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Question

Feel free to share the most useful things you have done in LaTeX.

Whether it's newcommands, tricks, macros, snippets, keyboard shortcuts, or anything you've used and thought, "geez, if only I had done this earlier... I should share this somewhere."

Share and describe it, and please don't repeat answers.

Answer 1

I go first :)

The degree symbol. (can be used in non-math ambient)

\newcommand{\degr}[0]{\ensuremath{^\circ}} 

Like commenting a code section, but on the compiled text, for “less important” parts - requires xcolor package

\definecolor{codegreen}{rgb}{0.333,0.4,0.25}
\newcommand{\ccom}[1]{{\color{codegreen} #1}} % use like \mb{content}

Shorter version of \textcolor{} - requires xcolor package

\newcommand{\gr}[1]{\textcolor{green}{#1}} 

For the mechanic students, signal convention for mechanics/statics on latex (still not the best, but may be helpful) - requires tikz package

\renewcommand{\smallsum}{% small version of sum (upper case sigma) symbol
    \mathop{\textstyle\sum}
}

\newcommand{\moment}{ % counterclockwise positive
    \mathrel{\begin{tikzpicture}[]
        \node at (0,0cm) {$+$}; % Ajusting vertical position of "+"
        \draw[->] (0.15,-0.2) arc (-90:90:0.2cm);
    \end{tikzpicture}}%
}

\newcommand{\vforce}{ % positive for up pointing forces
    \begin{tikzpicture}[]
        \node {$+$};
        \draw[->] (0.2,-0.2) -- (0.2,0.2);
    \end{tikzpicture}
}

\newcommand{\hforce}{ % positive for right pointing forces
    \begin{tikzpicture}[]
        \node {$+$};
        \draw[->] (-0.2,-0.2) -- (0.2,-0.2);
    \end{tikzpicture}
}

Shorter version of mathbf, I use overleaf, so I can't custom the shortcuts.

\newcommand{\mb}[1]{\mathbf{#1}} % use like \mb{content} (im lazy)