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@HenryXiaoYang HenryXiaoYang released this 10 Oct 12:19
v0.0.1
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Learn about vigilant mode.

Realtime TeX Live Preview v0.0.1

The first release of a VS Code live preview for LaTeX that keeps up with your typing. It's built on realtime-tex (rtex), which keeps LuaTeX running and re-typesets only the paragraph you're editing, in about a millisecond. Page breaks, references and bibliographies follow from a full compile in the background.

Realtime editing demo

Highlights

  • Live preview as you type. Body text, inline and display math, \ref/\eqref/\cite, lists, theorems, figures, tables and headings update with each keystroke. Everything else (preamble changes, TikZ, moved floats, new page breaks) follows from the next full compile, usually a second or two later.
  • Live markers next to the line numbers. A solid green bar means a part updates live; a dotted amber bar means it waits for the full compile. Hover to see why.
  • One-click setup. Install rtex downloads the prebuilt engine for your platform and checks its SHA-256, with no Rust needed. Build from Source is still there. If LuaLaTeX is missing, the extension can install a minimal TeX Live 2026 for you. Check Setup finds and fixes anything else.
  • Linux, macOS and Windows, all native. Every platform is tested end to end in CI against the real engine.
  • Two-way navigation. The preview follows your cursor (Ctrl+Alt+J), and a double-click in the preview jumps to the source.
  • Errors where you work. LaTeX errors and warnings show in the Problems panel and as squiggles. A failed compile keeps the last good pages on screen and says what went wrong.
  • Export PDF (Ctrl+Alt+E). The output matches a clean LuaLaTeX build.
  • Fast drawing. The preview draws pages itself: OpenType/TrueType and Type1 fonts, colors, rules and images. Pages with TikZ or \specials are shown from the background PDF, and edits on them still appear live on top.
  • Stays up to date. rtex is checked once a day, and Update rtex Engine updates it on demand.

Getting started

  1. Install the extension (see below).
  2. Open a folder with a LaTeX project, open a .tex file, and click the preview icon in the editor title bar, or press Ctrl+Alt+V (Cmd+Alt+V on Mac).
  3. If rtex or LuaLaTeX is missing, the preview walks you through installing it.

The main file is found automatically, from a % !TEX root comment, \documentclass, or the file that \inputs the one you're editing.

Requirements: VS Code 1.85 or newer, and LuaLaTeX from TeX Live 2026 (the extension can install it).

Install

Download realtime-tex-0.0.1.vsix below. In VS Code, run Extensions: Install from VSIX… and pick it, or run:

code --install-extension realtime-tex-0.0.1.vsix

Known limitations

  • While a paragraph is half-typed and invalid (for example $e^$), it briefly disappears from the preview until the LaTeX is valid again.
  • A full compile stopped inside the preamble can be reported as successful by rtex, showing the previous pages. This is fixed on the rtex side, not in the extension.
  • See rtex's live editing guide for what can update live.
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