\circ$};
    \draw (0,-1.2) -- (0,1.2);
    \foreach \y in {-1,-0.5,0.5,1}
      \draw (2pt,\y) -- (-2pt,\y) node[left] {$\y$};
    % draw plot and circle outline
    \draw plot[smooth,domain=0:360] (pi/180*\x,{sin(\x)});
    \draw (-2,0) circle (1);
  \end{tikzpicture}
}
#+end_src
<====================================================================================>

grabbed here :
https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/291627/draw-an-animated-gif-of-trigonometry-function

When hitting [C-c C-c], it does produce a gif, but which cannot be
animated.

I downloaded another animated gif on internet which works properly
within emacs, so the issue comes most probably from the latex to pdf
generation.

I noticed that the latex header used is

<==============================================================>
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[usenames]{color}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage[normalem]{ulem}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{capt-of}
\pagestyle{empty}             % do not remove
% The settings below are copied from fullpage.sty
\setlength{\textwidth}{\paperwidth}
\addtolength{\textwidth}{-3cm}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{1.5cm}
\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-2.54cm}
\setlength{\evensidemargin}{\oddsidemargin}
\setlength{\textheight}{\paperheight}
\addtolength{\textheight}{-\headheight}
\addtolength{\textheight}{-\headsep}
\addtolength{\textheight}{-\footskip}
\addtolength{\textheight}{-3cm}
\setlength{\topmargin}{1.5cm}
\addtolength{\topmargin}{-2.54cm}
\usepackage[active, tightpage]{preview}
<==============================================================>

which is different from the latex header used in tex.stackexchange page
:
<========================================>
\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
<========================================>

I replaced the default header provided by emacs with this very one and
it worked. Is it possible to modify the latex header depending on the
export image format ?

Regards

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Re: Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[Fraga, Eric]

Check out the animate LaTeX package.  I don't believe you can create
such the actual animation from tikz itself.

-- 
: Eric S Fraga, with org release_9.5.4-535-ged6f8d in Emacs 29.0.50

Re: Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[Edouard Debry]

As a matter of fact, you can, but I will check out the latex package you mentioned

"Fraga, Eric" <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:

> Check out the animate LaTeX package.  I don't believe you can create
> such the actual animation from tikz itself.

Re: Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[Ihor Radchenko]

Edouard Debry <edouard.debry@gmail.com> writes:

> As a matter of fact, you can, but I will check out the latex package you mentioned
>
> "Fraga, Eric" <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> Check out the animate LaTeX package.  I don't believe you can create
>> such the actual animation from tikz itself.

FYI, animate package can work, but it is not guaranteed that the results
can be actually viewed by anything other than Adobe Acrobat.

Best,
Ihor

Re: Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[Fraga, Eric]

On Saturday, 18 Jun 2022 at 00:26, Edouard Debry wrote:
> As a matter of fact, you can, but I will check out the latex package you mentioned
>
> "Fraga, Eric" <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> Check out the animate LaTeX package.  I don't believe you can create
>> such the actual animation from tikz itself.

Clarification: I believe(d) that you cannot generate an animated GIF;
animation is possible, of course.  But if you can generate an animated
GIF directly from tikz, please let me know how as it would be useful in
some cases.

Thank you,
eric

-- 
: Eric S Fraga, with org release_9.5.4-564-g811dea in Emacs 29.0.50

Re: Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[Edouard Debry]

Here is what I am able to do :
- write a latex src block with several tikz blocks inside (as described
  in the tex.stackexchange link)
- export in a gif with pdf+imagmagick
- open the gif in emacs and start the animation
- insert the gif into the org file and start animation

But there is a trick for this to work, the default latex header is
"\\documentclass{article} ...", which fails but, replacing it
by "\\documentclass[tikz]{standalone} ..." succeeds.

Regards


"Fraga, Eric" <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:

> On Saturday, 18 Jun 2022 at 00:26, Edouard Debry wrote:
>> As a matter of fact, you can, but I will check out the latex package you mentioned
>>
>> "Fraga, Eric" <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:
>>
>>> Check out the animate LaTeX package.  I don't believe you can create
>>> such the actual animation from tikz itself.
>
> Clarification: I believe(d) that you cannot generate an animated GIF;
> animation is possible, of course.  But if you can generate an animated
> GIF directly from tikz, please let me know how as it would be useful in
> some cases.
>
> Thank you,
> eric

Re: Creating animated gif from latex src blocks

[Edouard Debry]

Hi,

In reply to an old thread initiated, here is how I get animated pictures
from latex src blocks.

