Formatting Boxes
You can format any box whether it is a free-floating object or part of a chart.
See:
Defining Box Shape, Color and Lines
Resizing Boxes
This procedure describes how to define the minimum requirements for sizing boxes.
To resize a box:
1 With your chart open, select one or more boxes.
2 Click any one of the eight resizing handles (white dots along the border of the box) on a selected box and drag to the resize the boxes.
Note: When you enable automatic width resizing, you cannot resize a box smaller than the fields contained within it. See Fixed Size Boxes for more information on controlling box size.
To manually resize a box:
1 With your chart open, select one or more boxes. You can drag the control points on the selected box to resize or enter a specific size in inches (as detailed in the following steps).
2 Click the Format tab and select Layout from the Box Properties section.
The Box Properties dialog box is displayed.
3 Click the Box Sizing tab.
Note: by default box sizing is based on the contents of the box. Both Auto Width and Auto Height are turned on.
4 Select a box width sizing option:
· Auto Width – automatically sizes selected boxes.
· Fixed Width – forces the selected boxes to a specific width
· Min/Max Width – forces the selected boxes to a width that is bounded by a minimum and a maximum value.
5 To set a minimum box Height, select the Minimum Height radio button and specify a height.
6 Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.
Fixed Size Boxes
By default, boxes are automatically resized to accommodate the longest displayed field. You can control box sizing by enabling word wrap or by forcing the box to a fixed width. If you force a box to a fixed width, longer fields within the box will be truncated. When using word wrap, you can set a limit on the number of lines the text can wrap to.
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To enable word wrap:
1 With your chart open, select one or more boxes.
Note: You can also enable word wrap for a single field within any box.
2 Click the Home tab, then click the expand button in the Font section.
The Font Properties dialog box opens.
3 Select the Alignment tab.
4 Select the Word Wrap checkbox.
5 Use the Limit drop-down list to specify the maximum number of lines that can be used when wrapping text.
6 Click OK.
To set a box to a fixed width:
1 With your chart open, select one or more boxes.
2 Click the Format tab and select Layout from the Box Properties section.
3 Select the Box Sizing tab.
4 Select the Fixed Width radio button.
5 Click OK.
Note: You can specify whether a field is truncated using ellipses by selecting the Truncate text for fixed size boxes checkbox in the Options tab in the Cell Format dialog (Box Layout tab in Box Properties dialog).
Defining Box Shape, Color and Lines
This procedure explains how to define the box shape, background color, line style and color, and shadow style of boxes or free floating objects
To format colors and lines:
1 With your chart open, select one or more boxes.
Note: Right-click any box and choose Select Boxes with Similar Formatting from the popup menu to quickly select all boxes on the page that have the same format.
2 Click the Format tab and select Layout from the Box Properties section.
3 Click the Color and Lines tab.
4 Define necessary properties in the Fill area:
· Box shape: Select a box shape.
· Color: Select a background color.
5 Define necessary properties in the Border area:
· Color: Select the border line color.
· Dashed: Select the line type.
· Border Style: Select the border style.
6 If you have chosen a box shape with a bounding shape, and want your text to be placed in the bounding box disregarding the interior box, click the Advanced tab and click Overlap Interior Lines.
7 OK to update the selected boxes.
Defining Box Shadows
You can define the shadow style of boxes or free-floating objects.
To format the shadow style:
1 With your chart open, select one or more boxes.
2 Click the Format tab and select Layout from the Box Properties section.
3 Click the Shadow tab.
· Define the following:
· Shadow Style: Select the shadow style.
· Direction: Select a shadow direction (enabled only when a shadow is selected).
· Shadow Color: Select a shadow color (enabled only when a shadow is selected).
· Highlight Color: Select the shadow highlight color (enabled only for certain shadow styles).
· Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset: Select the horizontal and vertical depth of the shadow.
4 Click OK to update the selected boxes.