# Drawing angles on a diagram in Tikz using the angles library

I've recently been trying to learn Tikz, and I've constructed a diagram to use for my dissertation, to help show a vector being split into components that are parallel (v_b) and perpendicular (v_g) to another vector (B). A vector normal to the plane is also shown (n).

Where I am struggling is including arcs to show angles between the vectors. I want the angle from n to v_i to be labelled theta_vn, the angle between n and v_b to be labelled theta_bn and the angle between v_b and v_i to be labelled psi.

I have looked at how other people have managed this and attempted to copy, but it is throwing an error message: "Package pgf Error: No shape named origin is known." where "origin" is one of the coordinates I've specified. Any help is appreciated or just any comments on improving my code in general.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{angles}
\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}[x=0.5cm,y=0.5cm,z=0.3cm,>=stealth]
%Defining coordinates
\coordinate (origin) at (0,0,0);
\coordinate (v_i) at (2,-14,3);
\coordinate (v_b) at (0,-4,-14);
\coordinate (normal) at (0,-10,0);

%Drawing vectors
\draw[->,thick] (normal) -- node[left]{$\vec{n}$} (origin);
\draw[->,thick] (origin) -- node[right]{$\vec{v_i}$} (v_i);
\draw[->,thick] (origin) -- node[left]{$\vec{v_b}$} (v_b);
\draw[->,thick] (v_b) -- node[below]{$\vec{v_g}$} (v_i);

%Drawing other lines
\draw (v_b) -- (0,1,3.5) node[above]{$\vec{B}$};
\draw (normal) -- (v_i);
\draw (normal) -- (v_b);

%Drawing angles - throwing error
\pic ["$\theta_{vn}$", angle eccentricity = 1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = normal -- origin -- v_i};
\pic ["$\theta_{bn}$", angle eccentricity = 1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = normal -- origin -- v_b};
\pic ["$\psi$", angle eccentricity = 1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = v_i -- origin -- v_b};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}


Partial answer: by removing the inter-word spacing in the angle's nodal definition and letting the tex engine know that it has to draw whatever we desire:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{angles}
\begin{document}
% a bit of a help from: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/267201/tikz-angle-between-two-vectors-and-a-projection
\begin{tikzpicture}[x=0.5cm,y=0.5cm,z=0.3cm,>=stealth]
%Defining coordinates
\coordinate (origin) at (0,0,0);
\coordinate (vi) at (2,-14,3);
\coordinate (vb) at (0,-4,-14);
\coordinate (normal) at (0,-10,0);

%Drawing vectors
\draw[->,thick] (normal) -- node[left]{$\vec{n}$} (origin);
\draw[->,thick] (origin) -- node[right]{$\vec{v_i}$} (vi);
\draw[->,thick] (origin) -- node[left]{$\vec{v_b}$} (vb);
\draw[->,thick] (vb) -- node[below]{$\vec{v_g}$} (vi);

%Drawing other lines
\draw (vb) -- (0,1,3.5) node[above]{$\vec{B}$};
\draw (normal) -- (vi);
\draw (normal) -- (vb);

\pic [draw, angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = normal--origin--vi};

\pic [draw, angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = normal--origin--vb};

\pic [draw, angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = vi--origin--vb};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}


with which you can get:

Complete answer: Now by including the additional package \usepackage{quote} (I think):

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{angles,quotes}
\begin{document}
% a bit of help from: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/267201/tikz-angle-between-two-vectors-and-a-projection
\begin{tikzpicture}[x=0.5cm,y=0.5cm,z=0.3cm,>=stealth]
%Defining coordinates
\coordinate (origin) at (0,0,0);
\coordinate (vi) at (2,-14,3);
\coordinate (vb) at (0,-4,-14);
\coordinate (normal) at (0,-10,0);

%Drawing vectors
\draw[->,thick] (normal) -- node[left]{$\vec{n}$} (origin);
\draw[->,thick] (origin) -- node[right]{$\vec{v_i}$} (vi);
\draw[->,thick] (origin) -- node[left]{$\vec{v_b}$} (vb);
\draw[->,thick] (vb) -- node[below]{$\vec{v_g}$} (vi);

%Drawing other lines
\draw (vb) -- (0,1,3.5) node[above]{$\vec{B}$};
\draw (normal) -- (vi);
\draw (normal) -- (vb);

\pic [draw, angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = normal--origin--vi};

\pic [draw, "$\theta$", angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = normal--origin--vb};

\pic [draw, "a", angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = vi--origin--vb};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}


you will end up with

I took the liberty to rename your variables.

Update 1: To make the interior angles, just make angle = vb--origin--vi. That should do.

  \pic [draw, "$\theta$", angle eccentricity=1.2, angle radius = 3cm] {angle = vb--origin--vi};


This would give you

• that's amazing thank you, one final point, I wanted the arc on the interior angle not the exterior, do you know how I would achieve that? – Jasper Salisbury Nov 21 '18 at 16:28
• @JasperSalisbury Just made an update to the answer, let me know whether that is okay. – Raaja_is_at_topanswers.xyz Nov 22 '18 at 7:36