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leondup

Good day, Scribers
I can't figure outhow to split a text frame into columns. Probably in my excitement at having discovered Scribus I'm overlooking explanations lymg in plain sight, and I apologise for asking two possibly inane questions. The column split I have already mentioned. The second is: am I right in assuming one can't simply insert a text frame and input text directly into the frame? Or is there a trick I could use to compel the frame to accept my keyboard input?
Thanks for your forebearance!

richarddixon

Press F2 to access the Properties window, choose Columns and Text Distances.

Nermander

Double-click on the frame to enter Edit mode.

Or use the story editor.

(Did you try right-clicking on the frame?)

leondup

Thanks, friends, but when I do the F2 thing or the double click, all I get is the properties box, wiyh every thing grayed out. I haven't figured out yet how to launch the Story Editor.
Thanks again.

Nermander

If everything is greyed out in the properties palette then you have no object selected.

One thing the strikes my mind: Have you created the text frame on the page? Maybe you are trying to enter text into an object located on a Master Page?

leondup

 I'm not sure. This is what happens: I launch Scribus,  ignore (for the time being) the caution about ghostscript), change one or two settings on the page creation page that automatically comes up,then using ctrl-T insert a text frame. It is into this frame I find I cannot type directly or persuade it to form two columns.

GarryP

Have you sized the text frame appropriately for the amount of text and the size of font?

When you insert a text frame via CTRL-T and just clicking on the document Scribus (should) give you a dialog box to ask for the size of the frame. If you accept the installation defaults (which I think are 16pt) the text frame created could be very small and if your font size is large your text may well just not be displayed. (You can still type in the frame, the text just won't be visible.)

You could try resizing the text frame and seeing what happens. It's worth pointing out that Scribus doesn't alter the size of text frames unless you specifically tell it to.

P.S. To get the Story Editor right-click on the text frame and select "Edit Text..." from the menu, or select the text frame and press the "Edit Text" icon on the toolbar (if it's visible).

leondup

I'm afraid I misled you in my previous post. I don't insert text frame with CTRL-T, but just wih T. CTRL-T does nothing at all. Also, I can find nothing suggesting an installation default font size on the document creation page.

All I want to do for the moment is to ceate from scratch a  page which hopefully will serve as a master page for a collection (plus-minus 120-page A5 booklet) of crossword puzzles. It's to go on an A5 page (portrait) with the 75 mm x 75 mm grid centered on the top  half, and the clues running in two columns below it. Positioning the image (crossword grid) is no problem, it's just the pesky text frame that's refusing to bend to my will!

a.l.e

hi leon,

please have a look at the attached screenshot to see how it should look like...

ciao

a.l.e

[attachment deleted by admin]

John_Jason_Jordan

Quote from: leondup on August 08, 2012, 06:01:49 PMAll I want to do for the moment is to ceate from scratch a  page which hopefully will serve as a master page for a collection (plus-minus 120-page A5 booklet) of crossword puzzles. It's to go on an A5 page (portrait) with the 75 mm x 75 mm grid centered on the top  half, and the clues running in two columns below it. Positioning the image (crossword grid) is no problem, it's just the pesky text frame that's refusing to bend to my will!

Hmm. Instead of a text frame with columns, if I wanted to create a crossword puzzle I'd create a table with the appropriate number of cells.

Before I continue, let me point out that Scribus (1.4.1) does not have real tables like a word processor. Instead, the table utility creates a set of text frames. But that may be perfect for creating a crossword puzzle.

To do so, create a "table" with the appropriate number of  "cells" across and down. Select all and, using the properties palette, set the font to some sans serif font that you like, and in superscript, at a point size that will fit in the "cell." Number each cell that needs a number, and set the background color of appropriate cells to black, again with the properties palette.

Once you have done a couple you will find that it is so fast that you don't need a template. Just create each puzzle afresh with a new table of the correct number of "cells" across and down.

For the definitions, I'd use a text frame with columns, but you seem to be having a problem with that. Try this: Create a new text frame and, with the frame selected, right click on it. At the bottom of the popup dialog box select Properties. This should pop up the Properties dialog box. In the Properties dialog box click on Text. The dialog box should now display some text options. Click on Columns and Text Distances. That should display the options for columns.

If that doesn't work, post back explaining the point where it failed.
Linguistics on Linux!

utnik

hi leondup

i think, the problem is, that you set your frame on the masterpage and try to work with it on real document pages.
you may not understand 'masterpages' the way they are meant in scribus.
in scribus masterpages are something like page backgrounds. you can't edit masterpage items on a real document page.

you should tell scribus to add automatic text frames with two columns on all pages. (in the 'new document' window under 'options'...)
the frames will fill the room inside the margin guides – if you need other margins as well, you may set normal guides ('page' → 'manage guides').

utnik

leondup

Thanks, everyone, for your guidance and suggestions: each one nudged me a little further in the right direction, and I am now at a point where I can successfully insert a two-column text frame exactly where I want it. I now have to fool around with the various methods of filling the frame withbthe desired text, to decide on the most time and labour efficient option. Thanks, John_Jason_Jordan, for your suggestion for constructing crossword grids, but fortunately I have an application called Crossword Compiler which does a brilliant job of generating first-class grids.
Again Many thanks to all

Leondup