# Confusion over use of tikzmark

I am trying to use tikzmark to do two different things and whilst each one works fine on its own, when I merge the latex code for each one, I get an error. I think it is something to do with how I am using tikzmark, but not sure.

The first piece of code, which draws boxes around numbers in a matrix, works fine and is:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{kbordermatrix}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta,patterns,calc}
\newcommand{\tikzmark}[1]{\tikz[overlay,remember picture] \node (#1) {};}
\newcommand{\DrawBox}[4][]{%
\tikz[overlay,remember picture]{%
\coordinate (TopLeft)     at ($(#2)+(-0.2em,0.9em)$);
\coordinate (BottomRight) at ($(#3)+(0.2em,-0.3em)$);
%
\path (TopLeft); \pgfgetlastxy{\XCoord}{\IgnoreCoord};
\path (BottomRight); \pgfgetlastxy{\IgnoreCoord}{\YCoord};
\coordinate (LabelPoint) at ($(\XCoord,\YCoord)!0.5!(BottomRight)$);
%
\draw [red,#1] (TopLeft) rectangle (BottomRight);
\node [below, #1, fill=none, fill opacity=1] at (LabelPoint) {#4};
}
}
\begin{document}
%Now Drawbox thing
$$\label{eq:ODP all terms matrix} \kbordermatrix{\mbox{cells} & (1,2) & (2,1) & (2,2)\\ (1,2)&\tikzmark{leftx}205.1354\tikzmark{rightx} & 0.0000 & 102.5677\\ (2,1)&0.0000 & \tikzmark{lefty}286.1821 & 57.2364 \\ (2,2)&102.5677 & 57.2364 & 206.9669\tikzmark{righty} }$$
\DrawBox[thick, black,dashed,fill=gray, fill opacity=0.3]{leftx}{rightx}{}
\DrawBox[thick, black, dashed,fill=gray,fill opacity=0.3]{lefty}{righty}{}
\end{document}


The second piece of code, which draws some arrows below a table, which also works fine (thanks to user Bordaigorl) is:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{tikzmark,arrows.meta,patterns,calc}
\newcommand\DrawArrow[4][]{
\begin{tikzpicture}[
remember picture,
overlay,
arr/.style={draw=gray,line width=2pt, {-latex}, #1},
xshift=1em,
yshift=-3ex,
]
\draw[arr]
([xshift=1ex]pic cs:#2)
to[out=-50,in=-150,looseness=1.0] node[below=0pt] {#4}
([xshift=-1ex]pic cs:#3);
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\includegraphics[scale=0.8]{CLmethoddiagram.png}
\caption{png version - low res}
\end{figure}
\begin{table}[htbp]
\centering
\caption{tikz version}
\begin{tabular}{@{}lllllll@{}}
\toprule
& \multicolumn{6}{c}{Development year} \\
\cmidrule(l){2-7}
{Year} & {1} & {2} & {3} & {4} & {5} & {6} \\
\midrule
2009  &            443  &        1,136  &        2,128  &        2,898  &             3,403  &        3,873  \\
2010  &            396  &        1,333  &        2,181  &        2,986  &            3,692  &  \\
2011  &            441  &        1,288  &        2,420  &        3,483  &       &  \\
2012  &            359  &        1,421  &        2,864  &       &       &          \\
2013  &            377  &        1,363  &       &       &       &  \\
2014  &  \tikzmark{start1B}344\phantom{,3}& \tikzmark{start2B}- &      \tikzmark{start3B}   -  &  \tikzmark{start4B}   -  &   \tikzmark{start5B}   -  &\tikzmark{start6B}  - \\
\midrule
&&&&&&\\
\DrawArrow{start1B}{start2B}{1-2}
\DrawArrow{start2B}{start3B}{2-3}
\DrawArrow{start3B}{start4B}{3-4}
\DrawArrow{start4B}{start5B}{4-5}
\DrawArrow{start5B}{start6B}{5-6}
\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}%
\end{table}%
\end{document}


But when I merge them together, I get an error. The merged code is below:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{kbordermatrix}
\usetikzlibrary{tikzmark,arrows.meta,patterns,calc}

