Steps to convert a Beamer template to a Quarto template

[ghisvail]

Description

I am in the process of converting a custom Beamer template (and corresponding examples) used by my lab from LaTeX to Quarto, but I am failing to get Quarto to recognize the Beamer template when rendering the example document.

The Beamer template is laid out as follows

• a folder with the LaTeX template providing the custom font and branding related content not specific to Beamer
• a folder with the Beamer template containing the Beamer specific pieces of customisation (with inner, outer, color and theme files)
• an example file showcasing how the whole thing renders together and providing a skeleton for new projects
• a Makefile for building the project, using luatex as the LaTeX toolchain and overriding TEXINPUTS to append both template folders

So far, I have managed to convert the example file to Quarto Markdown and it renders well with the default Beamer theme. But I can't find the appropriate settings to put in the YAML header to get Quarto to detect and use the custom LaTeX templates.

Could you please help me with understanding which settings to play with, or point me towards a repository which features a similar setup as mine? I have tried many things, but always hitting errors of the likes of LaTeX Error: File beamerthemefoo.sty' not found.`

Cheers.

[mcanouil]

Have you look at the documentation? https://quarto.org/docs/extensions/formats.html

You can also look at other format extension involving LaTeX: https://m.canouil.dev/quarto-extensions/

All beamer/latex are based on Pandoc templates. Quarto uses partials to allow to modify parts or the whole template, see templates and partials.

[ghisvail]

I am a bit confused. There is a Beamer section in the docs with settings related to the Beamer theme (theme, colortheme, fonttheme, innertheme, outertheme). I am not sure why I'd need to rely on partials for my use case.

Am I missing something?

[mcanouil]

The Beamer template is laid out as follows

• a folder with the LaTeX template providing the custom font and branding related content not specific to Beamer
• a folder with the Beamer template containing the Beamer specific pieces of customisation (with inner, outer, color and theme files)
• an example file showcasing how the whole thing renders together and providing a skeleton for new projects
• a Makefile for building the project, using luatex as the LaTeX toolchain and overriding TEXINPUTS to append both template folders

It' what you wrote.

edit: incomplete copy/paste

[mcanouil]

You can't change the structure of a beamer presentation (or any formats actually) only with the YAML options (Quarto and Pandoc).

The options will only allow you to make small changes to the default template.
Nearly all the options comes directly from Pandoc and the partials/template I mentioned in my previous reply

• https://quarto.org/docs/reference/formats/presentations/beamer.html

For instance you are talking about innertheme:

• https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/blob/main/src/resources/formats/pdf/pandoc/template.tex#L111-L113

The name of the options directly comes from the LaTeX components, so the translation should be easy if you know LaTeX in the first place. If you don't, you need to look at beamer documentation.

[ghisvail]

Yes, but I believe it's too general for fixing my use case. Unless you wanted to point me towards something specific? Le 7 mars 2025 15:01:31 GMT+01:00, "Mickaël Canouil" ***@***.***> a écrit :

…

Have you look at the documentation? https://quarto.org/docs/extensions/formats.html -- Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #12230 (comment) You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Message ID: ***@***.***>

[mcanouil]

Because you are replying by email you missed my edit.

The email reply feature by GitHub is bad:

• you have the first version of the comment (regardless of if it was complete when sent)
• you generate noisy reply because you keep the original message in your reply.

[ghisvail]

Le 7 mars 2025 16:09:57 GMT+01:00, "Mickaël Canouil" ***@***.***> a écrit :

Because you are replying by email you missed my edit.

My bad

The email reply feature by GitHub is bad:

It's working for me

- you have the first version of the comment (regardless of if it was complete when sent)

I avoid incomplete replies and further edits as much as possible. YMMV of course.

- you generate noisy reply because you keep the original message in your reply.

I reply with what I can ATM. I'll be sure to check your suggestions when I get access to my workstation again. Cheers.