Some Tips for Final Writer and Final Copy

                             by Peter Billing.


        »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«


    I was putting together an article of tips on Final Writer, referred to
  as FW, when low and behold John Varcoe writes one.  Fortunately he did not
  cover much of the stuff I was going to write about.

ZOOMING:
    As soon as I read about the Right Alter key and the left mouse button
  magnifying the screen, I tried it.  Two click and I was at 200%.  Yes it
  worked.  As a number of other programs use the Shift key to modify this
  action between + and - I tried the Left shift; nothing, the Right
  shift......  and yes there was the "-" sign.  Two clicks and I was back to
  normal and another two click and I was down to 25%.  (I have since found
  this to be so quick and easy I have taken my magnifying glasses out of my
  button strip.) One advantage of this method is that the part of screen the
  the magnifier is over is the part which is magnified.

MOVING THE PAGE:
    I then tried some of the other key combinations.  The one I liked was
  the Right Amiga and Left mouse.  The mouse pointer turns into a four way
  pointer which allows you to pull and push the page around without having
  to use the scroll bars.  I now find this much easier to use than the
  scroll bar to locate something on a magnified page.

COLUMNS:
    OK now on to some of the tips I have.  I came across a similar problem
  to John while to produce a newsletter for the local community.  I wanted a
  two column document with the heading across both columns.  This heading
  was going to print across a letter head.  This was easy.  Set up a header
  for the heading on the master page and the columns appeared underneath.
  This worked great for the first newsletter as it was only one page.  The
  second one was two pages and I did not want a header on the second page.
  To get rid of it I got rid of the Master page and its header.  I then used
  the text box to add the headings I required on the first page.  The
  problem of getting rid of the text in the columns under the heading was
  quiet easy.  Make a large transparent box with no border, the size of the
  previous header on the master page.  Now set the text flow of the box to
  ANYTHING but "NONE".

    Text will automatically adjust and can easily be edited without any
  effect.  Much easier than pushing text down with returns.  I use this
  method with graphics also.  Import an ilbm and set its text flow to NONE.
  Text will now appear under/over the graphics.  Now draw a line or series
  of lines down the side graphics you want to keep a text away from.  The
  line does not have to have any thickness so can not be seen and have the
  text flow set to what is appropriate.  With a bit of practise you can get
  some great effect with this method.  I use this method in PageStream also.

Entering text into a TEXT BOX:
    I was just playing around and thinking if I could mark some normal text,
  copy it and then paste it into a TEXT BOX.  I highlighted the text, did a
  copy and then selected the text box tool and low and behold the text was
  in a text box.  With a bit more playing I discovered that the copy action
  had nothing to do with anything.  So a quick way of getting some text into
  a TEXT BOX, is just type it onto the page, highlight it and then select
  the TEXT BOX tool.  You will find the text in a box on top of the
  original.  Using this method, you can quickly check fonts, style and sizes
  before putting the text into a TEXT BOX.

AREXX Scripts:
    The rest of this article is about some AREXX script I have written for
  FW and what they do.  Some are Final Copy compatible.  I will first
  describe how to use them in general as I have spoken to a number of people
  who do not know how to use arexx from FW.  The script should be in the
  directory FWMacros.  From FW's menu select USER then OTHER and then AREXX
  SCRIPT.  A file requester will open will all your arexx scripts listed.
  Select the required one.  Make sure you have selected the objects or text
  BEFORE doing this.  You can also assign them to a keyboard short cut or
  put them in your button strip.  Some will think these are useless as the
  functions can be done from FW menus.  The AREXX script generally makes the
  function a lot easier.

First three simple ones. 

Capalize, LowerCase, UpperCase.
    I wrote these as FW does not have these built in.  It does have an Upper
  case but it does not work as I would aspect.  The text on the screen is
  made Upper case but if you save the file as ASCII you will find that the
  text is still Lower case.  As I use FW for all my text apart from
  programming this situation did not suit me.  These scripts are Final Copy
  compatible.

Now some to create special effects with text boxes.

