Fm 8 - Track Changes - problems!

[Combs, Richard]

Stephen O'Brien wrote:
 
> The Track Changes feature uses, I assume,
> conditional formats to color text and manage changes (refuse, accept).
> 
> Problem: This feature seems to result in an
> unknown (un-named) conditional format affecting
> neighboring anchor symbols. So when I specify
> that only conditional format CF1 be shown, the
> polluted anchored frames that are supposed to
> have NO conditional format do not show, giving
> unresolved x-refs (see Fig. 3.1 but no anchored frame!!).

I don't have FM 8 and can't currently access FM 9, so I'm just
speculating. But I don't see anyone else jumping in, so...

It sounds like you're anchoring your figures to the preceding text pgf
instead of in a dedicated, empty anchor pgf. (I think the latter is the
better strategy, and this may be yet another reason.) If FM is flagging
the entire pgf as changed, there's no way to avoid what you're seeing --
except to move the anchors to empty pgfs before turning on Track
Changes. If only a string of text is flagged as changed, maybe the
problem is that the anchor is immediately adjacent to it or within it.
See if putting a space between the anchor symbol and the end of the text
prevents the frame from being "polluted." 
 
> I have found such situations in my current
> documents. Now if I try and use the normal dialog
> box to unconditionalize a selection of text
> containing the anchored frame symbol...nothing happens.

IIRC, the conditions used by Track Changes have some "secret sauce" that
makes them different from user-applied conditions, and you shouldn't try
to manipulate them outside of the Track Changes functionality. 

Besides, if you have Track Changes on, changing the conditions applied
to a text selection is a change that should be tracked, isn't it? I
think you're dangerously close to a time-travel-like paradox here. :-)

> 
> Solution: I have to (1) move the anchored frame
> symbol elsewhere to a paragraph without any track
> changes, and (2) delete the still conditionalized
> text manually and re-enter that text and recreate any affected x-refs.

I'm confused about what you're trying to accomplish. If you're still
tracking changes, moving the anchor is yet another change to be tracked.
So is deleting and re-entering text. If you're not, why don't you clear
the special Track Changes conditions the way they're supposed to be
cleared, using the Track Changes feature? 

Richard


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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