Back to Contents

Cutting/copying and pasting a linked box

Working with items

Before you can add text, graphic or other items to a Freeway page, you need to define a placeholder or container for the contents you wish to add - this is done by drawing an item using one of the four box drawing tools. You can also create items to represent controls for interactive forms, using one of the six form control drawing tools. Form control items are selected, resized and modified in the same way as ordinary items, but cannot themselves hold content. Forms and form control items are described in their own chapter later in this guide.

Graphic, text, or multimedia content can be imported into any box you draw, regardless of the shape of the box, except for multimedia content, which can only be imported into rectangular items. An item can only hold one kind of content at a time - once an item holds text, for example, you cannot import a graphic into the same box unless you first delete all the text from the box.

Every item on the page is represented in the Site palette by a small rectangular icon with the item's name (e.g., Item1, Item2, etc.) alongside it, as long as you have Show Items turned on in the Site palette popout menu. The icon of the item appears underneath and slightly to the right of the icon of the page it is located on. If the item is on the pasteboard, the icon has a small cross in the center to reflect this.

The stacking order of items on the page is also reflected in the Site palette, again as long as you have Show Items turned on in the Site palette popout menu. You can use the Site palette to change the stacking order of items on the page by dragging them up and down, or even drag items onto a different page altogether. See the Palettes section for more information on how to perform these and other actions.

When you have an item selected on the page, the Inspector palette displays the settings for that item in the Item panel. Usually, there will also be options available in the Export panel which control how that item is reproduced in the output when the site is published to the Web.

Item panel

The Item panel controls the position and size of the item on the page, as well as its title, fill color, and box shape. See the Palettes section for more information on the Item panel and its options.

Export panel

In the Export panel you can select the item's export type, and attributes for the resulting graphic (if applicable). See the Palettes section for more information on the Export panel and its options.

Group panel

When GIF or JPEG items are overlapped and form an Image Group, the Group panel appears. This panel controls the export options for the resulting graphic.

Drawing items

Freeway's box drawing tools

As you learn to use Freeway's box drawing tools, you'll learn to recognize the different types of cursor which give you feedback on what's happening as you work. There are four box drawing tools, two rectangle box drawing tools, an oval box drawing tool, and a pen tool which lets you create items which consist of polygons or bezier curves. Items created by drawing items may have variety of export types, which affect how the content is reproduced on the Web when the site is published. The available export types are HTML, GIF, JPEG and URL. The two rectangle box drawing tools draw HTML and GIF items respectively (the blue one on the left is the HTML box drawing tool, and the grey one on the right is the GIF box drawing tool).

If you subsequently change your mind, and wish to change the export type of an item in Freeway, you can do this by selecting the item and switching to the Export panel in the Inspector palette.

When you want an item to hold text

Items drawn to hold text need to have their content exported either as actual HTML text, or exported as a GIF graphic when the site is published. You normally make this decision when you draw the box, and so Freeway offers the ability to draw HTML text items or GIF text items using individual drawing tools. HTML text items can only be rectangular.

When you want an item to hold a graphic

Items which have graphic content imported into them automatically default to either GIF export or JPEG export depending on the number of colors contained in the graphic - Freeway automatically selects the best format to use, and you'll normally want to leave it as Freeway decides for best results. You can import a graphic into any empty box in Freeway.

When you want a plain filled box

You can create an empty box and give it a fill color so that it exports as a graphic element. You have the choice of defining such items to export as either HTML items, or GIF items. HTML items have the advantage of adding less to the overall page size, and therefore being marginally quicker to download, but have the disadvantage that they will always be reproduced as at least a character width wide or high when output, even if they are drawn thinner or narrower than this in Freeway.

URL items

Items intended to hold content which is referenced from somewhere on the Web when the page is viewed are given a URL export type, and are called URL items.

Creating an HTML box

To draw an HTML box:

1. Select the HTML box drawing tool:

2. Position the pointer over the page where you want one corner of the box to begin.

3. Click and drag diagonally

4. Let go the mouse button when the box is the right size

Freeway displays the newly drawn item as selected and with a non-printing blue outline. If you want to hide the box outline at any point, for a more realistic preview of how the page will look, choose View/Item frame to turn off box outlines.

