Change heights of fields en-masse in layout mode

[Mandu]

I've got a mess of fields laid out vertically. Is there any shortcut for changing all of their heights at once? (e.g. from 20 pixels to 14). How about for compacting them vertically so that the bottom of one field coincides with the top of the one underneath?

Format Painter seemed the way to go for changing the heights, but I can't figure out how to apply it to a group of objects. (I'm in OS X)

I've also tried using the Size box, Alignment, and Field Format without luck.

Thanks,

Chap

[transpower]

Double-click on Format Painter to lock it; then apply it to all fields. Or: select all the objects and resize one them; all will change correspondingly.

[Ender]

Double-click on Format Painter to lock it; then apply it to all fields.

There's no toolbar in FM6 for OS X.

After using the format painter once, you can reselect it by hitting the Enter key.

[Mandu]

Neat -- good to know about the Enter key. Thanks!

Unfortunately, the field dimensions don't get applied by Format Painter. Anyone know how to do that to a group of fields at once?

[LaRetta]

Hi Mandu,

Transpower said...Or: select all the objects and resize one them; all will change correspondingly.

Not quite so, unfortunately ...

To change the height of several fields at once, they all must be the same starting height and be on the same horizontal level. If you do this, you can select 'Object size,' change size to px by clicking the 'in' spot (next to the numbers) until it toggles to px. Then change the 6th (bottom) box and tab out. This will change them all.

Why must they be on the same horizontal and be the same height to start? Because Object Size 'adds' their value together. So if you have two fields on the same horizontal, one is 18 px and the other is 16 px and you select them both, Object size will say they are 18 px (the largest). If you then change the height to 20, FM will incorrectly adjust them. The 18 will become 20 but the 16 will become 18.

Also, if you select them both and one is placed higher on the layout than the other (even if they both are 18 px), the combined size (6th box) will say they are 120 px high because that's the 'combined selection size'!! So if you then resize to 20, FM changes them both to 3 px

If the fields are scattered throughout a layout there simply isn't an easy way to mass change their height. The easiest way (for me at least), is to select one field, immediately double-click into Object row height (6th box) to select the existing number, type the new number which replaces the old, tab, then click the next field and repeat. It can go quite quickly - right hand on mouse to select the field then double click Object size box, left hand to type new number and tab. Repeat.

Same applies to field width. If you have several with different widths, selecting them all and adjusting them, will adjust them according to the widest width (from the selection). If one is 120 px wide and another 300 px wide and you change the width to 400, the 300 will change to 400, but the 120 will only change to 220. Object size always converts to the combined height/width of the total selection only. I simply could not live without Object Size always displayed on my layouts while working. I use it to line up fields quickly and jump objects about my layouts. It's a wonderful tool but mass resizing is not one of it's capabilities.

One more way if all the fields to change are the same height... If you select a field, then click Edit > Select All while holding down shift - only fields will be selected (no graphics etc) ... thanks Ray. Then select Arrange > Set Alignment. Select top to bottom (Center) and left to right (none). If they are the same height, this will place all fields (and only fields) on the same horizontal. You can then mass change their height; but you'll have to manually replace them in their proper positions again.

LaRetta