Beamer Miniframes – Show Miniframes with Split Outer Themes

Question

I'd like to combine the split and miniframes themes of beamer. For example, I would have the miniframes appear in the right half of the title bar (where the subsections appear). If there are any subsections, I'd have the miniframes below or next to the subsection title. This is a sample document.

\documentclass[compress,aspectratio=43]{beamer}

\useoutertheme{miniframes}
\useoutertheme{split}
%\setbeamertemplate{headline}[miniframes theme]
\usecolortheme{whale}

\begin{document}

\section{First Section}
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{}

\section{Second Section}

\subsection{sub1}
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{}

\subsection{sub2}
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{}

\end{document}

I won't ask if it's possible, because everything is possible with TeX, but rather whether someone can help me 🙂

To show what I mean, these are the headlines with miniframes:

These are with split:

And I want something like this mockup:

Answer 1

This seems to be working as I indended. It's a bit hackish, and it only works with the compress option.

\documentclass[compress,aspectratio=43]{beamer}

\useoutertheme{miniframes}
\useoutertheme{split}
\usecolortheme{whale}

% For convenience, move this to a style or theme file
\makeatletter

\newcount\beamer@xoff
\newcount\beamer@prev@section
\newcount\beamer@prev@miniframes
\beamer@xoff=0
\beamer@prev@section=0
\beamer@prev@miniframes=0

\def\insertsubsectionnavigationhorizontalminiframes#1#2#3{%
  \hbox to #1{{%
    \usebeamerfont{subsection in head/foot}\usebeamercolor[fg]{subsection in head/foot}%
    \beamer@currentsubsection=0%
    \def\sectionentry##1##2##3##4##5{}%
    \def\slideentry##1##2##3##4##5##6{%
      \ifnum##1>\beamer@prev@section%
        \beamer@xoff=##3\relax%
        \beamer@prev@miniframes=0\relax%
      \fi
      \ifnum##6=\c@part\ifnum##1=\c@section%
      \ifnum##2>\beamer@currentsubsection%
      \beamer@xoff=0\relax%
      \beamer@currentsubsection=##2%
      \box\beamer@sectionbox\hskip1.875ex plus1fill%
      \ifnum\beamer@prev@miniframes>0\relax%
        \beamer@tempdim=\beamer@boxsize%
        \multiply\beamer@tempdim by \beamer@prev@miniframes%
        \advance\beamer@tempdim by -\beamer@boxsize%
        \advance\beamer@tempdim by 2pt%
        \ifnum##2>1%
          \advance\beamer@tempdim by 1.875ex%
        \else
          \advance\beamer@tempdim by -\beamer@boxsize%
        \fi
      \else
        \beamer@tempdim=0pt%
      \fi
      \setbox\beamer@sectionbox=
      \hbox{\def\insertsubsectionhead{\kern\beamer@tempdim##5}%
         \def\insertsectionheadnumber{##1}%
         \def\insertsubsectionheadnumber{##2}%
         \def\insertpartheadnumber{##6}%
         \ifnum\c@subsection=##2%
        \beamer@link(##4){{\usebeamertemplate{subsection in head/foot}}}\else%
        \beamer@link(##4){{\usebeamertemplate{subsection in head/foot shaded}}}\fi}%
      \ht\beamer@sectionbox=1.875ex%
      \dp\beamer@sectionbox=0.75ex%
      \else%
      \beamer@prev@miniframes=##3%
      \fi%
      \setbox0=\hbox{\insertsectionhead\unskip}\ifdim\wd0>0pt\ifnum##3>0%
      \beamer@xpos=##3\relax%
      \advance\beamer@xpos by -\beamer@xoff%
      \hbox to 0pt{%
        \beamer@tempdim=0.5pt%
        \raise\beamer@tempdim\hbox{%
          \ifnum##2>0%
            \beamer@tempdim=\beamer@boxsize%
            \multiply\beamer@tempdim by\beamer@xpos%
            \advance\beamer@tempdim by -\beamer@boxsize%
            \advance\beamer@tempdim by 2pt%
            \advance\beamer@tempdim by \wd\beamer@sectionbox%
          \else%
            \beamer@tempdim=\beamer@boxsize%
            \multiply\beamer@tempdim by\beamer@xpos%
            \advance\beamer@tempdim by 1.875ex%
          \fi%
          \kern\beamer@tempdim\hbox{\beamer@link(##4){%
              \usebeamerfont{mini frame}%
              \ifnum\c@section=##1%
                \ifnum\c@subsection=##2%
                  \usebeamercolor[fg]{mini frame}%
                  \ifnum\c@subsectionslide=##3%
                    \usebeamertemplate{mini frame}%
                  \else%
                    \usebeamertemplate{mini frame in current subsection}%
                  \fi%
                \else%
                  \usebeamercolor{mini frame}%
                  \usebeamertemplate{mini frame in other subsection}%
                \fi%
              \else%
                \usebeamercolor{mini frame}%
                \usebeamertemplate{mini frame in other subsection}%
              \fi%
            }}}\hskip-10cm plus 1fil%
          }\fi\fi%
      \else%
      \fakeslideentry{##1}{##2}{##3}{##4}{##5}{##6}%
      \fi\fi%
      \beamer@prev@section=##1%
      \ignorespaces}%
    #2\hskip.3cm\setbox\beamer@sectionbox=\hbox{}%
    \hskip-1.875ex plus-1fill\dohead%
    \box\beamer@sectionbox\hfil\hskip.3cm%
    #3}}}

\setbeamercolor{mini frame}{parent=subsection in head/foot}

\ifbeamer@compress

\defbeamertemplate*{headline}{split theme miniframes}
{%
  \leavevmode%
  \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=.5\paperwidth,ht=2.5ex,dp=1.125ex]{section in head/foot}%
    \insertsectionnavigationhorizontal{.5\paperwidth}{\hskip0pt plus1filll}{}%
  \end{beamercolorbox}%
  \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=.5\paperwidth,ht=2.5ex,dp=1.125ex]{subsection in head/foot}%
    \insertsubsectionnavigationhorizontalminiframes{.5\paperwidth}{}{\hskip0pt plus1filll}%
  \end{beamercolorbox}%
}

\else

\defbeamertemplatealias{headline}{split theme miniframes}{split theme}
\setbeamertemplate{headline}[split theme miniframes]

\fi

\makeatother

% This is to enable the feature
\setbeamertemplate{headline}[split theme miniframes]

\begin{document}
\frame{\titlepage}
\frame{\tableofcontents} % no miniframes in the front matter (good)
\section{First Section}
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{} % miniframes without subsections (good)
\section{Second Section}
\subsection{Subsection 1}
\frame{} \frame{}
\subsection{Subsection 2}
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{}
\section{Third Section} % correct miniframes with mixed sections/subsections
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{}
\subsection{Subsection 3}
\frame{} \frame{} \frame{}
\section*{} % no miniframes in back matter (good)
\frame{End}
\end{document}