Creating a GIF box

To create a GIF box:

1. Select the GIF box drawing tool:

2. Position the pointer over the page where you want one corner of the box to begin.

3. Click and drag diagonally

4. Let go the mouse button when the box is the right size

Freeway displays the newly drawn item as selected and with a non-printing grey outline. If you want to hide the box outline at any point, for a more realistic preview of how the page will look, choose View/Item frame to turn off box outlines.

Creating an oval box

To create an oval box:

1. Select the oval box drawing tool:

2. Position the pointer over the page where you want one corner of the box to begin.

3. Click and drag diagonally

4. Let go the mouse button when the box is the right size

Creating a polygonal box

You can create a straight-sided or polygonal box by positioning corner points using the Pen tool:

1. Select the Pen tool.

2. Move the mouse over the point on the page where you want to start drawing the box, and click once

3. Move the mouse where you want to create the second corner point, and click again. Repeat as many times as you need to.

4. To complete the box, place the pointer over the first point you drew and click - the cursor displays a closed circle when you are over the starting point, to show that you are closing the shape. Alternatively, you may double click at any point to finish drawing the object and leave it open.

Creating an item using curves

You can create an item using curve points by dragging the Pen tool as you click to position the next point.

1. Select the Pen tool.

2. Move the mouse over the point on the page where you want to start drawing the box

3. Click on the page and hold down the mouse button.

4. Drag the pointer to drag out direction handles which determine the curvature of the line segment through the point you're drawing, and release the mouse button when you're happy. A curved path is created.

4. Continue clicking and dragging to complete the shape.

5. Click on the first point in the path to complete the box.

Note: You can draw an item with both curve and corner points.

Modifying the operation of box drawing tools

You can change the way Freeway's box drawing tools work by using different keyboard modifiers.

Keeping a drawing tool selected

Usually, when you've drawn an item, the currently active tool in the Tools palette reverts automatically to the Selection tool when you've finished. If you want to draw more than one box of the same type without having to reselect the box drawing tool each time, hold down Option as you select the tool to begin with.

When you do this, the tool is shown selected in dark grey, and remains selected until you choose another tool.

Drawing an item from its center point

Items are normally drawn diagonally from corner to corner - however, there are occasions when you want to draw the box outward from a center.

To start drawing from the center point of the box:

1. Hold down the Option key after you have started to drag the mouse to define your box, and keep it held down until you release the mouse button.

Note - if you hold the Option key down too early, you will activate the Grabber hand, which moves the page around within the window.

Drawing a square, or circular box

To constrain the Rectangle or Oval drawing tools, hold down Shift as you draw an item. The result will be a square or circular box, as appropriate.

Item types

Changing the export type

To change the export type of an item at any point

1. Select the box and switch to the Export panel of the Inspector palette.

2. Choose a new option from the Type popup menu.

Manipulating Items

Once you've created an item, you can modify it in many ways. For example, you can change its size and shape, move it, transform it or change its attributes such as its fill or border color.

Selecting an item

Before making changes to an item, you must first select it using one of these three methods:

· Hold down the Command key and click anywhere within the item. This is probably the easiest way of selecting an item.

· Click on the item's icon in the Site palette.

· Click on the edge of the item using the Selection tool.

Selection handles then appear at the corners of the item and in the center of each edge:

Deselecting an item

To deselect an item, select something else, select the box again with Shift held down, or click outside any box.

Deleting an item

To delete a item, select it and press either the Backspace or the Delete key, choose Edit/Clear, or press Clear (available on some keyboards).

Deleting the content of an item

You can delete the content of an item and leave the box itself on your page. Select the box and choose Edit/Clear Content. Freeway deletes the content, retains the format and leaves the box selected so that you can import new content.

Displaying and hiding box borders

You can hide or display the non-printing box outlines. By default they are displayed.

To hide or display box borders, choose View/Item Frame.

Freeway hides the non-printing box outlines, but items remain displayed in the Site palette. Items with printing borders are still displayed. When you select a hidden box using the Site palette, only its selection handles appear on the page. To display non-printing box borders, choose View/Item Frame again.

Resizing an item

You can resize an item using the Selection tool by dragging its handles. However, you might want to specify its size more accurately. You can do this using the Transform dialog box, the Inspector palette or keyboard commands.

