How to set default text color

[brobins]

In previous versions of FMP the default text color was black. Now, in 12... it is white. At least on my copy.  I thought I knew how set default color, text justification left, center and right. But, now it seems like it no longer works.

 

What am I missing?

 

brobins

[Lee Smith]

When this happens to me, it’s because I left the layout default to a different color i.e. white.

 

Go into layout mode, and without selecting any objects, change the text color using either the Inspector, or with the Menus.

 

By the way, I move this topic from the General topic for Version 12 because the General Topics are reserved for discussion about the Tool, Functions and Features that were new with that release of FileMaker. This could have been opposed in the Layout Topic or this one, Custom Themes, because we created this topic for the special tools in version 12. 

 

HTH

 

Lee

[Mark Scott]

Hi brobins,

 

Critical question:  what theme are you using?  In FM 12/13, the defaults are entirely driven by that; it's an entirely new paradigm compared with the previous versions with which you are familiar.  

 

In FM 12, you should choose a theme that has the styling closest to what you want; that choice will set your defaults.  Although you can override any number of individual layout objects, including text objects, with different settings, the defaults for new objects will stick with the underlying theme definition.  And just to add another wrinkle, the text color and other attributes may be different for text added to different layout parts.  For example, in some themes, text is black when added to the (light-colored) body, but white when added to, say, a (dark-colored) header.

 

In FM 13, you have more control over this, although still not in exactly the way you're accustomed to from 11 and earlier versions.  Here, you can actually change the defaults for a given theme, either on a per-layout basis or file-wide for all layouts using that theme.  The ability to define custom styles and themes (as well as change defaults for the built-in themes) is one of about 500 good reasons to upgrade to 13, if that's a feasible option for you.

 

hth,

 

Mark

[Lee Smith]

Hi Mark, 

 

Spot on. For some reason, I reverted back in time  to pre version 12. 

[LaRetta]

 

Spot on. For some reason, I reverted back in time  to pre version 12. 

 

Happens to me all the time.  I mix up 11, 12 and 13 now since I'm working in all three.  At least I'm not working in pre-7 any more!!

[Mark Scott]

Hi Mark, 

 

Spot on. For some reason, I reverted back in time  to pre version 12. 

 

Not so unusual, Lee.  The big announcement this past week from the BICEP2 project prompted me to go back and re-watch Brian Greene's stunning Nova series "The Fabric of the Cosmos."  According to part 2 of the series (on YouTube), reverting backward in time is not so farfetched after all.  Provides good cover for those of us who sometimes find ourselves reverting to older ways of thinking.

 

Mark