# Aligning subfig captions vertically

I am using IEEETrans and the recommended subfig package. I have tikz graphics in subfigures, and I really want them to be aligned by their top bounding box (so that the nodes align).

The problem is, when I do that, the captions are not aligned anymore (see MWE). How can I have my cake and eat it too.

MWE:

\documentclass$journal,compsoc,onecolumn,draftclsnofoot${IEEEtran}

\ifCLASSOPTIONcompsoc
\usepackage$caption=false,font=normalsize,labelfon t=sf,textfont=sf${subfig}
\else
\usepackage$caption=false,font=footnotesize${subfig}
\fi

\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning,shapes,arrows,calc,patterns,matrix,backgrounds,chains}

\begin{document}
\begin{figure*}
\subfloat$A${
\begin{tikzpicture}$baseline=(current bounding box.north)$
\matrix (m)$matrix of nodes$
{
a\\
};
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\subfloat$B${
\begin{tikzpicture}$baseline=(current bounding box.north)$
\matrix (m)$matrix of nodes$
{
a\\
b\\
c\\
d\\
e\\
};
\end{tikzpicture}
}

\end{figure*}
\end{document}]


Generated Output:

• Maybe this answer can help you: tex.stackexchange.com/a/41172/134144. For top alinged images with bottom aligned captions, you just remove the .5 as follows: \raisebox{\dimexpr\ht\myimage-\height\relax}. Here is also another alternative using subcaption instead of subfig: tex.stackexchange.com/q/152818/134144 – leandriis Feb 1 '18 at 21:18
• I tried the raisebox trick to no avail. Also, the IEEETrans documentation suggests to use subfig, so I'd like to stick to subfig. – malaverdiere Feb 1 '18 at 22:10
• I got the raisebox trick to work by removing the baseline parameter from tikzpicture. Please make your comment into answer so you can get credit! – malaverdiere Feb 1 '18 at 22:21

The following is a modified version of a solution originally posted by Werner here: vertically align different size images in a figure* environment

\documentclass[journal,compsoc,onecolumn,draftclsnofoot]{IEEEtran}

\ifCLASSOPTIONcompsoc
\usepackage[caption=false,font=normalsize,labelfont=sf,textfont=sf]{subfig}
\else
\usepackage[caption=false,font=footnotesize]{subfig}
\fi

\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning,shapes,arrows,calc,patterns,matrix,backgrounds,chains}

\begin{document}

\newsavebox{\myimage}
\begin{figure*}
\centering
\savebox{\myimage}{%
\begin{tikzpicture}
\matrix (m)[matrix of nodes]
{
a\\
b\\
c\\
d\\
e\\
};
\end{tikzpicture}
} % Store largest image
\subfloat[A]{\raisebox{\dimexpr\ht\myimage-\height\relax}{%
\begin{tikzpicture}
\matrix (m)[matrix of nodes]
{
a\\
};
\end{tikzpicture}