Using the Selection tool

To resize an item using the Selection tool:

1. Select the box to display the selection handles. As you point at an item handle, the pointer changes shape:

2. Drag one of the box's handles. The corner handles allow you to resize in any direction while the edge handles allow you to resize in only horizontally or vertically.

If you hold down Shift while you resize an item using the corner handles, its shape will be constrained.

Using the Transform dialog box

You can resize an item using the Transform dialog box:

1. Select the box and choose Item/Transform.

You'll see the following dialogue box:

2. Enter the new percentages in the Scale items and click OK:

Using the Inspector palette

You can change the box size using the Item panel in the Inspector palette:

1. Enter the width and height of the box in the text items.

2. Press Enter or Return.

Using keyboard commands

You can use keyboard commands to increase and decrease box size.

Moving an item

There are several ways to move an item, provided the box is unlocked.

Remember that the presence or absence of a grid on the page determines the final position of the box.

Using the Selection tool

1. Choose the Selection tool.

2. Point to the frame of the box (but not one of the handles) and drag the mouse.

Note: Holding down Shift after the movement has started constrains movement in one direction.

Using the Inspector palette

The Item panel on the Inspector palette has box inset controls which set the position of the box in relation to the edge of the page.

1. Select the box.

2. Enter new values in the X and Y text items of the Item panel.

3. Press Enter or Return.

Using the Align to Grid command

You can align an item's edges to the layout grid:

1. Select the box.

2. Choose Item/Align to Grid.

Using the keyboard arrow keys

You can move an item on the page using the keyboard arrow keys:

1. Select the box.

2. Use the four keyboard arrow keys to nudge the box up, down, right and left. The box will move according to the current Arrows nudge value set in Preferences.

Moving an item to another page using the Site palette

You can drag an item to another page by dragging its icon in the Site palette underneath a different page's icon on the palette.

Locking and unlocking an item

You can lock an item in position, so that you don't move it inadvertently when working with other Items on a page.

The simplest way is to select the box and choose Item/Lock.

Alternatively, you can lock or unlock an item as follows:

1. Select the box and display the Item panel of the Inspector palette.

2. Click in the Lock box.

3. Press Enter or Return.

Changing an item's shape

You can change the shape of an item. For example, you can draw an oval and then convert it to a rectangle:

1. Select the box and display the Item panel of the Inspector palette.

2. Choose a type from the Type popup menu.

3. Press Enter or Return.

Note: You can place any content into a rectangular box. Other shaped items accept only graphics and text.

Reshaping a pen box

You can reshape an item drawn with the Pen tool by moving, adding and deleting points, or by altering its curved paths.

Moving points

1. Select the box to display its reshape handles.

2. Drag the appropriate handle to a new position. As you point at a reshape handle, the pointer changes shape to a hollowed out arrow.

Adding points

To alter an existing box's shape, you can add extra points (reshape handles) to an item drawn with the Pen tool:

1. Select the box.

2. Using the Pen tool, point at the position on the box's path where you want to add a reshape handle.

As you point at the path, the pointer changes shape:

3. Click to add a reshape handle.

Note: You can add a curved point to a path by holding down Shift as you click.

Deleting points

To alter an existing shape by deleting a reshape handle from an item's path:

1. Select the box.

2. Using the Pen tool, point at the reshape handle you want to delete. As you point at a reshape handle, the pointer changes shape:

3. Click on the handle to delete it.

The box is redrawn between the remaining points.

Altering curves

1. Select the box to display its reshape handles.

2. Drag the handles to reshape the curve.

Rounding the corners of an item

To round out square corners of an item, select the box and change the corner radius in the Item panel of the Inspector palette:

1. Select the box and display the Item panel in the Inspector palette.

2. Enter a new value for the Corner Radius.

3. Press Enter or Return.

All four corners of the box are altered by the required amount and small circles appear at the centre point of the radius of the corner.. You can alter the value of individual corners by dragging this circle.

Transforming items

You can transform GIF and JPEG items by rotating, skewing, scaling or reflecting them using the Transform dialog box, or using the Rotate, Skew and Mirror tools. You can transform an item's contents independently of the box. You cannot transform HTML items.