GfxVertical:
    Text is entered via the text box before calling the script.  The script
  takes each letter and places it under the preceding one in a vertical line
  down the page.  All letters are centred and re-grouped.  New text starts
  at the same place as the first letter in the original text.  A requester
  asks for the total height of the new text.  If this number is too small
  letters will be on top of one another.  By not entering a value, the
  script will use the height of each letter to separate them.  Original text
  can be deleted.  New object can be moved, re-sized and rotated.

GfxOblique:
    FW has the ability to slant characters from -20 percent backwards to 20
  percent forward.  This is easy to use if all your text leans the same
  percentage.  It gets a bit tricky if you want the letters to fan out from
  -20 to +20 with each letter having a different percentage.  Enter
  GfxOblique.  Again enter your text via the text box before selecting this
  script.  Your text box will be deleted and the new text typed in the same
  position but with each letter having a different oblique percentage.  The
  new object can be moved, re-sized and rotated.  This script also works on
  normal text.  Highlight the text then call the script.  Do not highlight
  more than 40 characters, it will just exit.  This part is Final Copy
  compatible.

    This script has two more functions for text boxes.  The first is a
  Shadow.  A copy of the text is drawn at a user selected oblique
  percentage, default 10, and user selected colour.  The colour name has to
  be typed as I was unable to get a colour requester working.  New object is
  grouped with the original.  The second is just an even user selected
  oblique percentage.  Its advantage is it can be quicker than using the two
  requesters needed to preform this function.

GfxSemi_Circle:
    If you look at the front cover of FWs' manual you will notice the words
  FW written around a circle.  Using the script I have written will help you
  do this.  My son gave me a formula for calculating the positions of the
  the letters around a circle but unfortunately it does it via a fixed
  distance, not proportional.  Use a COURIER font for best spacing.  To use
  it, enter your text via the text box tool.  Make sure it is still selected
  and call the script.  You will first be presented with a requester asking
  for the RADIUS of the circle.  It is in metric so used a size between 7
  and 1.  You can use fractions so 3.45 is OK.  Next you will be asked if
  you want the text on the TOP, BOTTOM or CONTINUE.  TOP uses the top half,
  BOTTOM uses the bottom half with the bottom of the letters point towards
  the bottom of the page and CONTINUE uses the bottom half of the circle but
  this time the bottom of the letters point towards the top of the page.
  Last you are asked if you want the text spaced evenly, centred or left
  justified around the curve.  The text circle is drawn in a fixed position
  on the screen.  All letters are re-grouped.  New object can be moved and
  rotated but not re-sized.  This script does not give the same results as
  you get from "Art Expression" or "ProDraw" but it does work reasonably
  well for free.

GfxSine_Wave:
    Type in your text in the text box and then call the script.  A requester
  will ask for the height of the wave.  This needs to be bigger than the
  text height.  A second requester asks if you want a WAVE or STRAIGHT LINE.
  Straight line places the letter in a downwards angle.  The letters are not
  rotated to be tangent to the curve or line, but left straight up and down.
  The total width of the new object is the same as the original.  By
  combining an "Even Oblique" and either GfxSemi_Circle or GfxSine_Wave some
  great effects can be achieved.

Now some graphics scripts.

GfxAlign_Top, GfxAlign_Bottom, GfxAlign_Left, GfxAlign_Right and
GfxAlign_Centre:
    These five all work on the same theme; aligning graphic objects.  FW
  provides four scripts which nudge a graphic in a particular direction.
  They only nudge one object at a time.  With mine, select all the objects
  you require aligned, then select the required script.  You will be
  presented with a requester asking if you want the objects moved or
  stretched so they align at the selected edge.  The GfxAlign_Centre align
  objects along a horizontal or vertical centre line.  It only moves the
  objects.  The centre line can be the average centre of all the selected
  objects or the centre of the page.  Useful for centring text boxes in
  headings.

GfxCopy:
    This is not all my work.  It is an old Final Copy script modified.  The
  Duplicate script provided with FW is just a cut and paste.  This was not
  very useful for what I wanted to do.  I had no control over the paste
  position.  This script opens a requester and asks for three inputs.  How
  many times you require the object copied, the vertical and horizontal
  offsets.  All objects are selected and grouped including the original.

