\node[violet!75,ultra thick,draw,rounded rectangle,fit=(marker-#1-a.center) (marker-#1-b.center)] {};%
}
-% add function to build a huge centered dropshadow
+% DEPRECATED function to build a huge centered dropshadow
\newcommand\dropshadow[3]{%
\node[black!30!white] at (#1+0.1,#2-0.1) {
\scalebox{2}{\Huge \textbf{#3}}
};
}
+% more flexible non-tikz alternative with no dropshadow
+\newcommand\centertext[2]{%
+ \newlength{\centertxtlen}
+ \makeatletter
+ \setlength{\centertxtlen}{#1}%
+ \setlength{\centertxtlen}{0.35\centertxtlen}%
+ {\centering
+ \fontsize{#1}{2\centertxtlen}\selectfont
+ \e{#2}
+
+}
+% \end{center}
+}
+
+
% add function to stop numbering appendix slides
\newcommand{\backupbegin}{
\newcounter{framenumberappendix}
\backupbegin
\begin{frame}[plain]
-\begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture,overlay,shift={(current page.center)}]
-\dropshadow{0}{0.7}{Example and}
-\dropshadow{0}{-.7}{Data Appendix}
-\end{tikzpicture}
+\centertext{7em}{Example and Data Appendix}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}{A sample slide}