[Tex/LaTex] TikZ: How to rotate a matrix (of nodes)

matricesnodesrotatingtikz-pgf

Please consider the following TikZ code:

% aligning text in node: node[align=left] only in latest 2010 tikz:
% http://compgroups.net/comp.text.tex/-tikz-option-for-ragged-left-text-in-node
% or use minipage inside node: http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/boxes-with-text-and-math/
% or also parbox: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Advanced_Topics
%% note: parbox and minipage width 5em - will extend beyond the minimum width=5em!
% or use /tikz/text ragged:
% http://old.nabble.com/Equal-width-nodes-within-%22matrix-of-nodes%22--td15266855.html
\begin{tikzpicture}[font=\tt]
    \matrix (xA) [anchor=west,text ragged]
    {% 
        \node(xA1) [draw,right,minimum width=5em] {horizon1} ;  \\
        \node(xA2) [draw,right] {horiz2} ;  \\
%       \node(xA3) [draw,anchor=west,minimum width=5em] {\begin{minipage}{5em}hor3\end{minipage}} ; \\
        \node(xA3) [draw,anchor=west,minimum width=5em] {\parbox{5em}{hor3}} ;  \\
    };
    \matrix (yA) [below left=of xA]
    {% 
        \node(yA1) [draw,right,rotate=270] {vert1} ;    &
        \node(yA2) [draw,right,rotate=270] {vert2} ;    &
        \node(yA3) [draw,right,rotate=270] {vert3} ;    \\
    };
    \begin{scope}[rotate=270]
    \matrix (zA) [rotate=270,below left=of yA]
    {% 
        \node(zA1) [draw,right] {horvert1} ;    \\
        \node(zA2) [draw,right] {horvert2} ;    \\
        \node(zA3) [draw,right] {horvert3} ;    \\
    };  
    \end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}

It generates the following image:

tikz matrix hor/vertical

I would like to achieve something like the yA case – except, I'd like the texts to go 'vert1','vert2','vert3' from right to left (opposite of what is shown) – which would correspond to the xA graphic being rotated for 270 degrees.

So that is what I'm trying to do with the zA case – however, as one can see, there is no rotation whatsoever!

Does this mean that a matrix of nodes cannot be rotated in TikZ? If not, how can I rotate such a matrix?

Best Answer

Ah well - I guess this is the answer, pg 487 of the pgfmanual.pdf:

Rotations and scaling. The matrix node is never rotated or shifted, because the current coordinate transformation matrix is reset (except for the translational part) at the beginning of \pgfmatrix. This is intentional and will not change in the future. If you need to rotate the matrix, you must install an appropriate canvas transformation yourself.

However, nodes and stuff inside the cell pictures can be rotated and scaled normally.

... Also, from matrix nodes with sloped option? - pgf-users:

It does say in the manual that it isn't possible (in section 16.2 "Matrices are Nodes"), and that the transformation matrix is reset at the beginning of a matrix. The (internal) use of \halign precludes any kind of fancy transformations. It would be pretty hard to do matrices without using \halign.

... HOWEVER ...

... matrix nodes with sloped option? - pgf-users also says:

Indeed.

However, you can do the following: Put the whole node inside a
tikzpicture, which in turn you put in a node that has the sloped
option. Something like
... (A) -- (B) node[midway,sloped] {\tikz \matrix ...;};

which means that the code above can be modified like this:

\begin{tikzpicture}[font=\tt]
    \matrix (xA) [anchor=west,text ragged]
    {% 
        \node(xA1) [draw,right,minimum width=5em] {horizon1} ;  \\
        \node(xA2) [draw,right] {horiz2} ;  \\
%       \node(xA3) [draw,anchor=west,minimum width=5em] {\begin{minipage}{5em}hor3\end{minipage}} ; \\
        \node(xA3) [draw,anchor=west,minimum width=5em] {\parbox{5em}{hor3}} ;  \\
    };
    \matrix (yA) [below left=of xA]
    {% 
        \node(yA1) [draw,right,rotate=270] {vert1} ;    &
        \node(yA2) [draw,right,rotate=270] {vert2} ;    &
        \node(yA3) [draw,right,rotate=270] {vert3} ;    \\
    };
    \node (zzA) [rotate=270,below left=of yA] {
        \tikz \matrix (zA) 
        {% 
            \node(zA1) [draw,right] {horvert1} ;    \\
            \node(zA2) [draw,right] {horvert2} ;    \\
            \node(zA3) [draw,right] {horvert3} ;    \\
        };  
    };
\end{tikzpicture}

