Inserting spacing between outline levels

[Blue Max]

How do we insert extra spacing between each level-1 outline elements, but
not between the subsections of any level-1 element. For example, see the
sample outline below (your reader display window may need to be widened to
prevent premature wrapping in the example below) :

1. LEVEL ONE - Item 1

2. LEVEL ONE - Item 2 (extra spacing from major element above)

3. LEVEL ONE - Item 3 (extra spacing from major element above, but
not subsection below)
a. Level two - Item 1 (no spacing above or below)
b. Level two - Item 2 (no spacing above or below)
c. Level two - Item 3 (no spacing above or below)
i. Level three - item 1 (no spacing above or below)
ii. Level three - item 2 (no spacing above, but spacing
below)

4 LEVEL ONE - Item 3 (extra spacing above between prior level
subsections and here)

In other words, major sections end up grouped together with their associated
subsections all being single spaced. However, extra space is added between
the major sections which are grouped together with their subsections. Our
dilemma is how to add space above the major level-1 paragraphs, but not
above the indented subsections (level-2 and above). If we add space above
the 'List Paragraph' style, then it affects every outline level, including
level one. How, do we customize the paragraph settings for individual
levels of an outline? Thank you for any help with this issue.

 

[DeanH]

You can use two methods to do what you require.
1. The best way would be to modify the Style of your "outline 1", hopefully
you have used styles and possibly this could be the Heading 1 style. I would
modify this to have (say) 12pt Space After, or change the Line Spacing to
Double (I prefer using space after as it is more controllable for my work),
when you OK this change, all occurances of Heading 1 will automatically
change to the new settings and any new usage of this style will have the new
settings applied. I say use Space After, but you could also change Space
Before and/or both to get the required layout.
2. If you have not used styles, you can use Find/Replace to search for
Paragraph attribute Outline Level 1. First ensure you dont have the cursor on
a Outline Level 1 text, have it anywhere in the body text, I will explain
below.
Press Ctrl+H (or Edit Replace) to open the Replace dialog, leaving the Find
What box empty but the cursor in it, click the More button, Format button,
Paragraph, select Level 1 in the Outline Level listbox (if you have the
cursor on level 1 text this option is greyed out). Leave all else blank. OK.
Click into the Replace With box, but leave blank, Click on Format button,
Paragraph,
now add the Space Before/After (or Line Spacing) that you want, OK. Replace
All.
All occurances of a Outline Level 1 will have changed to the new settings.
But be aware becuause you have not changed the style, any new text added will
not have this setting automatically and you will either repeat this procedure
or use the format painter, or manually add it again, or.. or...
If you have not already, get into using styles, Word works best when these
are used and controlling documents becomes easier. To get you started read
the following article which is a great introduction to the world of styles
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/concepts/styles/index.html


Hope this helps
DeanH

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you, Dean. It will take a little bit to digest this, but I think that
I follow you. However, I will likely use the spacing BEFORE a paragraph
because I don't want spacing between a level 1 item and the sub-levels that
follow. My challenge is to unravel how levels work compared to paragraph
outline styles. In the package I am migrating from, all the preset outline
styles already have the levels incorporated into the outline style. This
was great because any standard outline could immediately be expanded,
collapsed, moved, displayed by level, etcetera.

I don't quite understand why Microsoft would provide shipping outlines
without associations to the levels already? Furthermore, I am also a little
confused as to how levels relate to the table of contents. If I assign
levels to one of my numbered outline styles, will they all of a sudden begin
to show up in the table of contents? My last word processor had a separate
family of codes for assigning items to the table of contents versus to
outline levels.

Thanks,

Richard

**********************

 

[DeanH]

BlueMax.
I may misunderstand but the built-in Heading styles do already have outline
levels set - shipped out as you say - and if you modify the Style bvia the
Modify dialog all occurances in the document will change to the new setting
("immediately be expanded...").

The outline levels are not directly related to the TOC. This is controlled
by the TOC Options listing (found in the Index and Tables dialog, TOC tab,
Options button) here you link Style to the TOC level (not Outline level) but
a default Word has already linked the Heading Styles to the appropriate TOC
level so many people think that the Outline level is related to the TOC as
they dont see the TOC options listing.
So they could "sudeenly appear" in your TOC, depends on the style you use
and the settings in the Options.
All the best
DeanH