training document template: columns? tables? trouble!

first, i hope this is the correct forum, and i apologize in advance if it
isn't. i'm a newbie.

my group uses word 2000 sp-3 (a few use 2003). we have word docs that make
up our training manual for various apps. they are screenshot-heavy, where the
text wraps around the graphics. i've redesigned the doc to create
"marginalia" on the right side - an inch or so of ruled-off vertical space,
top to bottom, where quick hits and tips will go, and to allow users to make
notes. but i've been fighting for some time to create a template that my
colleagues can use to simply drop in the material and avoid layout tweaking.
i've tried columns and tables, but something always trips us up - inserting a
graphic blows the form off the page or pushes everything off the page, or
blows out the bottom of the table, or the graphic jumps around wherever it
wants, etc. we've tried linked text boxes (for the marginalia) . . .
everything. what are we missing? isn't there some way to set up columns or
tables (or something else) and lock them down so that no amount of
manipulating text and art will destroy the framework? a three-column table
has worked the best so far (first column is 5.5" for the body text, second
column is essentially the gutter, third column of 1.25" is the marginalia),
but we still encounter blowouts of the bottom of the table box to the next
page, and the doc just keeps pushing down and growing in page numbers without
allowing us to place the text and art where we want. i've searched high and
low for advanced instructions and/or a template, to no avail. any
suggestions are welcome. thank you.

Hi sb-

Have yu tried setting the Row Height of you table to an 'Exactly:'
specification?

HTH |:)

"sb" wrote:

first, i hope this is the correct forum, and i apologize in advance if it
isn't. i'm a newbie.

my group uses word 2000 sp-3 (a few use 2003). we have word docs that make
up our training manual for various apps. they are screenshot-heavy, where the
text wraps around the graphics. i've redesigned the doc to create
"marginalia" on the right side - an inch or so of ruled-off vertical space,
top to bottom, where quick hits and tips will go, and to allow users to make
notes. but i've been fighting for some time to create a template that my
colleagues can use to simply drop in the material and avoid layout tweaking.
i've tried columns and tables, but something always trips us up - inserting a
graphic blows the form off the page or pushes everything off the page, or
blows out the bottom of the table, or the graphic jumps around wherever it
wants, etc. we've tried linked text boxes (for the marginalia) . . .
everything. what are we missing? isn't there some way to set up columns or
tables (or something else) and lock them down so that no amount of
manipulating text and art will destroy the framework? a three-column table
has worked the best so far (first column is 5.5" for the body text, second
column is essentially the gutter, third column of 1.25" is the marginalia),
but we still encounter blowouts of the bottom of the table box to the next
page, and the doc just keeps pushing down and growing in page numbers without
allowing us to place the text and art where we want. i've searched high and
low for advanced instructions and/or a template, to no avail. any
suggestions are welcome. thank you.

yes. in fact, that's how i had it set up in the beginning. but then we
discovered that if we kept typing text at the bottom of a page (table), the
type wouldn't continue on the next page, it would be buried beyond the bottom
edge of the table on the first page. when i checked word help, under
"troubleshooting tables," here's what it said:

Part of the text is hidden inside a table cell.
-You might have set an exact row height that's smaller than the text you are
trying to display. Click in the cell. On the Table menu, click Table
Properties, and then click the Row tab. In the Row height is box, click At
least.

i've also experimented with other settings, essentially to tell the template
to allow the text to flow onto subsequent pages. nothing has worked so far..

"CyberTaz" wrote:

Hi sb-

Have yu tried setting the Row Height of you table to an 'Exactly:'
specification?

