Positioning objects on webpages

[rikkoshea]

Hil & wishing you all a Happy 2010!
I am currently using Xtreme 5, continuing to design and tweak the appearance of my website.
I have been trying for a long time now, to (exactly) position Text Boxes and other Objects (eg buttons etc). I want some objects to occupy an identical positon on each page so that when moving to different pages within my website, those things appear to be in a static/fixed position. When using "repeating objects", that is not a problem, but that approach is often not the appropriate method for what I want? In particular, right now, I am first "selecting" the target text box and then adjusting the coordinates. I have been using the X, Y, W, and H pixel number coordinate settings, but I must be doing something incorrectly? Sometimes, when I put in the numbers, eg X-170, Y150, W600 and H560 it works perfectly, but every now and again (and on a different webpage), each time I enter different numbers, all the other numbers move too (usually just a little bit) which I can't seem to stop happening? The aspect ratio in all cases is 100% and I unlock the "aspect ratio" padlock each time and then re-lock it after I get the correct result. I've tried a variety of other things too, without success.
Hope that all makes sense, and probably someone has a good answer for this frustrating problem (can't find reference in help or elsewhere).
Many thanks,
Rikko
1 Jan 2010

[steve.ledger]

If repeating objects don't suit you, try paste-in-place (Ctrl+SHIFT+V)

[rikkoshea]

Hi Sledger!
Thanks for the suggestion, that might help solve some of my needs, but doesn't really answer the question in this case. At times, I want to place (different) objects on different pages, but in exactly the same position on each page, so I don't think paste-in-place is the solution? If, for example, I try to paste a text box containing text, and then on the next page, another text box but with different text, I think it would look much better if the text layout did not appear to move around as I change pages, even if the text is different, at least the "layout" should be the same or similar (eg: line-spacing and various text formatting). Also, can't I use those coordinate settings to precisely position objects/text boxes? Or is this too much of a perfectionist approach by me?
Cheers,
Rikko

[steve.ledger]

If, for example, I try to paste a text box containing text, and then on the next page, another text box but with different text, I think it would look much better if the text layout did not appear to move around as I change pages, even if the text is different

Paste-in-place would work for this. Why don't you think it would?

Simply copy text box from page [a] and paste-in-place to page [b] then edit the text.
The text box (aka: Text Area) will not change at all, only the words.

[zaphodeist]

How about putting a shape in the same position on all pages and aligning the relevant graphic/text area/whatever on this shape? Then you can either remove the shape or make it no fill & no line.

[rikkoshea]

Thanks guys,
I'll follow both those ideas shortly, after shaking out some fuzz and cobwebs from last night! Still interested in how to better use and apply those pixel coordinate settings (maybe there's a movie or help info on those that I just couldn't find?), but that can wait,
Cheers,
Rikko

[steve.ledger]

each time I enter different numbers, all the other numbers move too (usually just a little bit) which I can't seem to stop happening?

I'd love to try and help, but I'm at a loss to understand what you are saying there

[rikkoshea]

Hi Sledger,

Sorry about any confusion?

I am talking about the boxes that appear in the top toolbar (referring to Xtreme 5 as mentioned originallY), that give the designer the option of picking X and Y coordinates, plus height and width, all in pixels and percentages, also there are ratio options and aspects mentioned in that same vicinity.

It seemed intuitive to me that those were good candidates to use when fixing a (precise) area of any object, including 'text areas'. But when I input my own numbers in those boxes, it worked (up to a point) on some pages, but not on others, for no logical reason, to me anyway. I liked the idea of using those, but could not get it to work exactly as I wanted - sometimes when I changed one value, the others remained unchanged, but sometimes when I changed any value, some/or all, of the others changed slighly. Etc, etc, I expect you know where I am coming from now?

If there was a tutorial specifically on that topic (as there may be), it could be useful, to me at any rate.

Anyway, I've followed your suggestion re paste-in-place, which worked perfectly in MOST cases, but on a couple of occasions, those pixel values (which I always check to confirm the object's placement), in those boxes were slightly changed, once again, for no logical reason? But I am relatively happy with the outcome now, but still learning heaps of course.

Hope that is a bit clearer now?

Cheers,
Rikko
1 Jan 10

[steve.ledger]

So long as each page size (template) remains the same, snap-to-grid is turned on and your text area (for example) is aligned to the grid then paste-in-place or X/Y co-ordinates work 100% in my testing.

[rikkoshea]

Hi,

Problem solved!

More for the benefit of less-experienced users like myself, by the process of trial & error and/or the process of elimination, I have discovered the reason why the measurements of some text areas, did not always correctly duplicate or would not resize as I expected. This was simply because in my text areas, there were some non-visible characters (eg: line spaces) that were OUTSIDE of the area which I was copying or attempting to resize.

By removing all those superfluous characters etc that were outside of the text area and then using any method to resize the text area, such as paste-in-place, or by amending the pixel numbers in the toolbar), all is ok.

Cheers,
Rikko
2 Jan 10