This is extremely ridiculous

[marcelo - university of nebraska]

First of all, as a graphic designer I absolutely despise Microsoft Office
when it comes to desktop publishing. I need to create a set of templates that
my office staff can use for smaller projects that do not require my hands on
them.

I had set to create word documents as templates with the right graphics and
so on and have the staff only open the document and change the text inside.

Well, little did I know that I was dumping myself into Microsoft HELL...

I managed to put my elements on the page, and use text boxes for extra
control over text placement, but the smart Office developers don't give an
option to center a text vertically inside a text box in Word (SMART, isn't
it?). So, since I didn't want my staff to keep moving the text box around
(which by the way, there's no way to lock down or move freely without
increments of .125 inch or so...), I had to drag all my word stuff into
publisher and utilize it for the centering text vertically within a text box.

Little did I know that HELL was getting hotter and hotter. Besides not being
able to lock the text boxes in place, when I saved stuff as templates, I had
to save it within Microsoft's template folder in my own computer, because if
I save it elsewhere, then they are not going to be templates (I MEAN THAT'S
INCREDIBLY RETARDED), how am I going to have my staff get access to the
templates if they are only templates when saved to my computer?

So, I had to educate everyone to do a save as instead of a regular save,
because if they just do a save, then what are supposed to be the templates
become their own individual document...

Man, tell me if I'm wrong, but why can't these extremely basic things not
have been thought of by the smart developers at Microsoft???

Hopefully I'll have some good answers to my problems from you guys, because
I'm not expecting more than just crap at this point.

Oh boy, I'm already covered in blisters with my 400th degree burns...

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

"marcelo - university of nebraska" <marcelo - university of
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message

First of all, as a graphic designer I absolutely despise Microsoft Office
when it comes to desktop publishing. I need to create a set of templates
that
my office staff can use for smaller projects that do not require my hands
on
them.

You do realize that Office doesn't have any graphic design software?
However, Publisher will do a great job laying out existing graphics.

I managed to put my elements on the page, and use text boxes for extra
control over text placement, but the smart Office developers don't give an
option to center a text vertically inside a text box in Word (SMART, isn't
it?). So, since I didn't want my staff to keep moving the text box around
(which by the way, there's no way to lock down or move freely without
increments of .125 inch or so...), I had to drag all my word stuff into
publisher and utilize it for the centering text vertically within a text
box.

If you use Publisher to begin with, this part would be easier.

Little did I know that HELL was getting hotter and hotter. Besides not
being
able to lock the text boxes in place, when I saved stuff as templates, I
had
to save it within Microsoft's template folder in my own computer, because
if
I save it elsewhere, then they are not going to be templates (I MEAN
THAT'S
INCREDIBLY RETARDED), how am I going to have my staff get access to the
templates if they are only templates when saved to my computer?

You can change the location of your template folder using the Office SDK.
Also check out the following links:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290232
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306911

So, I had to educate everyone to do a save as instead of a regular save,
because if they just do a save, then what are supposed to be the templates
become their own individual document...

Well, at least they know how to do that. Many don't.

Man, tell me if I'm wrong, but why can't these extremely basic things not
have been thought of by the smart developers at Microsoft???

I am not aware of any common office suite that allows you to lock a text box
in place.

Hopefully I'll have some good answers to my problems from you guys,
because
I'm not expecting more than just crap at this point.

You should post to the Word group for our Word questions.
--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

 

[marcelo - university of nebraska]

thanks for your short reply, even though I was expecting a more detailed
explanation of things.

Isn't there an easier way to do templates for publisher? I mean, word and
power point have versions that you can save in any folder and people can use
the template without having the potential to modify the original, why is
Publisher different?

Having to change my system configuration just for that seems ilogical and
ridiculous, someone should change that in the next version.

Also, they should give the option of centering text vertically within a text
box in word and locking text boxes or items in place.

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

Agree on all points.

Publisher was never part of Office before. However, over the years it has
implemented more and more and more Office features. However, it doesn't have
them all. It never will.

Send a wish to (e-mail address removed)

--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.
"marcelo - university of nebraska"

 

[Mary Sauer]

Have your users save the template as a template on their computers the first time
they use it, save as, files of type, Publisher template. If your template has
graphics, put them on the Master page, they cannot be inadvertently moved. Publisher
is a desktop publishing application. Word is more suitable to your needs.

