FrameMaker graphics question

[Heiko Haida]

Hi Ken, 

in FM 12 you can define object formats which can be used along with the
import of graphics. (Maybe this is also possible in FM 11...). 

So, with activated option "use object style", you would automatically
apply a pre-defined format to the graphic, lets say a 0.5pt line and
runaround options = zero. 

About the tables: 

You may use an anchored frame as before and first put a text frame
inside filling it 100% (width). This text frame could hold any table you
want. And btw: A table can have a title at the bottom, so there is no
need to have a second row. You could display the figure no. as redefined
table no., which would go along with the table format (and para format
used here) automatically. 

Best regards - Tino H. Haida, Berlin 

Ken Poshedly: 

> I did cross-post this elsewhere because -- for whatever reason -- I don't see my infrequent posts on this list until one or two days after posting and that just doesn't work for me,
> 
> We produce operator and other manuals for a heavy equipment manufacturing company using FrameMaker 11.0 on a Windows XP plaform.
> 
> 1. Is there a way to force a certain width line border around all imported graphics as they are brought in?
> 
> 2. Is there a more "elegant" way to insert a sequential figure number than how my company currently does it?
> 
> Background for question 1:
> The procedure here for inserting images is to first insert a right-aligned anchored frame 3.25 in. wide. That frame is set to "Run into Paragraph" and as already stated, "Right Aligned"; it is anchored to its procedural text to the left, so if its procedural text is deleted or moved, that anchored frame goes with it. 
> 
> I then import by reference an subject image inside that anchored frame, scale it to 2.75 in. wide and then right-align it inside that anchored frame. (The height of the subject image, of course, then dictates the height of the anchored frame, but that's no problem.) That leaves a 0.50 inch margin between the left side of the subject image and the left side of the anchored frame.
> 
> The reason for the anchored frame, by the way, is to artificially force the procedural text for that subject graphic into a one-column format. Yes, I'm one of the few who still believes that a true two-column format should be used throughout a book (whether or not there are images on the right), but my NOT tech writing or page layout-sophisticated supervisor believes all white space on a page needs to be used. Thus, most pages wind up with a mix of one-column and two-column layouts. (Those paragraphs not accompanied by a graphic are full-page-width, while those paragraphs with a graphic are artificially left-column-width. Pretty sloppy to my way of thinking.)
> 
> Anyway . . . after importing, positioning and scaling the subject image as described above, I left-click on it (the image, not the anchored frame) and use the Graphics toolbox icons to select a solid black border that is 0.5 pt in width because all images (referenced or embedded) import "naked" (with no line border). 
> 
> So CAN a line border with a predefined width be set so we don't have to do it for every image? (Of course anchored frames with images that are used repeatedly are simply copied and pasted wherever required and they retain their size and border attributes.)
> 
> Background for question 2:
> 
> After the image is imported, positioned, sized and "bordered", a small text box is also placed inside the anchored frame but directly below the subject image and left-aligned with its left border. The empty paragraph marker within that little text box is then tagged "section graphic counter"; it is set to then automatically display the word "Fig." and the applicable chapter and sequential figure number separated by a hyphen. For example, "Fig. 1-2". Surely you get the idea.
> 
> That little text box is a problem because one has to eyeball its placement to make sure it's not too close and not too far from its subject graphic and that it is perfectly left-aligned with the left border of its subject graphic. Then the subject graphic's runaround props must be set to "Do not runaround" or else no graphic counter text appears inside the little text box.What a damn pain in the . . .!
> 
> Note that we do also use full-page-width images and in those cases, I simply insert a two-row, single-column table, stretch it to full-page-width, import and center the image into the top row (or "cell"), tag the empty paragraph marker inside row 2 as "section graphic counter" and the result is as described above (left-aligned text with "Fig. 1-2" or whatever), but without having to create another funky little text box.
> 
> I toyed with creating a one-column, two-row, right-aligned table to use this method for single-column-width graphics, but FrameMaker doesn't allow text to the left of a table (at least that I know of). And Frame (or a least MY version) doesn't allow placement of a table inside an anchored frame. (I just tried it once more and it won't.)
> 
> So again I ask if there a way to accomplish this whole extravaganza more simply?
> 
> Yep, it's Friday.
> 
> Ken in Atlanta 
> 
> _______________________________________________
 
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