Build a step-by-step equation derivation
Morph an equation through algebraic steps with TransformMatchingTex.
Morph a formula through a sequence of algebraic steps.
Set up the steps
- Add a
derivationobject. - Write each state of the equation as one line of LaTeX in Steps — one entry per algebraic move. For example, isolating in the Pythagorean identity:
would be three steps: a^2+b^2=c^2, b^2 = c^2-a^2, b=\sqrt{c^2-a^2}.
Advance through them
Keyframe the step property (an integer index into the list) either with record mode or the ◆ diamond. Each integer boundary the playhead crosses compiles to one TransformMatchingTex morph: matched pieces of notation slide into their new position, everything else crossfades.
How the token matching actually works
TransformMatchingTex only slides pieces it can match between the source and target MathTex. To make that match happen, the compiler automatically isolates every standalone letter and digit that appears anywhere across the derivation's steps (substrings_to_isolate on the generated MathTex) — without this, each equation compiles to one solid submobject and nothing would slide, it would just crossfade as a block.
Letters that only ever appear inside a LaTeX command name — the c, o, s in \cos — are excluded from isolation, so isolating a bare c elsewhere in your steps doesn't split \cos into pieces and break the TeX compile.
Multi-step jumps
Keyframing step from, say, 0 to 3 doesn't do one big jump — it morphs through every intermediate step (0→1→2→3) in sequence, sharing the event's duration equally across each leg.
Keep the morph alone in its time slot
TransformMatchingTex renders most reliably with nothing else happening on that object at the same time; give the morph its own slot on the timeline.See Animation reference for how TransformMatchingTex compares to the other transform kinds.