Rotating an item

You can rotate an item by any angle. You can rotate an item and its contents independently, if you want.

Using the Rotate tool

To rotate an item and its contents using the Rotate tool:

1. Select the Rotate tool.

2. Click on the box.

3. Drag one of the box's reshape handles to rotate it.

As you drag, the pointer changes shape. A light-colored outline of the box rotates as you drag the pointer:

Hold down Shift as you drag to prevent the contents from being rotated.

Using the Transform dialog box

For greater control over rotation, use the Transform dialog box:

1. Select the box and choose Item/Transform.

2. Under Frame, enter the angle in the Rotation text box.

You don't need to include the degree symbol. A negative value (type minus from the numeric keypad, or a hyphen) rotates the box anticlockwise.

3. Decide whether to rotate the box's contents:

· Uncheck the Content box to leave the contents unrotated.

· Leave the Content box checked if you want the contents to rotate with the box. If you enter a different rotation angle for the box's contents, this value is added to the box's rotation, so you can rotate the contents by a greater or lesser angle than the box.

4. Click OK.

Note: You can still edit rotated text.

Skewing an item

You can skew items horizontally and vertically to any angle. The skewing can include the contents or be independent of the contents, and the contents can skew without altering the box.

Using the Skew tool

This is the simplest way to skew an item:

1. Click on the box with the Skew tool:

2. Click on a reshape handle and drag sideways to create the skew. As you drag, the pointer changes shape:

Holding down Shift as you drag will prevent the box's contents from being skewed.

Using the Transform dialog box

For greater control, use the following method:

1. Select the box and choose Item/Transform.

2. Under Item, enter the x and/or y values for the skewing in the appropriate text box.

Values can be in degrees or in a distance measurement value. A negative value (type minus from the numeric keypad, or hyphen) skews the box to the left.

3. Decide whether to skew the box's contents and either:

· uncheck the Content box to leave the contents unskewed

· leave the Content box checked to skew contents with the box. If you enter a different skew for the box's contents this value is added to the box's skew, so you can skew the contents by a greater or lesser amount than the box.

4. Click OK.

Note: You can still edit text while it is in a skewed box.

Reflecting an item

You can reflect an item to give its mirror image. The reflection can include the contents or be independent of the contents. You can also reflect the contents without altering the box itself.

Using the Mirror tool

This is the simplest way to reflect an item:

1. Click on the box with the Mirror tool:

2. Drag sideways to create the reflection. As you drag, the pointer changes shape:

Hold down Shift to keep the contents unreflected. Dragging different reshape handles alters the plane of reflection.

Using the Transform dialog box

For greater control, use the following method:

1. Select the box and choose Item/Transform.

2. Click on the Transform icon in the scrolling area to the left of the box.

3. Under Item, check the Mirror box.

4. To reflect the contents with the box, leave the Content box checked. To reflect the contents independently from its box, leave the Content box checked and click the Mirror box.

5. Click OK.

Note: You can edit text while it is reflected.

Scaling an item

You can scale an item along its x and y axes, either independently, or with its contents. You can also scale an item's contents independently from the box.

1. Select the box and choose Item/Transform .

2. Under Item, enter the scale percentage values for the x and y axes of the box.

3. To scale the contents with the box, leave the Contents box checked. To scale the contents independently of the box, check the Contents box and enter a scaling value in the x and y items. To leave the contents unscaled, uncheck the Contents box.

4. Click Keep Aspect Ratio if you want to retain the box's original aspect ratio.

5. Click OK.

Changing box attributes

Defaults are set for many box attributes, but you can change them.

Changing an item's title

When an item is first drawn it is given a default name (Item 1, for example). You may want to change its name to make it easier to identify. When an item has a graphic added to it the name changes to reflect the name of the graphic file. The box title becomes the file name when the site is built. To avoid the possibility of files with the same names over writing, Freeway will not allow you to give different items the same name.

1. Select the box and display the Item panel in the Inspector palette.

2. Highlight the existing name in the Title text box and enter a new name.

4. Click OK.

If you choose View/Item Name, box names are shown at the top left of the box. The box type is shown at the top right.

Setting an item's color

You can set an item's background color using either the Item panel on the Inspector palette or the Colors palette.