... which will finally result with the originally desired image:

tikz hor/vertical matrix rotation OK

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Rotate a node but not its content: the case of the ellipse decoration

The source of the difficulty is that ellipses are constructed in a particular way in TikZ. They are paths that start from the x-axis and proceed counter-clockwise around their centre. The vast majority of the time, the exact parametrisation doesn't matter. You appear to have found the one situation where it does!

In the actual question, you only want to be able to mirror the ellipse, and so draw it starting from the negative x-axis (the title of the question suggests a more flexible approach). That's actually not too hard since we can exploit the symmetry of the ellipse. The key is to provide it with a negative x-radius, since then it will start from the negative x-axis (and proceed clockwise, but we could correct for that by negating the y-radius as well). To do this, we interrupt the call from the node shape to the drawing command and flip the sign of the x-radius. The simplest way to do this is to redefine the \pgfpathellipse macro to do the negation and then call the original macro. The following code does this.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations,shapes,decorations.markings}
\makeatletter
\let\origpgfpathellipse=\pgfpathellipse
\def\revpgfpathellipse#1#2#3{%
  #2%
  \pgf@xa=-\pgf@x
  \origpgfpathellipse{#1}{\pgfqpoint{\pgf@xa}{0pt}}{#3}}
\makeatother

\tikzset{
  reversed ellipse/.style={
    ellipse,
    reverse the ellipse%
  },
  reverse the ellipse/.code={
    \let\pgfpathellipse=\revpgfpathellipse
  }
}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\node[ellipse,
  draw,
  postaction={
    decorate,
    decoration={
      markings,
      mark=at position 1 with {
        \arrow[line width=5pt,blue]{>}
      }
    }
  }
] at (0,0) {hello world};

\node[reversed ellipse,
  draw,
  postaction={
    decorate,
    decoration={
      markings,
      mark=at position 1 with {
        \arrow[line width=5pt,blue]{>}
      }
    }
  }
] at (0,-2) {hello world};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

Here's the result:

rotated ellipse

(the arrow got clipped, but you can see where it lies)

[Tex/LaTex] TikZ matrix decoration

Inspired by David Carlisle answer, I came up with this solution:

\documentclass{minimal}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\newcommand{\mfrac}[2]{\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{#1}{#2}}
\begin{document}
\[
\overbrace{
  \overbracket{
    \overbracket{\mfrac{1-2}{I}}^{\text{Gdg}}
    \overbracket{\mfrac{3-4}{V-I-V}}
    \overbracket{\mfrac{5}{V-IV}}^{z}
  }^{\text{frase }a}
  \overbracket{
    \overbracket{\mfrac{6-7}{V^6}}
    \overbracket{\mfrac{8-9}{V^7}}^{y}
    \overbracket{\mfrac{10}{V-IV}}^{z'}
  }^{\text{frase }b/a'}
  \overbracket{
    \overbracket{\mfrac{11-12}{I-V-I-IV}}
    \overbracket{\mfrac{13-14}{V^7-I}}^{y'}
    \overbracket{\mfrac{15-16}{V-VI}}^{z''}
  }^{\text{frase }a'/b}
}^{A}
\]
\end{document}

which results in:

Now it's flexible and maintainable, I just need to find out to add labels outside the brace on the left of each line.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Rotate a node but not its content: the case of the ellipse decoration

[Tex/LaTex] TikZ matrix decoration

Related Question