Ugly BLINKS with 2-portal display

[LaRetta]

I have a form with basic Client infomation. Below are two portals with 5 lines each, showing recent activity on a client. When I select any field, or particulary when I leave a portal, the screen 'redraws' itself, I think. It even shocks me, think what it will do to users! Any suggestions? Maybe I shouldn't have so much on a form?

[kennedy]

I've looked a lot at the flashing/blinking problem. I haven't looked a lot at portals, yet. Here's what I think I know:

Whenever you click somewhere that changes the "current record", FMP updates the window. Normally, that results in it just redrawing what is there, causing no flashing. But if you have any *transparent*fields*, then it must first redraw everything under that field and then the field... just in case the field changed. That results in a flash effect, as it redraws layer by layer.

The solution: avoid transparent fields like the plague. Work your design such that you can give them an opaque background. If you must have transparent fields, then try to minimize the number of objects that they overlap, thus minimizing the propogation of the redraw.

HTH.

[LaRetta]

It's a pretty clean, simple view. I made sure that each field in the portal is away from the edges within the body of the portal and that the portals are away from the layout edges (it used to cause problems in Approach). But, I DO have all the fields in the portal set to transparent. I will change that and see what happens! Thanks for the idea!

[LaRetta]

Geezzz, I had a field hidden under the portal, under the background! I moved the portal and background to be sure nothing else was hidden. How silly of me! Thanks for enlightening me and I'll be more careful with things like that. Sometimes, as I'm placing fields, if I don't immediately select Arrange:Bring to Front, they 'disappear' behind the background!