To set the box's color using the Item panel of the Inspector palette:

1. Select the box.

2. Display the Item panel of the Inspector palette.

3. Choose the color from the Fill popup menu.

To set the box's color using the Colors palette:

1. Select the box.

2. Click on the Background icon at the top of the palette.

3. Click on the color name or swatch.

Items with foreground colors apply that color to text set to pick up a foreground color. This is explained in more detail in the section on GIF text. You can set box's foreground color using the Colors palette:

1. Select the box.

2. Click on the Foreground icon at the top of the palette.

3. Click on the color name or swatch.

Stopping an item from publishing

You can turn publishing off for some items. To do this:

1. Select the box and display the Item panel on the Inspector palette.

2. Uncheck the Publish box.

The box and its contents will not be included when the site is built.

Note: You can also control graphics publishing using the Graphic File dialog box.

Using the contents of a master box

If you set up an item on a master page and then change its content on a body page, you can reset it to use the original master page box's contents:

1. Select the box and display the Item panel on the Inspector palette.

2.. Check the Use Master Content box.

Using the attributes of a master box

If you set up an item on a master page, then change its attributes on a body page, you can reset it to use the original master page layout:

1. Select the box and display the Item panel on the Inspector palette.

2. Check the Use Master Settings box.

Applying an item border

When you first draw a GIF box, it appears with a light grey border. This border is normally not published, but you can modify it so that it is:

1. Select the box and choose Item/Border.

2. Choose Line from the popup menu.

3. Enter a line width and choose a color from the popup menu

4. Place the border in relation to the items contents by choosing from the Position popup menu. If Inside is selected, the border will occupy the area inside the box and may impinge on the box's contents. Center places the border equidistant across the frame. Outside places it outside the frame

5. Click OK.

Copying, stacking and aligning items

You can change the stacking order of items within a group. You can also copy, duplicate and paste items in a document.

Cutting, copying and pasting

You can cut, copy and paste items using the Edit menu.

1. With the box selected, choose Edit/Cut or Edit/Copy.

The box and its contents are removed from the page (or copied) and held in the Clipboard.

2. Select the new location for the box ­ this could be another box or a different page ­ then choose Edit/Paste.

Freeway places the box in the new location.

Quick copy

You can make a quick copy of an item by holding down Option and dragging the box's border to a new position using the Selection, Skew, Mirror or Rotate tools. The copy is named sequentially.

Duplicating an item

You can duplicate an item and assign a horizontal and vertical offset. You can also specify how many copies you want:

1. With the box selected, choose Item/Duplicate....

2. Enter the number of copies you want and their horizontal and vertical offset.

3. Click OK.

Duplicate items are placed on the page on top of the original box, and numbered sequentially from the original. They appear in the Site palette.

To rename a duplicate box, select the box, display the Item panel of the Inspector palette and enter its new name in the Title text box.

Selecting multiple items

There are four ways of selecting multiple items:

· In the Site palette, click on the first box, then Shift click on the subsequent items. This keeps the first box selected while adding others.

· Shift-Command click on each box.

· With the Selection tool, drag a temporary rectangle around (or touching) the items you want to select.

· Choose Edit/Select All. This selects all items on the page.

Aligning items

You can align a series of items along common edges:

1. Select the items you want to align.

2. Choose Item/Align. The Alignment dialog box opens with the left-most icons selected. This means "no alignment":

3. Click the relevant Horizontal and Vertical alignment icons.

4. Click OK.

Changing box stacking order

Items are 'stacked' on a page. You can alter the stacking order by bringing items to the front or sending them to the back.

There are two ways to change an item's position in the stacking order:

· Select the box and choose Item/Send to Back or Bring to Front.

· Point to the box's icon on the Site palette and drag it up or down.

Note: The stacking order of items affects the way grouped items behave since it is the underlaying box with controls the attributes of the group.

Integrating items and text

You can change the way text behaves in items using the Text dialog box. Display this by choosing Item/Modify Text....

Setting an inner inset for an item

An inner inset creates a space between the side edges of the box and the text. This space may be necessary if the box has a border placed inside the box, or if the text displays overhangs (such as swash characters, hanging punctuation and optical alignment), that you want to keep within the box's area.

