Markdown Presentations

Since 0.19.0, Zettlr supports exporting presentations using both the reveal.js-framework and pandoc.

MD + Zettlr + reveal.js = ❤️

Creating presentations using Zettlr is simple: Each slide is begun by a header level 1. Any text afterwards will become the slide’s content.

But using a line divider (“***” or ---) is also permitted. This lets you have more space on your slide.

Smaller headings

This can also be used to make headings smaller, if you don’t like the big level-1-headings.

Control the presentation

You can control the presentation with the keyboard:

• F enters the fullscreen
• . blacks out the slide
• ? shows additional shortcuts.

Markdown elements

All elements that you might use in markdown are permitted in these slides as well.

Advanced options

Use the .fragment-class to add effects and transitions to elements.

• This item will fade in.
• This will be highlighted blue.
• All available transitions are documented here.

reveal.js Settings

You can change the settings of the slideshow in the presentation file. Open it in any text editor and search for the comment sections (search for lines of “*”-characters).

In the first section you can alter the behaviour of reveal.js. It is documented well. In the second you can alter the styling of the presentation, for instance make the background dark and colour light.

reveal.js Settings

The options look like this. They should be self-explanatory.

const zettlrRevealOptions = {
    // Display controls in the bottom right corner
    controls: false,
    // Display a presentation progress bar
    progress: true,
    // ...
    };

reveal.js Settings

The styling can be changed like this:

body {
    background-color:rgb(40, 40, 40);
    color: rgb(200, 200, 220);
}

.reveal, .reveal h1, .reveal h2 {
    color: rgb(200, 200, 220);
}

Benefits of reveal.js

Why not use PowerPoint? Because …

• … HTML runs on every computer.
• … reveal.js is lightweight.
• … it’s future-proof.
• … the presentations can be shared everywhere.

Drawbacks

Yet, there are two important drawbacks:

• Images are not embedded in the resulting file.
• Changing the appearance requires knowledge of CSS.

Conclusion

• Draw attention to your lectures using modern presentations easily written in Zettlr!
• Never again fear whether or not the location has the right software installed on their computers!

If you want to learn more, check out the Markdown file that was used to create this presentation here!