change text frame to graphic frame?

[Kathleen]

Is there any way to change a text frame (contains a cursor but no text) into a graphic frame and get rid of the text cursor?

kat

[Michael Brady]

On May 24, 2011, at 5:30 PM, Kathleen wrote:

> Is there any way to change a text frame (contains a cursor but no text) into a graphic frame and get rid of the text cursor?

Object > Content > take you pick

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Michael Brady
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[Michael Brady]

On May 24, 2011, at 5:34 PM, Michael Brady wrote:

>>
>> Is there any way to change a text frame (contains a cursor but no text) into a graphic frame and get rid of the text cursor?
>
> Object > Content > take you pick

One small detail I overlooked: Switch to the pointer, select the frame, then Object > Content > Graphics. (You can't do this with the text cursor active in the frame.)

[Kathleen]

Very nice, Michael
But when I Object > Content > Graphic then check layers I get 2 layers
top layer: <graphic frame>
bottom layer: a thin tiny rectangle which I can't delete

What's the skinny thin tiny rectangle?

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Kat
McGraphics Design
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[Michael Brady]

On May 24, 2011, at 5:59 PM, Kathleen wrote:

> But when I Object > Content > Graphic then check layers I get 2 layers
> top layer: <graphic frame>
> bottom layer: a thin tiny rectangle which I can't delete

First, you created a second layer somehow. That's unrelated to changing the kind of frame from text to graphics.

Second, the gray rectangle on the bottom layer signifies which layer a selected object is on. If the top layer is active, it will be highlighted; but if, while the top layer is selected, you have selected an object on the bottom layer, you will see a colored square where the gray box is. The top layer will still be active, but the object on the bottom layer will be selected.

Also, if you want to move an object from one layer to another, select is to make that box active, then drag that square to another layer and ID will move the object to that layer.

[Roy McCoy]

Michael B. wrote:

> Also, if you want to move an object from one layer to another, select [it] to make that box active, then drag that square to another layer and ID will move the object to that layer.

I don't have any problem moving objects from one layer to another, but I am having problems selecting them in the first place. I find myself doing two things I didn't do before.

(1) Ungrouping a group in order to select an item within it. This might be explainable by my perhaps not grouping as much previously, or not wanting to select objects within groups.

(2) Figuring out which object I want in the Layers palette (new listing of items in CS5/5.5) and selecting it there.

I like *being able* to select items using the panel, but not the feeling I'm now having frequently that I *have* to.

Namely, I remember being able to click through a stack of objects to get to and select the one I wanted. Maybe this was only in PageMaker, but it doesn't seem so long ago. Anyway, is it possible to click through a stack in current versions of ID? And, ah... oh, the white arrow is the way to select an object in a group, isn't it? And if it's under another one?

Thanks,

Roy

[Kathleen]

I'm used to ID's new layers from spending a lot of time in Ai. But the 2nd small layer isn't selectable. I wondered if though the test or unassigned frame had been switched to a graphic frame maybe it still retained a cursor, not selectable because it's empty. In Cs 5.5 you can place text in any kind of frame.

Still switching from unassigned or text to graphic did get rid of my tagging problem in Acrobat X. So I'm good, just curious

kat

[Roy McCoy]

So put up a file up somewhere demonstrating your problem.
There's no reason these days to make people guess, and it
would be likelier that someone could and would explain the
matter to you.

Roy

[Michael Brady]

On May 24, 2011, at 7:58 PM, Kathleen wrote:

> I'm used to ID's new layers from spending a lot of time in Ai. But the 2nd small layer isn't selectable. I wondered if though the test or unassigned frame had been switched to a graphic frame maybe it still retained a cursor, not selectable because it's empty. In Cs 5.5 you can place text in any kind of frame.

The Layers panel shows layers, per se, and also if you click on the little triangle to expand a layer, it shows you the individual objects in their stacking order. Is that what you are talking about?

To find the object on that layer, click on the gray bax and make it a colored square. When you do that, ID will highlight the selected object.

Ta-da.

[Roy McCoy]

Sorry if I was too wordy before. The question was simply whether it is possible to click through a stack of objects to select one of them. I just now googled on this rather than asking again, and to my surprise the first answer I found, at http://www.russellviers.com/?p=191, was the usual "Command + Click (Mac) or Control + Click (Windows)". I was certain this hadn't been working for me lately, but I tried again now in 5.5 and it's working normally. I hope if anyone's aware of a situation in which cmd/ctrl-clicking through a stack doesn't work or appears not to work, they'll share it. Thanks.

Roy

[Harbs]

That behavior was changed in CS5 for the better. Clicking on a selected object will no longer deselect it and select the top one...

Harbs
http://www.in-tools.com
Innovations in Automation

[Roy McCoy]

Aha, so there *was* a change. Thanks!

Roy