[scribus] How do you handle boxes for headlines?

[Rolf-Werner Eilert]

Gregory Pittman schrieb:
> Rolf-Werner Eilert wrote:
>> Gregory Pittman schrieb:
>>> Rolf-Werner Eilert wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> just a question to the professionals who have to manage longer 
>>>> documents:
>>>>
>>>> When you have a lot of headlines with colored boxes under the 
>>>> letters, how do you handle this in practice? I'm thinking of the 
>>>> style of a language learning book with chapters and sub-chapters 
>>>> dividing the page into several sections by a thick colored bar with 
>>>> the chapter's headline on it, like this:
>>>>
>>>> |----------------
>>>> |2.1  Headline
>>>> |----------------
>>>>
>>>> I would need the same box being reproduced for each header. Do you 
>>>> just copy/paste, or is there some more intimate trick for it? Do you 
>>>> use a separate box/text, or would you use a single colored textbox 
>>>> for it? And is it possible to make an anchor to the text to keep the 
>>>> box fixed to its headline?
>>>>
>>>> This is my solution so far: I make two layers, on layer 1 I set the 
>>>> text, and on layer 0 I set the boxes afterwards. With copy/paste I 
>>>> can reproduce the same box sizes.
>>>>
>>>> What I cannot achieve is positioning the boxes exactly in relation 
>>>> to the headlines so it looks like they really belong together on 
>>>> each page again. And if the text changes, the boxes may be on a 
>>>> completely wrong position.
>>>>
>>>> So, how do you handle this?
>>> The short answer is maybe not the way you would like, but here is a 
>>> potential answer: inline "graphics".
>>>
>>> Check out this video by Tsoots:
>>>
>>> http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/Scribus_Video_Tutorials#Creating_bullet_lists 
>>>
>>>
>>> in which you will see that there is a way to paste these little 
>>> flower graphics into a text frame. While it might seem unrelated or 
>>> unhelpful, you need to realize that this little flower could have 
>>> been a small text frame with embellishments, maybe even a grouped 
>>> object (haven't tried that extension yet). So what you can do is make 
>>> your chapter heading in its own text frame, copy it (Ctrl+C), then 
>>> paste it into your text frame, after which if you add or remove text 
>>> from that frame, this inline graphic of sorts will keep its relative 
>>> position.
>>>
>>> I hope I'm explaining this in a way you can understand...let me know 
>>> if it isn't clear.
>>>
>>> Greg
>>>
>>
>> Hi Greg,
>>
>> that is brilliant! It runs quite well at a first glance, so thank you 
>> for that idea.
>>
>> But now I've found a second item I've got a question about: How can 
>> one keep the text with a certain distance from its text box upper 
>> edge? You know, if you include a distance from the paragraph, this 
>> applies on paragraphs standing before, but not on the text box. The 
>> text will always begin at the ultimate upper edge of the box.
>>
>> Now, here I'll have to be able to place the text somewhat in the 
>> middle of the box (vertically) to look nice.
>>
>> Do you have any idea for this?
> nothing other than suggesting you experiment. You might see whether 
> setting the space below and above surrounding paragraphs might be useful.
> 
> btw, I did find that this technique works for a grouped object.
> 
> Greg
> 

Well, I found a workaround for it, making a paragraph style 
"Placeholder" with tiny 5pt forming a small line above my headline. I 
didn't find any other way of achieving this yet.

Ok, grouped objects? Aren't that frames with text or graphics inside?

Although I've been working with Scribus for quite some time (years) now, 
there are still some of the more professional features I've never got 
into touch with. I still don't know what the Library is good for, for 
instance... Just yesterday I stumbled over the adjustment dialog and 
said "...if I'd known this earlier!" :-)

Yes, it's true, one should regularly take some time to dive into the 
applications used daily to find out what else they can do. It's a matter 
of time, of course. Pure coincident that I prepare a new project just 
now looking for new ways.

Rolf