Jumping graphics

[Richard]

I have had continual problems putting graphics, tables,
etc. where I want them. I drag them to one place and they
jump to some other place, sometimes off the pages. Captions
jump around independently from the associated figures. I
change the text wrapping properties of a table to "none",
move the table, and find that the text wrapping properties
have been changed back to "around". I get the graphic where
I want it, save the file, and when I reopen the file the
graphic is somewhere else. Moving a table on page 5 causes
a figure to jump off page 3. The problems seem worse when I
have two columns.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Use Cut/Paste instead of dragging to move your tables, and format your
graphics as In Line with Text whenever possible, and this will save you a
lot of trouble.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Chris Anderson \(wood\)]

I don't think I understand this newsgroup. Is this a
venting situation with no real help. I am with Richard in
my frustration with inserting graphics in word. I never
had this problem with previous versions, but now the page
breaks go away, text boxes don't want to appear where you
want them and the graphics get choppy. This is not a
video card issue because I do not have this problem with
other programs. THIS IS A FAULTY PROGRAM ISSUE. I have
been using word since 2.0 and have never had so many
problems as with 2000.

if anyone knows how to fix this problem, it would be
greatly appreciated. For now I am going to move to
another program like pagemaker.

-chris

 

[chris]

moving tables is not the problem, it is moving text
boxes. I understand your point with in line text picture
insertion but this is a designing issue. To tell you
specifically what I am doing, I am creating an evaluation
tabulation. the questions are in a table. within each
cell I have graphs I copied from excel, which are in text
boxes relating to the questions. I am also inserting the
data table (copied and pasted from excel; they paste
simply as tables in text boxes) and placing them on top
of the graphs so there is a visual as well as the exact
numbers. There are only 13 questions, so the document is
small, but word is freaking out. There are no
distiguishing page breaks (I can't see my header nor
footer), some of the page (text) is missing and when
trying to place textboxes, they disappear. Therefore I
have been re-creating boxes in random places until I get
one I can control. I know word is not document design
specific, but I have been able to do this in previous
versions, which now I realize I have xp.

signed
frustrated

 

[Timothy Takemoto]

I am making a simple (to I thought) page layout with word
2000, with a clip art graphic at the top of each page.

I want the graphic to stay put. To stick to its position
on the page, whatever happens. I want it to ignore the
text. But the damm things just jump around all the time.

I could have sworn that in the past I have removed the
anchor to text check and set the layout to "page," and
that then the image would stay put. But my titles jump to
being one on top of the other (on the first page say) when
I change anything.

Is there no way of making an object stay where is put?

I am going to try putting the title graphics in the
header. This is non ideal since I may have the same
problem in the future with a graphic that I want to stay
put in the middle of the page.

It is driving me crazy. I think that I need to buy some
(expensive) layout software. Pagemaker?

Tim

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Chris,

Pagemaker is designed as a graphics layout
program and is page design oriented as is
MS Office Publisher and SerifPlus. Word
is text reflow software and it's page
definition changes with the printer currently
selected as well as with the view you're
working in.

Each of the last 3 versions of Word pushes
graphics cards rather severely, often more
so than programs that look like they would.
Check for the updated graphic card driver from
your PC/graphics card maker and/or on your
desktop, right click and in Properties try
turning down the acceleration 2 clicks then
start Word and see if the scrolling issue
improves.

Office XP uses a different graphics engine in
later versions (GDI+) which was later incorporated
into Windows XP and the graphics scrolling issues
there are more complex.

Whether Office 2000 or Office XP 2002, be sure your
as current as there have been some tweaks to it
since it was first released that affect graphics
issues.
http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates

Word 2000 added the ability to anchor graphics to
additional points within the document than earlier
versions. If you prefer the simpler anchoring
of the earlier versions or if your target audience
will be using Word 97 or earlier you can choose the
'disable features not available in Word97' in
Tools=>Options=>Save.

==========

I don't think I understand this newsgroup. Is this a
venting situation with no real help. I am with Richard in
my frustration with inserting graphics in word. I never
had this problem with previous versions, but now the page
breaks go away, text boxes don't want to appear where you
want them and the graphics get choppy. This is not a
video card issue because I do not have this problem with
other programs. THIS IS A FAULTY PROGRAM ISSUE. I have
been using word since 2.0 and have never had so many
problems as with 2000.

if anyone knows how to fix this problem, it would be
greatly appreciated. For now I am going to move to
another program like pagemaker.

-chris >>
--
I hope this helps you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

The Office 2003 System parts explained
http://microsoft.com/uk/office/preview/system.asp

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Timothy,


Word anchors its graphics to text paragraph markers.
If the paragraph a graphic is anchored to is deleted
then Word moves the anchor to a different paragraph
or it may delete the autoshape/graphic as well.

