I have noticed that you cant line up text via the Object Editor > Horizontal &Vertical Position.

Create a text object say in ariel 14 and set it on the Horizontal (or Horizanta as it states) to 220 and the Vertical to 120.

Create another similar text object and set the Horizontal to 320 and the Vertical to 120.

I have found that they do not line up at all.

OK, we'll look into it.


- Derry

I do NOT mean this as sarcasm. But the issue of lining up objects on the Work Page only to find them quite somewhere else in Preview Mode has been such a long standing issue that I have forsaken any notions of reporting it.

I mentioned to you, and sent an example, Derry, a long time ago that if you take an item out of the Title Editor and line it up on what you think is the centre of some background object on the Work Page, you will find that it shifts up vertically in Preview Mode or upon Publishing. Thus I always line things up low on the Work Page with regards to the "z" co-ordinate. If I want it at z=z1, then I will line it up on the work page at z=z1-delta,

Its a guessing game: that is the only problem. But I presume that that is what Preview Mode is for. I have just assumed that you assemble things on the work page and work interactively with Preview Mode to position things in the correct position. Heck, the "double underline" on my financial page which looks so nice on publishing sits right in the middle of the number it is underlining on the work page.

In short then, I thought that AndyP's problem was more or less how things happened. I still get an extra large gap between the first and second line in the text editor in SVG.

Am I to understand, then, that things should come out in Preview Mode more or less the way they look on the Work Page???? Because if that is true, you have problems, or I do.

RC

Robert C. Smith

Hi Derry,

The "Bible" isn't acceptable either; but notice the gap between the first and second lines in the text. That is the reality I presented as professional work. It isn't acceptable and to the best of my knowledge this has been a long standing problem.

http://members.shaw.ca/rrsknox/ksmandat.svg

Can it be fixed?? Soon??

Thanks,
RC

Robert C. Smith

AndyP:

The co-ordinates to line up text are actually working right. However, they are reading the 'centre' of the object, not the top-left as I think you are expecting. The reason for this is that Web Engine creates interactive animation. Like Flash, objects can move, rotate, scale, and even change shape. In order to create an animation, the software needs to know the centre of the object, because the top-left might change.

The best way to set an object in place relative to another for non-animation purposes is to use the snap-grid or tab lines.

Let me know if this does not make sense, or if you have any problems.

- Derry

Muzzy:

First off your page is not viewable. I am not sure what other people are seeing but we are getting an error message. It may be that the mime type is not set on your server.

With respect to the text not lining up, can you please use the form located here: http://www.virtualmechanics.com/support/v2beta.html and we will look into it. Please keep in mind that Engine V2 is still in beta and if you find that the bugs associated with a beta release are not acceptable you may wish to reconsider using it.


- Derry

Yes.... I understand that now....

And when you mention "Tab" lines I presume that this refers to the tab alinement in the Text Editor which seems to be set at 4 be default. Thus, if you only type one word, the broken lined box around the text object in the editing page is extended to the full length.

What I usually do then is reduce this box to an appropriate size for that text object of a single word. Therefore this reducing in size must be spot on to just wrap around the word.

So, if I type the text "Hello" and reduce the lined box to fit the word exactly that will give me the exact centering. However, if I use the same word "Hello" and only guess the reduction then the positioning will be off because the centre is different.

However, if I reduce the second "Hello" to the exact size again I can place the second "Hello" directly over the first "Hello" and they line up perfectly.

Of course the other way is to slide the tab alignment along to the end of the last piece of text in the Text Editor, which is simple enough to do.

So, is it possible to have somethig like a word wrap in the Text Editor which would automatically wrap the broken lined box exactly.

Again, something like this makes Web Engine / Spinner more attractive and easier to work with.

The only other point I can mention is that the the broken lined box is always one line more in depth.

And, what do you call this broken lined box anyway?

In the meantime, now I know what to do it is easy.

[This message was edited by AndyP on January 29, 2003 at 07:01 PM.]

I think Derry was referring the tabs in the ruler of the main editor.

To use those, make sure the ruler bars are showing (menu View/Ruler) and click on the white space in the ruler. That will set a tab. Move the tab by dragging it. Drag it off the ruler to remove it. It helps if "Display Tab Guides" is also turned on.

Once you have a tab guide set, select an object or a group of objects then click on one of the blue alignment arrows (or Arrange/Align menu items). Each click will align the objects with the next tab guide or display border in the direction of the arrow. the right arrow aligns the right edge of the object, the left arrow aligns the left edge. Up and down arrows align the top and bottom.

Another good way to keep everything aligned is to set the Tools Option, Snap Grid Resolution to something larger like say, 30 and enable Snap Grids. Then whenever you move or size an object with the mouse it jumps to the nearest grid line.

I don't know the official term for the dotted box. I call it 'text box outline'.

Harpo