Dimensions of multiple selected objects?

[Courtney]

We're just in the process of upgrading to FM 12, and I have 12 Advanced on my machine for testing. I'm making some cosmetic updates to some of our files, and trying to line up and center multiple objects within the layouts. In FM 11, if I selected multiple objects, the "inspector" tool would show me the position and size of the objects as a set (i.e., the right edge of the right-most object selected and the left edge of the left-most object selected). In FM 12, when I select mutiple objects, the "Position" dimensions just zero out and the "Size" dimensions just don't change. Is there an option or a way to easily check the dimensions of a group of objects like this? (As a temporary fix, I actually "grouped" them and then "ungrouped" them, but once I start adding in my button definitions, I won't want to lose them via grouping and ungrouping.)

 

[Mark Scott]

Hi Courtney,

 

Temporarily grouping is the way to accomplish this in FM 12/13.  The upside of the new approach is that it allows you to select multiple objects and set a uniform width and/or height for all of them via the inspector, as well as to see if they already have the same dimensions.  The downside is, well, having to group in order to adjust the position or size of multiple objects "as a group," as you could in 11 and earlier.

 

I share your concern re temporarily grouping objects that include buttons.  I think, however, that you should be OK.  In contrast to the situation of ungrouping where the group as a whole had been assigned a button action (which is then lost on ungrouping), you can group, then ungroup, objects, one or more of which is a button (or nested group with a button action assigned), without losing the button assignments on the individual objects.  So, you should be safe to use the "group-adjust-ungroup" approach.

 

hth,

 

Mark

[Courtney]

Thanks Mark - I hadn't thought to check whether the button definitions would be lost if I grouped several "groups" like that.