deprecated the drop shadow

slides_template/example.tex

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
         \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}}
@@ -42,6 +42,21 @@
   };
 }
 
+% 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}
@@ -193,10 +208,7 @@ An itemized list:
 \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}