Word 2000 and up can anchor to paragraphs within
table cells and that can cause unexpected results
especially if the document is opened by someone
with an older version of Word. If you use the
'disable features not available in Word97 setting
in Tools=>Options=>Save and/or the Word97 compatability
settings in Tools=>Options=>Compatability you
will give up some of the new anchoring positions
but you may also reduce some of the graphic hopping.

If you select a graphic you've inserted and choose
Format=>Picture and go to the Layout tab there are
two categories of choices as far as positioning.

1. 'In line with text' - Word handles the graphic
as though you typed a character on your keyboard
and then made it a really big font size
Where that text goes, that graphic goes.

2. 'Every other choice' - which puts a 'wrapped'
or draggable format on a graphic. In this case
There is an unseen anchor point for the graphic
and it's always a text paragraph (i.e. there is
still no 'anchor to page' feature in Word).
To see the anchor turn on that display option
in Tools=>Options=>View then select a graphic.
With the graphic selected you can drag the anchor
to the table cell or paragraph you want as the 'home'
for that item. As long as the anchor paragraph
stays on a page, the graphic should stay on that
page. You can use View=> Header and Footer and
anchor a graphic there for more of a sense of a steady
graphic, not affected by particular typing changes
and try to manage things with different headers and
section breaks.


===========
I am making a simple (to I thought) page layout with word
2000, with a clip art graphic at the top of each page.

I want the graphic to stay put. To stick to its position
on the page, whatever happens. I want it to ignore the
text. But the damm things just jump around all the time.

I could have sworn that in the past I have removed the
anchor to text check and set the layout to "page," and
that then the image would stay put. But my titles jump to
being one on top of the other (on the first page say) when
I change anything.

Is there no way of making an object stay where is put?

I am going to try putting the title graphics in the
header. This is non ideal since I may have the same
problem in the future with a graphic that I want to stay
put in the middle of the page.

It is driving me crazy. I think that I need to buy some
(expensive) layout software. Pagemaker?

Tim >>
--
I hope this helps you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

The Office 2003 System parts explained
http://microsoft.com/uk/office/preview/system.asp

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Chris,

What is the build revision of Word where you're
seeing this?

What version of Word were you using previously
where this did not occur?

Can you email me a zipped copy of the document where
you're seeing this?

===========
moving tables is not the problem, it is moving text
boxes. I understand your point with in line text picture
insertion but this is a designing issue. To tell you
specifically what I am doing, I am creating an evaluation
tabulation. the questions are in a table. within each
cell I have graphs I copied from excel, which are in text
boxes relating to the questions. I am also inserting the
data table (copied and pasted from excel; they paste
simply as tables in text boxes) and placing them on top
of the graphs so there is a visual as well as the exact
numbers. There are only 13 questions, so the document is
small, but word is freaking out. There are no
distiguishing page breaks (I can't see my header nor
footer), some of the page (text) is missing and when
trying to place textboxes, they disappear. Therefore I
have been re-creating boxes in random places until I get
one I can control. I know word is not document design
specific, but I have been able to do this in previous
versions, which now I realize I have xp.

signed
frustrated >>

 

[Richard]

I turned on the visibility of the anchors, so that I could
see them on the page. I dragged the anchor one place, it
jumped around some place else.

If MS Word does anchor things to a given paragraph, why do
I have pictures jumping off the page (not to another page,
but rather off the edge of the correct page!)? Why does
something I do on page 4 cause a jumping graphic on page 3?
And why do graphics jump between saving a file and
re-opening the same file? Why do word-wrap options change
back and forth without input from me?

The problems again seemed exacerbated when dealing with
multiple columns.

Richard

-----Original Message-----
Hi Timothy,


Word anchors its graphics to text paragraph markers.
If the paragraph a graphic is anchored to is deleted
then Word moves the anchor to a different paragraph
or it may delete the autoshape/graphic as well.

Word 2000 and up can anchor to paragraphs within
table cells and that can cause unexpected results
especially if the document is opened by someone
with an older version of Word. If you use the
'disable features not available in Word97 setting
in Tools=>Options=>Save and/or the Word97 compatability
settings in Tools=>Options=>Compatability you
will give up some of the new anchoring positions
but you may also reduce some of the graphic hopping.

If you select a graphic you've inserted and choose
Format=>Picture and go to the Layout tab there are
two categories of choices as far as positioning.

1. 'In line with text' - Word handles the graphic
as though you typed a character on your keyboard
and then made it a really big font size
Where that text goes, that graphic goes.

