LyX ⇒ Please Help - Dissertation Template

[funguy]

Hi All,

I just found out about LyX from one of my friends about 2 weeks ago. I have been searching for a dissertation template and haven't seen anything that I can use.

I attached the PDF file for your review. Please help me to find something that I can use. I noted the font sizes in the template. Everywhere else will be 12pt font. The entire document is Times New Roman.

Margins:
Top = 1"
Bottom = 1"
Sides = 1.25"

Indentation for every paragraph 0.25"

Please help.

Thanks,
Chris

[Johannes_B]

Hi and welcome.

I am not quite sure what you hope to get in the end. Can you be more specific?
For example, you can set the margins using package geometry, the linespread using package setspace, changing the size of the headings is dependent of the class you are using. Do you need chapters or not? Font management: Do you need any special (non-latin) symbols? If so, using LuaLaTeX is enforced from the beginning. What is the normal font size?

As a LyX developer recently said, LyX is meant for people with basic LaTeX skills.

[RWGray]

I too have just started with LyX. Same question: How do I setup my own environment definition to conform to the formatting requirements for my dissertation? I thought I'd start with Book. It seemed to have the closest definition to what I need. But I don't see how to change the definition to match my needs.

For example, how do I change the Title so that the title of the text is in the font I want, size I wont, centered on the page. And so that there is no page number. And so I can enter author name and Professor name, and school name and several other things I need on the title page. I see Title under FrontMatter, but I don't see the other items I need on the title page. How to add them?

Can someone provide a link to instructions on how to either 1) Change the Title environment definitions, or 2) How to define my own environment definitions so I can get the title page formatted as I need it.

Gee, if it is this hard just to figure out how to get the title page defined, I'm not sure LyX is the thing to use.

Actually, it just means I haven't found the right documentation yet (and I've been looking and reading for 3 days now!!) Can someone point me to the right doc(s)?

Cheers,
Bob Gray

[funguy]

Hello all,

Sorry for not being specific, but I think everything I needed is in the file attached. Let me see if I can describe more. Here are the think I need:

1. I need Title Page, the Title is 18pt font, and the rest are 12pt font.
2. I need Chapters for sure, i.e. Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 2 - Literature Review, etc... They need to be 14pt font and bold, and in the Center on a new page.
3. I need Sections and Subsections, they are 12pt and bold.

I can go on and on, but those are the basic format that I need. I am new to LaTeX and LyX; however, I can do some programming. If you can can point out to me how to modify/change style for a Koma-Book or Report, I might be able to figure out. I can't seem to locate the file(s) that I need to modify. I plan to make a copy and rename the file(s), then modify the new files.

Please help.

[StarValkyrie]

On LyX, you can find many of the basic settings in the Document>Settings menus. There, you can set your font under Fonts>Use Non-LaTeX Font>Roman>Times New Roman (when you compile, select PDFXeTeX), set its default size under Fonts>Font Size, set the default line spacing under Text Layout, change the size of your indent under Text Layout>Indentation>Custom (.25 in), change the size of each margin under Page Margins, and set the paper size under Page Layout.

The title page options change hugely depending on what class you're using but I mimicked your pdf in article class pretty closely - see attached (be sure to take a look at the Document Settings to try to understand how it works).

[funguy]

StarValkyrie,

Thank you so much for helping. I tried to see PDF file, and I don't see anything show up under TOC. Do you know why?

Also, I inserted a "Section" into Chapter 1, it starts with 1, not 1.1, how do I make it start with 1.1, 1.2, etc... for Chapter 1, then 2.1, 2.2, etc... for Chapter 2?

Thanks!

[Johannes_B]

The latter can be achieved pretty easy by using the clarr report instead. There you have real chapters.

[StarValkyrie]

Oops, you're right. I should have used numbered sections with the label string number removed. Try this version (attached) instead. And remember, article class (which I chose because the formatting you wanted was closer to article class than report or book) doesn't use Chapters - it uses Sections which, in your case, are titled Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. The next level would be Subsection so that's what you should select from the pulldown menu next, not Section.

[funguy]

StarValkyrie,

You are awesome. This is 98% what I needed I have 2 more questions.

1. I know that if I want Section, it's actual the Subsection from the pulldown menu. And if I need Subsection (1.1.1), it is the Subsubsection from the pulldown menu. What if I need the next level down (1.1.1.1)? Do I have that option?

2. How would I indent the subsections (1.1.1) and subsubsection (1.1.1.1) just like the paragraph? and, how do we make them 12pt fonts?

Please help. Thank you!

[StarValkyrie]

1. See this thread: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions ... n-in-latex

2. Those are both already set up through LyX Document Settings. The only time the indentation isn't automatic is for the first paragraph of any environment (possibly also including when you restart the Standard after a figure or table?), assuming you're not changing the language settings with babel. While this is technically correct, many people don't appreciate it and you may be asked to change it, which you'd have to do by inserting 1em of horizontal space each time.