To set an inner inset:

1. Select the box.

2. Choose Item/Modify Text.

3. Enter the value in the Inner inset text box.

4. Click OK.

Text is inset from the border by the distance you've specified.

Setting first line leading

To set the first line leading of text in an item:

1. Select the box.

2. Choose Item/Modify Text.

3. Choose the First line leading options from the popup menu.

Capitals First line leading is placed to allow room for the capitals of the largest point size in the first line.

Accented Capitals First line leading allows room for any capitals and their accents in the first line.

Ascent First line leading allows room for any ascenders in the first line.

4. Click OK.

Wrapping text

You can make text in an overlapping GIF box wrap around another GIF box's border using controls in the Item panel of the Inspector palette:

1. Select the first GIF box.

3. Display the Item panel on the Inspector palette.

3. Click Wrap check box.

4. Enter the value for the gap between the text and the box.

Overlapping text is placed at the specified distance away from the box. Text wraparound is off by default.

Note: You cannot set a wrap on an HTML box .

Creating rules

You can add independent rules (i.e. create underline effects or column separators) to a page or box using either an item tool or the Pen tool.

Applying a rule using an item tool

You can add independent rules to a page or box by drawing a thin box with a background color.

Applying a rule using the Pen tool

1. Use the Pen tool to draw a line as an open path.

2. With the line selected, choose Item/Border...

3. Set the color and width of the line. Set the border to appear outside the box.

4. Click OK.

You can also insert a rule into HTML text using Text/Rule.

Linking and unlinking text boxes

You specify the way text flows from box to box by linking individual text boxes. Moving a text box does not affect the text flow, and you can link text boxes either before or after you've placed text.

A text box which is not linked and which is too small to show all the text displays a small cross in the bottom right-hand corner:

Changing the shape and size of a linked box causes text to reflow.

Linking text boxes

To link two or more text boxes:

1. Select the Link tool.

2. Click on the first box, and then on each subsequent box in turn in the same order that you want text to flow through the text boxes. As you move the pointer over a text box, it changes shape:

3. A red line joining the text boxes indicates the links between text boxes. The white arrows show the direction of flow.

Text placed in the first box will flow through the linked text boxes until all the text is placed.

Deselecting the Link tool (by clicking on another tool) stops the linking session. Click back on the Link tool to start another flow.

Showing text links

To see how text flows from box to box, select a text box with either the Link tool or the Unlink tool. This will show all the links for text boxes connected to that box.

Selecting text across linked text boxes

There are several ways of selecting text that flows across linked text boxes:

· With the Selection tool, click in the text and then choose Edit/Select All. All text in the linked text boxes is selected.

· Place the cursor at the start of the selection, then hold down Shift and click where you want the selection to end. All the text between the two positions is selected.

· Click and drag across the text you want to select.

Note: The selection of text across text boxes depends on the text flow, not on the position of the text boxes

Unlinking text boxes

To separate two linked text boxes:

1. Select the Unlink tool:

2. Click one of the linked text boxes to display the links.

3. Click on the line linking the text boxes.

The box 'downstream' of the link is removed from the flow of text. Text reflows into the next box in the linked series. If there is no box for the text to flow into, or if the text can no longer be displayed within the linked text boxes, the overflow icon (the small cross) reappears in the last box of the flow.

Inserting a text box into an existing flow

To insert a text box into the flow of text:

1. Draw a new box and select it:

2. Using the Link tool, click on the box you want to precede the inserted box:

3. Click on the box you've just drawn:

4. Click on the box that will follow it in the flow:

Deleting a text box from the text flow

When you delete a text box from the flow, text reflows into the remaining text boxes.

To do this, simply select the box using the Selection tool and delete it.

Since removing a text box reduces the space available for the text to be displayed, the overflow icon may appear in the final box of the flow.

Cutting/copying and pasting a linked box

You can cut or copy a text box from a linked series:

· Cutting a text box from a linked series is the same as deleting it, in that the text is not removed from the flow, but reflows into the remaining text boxes.

· Copying a text box from a linked series does not copy text within the box, only the box itself.

· Pasting places an empty (unlinked) box into the document.

Back to the top
Introduction | Getting Started | User Guide | Contacting SoftPress