Initially, I wrote these two files to help a friend of mine who started preparing his thesis with LyX as a complete newbie. Since I had some experience with that beautiful LaTeX front-end, I decided that – while helping him – I could build a thesis template suitable by every other student of my Faculty.

The most important service offered by the layout file (deistesi.layout) is the implementation of the rules for building the title page of the thesis (in Italian, frontespizio). In fact, it is very easy to build it (like the dedication) through the LyX Graphical User Interface. It’s as easy as adding a chapter or section title.

It is recommended the use of this layout file to all those students who don’t have the time to learn LaTeX, while willig to write their thesis with this fantastic document preparation system.

Inside the template of thesis it is shown how to start the roman and arabic numbering system; the use of fancyheader package for making headers; and the use of a newly defined command for big letters at the beginning of chapters.

Instructions on how to use the layout file:

1. copy deistesi.layout to the directory where LyX stores its layout files in your system;
2. open LyX and reconfigure it, then restart it;
3. create a new document and assign it the document class “thesis (DEIS)”, which is the one provided by my layout file;
4. before you start writing, you have to manually configure some parameters:

• font size = 12;
• interline space = one and a half;
• page style = plain;
• document on 2 sides = enabled;

Everything else should be set to the default value.

Download files:

• deistesi.layout
• thesis template

Below is a preview of the title page:

Below, how it looks like inside LyX 1.5.3: