Creating bullet points

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23 April 2009, 11:16 AM
johne53

Creating bullet points

I created this web page which includes some bullet points. I managed to sort out the hanging indent requirement by reading the help file - but for the bullet point graphic I just used a character from my Windows Character Map.

Because the bullet point is just a plain old ASCII character, I'm conscious of the fact that it probably won't look the same on someone else's system. On my (English + Windows) system it looks like a forward facing arrow head - but presumably it might look totally different on a non-English system or a non-Windows system.

Apart from using a number for the bullet index, are there any recommendations for creating bullet points so they'll look the same across different platforms?
23 April 2009, 11:29 AM
covoxer

Re: Creating bullet points

The characters you had used for this page will look correctly on all systems except for those that have no such character in the font. You had used Unicode character, not ASCII. It's code is 9658.
23 April 2009, 12:30 PM
cursor

Re: Creating bullet points

Consider grouping the bullet (text) so that it will be exported as a graphic.
23 April 2009, 01:02 PM
gwpriester

Re: Creating bullet points

You can also use Ctrl Alt B to create a bullet. There are several other symbols that can be created this way including the copyright symbol © using Ctrl Alt C. There are others listed in the Help file (I think).
23 April 2009, 01:24 PM
Spinny

Re: Creating bullet points

Quote:

Originally Posted by johne53

I managed to sort out the hanging indent requirement by reading the help file

My digging around, reading and forum searching didn't work out so well for me. Am I correct in concluding the way to get bulleted (and numerically indexed) text to indent properly along the left margin is to create the text area for the text itself with the desired left margin, then manually add a separate text or object area to represent the actual number or bullet, and manually position it to appear in the correct place?

Apart from coding the list in an HTML placeholder, that is. ;)
23 April 2009, 02:06 PM
cursor

1 Attachment(s)

Re: Creating bullet points

Turn the ruler on, set the indent, use tabs ... and type away. :)
23 April 2009, 02:25 PM
Spinny

Re: Creating bullet points

Huh. I see a problem with my only having access to the forum and a copy of the .chm file when I'm at work. There's nothing in it (that I can read) about rulers in the text info. There must be more in the file that this chm reader can't get to. :p

Thanks!

ON EDIT. Fixed my problem. Knowledge now at my fingertips! :cool:
23 April 2009, 03:01 PM
johne53

Re: Creating bullet points

Quote:

Originally Posted by cursor

Turn the ruler on, set the indent, use tabs ... and type away. :)

Actually, this brings up another problem that I haven't yet managed to figure out....

If I copy an existing line of text (say, from one of the templates) I see a ruler looking very much like the one in your screenshot. But if I type a new line of text from scratch, the text's right margin is way off the RHS of my screen, so I can't see the right margin adjuster to adjust it. Has anyone else noticed this problem?
23 April 2009, 05:22 PM
ss-kalm

Re: Creating bullet points

If you just click and type, you haven't set a right margin, so the text line length is infinite. Click and drag either a line or a box, and it will set a right margin accordingly.
25 April 2009, 03:43 PM
johne53

Re: Creating bullet points

Quote:

Originally Posted by cursor

Consider grouping the bullet (text) so that it will be exported as a graphic.

I tried that approach today. Here's the web page we were originally talking about.

Up near the top, there's some text that says "AAF support for Indamixx and Ardour". If I group that text it gets exported as a graphic, exactly as I expected. However, if I try to group any other text, it still gets exported as text. What could I be doing wrong :confused:

Might it be something to do with the text elements being in the same layer? Can you only have one group per layer or something?
25 April 2009, 04:01 PM
cursor

Re: Creating bullet points

The line of text that you're referencing has no bullet. Are you still wondering how to get universally predictable graphic bullets?
25 April 2009, 04:11 PM
johne53

Re: Creating bullet points

No, I think that's already been answered (Ctrl+Alt+B ?). I was just wondering why, when I grouped my text, it didn't get converted to a graphic... :confused:
25 April 2009, 04:21 PM
cursor

Re: Creating bullet points

Quote:

Originally Posted by johne53

If I group that text it gets exported as a graphic, exactly as I expected. However, if I try to group any other text, it still gets exported as text.

Hmm ...
Any text, when grouped will be exported as a graphic. Click once on the text object with the selector tool, then Arrange > Group (Ctrl+G). Note that you cannot use the Text Tool to click+drag across a series of text characters, expecting to create a group (and subsequently export as a graphic).
25 April 2009, 05:34 PM
johne53

Re: Creating bullet points

Honestly, it isn't working. I know that the text is grouped because if I re-select the 'Arrange' menu, the option to Group is grayed out and the Ungroup option is available. So it's definitely grouped and yet it's still exporting as text.
25 April 2009, 06:18 PM
zaphodeist

2 Attachment(s)

Re: Creating bullet points

Quote:

Originally Posted by johne53

...Might it be something to do with the text elements being in the same layer? Can you only have one group per layer or something?

You can have as many text groups as you like on the same layer :)
25 April 2009, 06:31 PM
covoxer

Re: Creating bullet points

Quote:

Originally Posted by johne53

Honestly, it isn't working. I know that the text is grouped because if I re-select the 'Arrange' menu, the option to Group is grayed out and the Ungroup option is available. So it's definitely grouped and yet it's still exporting as text.

Does your text object have any names applied?