Columns in middle of chapter - Answers

Tue Oct 10 08:29:07 PDT 2006

Thanks to all who sent suggestions, especially Glenn Voyles, Bodvar 
Bjorgvinsson, Grant Hogarth, Richard Doll, Daniel Emory
Two of the most complete are included below.

Since there are only 2 small, 2-column sections in the middle of a 
135 page document, I opted to not mess with the master pages, but 
instead use the split text frame override for those 2 places.  I 
included a little extra white space in the lists to allow for future 
expansion, and will hope for the best.

Thanks for all the help!

Lisa

==============================================================
From: "Richard Doll"

1. Position your "TextCursor" at the start of the paragraph that you want to
begin multi-column matter.
2. Select "Format > Customize Layout > Split Text Frame". This will cause
the cursor to change to the Non/text variety and also the text area to be
split in two vertical pieces.
3. Move the Non-text Cursor into the new frame area and "right click". -
This will open a dropdown window.
4. Select "Properties". This will open the properties window" and in it set
the column quantity desired and the column gutter width "Gap" desired. An
finally select "Set".

To continue the two column matter on additional pages . . .do 3 and 4.
To end the multi-column text . . . do 1, 2, 3 and 4.

These variations from the Master pages ARE BOUND to the PAGEs on which they
were defined,
So . . . changes/additions of matter before and within the variations will
likely experience "flow" issues!

==============================================================
 From  Daniel Emory

>There is a viable way to do this in FrameMaker.
>
>First, your Left and Right master pages must both be converted from a
>single-column page layout to a 2-column layout.
>
>Second, to make it work, you must have two sets of paragraph formats
>which at differ in a single setting within the Pagination pane of the
>Paragraph Designer,
>namely:
>
>1. the paragraph formats for the ordinary single-column content are all
>set to "Across All Columns":,
>
>2. The paragraph formats for the 2-column content are set to " In
>Column".
>
>Take note also that you'll need to define 1- and 2-column paragraph
>formats for graphic and table anchors if the 2-column text contains
>graphics or tables.
>
>With this setup:
>
>Each time you switch from a 1-column paragraph style to a 2- column
>paragraph style, lines of 2-column text are produced. Then, switching
>back to a 1-column paragraph style will cause the lines of 2-column text
>above it to be balanced out within the two columns, and the text below
>will resume the 1-column layout
>
>You can switch back and forth between 1- and 2-column text multiple
>times within a single page, thus you can begin and end the 2-column text
>anywhere within the same page, or you can start the 2-column text
>anywhere on a beginning page, and end the 2-column text anywhere on a
>succeeding page.
>
>This solution works best when:
>
>A. Single-column text appears at the top of a page, and either fills the
>page or is followed by 2-column text which fills the rest of the page,
>or
>
>B. The 2-column text appears at the top of a page, and either fills the
>page, or is followed by 1-column text which fills the rest of the page.
>
>If, as you state, there are likely to be subsequent edits which cause
>both the 1-column text and the 2-column text to shrink or grow in size,
>you may find it necessary to manually force page breaks more often that
>usual in order to keep the 2-column text coherent. This, however, should
>not be much of a problem if all the 2-column text is in one solid,
>multi-page block that is preceded and/or followed by solid blocks of
>single-column text.
>
>
>
>Dan Emory & Associates
>FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
><danemory7224 at sbcglobal.net>
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-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D.	lisa at balbes.com		http://www.balbes.com/
Balbes Consultants		Scientific Writing/Editing since 1992
Author of:
"Nontraditional Careers for Chemists" published by Oxford University 
Press in September 2006
blog on Nontraditional Careers and Career Development for Chemists at 
http://balbes.com/wordpress/