Document Classes ⇒ Prosper problems

[jbradley311]

Hi everyone, I am pretty new to all of this latex stuff and I am wanting to create a presentation and after looking on the web I found that using 'prosper' was a good place to start.

I made the bulk install of latex and the editor etc. using MikTex and it seems that I already have the prosper package installed but when I try to make a slideshow I get multiple errors that look to be due to the editor not recognising what I have input. I have ghostscript installed and I am trying to make a PDF presentation..

The first error I receive is "undefined control sequence {pdfmark=\PAGES, Raw={Rotate=\90}}" and this sounds like it isn't recognising what I've input..

Here is the latex code:

\documentclass[final,pdf]{prosper}

\title{Milikan's Oildrop Experiment}
\subtitle{Computational Physics Project 2010}
\author{John Bradley\\[2mm]University at Buffalo}
\caption{Milikan's Oildrop Experiment - PHY411 Spring 2010}


\begin{document}
\begin[Glitter]{slide}{Background}
\begin{minipage}{4cm}
\end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}{7cm}
\begin{itemize}
\item Item 1
\item Item 2
\item Item 3
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}
\end{slide}

\begin[Glitter]{slide}{Cheese}
\begin{minipage}{4cm}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics{C:/Documents and Settings/Owner/My Documents/University at Buffalo Work/Spring Semester/PHY411/Hwk1-Hodgekins+Telegraphers/hh.jpg}
\label{fig:hh}
\end{figure}
\end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}{7cm}
\begin{itemize}
\item Item 1
\item Item 2
\item Item 3
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
\end{slide}

Apologies if there are some basic errors there but I just want to get to the bottom of why it's not recognising it!

Thanks,

John

[jbradley311]

I realise that I've stupidly put an end document at the end of the first slide but correcting this hasn't helped..

[magicmoose]

I would recommend switching to the beamer package instead of prosper to make a presentation, it seems to be more widely used.

[localghost]

The prosper class (and the bug fixing HA-prosper package) is obsolete [1]. Follow the suggestion of magicmoose or switch to the powerdot class (note the remarks in the manual).

[1] View topic: Obsolete packages and document classes - Avoid usage!


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten

[jbradley311]

Thank you for the quick replies. I have tried to use powerdot but am still getting a multitude of errors with the output looking not to be recognised. It looks to have installed when I installed MikTex but it won't run properly. Is there something special that I have to enable to use it?

Sorry for the basic questions, I have looked over the documentation on installation but it hasn't enlightened me. Thanks again.

[localghost]

[...] I have tried to use powerdot but am still getting a multitude of errors with the output looking not to be recognised. [...] Is there something special that I have to enable to use it? [...]

Perhaps I should have been more specific than just saying:

[...](note the remarks in the manual). [...]

Read Section 8 (Compiling your presentation, p. 25f) of the powerdot manual.

[Bakulev]

Dear John Bradley,
I tried to LaTeX your file and obtained some error messages.
Then I've improved it and now it's OK.
Below I copy the errorless contents:
==================================================================
%\documentclass[final,pdf]{prosper}
\documentclass[pdf,slideColor,colorBG,accumulate,nototal,distiller]{prosper}
\usepackage{pstricks,pst-node,pst-text,pst-3d}

\title{\vspace*{-8mm} Milikan's Oildrop Experiment}
\subtitle{\vspace*{-1mm} Computational Physics Project 2010}
\author{\vspace*{-3mm} John Bradley}
\institution{\vspace*{-3mm} University at Buffalo
\vspace*{-1mm}

\psframebox[fillstyle=solid,fillcolor=yellow,linestyle=solid,linecolor=yellow]{%
\includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{TL-1.eps}}}
\Logo(-1.3,-1.255){
\psframebox[fillstyle=none,linestyle=none]%
{\textbf{\footnotesize{\red Milikan's Oildrop Experiment}{\symbol{64}}{\red\,PHY411 Spring 2010}}}}

\begin{document}
%%-------------------------------------------------------- Title 0 ---
\maketitle
%%--------------------------------------------------------------------

%%-------------------------------------------------------- Slide 1 ---
\begin{slide}[Glitter]{Background}
\begin{minipage}{4cm} Bla-bla-bla...
\end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}{7cm}
\begin{itemize}
\item Item 1
\item Item 2
\item Item 3
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
\end{slide}
%%--------------------------------------------------------------------

%%-------------------------------------------------------- Slide 2 ---
\begin{slide}[Glitter]{Cheese}
\begin{minipage}{4cm}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics{TL-1.eps}
\label{fig:hh}
\end{figure}
\end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}{7cm}
\begin{itemize}
\item Item 1
\item Item 2
\item Item 3
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
\end{slide}
%%--------------------------------------------------------------------

\end{document}
============================================================================
Now it works, the only things you should change are:
1) The names and formats of figures.
I've used my figure from file "TL-1.eps",
figure in jpg-file I do not know how to include ---
I usually transform them into eps-format (by the "Jpeg-Ps.1-8" program).
2) I first LaTeX my file, then dvips it to ps-file, then use distiller
(or Ps-PDF program) to obtain PDF.