\newcommand{\tikzmark}[1]{\tikz[overlay,remember picture] \node (#1) {};}
\newcommand{\DrawBox}[4][]{%
\tikz[overlay,remember picture]{%
\coordinate (TopLeft)     at ($(#2)+(-0.2em,0.9em)$);
\coordinate (BottomRight) at ($(#3)+(0.2em,-0.3em)$);
%
\path (TopLeft); \pgfgetlastxy{\XCoord}{\IgnoreCoord};
\path (BottomRight); \pgfgetlastxy{\IgnoreCoord}{\YCoord};
\coordinate (LabelPoint) at ($(\XCoord,\YCoord)!0.5!(BottomRight)$);
%
\draw [red,#1] (TopLeft) rectangle (BottomRight);
\node [below, #1, fill=none, fill opacity=1] at (LabelPoint) {#4};
}
}

\newcommand\DrawArrow[4][]{
\begin{tikzpicture}[
remember picture,
overlay,
arr/.style={draw=gray,line width=2pt, {-latex}, #1},
xshift=1em,
yshift=-3ex,
]
\draw[arr]
([xshift=1ex]pic cs:#2)
to[out=-50,in=-150,looseness=1.0] node[below=0pt] {#4}
([xshift=-1ex]pic cs:#3);
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[htbp]
\centering
\caption{Using tikzmark}
\begin{tabular}{@{}lllllll@{}}
\toprule
& \multicolumn{6}{c}{Development year} \\
\cmidrule(l){2-7}
{Year} & {1} & {2} & {3} & {4} & {5} & {6} \\
\midrule
2009  &            443  &        1,136  &        2,128  &        2,898  &        3,403  &        3,873  \\
2010  &            396  &        1,333  &        2,181  &        2,986  &        3,692  &  \\
2011  &            441  &        1,288  &        2,420  &        3,483  &       &  \\
2012  &            359  &        1,421  &        2,864  &       &       &  \\
2013  &            377  &        1,363  &       &       &       &  \\
2014  &  \tikzmark{start1B}344\phantom{,3}& \tikzmark{start2B}- &  \tikzmark{start3B}   -  &  \tikzmark{start4B}   -  &   \tikzmark{start5B}   -  &\tikzmark{start6B}  - \\
\midrule
&&&&&&\\
\DrawArrow{start1B}{start2B}{1-2}
\DrawArrow{start2B}{start3B}{2-3}
\DrawArrow{start3B}{start4B}{3-4}
\DrawArrow{start4B}{start5B}{4-5}
\DrawArrow{start5B}{start6B}{5-6}
\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}%
\end{table}%
%Now Drawbox thing
$$\label{eq:ODP all terms matrix} \kbordermatrix{\mbox{cells} & (1,2) & (2,1) & (2,2)\\ (1,2)&\tikzmark{leftx}205.1354\tikzmark{rightx} & 0.0000 & 102.5677\\ (2,1)&0.0000 & \tikzmark{lefty}286.1821 & 57.2364 \\ (2,2)&102.5677 & 57.2364 & 206.9669\tikzmark{righty} }$$
\DrawBox[thick, black,dashed,fill=gray, fill opacity=0.3]{leftx}{rightx}{}
\DrawBox[thick, black, dashed,fill=gray,fill opacity=0.3]{lefty}{righty}{}

\end{document}


I think it must be something to do with using \newcommand{\tikzmark}[1]{\tikz[overlay,remember picture] \node (#1) {};} in the first piece of code and then \usetikzlibrary{tikzmark,arrows.meta,patterns,calc} in the second piece of code, so I guess there is probably a simple solution, but it has failed me so far. Can anyone help please?

• You don't say what the error is. Is it along the lines of "tikzmark is already defined"? Offhand, I would guess the tikz library has its own definition of tikzmark, and your conflicts. Could you use a different name for your macro? – Teepeemm Nov 16 '16 at 21:23

You have defined tikzmark twice.

the original way

\newcommand{\tikzmark}....


(from an answer on this site I think)

and then then later packaged way

\usetikzlibrary{tikzmark,...


You just need the tikz library version these days.

then you need to adapt to the new version which uses pic coordinates

\coordinate (TopLeft)     at ($(pic cs:#2)+(-0.2em,0.9em)$);
\coordinate (BottomRight) at ($(pic cs:#3)+(0.2em,-0.3em)$);


• Excellent. Thankyou very much for your quick and easy to follow response. – David Hindley Nov 16 '16 at 22:55