Beamer, columns with different alignment

Question

I understand that the "placement" parameter can be used to control the vertical alginment of beamer columns. (p 128 of the beamer manual).

Nevertheless, I can not get a left vertically top-aligned column with a right vertically center-aligned column.

I've read some questions which are similar, but most provide workaround for specific situations.

Is it impossible to align columns vertically in beamer differently just with "column" environment ?

(I tried the [T], but with or without is the same result in my case).

mwe:

\documentclass[9pt]{beamer}
\usepackage{outlines}

\begin{document}
\begin{frame}{A slide}
    \begin{columns}[T]
        \begin{column}[t]{0.45\textwidth} 
            \begin{alertblock}{A Block}   
                \begin{outline}       
                \1 item 1 
                \1 foobar foo (\textbf{SSA})
                \1 Level1 item
                \2 Normal text level 2
                \end{outline}
            \end{alertblock}        
        \end{column}     
        \begin{column}[c]{0.55\textwidth}
            \setbeamertemplate{itemize items}[ball]
            \begin{outline}
                \1 DADA
                \1 DODO
                \1 DIDO
            \end{outline}
       \end{column}
    \end{columns}
\end{frame}
\end{document}

Result:

Answer 1

The aligment option for the columns environment defines how the columns are aligned with respect to the whole columns environment, which is as tall as the tallest column. This means that with only two columns it basically specifies how the shorter column is aligned with respect to the taller one.

Your frame is centre aligned by default, this means that the tall right column is already centre aligned to the frame. if you want the left column top aligned with the picture, simply use [T]

\documentclass[9pt]{beamer}
\usepackage{outlines}

\begin{document}
\begin{frame}{A slide}
    \begin{columns}[T]
        \begin{column}{0.45\textwidth} 
            \begin{alertblock}{A Block}   
                \begin{outline}       
                \1 item 1 
                \1 foobar foo (\textbf{SSA})
                \1 Level1 item
                \2 Normal text level 2
                \end{outline}
            \end{alertblock}        
        \end{column}     
        \begin{column}{0.5\textwidth}
            \setbeamertemplate{itemize items}[ball]
            \begin{outline}
                \1 DADA
                \1 DODO
                \1 DIDO
            \end{outline}
            \begin{center}
               \rule{\textwidth}{5cm}
            \end{center}
       \end{column}
    \end{columns}
\end{frame}
\end{document}

---

If the alignment of both columns should be independent and in respect to the frame, a minipage of a fixed height can be used:

\documentclass[9pt]{beamer}
\usepackage{outlines}

\begin{document}
\begin{frame}[t]{A slide}
    \begin{columns}[T]
        \begin{column}{0.45\textwidth} 
            \begin{alertblock}{A Block}   
                \begin{outline}       
                \1 item 1 
                \1 foobar foo (\textbf{SSA})
                \1 Level1 item
                \2 Normal text level 2
                \end{outline}
            \end{alertblock}        
        \end{column}     
        \begin{column}{0.5\textwidth}
        \begin{minipage}[t][.88\textheight][c]{\textwidth}
            \setbeamertemplate{itemize items}[ball]
            \begin{outline}
                \1 DADA
                \1 DODO
                \1 DIDO
            \end{outline}
            \begin{center}
               \rule{\textwidth}{5cm}
            \end{center}
                \end{minipage}
       \end{column}
    \end{columns}
\end{frame}
\end{document}