GfxBorder:
    I wrote this one after seeing something similar on another system and
  ProPage.  At present there are 11 different borders to choice from.  These
  borders can be placed around text boxes, rectangles, grouped objects or
  the whole page.  Numbers 1, 2 and 3 just draw some boxes around the
  selected object with different line thicknesses.  Number 4 is just one
  very thick line, 12 points.  Number 5 draws small rectangle in each of the
  corners of the selected object and they are then joined with a thin line.
  Number 6 is similar to 5 except circles are drawn in the corners instead
  of squares.  Number 7 draws small rectangle in each of the corners of the
  selected object and are joined with filled boxes 1/3 the size of the
  corner boxes.  Number 8 is similar to 7 except circles are drawn in the
  corners instead of squares.  Number 9 is similar to 7 except the joining
  boxes are not filled.  Number 10 is similar to 9 but uses circles in the
  corners.  Number 11 - 19 empty.  For future development.  Number 20 uses
  the ZapfDingbats font to place a character around the selected object.
  With numbers 5 to 20 the boxes, circles and character size are adjust so,
  I think, they look right for the object they surround.  Number 7 to 10 are
  not suitable for object with a width or height less than 10cm.  Some of
  this script is Final Copy compatible.  It does not do the grouping and it
  does not seem to put a border around a page.

GxfDashLine:
    This one will turn a rectangle or a horizontal line into a dash line.
  There are 5 different styles.  I wrote this one as there are no line
  styles in FW.  Draw a rectangle or horizontal line and while it is still
  selected run the script.  The object will be redrawn with a line of dashes
  the same thickness and colour it replaces.  It is a little slow, but it
  works.  As an added bonus a pair of scissors can be added above the line
  if you have ZapfDingbats available.  As per usual all the little lines and
  the original object are grouped.

GfxTable:
    I wrote this one after demonstrating some of the others at an Amiga
  meeting.  When I wanted to draw a grid of vertical and horizontal lines, I
  would draw one line, in the desired direction, then duplicate it the
  number of times required.  This was really a hit and miss approach as I
  did not always get the result I was after.  With this script you first
  draw a box around the area you want to put lines in.  Call the script and
  you are then presented with a string gadget and asked how many vertical
  columns and horizontal columns you require.  Answer 0 to any and none will
  be drawn.

    Vertical Lines.  This is the first answer in the string gadget.  To draw
  some columns, you require an answer bigger than one.  The box you drew is
  one column.  When the script begins to draw the vertical lines, it will
  first ask what type of TABs you require; Left, Decimal or Right.  Click on
  the type required and they will be placed if what I think a good position
  for that type.  This allows you to TAB between columns.

    Horizontal Lines.  There are three options to the horizontal section.

  a) By typing a number bigger than 1, the box will be evenly divided into
    that many sections.  e.g.  Type 2 and the script will draw ONE line
    dividing the box into TWO even sections.

  b) By typing 1 in the horizontal section, the script will draw the lines
    at the current text line spacing.  It will fill the box and adjust the
    box size to make the last line spacing correct.  This makes it very easy
    to type between the drawn lines.

  c) By typing U in the horizontal section, the script will present you with
    another string gadget in which you type the line spacing you require in
    millimetres.  Again the box will be filled with lines at the given
    spacing and the bottom of the box adjust to suit.

    I have found it better to put the vertical lines in one box and the
  horizontal lines in another.  This gives you an easy way drawing up
  invoice type documents with a place for the headings.  All lines are drawn
  in the colour and line thickness of the original box.  All drawn lines and
  the original box are grouped as one object and locked in place.  You need
  to unlock to move them.

Calendar:
    I wrote this script after my son told me what his mate could do on his
  Mac.  There are a number of AREXX scripts around that produce small one
  month calendars in there own window or in the shell window.  All I had to
  do was send the output to Final Writer.  I did this in three different
  ways.  a) Selected year on one A4 page.  b) Selected month on one A4 page.
  c) Selected year on 12 pages, one month per A4 page.

    All calendars have lines draw dividing up the months or days.
  
    Well that's about it.  I do not claim they are the best that can be
  done, but I am sure they will give some ideas to some people.  All I ask
  is that you send your new scripts to MegaDisc so we can all share in them.

                               Peter Billing.


        »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«   »41«