Graphic objects can be aligned horizontally and/or vertically to the frame of the displays or to other objects.
If only one object is selected, the alignment is in relation to the display frame. If multiple objects are selected, the alignment is relative to each other.
In the "Align" dialog, the type of execution can be defined. The selected object can be aligned vertically to the top, center, or bottom, as well as horizontally to the left, center, or right. The alignment functions are also available without further configuration options via the Floating Toolbox for graphic objects and the Object Palette.
The Standard Elements of the Align Dialog
Preview
At the bottom left of the dialog is the icon for the preview. When activated, you see the left icon; when deactivated, the eye is crossed out. By default, the preview functionality is turned off.
Values are only assigned when you
-
press the "Assign" button or
-
switch to another section within the properties.
Back to the Original Values
This is a "Mini-Undo" – with this button, you return to the values that were last assigned to the paragraph. This is helpful when you have tried various things and want to revert to the original value without having to close the dialog.
Close
The properties dialog will be closed. Changes that have not yet been assigned will be lost. No confirmation will be requested.
Assign
The changes made will be assigned.
Aligning Objects to Each Other
Basics
Graphic objects can be aligned to each other. By default, alignment is done to the object that was last activated. If this is not desired, the mode must be changed to "Geometry" before aligning. Then, alignment will be based on the object that defines the selected direction (for example, for alignment to the left, the object that is positioned furthest to the left).
How It Works
The two lower objects are to be aligned to the upper object.
To do this, the two lower objects are first selected.
Next, the reference object is selected.
The dialog for alignment is called up, and the desired alignment is defined. Instead of the alignment dialog, the functionality from the graphic palette can also be used.
After confirming, you can see that the alignment has occurred as desired:
Relative Alignment of Objects
Basics
The alignment to the display frame can be done once or stored as a relative property.
In a one-time action, the element is positioned at the desired location and must be realigned or moved again if the size of the display frame changes. If the object to be aligned is a text frame, the spacing defined in the display margins and the frame line thickness will be taken into account during alignment.
If the element is anchored (relative alignment), for example, the footer of a display, no further intervention is necessary if the display size changes. The relative alignment function should not be used in display types that have a flexible height, as this function affects the display height.
The anchoring is ended by deactivating the "Anchor" checkbox.
To prevent text from other text frames from flowing into such anchored elements, this should be considered when defining the display margins.
How It Works
Special Case: Graphic Object Should Grow as a Display Frame
In this case, you draw a graphic object in the display box. Now you align this object relative to the display frame. Then, you set the position and size via the rights of the graphic object. If the size of the display frame changes due to text input, the fixed object also changes size.
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.