Beamer: Split frame into multiple slides & hide opaque elements in handout

Question

I have a beamer slide with items that reveal and then become opaque using overlays. Some elements become hidden. When using handout mode, I would like to create two slides for the frame. The catch is that for handout mode, I want the opaque items to become invisible.

In this MWE, I demonstrate the basic issue. Each item becomes gray, as the slides progress. Nested items become invisible once we progress.

\documentclass{beamer}
\setbeamercovered{transparent}
\setbeamercovered{again covered={\opaqueness<1->{35}}}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Split into two slides for handout}

\begin{enumerate}

    \item<+|handout:1> First item, becomes grey when covered again, shows in first handout slide, want to disappear completely in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:1> Only shows while first item is uncovered, and in first handout slide
    \end{itemize}
    \item<+|handout:1> Second item, becomes grey when covered, shows in first handout slide, want to disappear completely in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:1> Only shows while second item is uncovered, and in first handout slide
    \end{itemize}
    \item<+|handout:2> Third item, shows in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:2> Shows along with third item, and in handout slide
    \end{itemize}

\end{enumerate}

\end{frame}

\end{document}

Now, compare when using the handout option:

\documentclass[handout]{beamer}
\setbeamercovered{transparent}
\setbeamercovered{again covered={\opaqueness<1->{35}}}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Split into two slides for handout}

\begin{enumerate}

    \item<+|handout:1> First item, becomes grey when covered again, shows in first handout slide, want to disappear completely in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:1> Only shows while first item is uncovered, and in first handout slide
    \end{itemize}
    \item<+|handout:1> Second item, becomes grey when covered, shows in first handout slide, want to disappear completely in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:1> Only shows while second item is uncovered, and in first handout slide
    \end{itemize}
    \item<+|handout:2> Third item, shows in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:2> Shows along with third item, and in handout slide
    \end{itemize}

\end{enumerate}

\end{frame}

\end{document}

Everything works as desired when not in handout mode. However, I would like items 1 and 2 to become hidden, and not take up any space, on slide 2 when in handout mode. Right now, on the second slide in handout mode, the first two items are just greyed out.

Answer 1

You can use handout:only@1 to only show these items on the first overlay of handout mode:

\documentclass[handout]{beamer}

\setbeamercovered{transparent}
\setbeamercovered{again covered={\opaqueness<1->{35}}}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Split into two slides for handout}

\begin{enumerate}

    \item<+|handout:only@1> First item, becomes grey when covered again, shows in first handout slide, want to disappear completely in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:1> Only shows while first item is uncovered, and in first handout slide
    \end{itemize}
    \item<+|handout:only@1> Second item, becomes grey when covered, shows in first handout slide, want to disappear completely in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:1> Only shows while second item is uncovered, and in first handout slide
    \end{itemize}
    \item<+|handout:2> Third item, shows in second handout slide
    \begin{itemize}
        \item<only@.|handout:2> Shows along with third item, and in handout slide
    \end{itemize}

\end{enumerate}

\end{frame}

\end{document}