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To: framers@xxxxxxxxx, framers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Floating footnotes, tables, anchored frames on double-spreads [was "Re: footnotemisconceptions"]
From: hedley_finger@xxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 14:15:11 +1000
Cc: techwr-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sender: owner-framers@xxxxxxxxx
All: **** Dedicated to Graeme Forbes, who has fought the good fight for footnote splitting since AD 1785 **** Marcus said ... > 2) I never said it was easy to get FrameMaker to do so, I simply noted > that the algorithms, in the context of a powerful publication application > such as FrameMaker, are simple. No, they ain't. This problem has been worked on since the mid-70s in the context of semi-automated newspaper layout, mixing content with advertisements, and in magazine layout. To my knowledge, all involved a trial and error approach of copy fitting in a continuum of desirable to bloody awful layout possibilities. However, the number of elements to be juggled by FrameMaker is considerably less. At the least we should be seeing some of these features by release 8. If you'all had had to make up dummies (rough paste-ups of galleys, tables, footnotes, and illustrations for the guidance of a film stripper making up pages) as any book editor of my age would have, you would realise that automatic placement of multiple elements is a non-trivial exercise, as the prostitute said to the bishop while free-falling. The basic problem is that the reference (anchor, footnote ref) points to an object (table, frame, footnote) that should be on the same page but the placement of the object forces the reference to the next page. Putting the object on the next page allows the ref to run back to the previous page. Thus the ref and object chase each other around in a vicious closed loop in algorithmic terms. Unfortunately FrameMaker approaches the basic problem with exclusive ORs (XOR): you can have Anywhere or Floating placement, but not both. Rather than forcing you to choose a particular placement of an object to the exclusion of other placements, the definition of an object should let you specify a series of placements from most desirable to least desirable, that is, try Anywhere but if that doesn't work try Floating and if THAT doesn't work try ... . RANT BREAK Why don't we have a Figure element which is equivalent to a single-celled Table element, in that title, caption, graphic "cell" and footnote are a single object? Why aren't the placement possibilities of anchored frames, tables, and the (proposed) Figure element harmonised, so that all have the same Anywhere, Floating, Below Para, At Insertion Point, etc. options? This would require both a change to the data format and a fancy algorithm. And there would have to be a hierarchy of WHICH elements have precedence over other elements. But we are still not out of the woods. You can still be trapped in the vicious cycle. Here are the various stratagems we employed in the Good Old Days: @ Pages have a nominal depth, but facing pages on a double-spread can be +- one line in depth; this sometimes lets the ref run over to the next page and keep its object on the same page. [FRAMEMAKER SHOULD REALLY LET YOU WORK IN DOUBLE-SPREAD AND ALLOW GRAPHICS AND TABLES TO CROSS THE GUTTER, AS PAGEMAKER, INDESIGN, AND QUARK DO. HOW ABOUT IT ADOBE?] @ Feather the text lines sufficiently on a double-spread to push ref onto same page as object (as this increases line spacing, MUST be done on double-spread so reader does not see an unfeathered page opp a feathered page). @ Combine previous two stratagems. @ Normally ref and object should be on the same PAGE but in extremis they can be on the same SPREAD. @ Let object be placed after the ref., so tables and figures can be placed on successive pages after the ref page with suitable xrefs at the anchor point. @ Let footnotes only split over successive pages. @ Let footnotes split over successive pages in strata. So, if you have eight large footnotes within a half page, each begins on the L page of a double-spread (whether ref on L or R page) but continuations are in bands on opp page. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx 5 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 4 x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 6 xxxxxxx ___________ 4 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn [4 cont] nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 5 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn [5 cont] nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 6 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn [6 cont] @ Let lenghty tables split over successive pages in a SINGLE stratum. That means the narrative text can continue underneath. In the present model, a massive table interrupts the flow of the narrative, so that the reader has to page forward to pick it up AFTER the table. @ Allow graphic objects to bleed off top or bottom of page, or at least top or bottom of photo or diagram aligns with header or footer and hides them (gains no of lines between text margin and header/footer). hhhhhhhhhhh +--------------------------+ | | +--------------------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +--------------------------+ +--------------------------+ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 4 xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ___________ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 4 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn fff fff @ Slash wrists. In some ways, easiest option, as then problem becomes someone else's. Regards, Hedley -- Hedley Finger Technical Communications/Technical communicator and FrameMaker mentor MYOB Australia <http://www.myob.com.au/> P.O. box 371 Blackburn VIC 3130 Australia <mailto:hedley_finger@myob.com.au> Tel. +61 3 9894 0945 Mob. +61 412 461 558 ** To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@omsys.com ** ** with "unsubscribe framers" (no quotes) in the body. **