 

[Mike Koewler]

Marcelo,

At the risk of promoting a competitive product, you might want to
download the free version of PagePlus SE from www.freeserifsoft.com

It will do what you need, though is somewhat limited in filters and
such. One caveat - it will create a template but opening it will require
typing in the file name. For unknown reasons, Serif doesn't include .ppx
in the files of type to open.

Mike

 

[marcelo - university of nebraska]

Except that if you read my post you'll see there's a really stupid issue with
word about not centering text vertically within a text box that has made me
migrate to publisher...

it's really a bummer, these are small issues that a quick update would fix...

 

[Ed Bennett]

marcelo - university of nebraska

Except that if you read my post you'll see there's a really stupid
issue with word about not centering text vertically within a text box
that has made me migrate to publisher...

That's an issue with Word, not with Publisher.

it's really a bummer, these are small issues that a quick update
would fix...

What maybe a "quick update" to you is probably a lot of work for the
Publisher development team, and may be of a lower priority than other
feature updates.

 

[marcelo - university of nebraska]

You guys really don't read, do you?

I said I've got to provide my staff with a way to just plug text in the
templates.

No one should attempt to be a designer if they are not, otherwise nothing
will look professional.

All I needed was some common sense from Microsoft. Have the same feature for
text boxes for both word and publisher. MAKE IT SO WE CAN CENTER TEXT
VERTICALLY INSIDE A TEXTBOX...
Allow us to lock items in place, like textboxes and graphics too.
and then on publisher templates, MAKE IT SO THEY ARE STAND ALONE TEMPLATES
LIKE EXCEL, WORD, PPT, AND CAN BE SAVED ANYWHERE...

but no... you agree with microsoft that it's gotta be saved inside your own
computer in a hidden folder inside windows... ('cause I can't even find that
folder) otherwise they can't be saved as templates... that's just ridiculous.

That's all I need from Microsoft, yet it seems that you defend them like
they are family... give me a break...

Updates like these would probably take an intern developer to do in half a
day.

 

[Ed Bennett]

marcelo - university of nebraska

That's all I need from Microsoft, yet it seems that you defend them
like they are family... give me a break...

I'm not saying that it wouldn't be a useful feature, merely that Microsoft
may have other priorities than what one person wants.

Updates like these would probably take an intern developer to do in
half a day.

Why don't you go and code the feature for them then, if you're so smart.

 

[marcelo - university of nebraska]

It's becoming useless to post stuff here...

marcelo - university of nebraska


I'm not saying that it wouldn't be a useful feature, merely that Microsoft
may have other priorities than what one person wants.


Why don't you go and code the feature for them then, if you're so smart.

 

[Ed Bennett]

marcelo - university of nebraska

It's becoming useless to post stuff here...

Face it, absolutely nobody from Microsoft is watching these posts, so you
are not going to get any features added to Publisher by moaning about the
lack of them here.
Believe it or not, nobody here actually has the power to edit the Publisher
source code to do what you want.

You're either going to have to read the instructions at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q114491 and wait and
see whether Microsoft listens to you in the next version, or go find another
application.

 

[°°MS-Publisher°°]

Marcelo you expect bloody miracles from Microsoft.
The divisions do not talk to each other and all the failed programmers at
Microsoft get dumped into the Publisher division and has been happening
since Publisher 97 onwards.
Management at Microsoft is non-existent and MS have insufficient
competition.


"marcelo - university of nebraska"

 

[Ron Cohen]

He's Baaaack!!!!!!!! Glad to see you haven't lost any of your old form.

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

Like music to my ears :0)

--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

 

[Frank]

Marcelo you expect bloody miracles from Microsoft.
The divisions do not talk to each other and all the failed programmers at
Microsoft get dumped into the Publisher division and has been happening
since Publisher 97 onwards.
Management at Microsoft is non-existent and MS have insufficient
competition.

Yeah...you tell'em. This stuff is crap and that's why we all use it!
Frank

 

[°°MS-Publisher°°]

Frank pity you think it is crap - that is not a common view shared by many
or myself.

 

[Frank]

Yeah...you tell'em. This stuff is crap and that's why we all use it!
Frank

Uhhh...my post is what we yanks would call a sarcastic remark.
Down under it may have another handle.
Frank

 

[Frank]

Frank pity you think it is crap - that is not a common view shared by many
or myself.

2nd try (sorry!)

Uhhh...my post is what we yanks would call a sarcastic remark.
Down under it may have another handle.
Frank