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1. Re: anchor existing objects?
P Spier Jul 21, 2009 8:38 AM (in response to mattaca)You can start by cutting and pasting inline, then selecting and either right clicking or using the Object menu to access the Anchored Object Options dialog. Inline is just one flavor (the default) for anchored objects, but you can position them anywhere you like.
You can also insert an anchored object placeholder at any active text insertion point. Take a look in the Help files for Anchored Object and you'll find lots of information.
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2. Re: anchor existing objects?
mattaca Jul 21, 2009 8:45 AM (in response to P Spier)Thanks! That's a good start. I didn't realize you could convert items from inline to custom positioning after they had been pasted. Is there a way to convert all inline objects to custom positioning? I'm going to be doing this a lot. Maybe that's a question for the scripting forum?
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3. Re: anchor existing objects?
P Spier Jul 21, 2009 9:17 AM (in response to mattaca)If they're already in place I don't see how you could convert them en mass without a script, but you can create an object style that includes anchored object settings, and that can be set as the default for a graphics frame, so you wouldn't have to set it each time you paste.
HOWEVER, despite what you might think, you cannot assign a default object style to anything drawn with a frame tool -- they always revert to None as soon as they are drawn -- so you need to use a shape tool instead if you want to go that route. Shapes are just frames with no pre-assigned content type, and they will honor the object style set as the default for graphic frames. I used this technique recently to put hundreds of images into a book, all positioned and text wrapped as soon as they were pasted as the first character of the description text.
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4. Re: anchor existing objects?
mattaca Jul 21, 2009 12:23 PM (in response to P Spier)Unfortunately, I misunderstood your response and tried changing my default object style for [Basic Graphics Frame] to include anchored object settings. Without my knowledge, this style was applied to master page items, some of which had been detached from their masters. It caused a cascade of problems, which was quite the pain to fix. To anyone else who may be reading this thread, I recommend creating a NEW style that has anchored object settings turned on by default.
The one thing you said that I don't understand is "you can create an object style that includes anchored object settings, and that can be set as the default for a graphics frame, so you wouldn't have to set it each time you paste." What do you mean set as the default? If it reverts to "none" when I draw graphic frames, how can it be set as the default?
What I ended up doing was using file multi-place from bridge and then contact sheet cascade. Once all the images were in a grid I selected all of them and applied the object style. Then, when I went to cut and paste each on in where it belongs, it pasted as an anchored object with custom positioning. Worked fairly well, but if there's a way to do it faster, I'd love to know!
Matt
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5. Re: anchor existing objects?
P Spier Jul 21, 2009 1:13 PM (in response to mattaca)That WAS a bit of a confusing answer, and I'm sorry. First, [Basic Graphics Frame] is the regular default object style ostensibly for graphic frames but in reality for shapes, and [Basic Text Frame] is applied to text frames. If you look at the panel you'll notice little icons on the right of those two style names. You can drag these icons onto another style and they become the new default, or just select another style before drawing.
As I mentioned, Object styles don't affect frames drawn withthe frame tools (with the X) unless applied after the frame is installed. This is becasue no stroke or fill is hard-carded for default frames. If you use the shape tools instead (without the X) you can place either graphic or text content into them, and the take onthe attributes of the default graphic frame style when you draw them.
Peter
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6. Re: anchor existing objects?
mattaca Jul 21, 2009 1:19 PM (in response to P Spier)Thanks. That makes more sense. They should probably not call it [Basic Graphics Frame] since it doesn't get applied by default. Sort of confusing!
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7. Re: anchor existing objects?
P Spier Jul 21, 2009 1:27 PM (in response to mattaca)The documentation has incorrectly said that you could apply a default stroke or fill to a graphics frame ever since there was an InDesign, as far as I know. I pointed out the incorrectness of this to the head writer when I did a review of the help files last year, but it doesn't appear to have been corrected yet.



