Two-column layout and large graphics

[Lester C. Smalley]

What you describe is the FrameMaker's only 'automatic' behavior for a
figure that spans multiple columns.

You can also do it completely manually, but it causes all sorts of
additional problems, especially if the content will be edited and thus
may reflow.  If this is absolutely necessary, it should be done as the
of the last actions in the file before publishing, so that the reflow
issues is avoided for this release of your document at least.

To achieve the text continuing down a column and around an intervening
graphic before flowing to the second column requires a custom page
layout. If this is something that happens regularly, you can create a
special master page for the design, but if it is infrequent, you can
simply customize the existing body page.

At the point where the graphic occurs, place your cursor (either at the
end of the 'anchor' paragraph or start of the following paragraph) and
from the Format menu, choose Customize Layout > Split Text Frame.  This
will create two frames, but they are connected by default and remain in
the same flow.  

You can adjust the columns vertical size to open enough space for the
image: select the bottom frame as an object and drag the top-center
reshape handle down.  For additional columns, repeat in each and adjust
the frame sizes so that the upper ones end on an equal horizontal line,
and the lower ones start at the same positions.

Your graphic will be placed STATICLY in the empty space between the
upper and lower text frames, i.e., it no long will move as with an
anchored frame as text is edited/formatted.  It can be pasted directly
onto the page, or if you prefer you can draw a graphic frame first and
place the image within it.  More work with the only tangible benefit
that if the graphic can be cropped by the frame size if necessary.

You will wind up with something like this, where the letters indicate
the order in which text flows (NOT the text flow label - they all remain
the same [typically "A"] text flow):

+-----+  +-----+
|     |  |     |
|  A  |  |  C  |
|     |  |     |
|     |  |     |
+-----+  +-----+
   (graphic)
+-----+  +-----+
|     |  |     |
|  B  |  |  D  |
|     |  |     |
|     |  |     |
+-----+  +-----+

As you can see, it is possible, but defintely requires a moderate degree
of effort.  And if the doucmetn is revised, it will have to be redone to
reflect the new location of the spanning image.  To me, it's not worth
the effort except in very special circumstances.

On Thursday, October 23, 2008 18:22, Linda G. Gallagher wrote:
 
| Framers,
| 
| FM 8, unstructured
| 
| Thanks all for the anchor tag reasons. Those will help me explain.
| 
| I have another question related to a layout that a client wants to
| use in FM. Their documents are landscape, with two columns (not
| side heads).
| 
| Sometimes a graphic, like a screenshot, is too big to fit in the
| column and has to go across the columns. When I set the anchor tag
| to go across all columns and the anchored frame to align left and
| not be cropped, I can get the graphic to go across the two columns.
| Are there any other methods to get the graphic across the two
| columns? I could not figure any others out.
| 
| After I do that, the text that came before the graphic spreads out
| across the two columns above the graphic and the text that came
| after the graphic spreads out into the two columns below the graphic.
| (This is a little hard to describe. I've attempted to "draw" it
below.)
| 
| Text before graphic     Text before graphic continued
| Text before graphic     Text before graphic continued
| 
| Graphic -------------------->
| 
| Text after graphic      Text after graphic continued
| Text after graphic      Text after graphic continued
| 
| Is this normal for this type of layout? I rarely use two columns,
| and don't have graphics that  go across the two columns when I do.
| 
| I think the client would prefer that the text in the left column
| continue down the left column below the graphic, then continue to
| top of the right column, then below the graphic in the right column.
| Attempt at drawing that below.
| 
| Text before graphic             Text after graphic
| Text before graphic             Text after graphic
| 
| Graphic ---------------------------->
| 
| Text before graphic continued    Text after graphic continued
| Text before graphic continued    Text after graphic continued
| 
| Is there a way to do that in FM?
| 
| I hope this makes some sense. Thanks in advance for your ideas!
| 
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Linda G. Gallagher
| TechCom Plus, LLC
| lindag at techcomplus dot com
| www.techcomplus.com
| 303-450-9076 or 800-500-3144
| User guides, online help, FrameMaker and
| WebWorks ePublisher templates
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Lester 
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Lester C. Smalley              Email: lsmalley AT infocon DOT com 	
Information Consultants, Inc.  Phone: 302-239-2942 FAX: 302-239-1712	
Yorklyn, DE  19736               Web: www.infocon.com	
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