Figure Numbering Problem

[Howard Rauch]

First, thank you to all who have responded so far. I haven't yet had an opportunity to evaluate and implement your suggestions, but I certainly will. I had thought of doing what Eric Dunne suggested, but had held off trying that solution.

Second, I should have identified the location of the figure number as a"text frame" instead of a "text box." Work I do for another client usually has mostly full page figures (anchored frames) with multiple graphics frames inside -- often as many as 14 or 15 -- and a text frame with the figure number and there has never been a problem. This is one reason why it baffles me so. OTH, that client uses tiff files, not eps.

Howard Rauch
 
Technology Transfer, Inc.
"Linking Creators and Users of Technology"
933 North 18th Street
Manitowoc WI 54220
Office: 920-682-1528
Cell: 920-629-0080



----- Original Message ----
From: Howard Rauch <techtransfer at sbcglobal.net>
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 10:18:38 PM
Subject: Figure Numbering Problem


I am having a problem numbering figures in service manuals developed by my client. The manuals are range from 3- to 40 pages. My job is to revise the client's existing manuals to account for annual updates and design changes for each of my client's products. We are both using FrameMaker 7.0 on a PC platform and a Windows XP operating system.. 
 
Figures are automatically numbered using a Figure tag for which the automatic numbering format X:Figure <n+> (developed by the client). Most are smaller in-column figures with a ruling line around the figure frame. In previous versions of the manuals, the client had placed the figure numbers outside the frame, but now they have asked me to move them inside the frame, so I set up a text box inside the graphics frame and tag the text as Figure. What happens is that many times, figure numbers will repeat themselves. For example, I may have three or four consecutive figures numbered as Figure 4, followed by Figure 5 and two figures numbered as Figure 6. All text is part of the same flow. The only way I have found to correct it is to override the automatic numbering with a specific figure number, which of course defeats the purpose of auto numbering.
 
The manual I am currently working on has 30 figures. I created the last 6 or 7 and inserted the text box for the figure. When I tagged the text the numbers for each figure was identical. I also noticed in making cross-references that the figure numbers in the tag list were not in sequence. Example Figure 9 appeared before Figure 8.
 
The only items automatically numbered in the manuals are page numbers in a footer on the underlying page and the figure numbers. Is it necessary to set up the automatic numbering format as X:Figure <n+>< =0>?
 
Howard Rauch

 
Technology Transfer, Inc.
"Linking Creators and Users of Technology"
933 North 18th Street
Manitowoc WI 54220
Office: 920-682-1528
Cell: 920-629-0080