Landscape tables in FM 12?

[michelep55318063]

In some portrait-oriented chapters, I am about to make long and wide tables that are multiple pages in length. I'd prefer to have them be landscape-oriented.

I found a forum reply that says once a table is rotated, it cannot be edited. Is that always the case?

Years ago, I thought there was an easy way to do this in FM 6, but then I didn't use FM for several years, and am now trying to work my way back into FM, using version 12, a very different animal.

Do I have to create all of the tables squished into portrait orientation, and then only rotate them just before I have to create PDF output files? That would be a nightmare, because these will be tables that require fairly regular editing.

Thanks,

Michele

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

You can rotate the template frames as an override, but I prefer to create rotated master pages (a left and a right) and apply them to the body pages with the tables so that I can continue to edit the tables without tipping my head. And because I don't want the text from the portrait pages to flow onto the rotated pages, I use a new flow tag. Step by step instructions are here:

Adobe FrameMaker: Adding a Landscape Page to a Portrait Document - Rocky Mountain Training

Come back and ask if you have any questions.

~Barb

[michelep55318063]

Barb, thanks so much! I really appreciate it. This sounds like exactly what I was looking for. Will try it very soon.

(I want to mark your answer as correct, but my screen does not show the ‘Correct’ button that I’m supposed to be able to click below the answer…)

Michele

[Barb Binder]

Hi Michele: I'm glad that will work, and usually the button will show when you click the title of the post at the top, in this case: Landscape Tables in FM12?, and then scroll back down.

Thanks!

~Barb

[michelep55318063]

Sigh. Thanks, tried that. Still not getting a ‘Correct’ button. I really don’t want to leave the red ‘Not Answered’ there when you did indeed answer the question.

Michele

[Barb Binder]

Thanks, Jeff_Coatsworth​ You're the best!

[Barb Binder]

Hi Meredith:

Auto-numbers increment through the same flow tag, if you are using B for the rotated tables, then no. I normally just have a few so can manually adjust the numbering, I.e., <n=15> in B, <n=16> in A, then back to <n+>. The other option is to use a single flow tag, which has the issue of text flowing onto the wrong-oriented page.

~Barb

[Barb Binder]

If you want to use the single flow tag—you can set up the new Landscape masters as Flow A and with auto-connect on. You can assign the master pages two ways, both outlined here:

Adobe FrameMaker: Creating Custom Master Pages - Rocky Mountain Training

Adobe FrameMaker: Automatically Assigning Custom Master Pages - Rocky Mountain Training

It seems to me that you will want two TableTitle tags—one for the portrait tables and one for the landscape tables so that you can use the master page mapping table to assign the landscape masters automatically, as per the second post. (You can call both into the LoF and they will come in sequentially.) You can also set up the mapping table to call in the default masters, but you will have to be vigilant because text can now flow between the portrait and landscape pages.

Meredith, I have to start my drive into the city to teach today. If you have more questions, just ask and someone else will surely see it and step in to help. I'll check back on you at the end of the day.

~Barb

[Barb Binder]

Hey Meredith!

Just checking back in. How did it go today? Did you get the tables/master pages straightened out?

~Barb

[Barb Binder]

I totally get it!