question about text frames

[pierret18811376]

Hello,

I am trying to make a layout inside Frame Maker, by putting several text frames inside the page (with the text frame button at left). But I don't see any smart guides between these text frames : by example, if I want to align two text frames, I would like to see some smart guides between these two text frame.

How to see these smart guides ?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Never used them [text blocks], but does something appear if you have your Text Symbols turned on?

[pierret18811376]

Hi Jeff,

with "text symbols" ON, I have only this symbol inside these two text frames, but no smart guides :

[frameexpert]

FrameMaker doesn't have ruler guides like InDesign, Quark XPress, and Illustrator. It does have a grid feature for aligning objects (View > Grid Lines). Then you can choose Graphics > Arrange > Snap to help you align objects to the grid. You can change the Grid Spacing in the View > Options dialog box.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Not sure what else you're looking for - I've never heard of "smart guides" in FM.

[Barb Binder]

Smart Guides are part of the Creative Cloud applications and differ from Ruler Guides which we pull down from the rulers. Both are alignment aids. Neither are in FrameMaker. 

~Barb

[Barb Binder]

Hi Pierre: 

Your layout is somewhat unusual for a FrameMaker document. It is more typically something we would do inDesign, and I know you know both, so it's worth thinking about.

But if you're trying to line things up in FrameMaker, you can use the Align panel: Graphics > Arrange > Align. It's definitely more clunky than the comparable panel in InDesign or illustrator, but you can use it to align objects.

What's not at all obvious:

• If you select one object, select an alignment button and click Align, the object aligns to the page. 
• If you select multiple objects, select an alignment button and click Align, the selected objects align with the last-selected object. (Like setting a key object in InDesign or Illustrator).

~Barb