You can verify the result of processing this file via these links:
for pdf ---
http://theor.jinr.ru/~bakulev/prosper/jbrad.pdf
for ps ---
http://theor.jinr.ru/~bakulev/prosper/jbrad.ps

You are welcomed to ask more questions:
I elaborated my own style file in order to put more on my slides.
For example, in the footer of the slide there is too less space for page numbers.
I've enlarged it in my case, see result in the following link:
http://theor.jinr.ru/~bakulev/prosper/AB-TL10.pdf

Best regards,
Sasha

[gmedina]

Dear John Bradley,
I tried to LaTeX your file and obtained some error messages.
Then I've improved it and now it's OK.
Below I copy the errorless contents:
==================================================================
%\documentclass[final,pdf]{prosper}
\documentclass[pdf,slideColor,colorBG,accumulate,nototal,distiller]{prosper}
\usepackage{pstricks,pst-node,pst-text,pst-3d}

\title{\vspace*{-8mm} Milikan's Oildrop Experiment}
\subtitle{\vspace*{-1mm} Computational Physics Project 2010}
\author{\vspace*{-3mm} John Bradley}
\institution{\vspace*{-3mm} University at Buffalo
\vspace*{-1mm}

\psframebox[fillstyle=solid,fillcolor=yellow,linestyle=solid,linecolor=yellow]{%
\includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{TL-1.eps}}}
\Logo(-1.3,-1.255){
\psframebox[fillstyle=none,linestyle=none]%
{\textbf{\footnotesize{\red Milikan's Oildrop Experiment}{\symbol{64}}{\red\,PHY411 Spring 2010}}}}

\begin{document}
%%-------------------------------------------------------- Title 0 ---
\maketitle
%%--------------------------------------------------------------------

%%-------------------------------------------------------- Slide 1 ---
\begin{slide}[Glitter]{Background}
\begin{minipage}{4cm} Bla-bla-bla...
\end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}{7cm}
\begin{itemize}
\item Item 1
\item Item 2
\item Item 3
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
\end{slide}
%%--------------------------------------------------------------------

%%-------------------------------------------------------- Slide 2 ---
\begin{slide}[Glitter]{Cheese}
\begin{minipage}{4cm}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics{TL-1.eps}
\label{fig:hh}
\end{figure}
\end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}{7cm}
\begin{itemize}
\item Item 1
\item Item 2
\item Item 3
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
\end{slide}
%%--------------------------------------------------------------------

\end{document}
============================================================================
Now it works, the only things you should change are:
1) The names and formats of figures.
I've used my figure from file "TL-1.eps",
figure in jpg-file I do not know how to include ---
I usually transform them into eps-format (by the "Jpeg-Ps.1-8" program).
2) I first LaTeX my file, then dvips it to ps-file, then use distiller
(or Ps-PDF program) to obtain PDF.

You can verify the result of processing this file via these links:
for pdf ---
http://theor.jinr.ru/~bakulev/prosper/jbrad.pdf
for ps ---
http://theor.jinr.ru/~bakulev/prosper/jbrad.ps

You are welcomed to ask more questions:
I elaborated my own style file in order to put more on my slides.
For example, in the footer of the slide there is too less space for page numbers.
I've enlarged it in my case, see result in the following link:
http://theor.jinr.ru/~bakulev/prosper/AB-TL10.pdf

Best regards,
Sasha

What's the point of this? As magicmoose and localghost suggested there are better options.

Even the HA-prosper documentation suggests this:

1.1 The powerdot class
This is the last release of the HA-prosper package. We (Christopher Ellison and
I) have created a new class called powerdot [14] which has significant improve-
ments over prosper and HA-prosper while keeping changes to presentation sources
to a minimum. Over time, the support for HA-prosper via the mailinglist will be
minimized and users are advised to use powerdot for new presentations.

[localghost]

[...] I tried to LaTeX your file and obtained some error messages.
Then I've improved it and now it's OK.
Below I copy the errorless contents: [...]

Using the code environment of the forum to tag source code as such applies to you, too. I do not write such things for nothing (see my last reply). Keep that in mind for future posts.

Regarding the rest of your post gmedina already gave appropriate annotations.


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten