Formatting fields

[Matthew F]

These fall into the category, "things that baffle me but are so simple I'm almost too afraid to ask..."

 

1.  Sometimes, in Layout mode, when I click on a field directly the layout tools are dimmed (font, bold, underline, etc.).  However if I select the field by dragging the mouse across it, then all the layout tools are active.  What's that all about? 

 

2. What is the best way to ensure that layout text, text fields, and numeric fields all line up nicely on a straight line?  It seems like numeric and text fields don't always line up well, especially if they have been stretched vertically.  Setting the alignment to the bottom, and using the 'align > bottom edges', doesn't really do it like I'd expect.  Sometimes I want to stretch the field vertically a little bit to be sure that it doesn't get clipped on Windows or FM Go, but this makes the alignment harder.   

Suggestions?  

[eos]

1. No idea, never experienced this.

 

2. Use a guide to align the base lines.

[Matthew F]

 

 

No idea, never experienced this...

 

How can this be? I notice it constantly.  Just go to any database in layout mode, click on a blank area of the layout, and then click on a field. The field will be selected but the layout tools are dimmed.  All you can do is move/resize the field.  If instead you click on the Desktop and then click on field (twice), or if you click and drag to select a field, it becomes selected with active layout tools. And then any other field you select will be active too, until you click on a blank part of the layout again, then a subsequent field click will render it 'inactive'.   Is that not true for others? 

 

Thanks for the tip about guides/baselines.

[eos]

I see, you're talking about the layout tools in the Formatting Bar. You're right, now I've observed it too; I didn't see it because I ignore the Formatting bar and only use the tools in the Appearance tab of the Inspector, which immediately spring into action/availability.

[Matthew F]

You're right, its the formatting bar that's inactive ... I guess this is a bug, not a feature.  Good to know that the Appearance pane of the Inspector works. 

[LaRetta]

Sometimes I want to stretch the field vertically a little bit to be sure that it doesn't get clipped on Windows or FM Go, but this makes the alignment harder.   

 

Hi Matthew,

 

And this is good practice.  I can always tell if someone uses Mac only when viewing on Windows because text gets cut off (fields not tall enough) and if there are several lines of text, the last few lines completely disappear.  The vertical alignment of text within the field has never worked very well and they have not fixed it in v12.  This is particularly true if using some of the themes where alignment will refuse to move at all unless you remove the theme style completely.  I look forward to future versions where we will have more control.

 

Sometimes to get the text to centre perfectly on the vertical within the text box, you must change the line height to 1.3 instead of 1.  We can usually nudge the text up or down a bit.  I really hope they fix this in next version ... it drives me nuts trying to align on the vertical.

[Matthew F]

 

 

Sometimes to get the text to centre perfectly on the vertical within the text box, you must change the line height to 1.3 instead of 1

Hi Laretta,

I never think about altering line height...    

 

Some of the v.12 themes are nice for making FM Go layouts.  Are there any FM v.12 themes ensure that fields generated on a Mac will not get clipped on a PC? 

[LaRetta]

I don't know, Matthew.  It seems that the themes I've reviewed allow extra height so they should display fine x-plat.  Ocean and Cool Grey also have iPad layouts already configured so it would be easy to test.  However, some of the themes place the text too low (even when vertically centered) and I end up adjusting them further.