<=========================== GIF image ===============================>

#+NAME: before-make-gif
#+begin_src elisp :lexical no :results none
(setq org-format-latex-header "\\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}")
(setq org-latex-default-packages-alist nil)
(setq org-latex-packages-alist nil)
#+end_src

#+NAME: after-make-gif
#+begin_src elisp :lexical no :results none
(custom-reevaluate-setting 'org-format-latex-header)
(custom-reevaluate-setting 'org-latex-packages-alist)
(custom-reevaluate-setting 'org-latex-default-packages-alist)
#+end_src

#+NAME: make-gif
#+header: :file test1.gif
#+header: :exports results
#+header: :results output silent graphics file
#+header: :imagemagick yes
#+header: :iminoptions -density 600 -delay 8 -loop 0 -background white -alpha remove
#+header: :headers '("\\usepackage{tikz}" "")
#+begin_src latex
\foreach \angle in {0,10,...,360} %
{
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    % fill circle and plot
    \fill[blue!50] (-1,0) arc (0:\angle:1) -- (-2,0) -- cycle;
    \fill[blue!50] plot[smooth,domain=0:\angle] (pi/180*\x,{sin(\x)}) |- (0,0);
    % draw connection
    \draw (-2,0) +(\angle:1) circle (2pt) -- (pi/180*\angle,{sin(\angle)}) circle (2pt);
    % draw axes an ticks
    \draw (-3.5,0) -- (7,0);
    \foreach \deg in {90, 180, 270, 360}
      \draw (pi/180*\deg,2pt) -- (pi/180*\deg,-2pt) node[below] {$\deg^\circ$};
    \draw (0,-1.2) -- (0,1.2);
    \foreach \y in {-1,-0.5,0.5,1}
      \draw (2pt,\y) -- (-2pt,\y) node[left] {$\y$};
    % draw plot and circle outline
    \draw plot[smooth,domain=0:360] (pi/180*\x,{sin(\x)});
    \draw (-2,0) circle (1);
  \end{tikzpicture}
}
#+end_src

#+ATTR_ORG: :width 1500 :height 600
[[file:test1.gif]]

<=========================== GIF image ===============================>



<=========================== SVG image ===============================>

#+NAME: before-make-svg
#+begin_src elisp :lexical no :results none
(setq org-format-latex-header "\\documentclass[dvisvgm]{standalone}")
(setq org-latex-default-packages-alist nil)
(setq org-latex-packages-alist nil)
#+end_src

#+NAME: after-make-svg
#+begin_src elisp :lexical no :results none
(custom-reevaluate-setting 'org-format-latex-header)
(custom-reevaluate-setting 'org-latex-packages-alist)
(custom-reevaluate-setting 'org-latex-default-packages-alist)
#+end_src

#+NAME: make-svg
#+header: :file test1.svg
#+header: :exports results
#+header: :results output silent graphics file
#+header: :headers '("\\usepackage{animate}" "\\usepackage{tikz}" "\\pgfmathsetmacro{\\pendulumswing}{40}" "\\pgfmathsetmacro{\\pendulumlength}{5}")
#+begin_src latex
\begin{animateinline}[controls, palindrome]{45}
  \multiframe{45}{rt=0+4}{%
    \begin{tikzpicture}[line width=1pt]
      \draw[dashed] (0:0) -- (90:{-\pendulumlength}) coordinate (o);
      \draw[dashed] ({90-\pendulumswing}:{-\pendulumlength}) coordinate (a)
      arc[start angle={90-\pendulumswing}, end angle={90+\pendulumswing}, radius={-\pendulumlength}] coordinate (b);
      \draw[dashed, red] (a) -- (a |- o) coordinate (c) node[below] {$-x_m$};
      \draw[dashed, red] (b) -- (b |- o) coordinate (d) node[below] {$x_m$};
      \draw[-stealth, red] ([xshift=-1cm]c) -- ([xshift=1cm]d);

      % variable \rt goes from 0 to 180
      % cos(\rt) returns a value between -1 and 1 following a (co)sine curve
      \pgfmathsetmacro{\pendulumangle}{cos(\rt)*\pendulumswing}
      \draw (0:0) -- ({90+\pendulumangle}:{-\pendulumlength})
      node[circle, fill=blue, text=white] {$\mathbf{m}$};
    \end{tikzpicture}%
  }%
\end{animateinline}
#+end_src

#+ATTR_ORG: :width 1500 :height 600
[[file:test1.svg]]

<=========================== SVG image ===============================>

The GIF generation first goes through generating a PDF file and then, converts it
afterwards to gif with ImageMagick. It only uses "tikz" latex package.

The SVG generation uses "tikz" and "animate" latex packages. This latter is initiated
with "dvisvgm" and therefore, the src block is configured to produce a svg file
("dvisvgm" again under the hood).

The GIF image shows up correctly animated in emacs, either as a plain file or as a link in
orgmode (org-inline-animate).

The SVG file is statically well displayed in emacs, but not animated. As far as I understand
the "animate" package uses javascript under the hood and indeed, the SVG file is
correctly animated in (e.g.) the chromium browser.

That is to note that for correct image generation, I had to tweak
'org-format-latex-header, , 'org-latex-packages-alist and
'org-latex-default-packages-alist orgmode variables. Setting nil for two latters is probably
a bit too harsh, but I did not have enough time to figure out which package was causing
problems.

So, as you may have guessed, before evaluating the latex block, I evaluate the first
elisp block and after, the second elisp block's evaluation reverts orgmode variables to
their previous settings.

This is a bit annoying, I wonder if there is a way to automatically evaluate both
elisp blocks when running the latex block, one before and one after. I know that some
blocks can be called within other code blocks but obviously, with the same language.

Perhaps the "#+CALL:" syntax can call several code blocks ?

#+CALL : before-gif() make-gif() after-gif()

Let me know if you find a lighter way to generate animated images from src code blocks.

Hope this helps

Regards

Edouard Debry