HTH |:)

"sb" wrote:

first, i hope this is the correct forum, and i apologize in advance if it
isn't. i'm a newbie.

my group uses word 2000 sp-3 (a few use 2003). we have word docs that make
up our training manual for various apps. they are screenshot-heavy, where the
text wraps around the graphics. i've redesigned the doc to create
"marginalia" on the right side - an inch or so of ruled-off vertical space,
top to bottom, where quick hits and tips will go, and to allow users to make
notes. but i've been fighting for some time to create a template that my
colleagues can use to simply drop in the material and avoid layout tweaking.
i've tried columns and tables, but something always trips us up - inserting a
graphic blows the form off the page or pushes everything off the page, or
blows out the bottom of the table, or the graphic jumps around wherever it
wants, etc. we've tried linked text boxes (for the marginalia) . . .
everything. what are we missing? isn't there some way to set up columns or
tables (or something else) and lock them down so that no amount of
manipulating text and art will destroy the framework? a three-column table
has worked the best so far (first column is 5.5" for the body text, second
column is essentially the gutter, third column of 1.25" is the marginalia),
but we still encounter blowouts of the bottom of the table box to the next
page, and the doc just keeps pushing down and growing in page numbers without
allowing us to place the text and art where we want. i've searched high and
low for advanced instructions and/or a template, to no avail. any
suggestions are welcome. thank you.

I should have been more specific... the Row Height setting idea was primarily
aimed toward controlling the graphics.

Have you tried using Text Box Form Fields in the table cells? I'm not sure
that will do it for you either, as the field is still going to require a
finite amount of space based on its assigned size limit.

Perhaps I'm missing something, but if the volume of content is _variable_ it
seems that some degree of layout tweaking is inevitable. In view of the
complexity of the projects you might be better off with a true page layout
app. The copy could still be done in Word & imported.

Regards |:)

"sb" wrote:

yes. in fact, that's how i had it set up in the beginning. but then we
discovered that if we kept typing text at the bottom of a page (table), the
type wouldn't continue on the next page, it would be buried beyond the bottom
edge of the table on the first page. when i checked word help, under
"troubleshooting tables," here's what it said:

Part of the text is hidden inside a table cell.
-You might have set an exact row height that's smaller than the text you are
trying to display. Click in the cell. On the Table menu, click Table
Properties, and then click the Row tab. In the Row height is box, click At
least.

i've also experimented with other settings, essentially to tell the template
to allow the text to flow onto subsequent pages. nothing has worked so far..

"CyberTaz" wrote:

Hi sb-

Have yu tried setting the Row Height of you table to an 'Exactly:'
specification?

HTH |:)

"sb" wrote:

first, i hope this is the correct forum, and i apologize in advance if it
isn't. i'm a newbie.

my group uses word 2000 sp-3 (a few use 2003). we have word docs that make
up our training manual for various apps. they are screenshot-heavy, where the
text wraps around the graphics. i've redesigned the doc to create
"marginalia" on the right side - an inch or so of ruled-off vertical space,
top to bottom, where quick hits and tips will go, and to allow users to make
notes. but i've been fighting for some time to create a template that my
colleagues can use to simply drop in the material and avoid layout tweaking.
i've tried columns and tables, but something always trips us up - inserting a
graphic blows the form off the page or pushes everything off the page, or
blows out the bottom of the table, or the graphic jumps around wherever it
wants, etc. we've tried linked text boxes (for the marginalia) . . .
everything. what are we missing? isn't there some way to set up columns or
tables (or something else) and lock them down so that no amount of
manipulating text and art will destroy the framework? a three-column table
has worked the best so far (first column is 5.5" for the body text, second
column is essentially the gutter, third column of 1.25" is the marginalia),
but we still encounter blowouts of the bottom of the table box to the next
page, and the doc just keeps pushing down and growing in page numbers without
allowing us to place the text and art where we want. i've searched high and
low for advanced instructions and/or a template, to no avail. any
suggestions are welcome. thank you.

yes, i'm reluctantly coming to that conclusion. i've spent too much time
fighting with a program that clearly doesn't want to do this. so close, yet
so far away. thanks for your input.

"CyberTaz" wrote:

In view of the complexity of the projects you might be better off with a true page
layout app. The copy could still be done in Word & imported.

Regards |:)