Flipping a text box works fine but can't undo backward type

[Charles Miller]

I have an image in InDy that is is a medium sphere centered on top of a big circle. I have to set four blocks of text around the sphere. I did the one in the upper left quadrant, using about 15 control points for the text box. For consistency of look and saving of time, I thought I would copy that text box, give it a horizontal flip, put it in the upper right quadrant, delete the now backward reading text, convert the box to a graphic box or an unassigned box, then convert back to a text box, and then keyboard the new type.

And then do similar for the two lower quadrants.

Trouble is I can’t make the copy box forget that it once had backward reading text. (To me, if I change it to a graphic content box it should forget all about it’s textual past — but it doesn’t.)

AFAIK my only option is to lock the flipped frame and use it as a guide to construct a new one. Repeated simarly for the lower quads.


I challenge the cosmos to come up with a response (most definitely I am not challenging anyone here) before I have done it manually. Spring is a time for surprise.


Chuck M

[Michael Brady]

Chuck

> I have an image in InDy that is is a medium sphere centered on top of a big circle. I have to set four blocks of text around the sphere. I did the one in the upper left quadrant, using about 15 control points for the text box. For consistency of look and saving of time, I thought I would copy that text box, give it a horizontal flip, put it in the upper right quadrant, delete the now backward reading text, convert the box to a graphic box or an unassigned box, then convert back to a text box, and then keyboard the new type. ...

>
> Trouble is I can’t make the copy box forget that it once had backward reading text. (To me, if I change it to a graphic content box it should forget all about it’s textual past — but it doesn’t.)

Draw a small rectangle. Place it over (and entirely within) the polygon. (NB: the rectangle must be in front.) Use the Pathfinder tool and join the shapes. The result will be the same polygon, but now it is correctly oriented. Repeat for nos. 3 and 4. Then add the text.

[Charles Miller]

On Apr 25, 2015, at 4:28 PM, Michael Brady <mich...@michaelbradydesign.com> wrote:

Draw a small rectangle. Place it over (and entirely within) the polygon. (NB: the rectangle must be in front.) Use the Pathfinder tool and join the shapes. The result will be the same polygon, but now it is correctly oriented. Repeat for nos. 3 and 4. Then add the text.

Who says the cosmos doesn’t listen to us tiny humanoids? 

Thank you, Michael. Not surprised you would know this. Not something I would have thought of trying. But it has its own logic. 

I’ve done one box manually. That’s prepared me to more fully appreciate your tactic for the remaining two. 

Chuck M

[David Blatner]

Lots of ways to do the same thing, but I find it easier to simply change to the Direct Selection tool before flipping the object. That flips the points, not the content. I wrote about that (in a different context) here:

http://indesignsecrets.com/flipping-frames-front-page-align.php

--david blatner

[Charles Miller]

Must say this excursion into flipping text frames reminds me how fond I am of InDesign and print work. Locally, print has dried up in all of my freelance — with the technical exception of projects for my UU church, which I am naturally glad to donate. 

[Michael Brady]

David

> Lots of ways to do the same thing, but I find it easier to simply change to the Direct Selection tool before flipping the object. That flips the points, not the content.

And similar to this is to select all the points with the white arrow, then switch to the rotation tool, tap to define the pivot point, then rotate the points en masse around the pivot.



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Michael Brady