Paragraph Format for Notes, Tips & Warnings With Graphics

Cheryl Bowsher wrote: I have been reading Publishing Fundamentals and it says you can create a paragraph format that uses the Frame Above Pgf & Below Pgf and Graphics Frames to create a Paragraph Style for Notes, Tips, Warnings, etc. that includes lines above and below and a graphic to the side. I am attaching a FrameMaker file that shows what I have been able to accomplish and also shows what I really want. To look at this file, save it and rename, dropping ".text" from the file name. I am using FrameMaker Version 8.0p277 (the Technical Communications Suite version). My colleagues all have FrameMaker 8 (not the Tech Comm Suite version) and I need to share my template with them. I appreciate any and all suggestions, Cheryl

Hi, Cheryl:

Search Google for "siliconprairie autotext" (without quotes) for an inexpensive tool, and "reficons" (without quotes) for a free tool. They both are useful for this kind of thing.

HTH

Regards,

Peter
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Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

Cheryl,

As you have noticed the paragraph format offers "Frame Above" and "Frame Below" options. To place stuff beside each other you have the option to use a table (used very often, but I don’t like to use tables for purely layout reasons) or work with two paragraphs, a side-head area and have the first paragraph positioned into the side-head area. But that would require the side-head area to be as wide as the symbol...

Your planned layout seems to required vertically centered text. But what should happen, if the text gets longer than the size of your "Note" icon? What should happen if there is more than a single paragraph of text? For sure, people would like to add lists to the note as well... Have you looked at the ANSI rules for warnings? They require a "heading" describing the "type of hazard" and at least a description "how to avoid" it.

If your layout requirements are as in your sample document and you want to use a single paragraph format for the Note content, your only option is to work with a table. I would not use an imported image in the first cell, but a special paragraph format which uses a Reference Frame, this would allow you to switch the symbols by selecting another paragraph format. Also that paragraph format can be part or the table format definition. You actions would then be: Insert Table, Tab, Enter text.

- Michael