2. 'Every other choice' - which puts a 'wrapped'
or draggable format on a graphic. In this case
There is an unseen anchor point for the graphic
and it's always a text paragraph (i.e. there is
still no 'anchor to page' feature in Word).
To see the anchor turn on that display option
in Tools=>Options=>View then select a graphic.
With the graphic selected you can drag the anchor
to the table cell or paragraph you want as the 'home'
for that item. As long as the anchor paragraph
stays on a page, the graphic should stay on that
page. You can use View=> Header and Footer and
anchor a graphic there for more of a sense of a steady
graphic, not affected by particular typing changes
and try to manage things with different headers and
section breaks.


===========
<<"Timothy Takemoto" <[email protected]> wrote in

message news:[email protected]...

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Richard,

MS has been asked to make the 'anchor line' (the
'tether' between a floating object/graphic and the
anchor visible when dragging, but still hasn't done
it. I think it would make it clearer to folks what
is happening with a visual reference.

There are a number of factors that can determine
how graphics behave and impact the anchoring, including
where you place the anchor (in a table cell, in a column,
and more). The permutations of features and considerations
for compatability with prior versions is one reason
that for some folks, they add the graphics near the
completion of the project Here are a couple of
things to look at:

You can make some adjustments to the anchor behavior
by using the 'Options' settings in this dialog:
Format=>Picture=>Layout=>[Advanced]=>/Picture Position\ .

The 'tether' between a floating graphic and its anchor
can be either a fixed length or stretchable from
a fixed position.

If you turn on 'move (graphic) with text' and
don't turn on 'lock anchor (to a specific paragraph'
the tether is fixed length and the anchor will move
as the graphic moves, .e. the graphic's at the
'end of its rope' and the anchor 'follows' the graphic.

If you turn on 'lock the anchor' when working
in print layout view your tether is
a bungee cord, where the anchor is 'nailed' to a
a location but you can drag the graphic to any spot
on the current page you're working on while in
print layout view and Word will not let you drag
the object off of the page.

Note: If you lock an anchor in Print Layout view
and then go to Web layout view and drag a
graphic Word turns off the anchor lock
(a web document is always 'one page')
and the anchor will 'drag' with the graphic.
If you go back to print layout view after doing
that you will need to relock the anchor

('Allow Overlap' helps decide how to resolve 'a tie' when
two graphics are vying for the same position. If you
allow overlap and both graphics have the same layout wrapping
then you can have one partially over another. Otherwise
one graphic will 'bump' the other graphic out of the way.
This can also cause a graphic with an unlocked anchor to
have its anchor relocated or if the graphic that was 'pushing'
the other one is moved, for the other graphic to jump
suddenly. This setting can appear to affect how the
settings in the Drawing Toolbar for Draw=>Grid are working
if the snap to other object & snap to grid choices are
both turned on.

Columns can act as 'side by side' pages
but, keep in mind that these are 'snaking' columns so
the 'anchor' and graphic can travel through the
columns as if they were pages. An area where columns
can can surprise you is if you change from say 2 columns
back to 1. A drag positioned graphic has an absolute
position (in the Picture Position dialog). If
the anchor is in the right column, locked to the paragraph
after the position of the graphic, the dialog might
show a ' -2" below' indication (anchor is in the paragraph
that starts below the graphic). Due to the width of the
column of text if you change that from 2 columns to 1
column, your graphic would retain that -2" positioning,
but because you now have a wider page (column) 2" may
place the graphic in a different text area.

========
I turned on the visibility of the anchors, so that I could
see them on the page. I dragged the anchor one place, it
jumped around some place else.

If MS Word does anchor things to a given paragraph, why do
I have pictures jumping off the page (not to another page,
but rather off the edge of the correct page!)? Why does
something I do on page 4 cause a jumping graphic on page 3?
And why do graphics jump between saving a file and
re-opening the same file? Why do word-wrap options change
back and forth without input from me?

The problems again seemed exacerbated when dealing with
multiple columns.

Richard <<
--
I hope this helps you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

The Office 2003 System parts explained
http://microsoft.com/uk/office/preview/system.asp

 

[Bob S]

If you turn on 'move (graphic) with text' and
don't turn on 'lock anchor (to a specific paragraph'
the tether is fixed length and the anchor will move
as the graphic moves, .e. the graphic's at the
'end of its rope' and the anchor 'follows' the graphic.

Your experience seems to be different than mine. If I turn on "move
with text" and turn off "lock anchor", the tether is certainly not
fixed length. I can drag the graphic left and right, and the tether
changes length. If the page is only half full of text I can drag the
graphic down below the text, the anchor stays with the text, and the
tether must be getting longer.

As far as I can tell, the actual result of this pair of option
settings is that when I drag the graphic, the anchor moves to some
point in the text that is close to the upper left corner of the
graphic.

Also, the setting "move with text" seems to be precisely equivalent to
setting "vertical position" to "absolute alignment" radio button and
then to paragraph (or line) on the same tab page. As far as I can tell
there is no additional function provided by the check box.

Bob S