Alignment buttons dimmed

[Kirsten]

I am working in Word 2000. I want to align some drawing objects (boxes)
within a table. When I click on two or more boxes, the alignment buttons are
grayed out. When I move the boxes outside of the table, the alignment
buttons are available to use. Why is this? How can I make the alignment
buttons available for drawing objects (boxes) inside a table.

BTW, I am trying to design rudimentary forms. That's why I have boxes
inside of tables.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?S2lyc3Rlbg==?=,

I am working in Word 2000. I want to align some drawing objects (boxes)
within a table. When I click on two or more boxes, the alignment buttons are
grayed out. When I move the boxes outside of the table, the alignment
buttons are available to use. Why is this? How can I make the alignment
buttons available for drawing objects (boxes) inside a table.

BTW, I am trying to design rudimentary forms. That's why I have boxes
inside of tables.

Drawing objects can't really be "in" tables. In a recent version of Word
(probably 2000), word wrap around objects positioned "in" tables was introduced.
But there are limitations when such objects are anchored in tables. One of them
is that the vertical text alignment in the table cells is unavailable. And the
alignment of the drawing objects themselves isn't available.

If, however, you move the anchor to a paragraph outside the table, and lock it
there, the alignment commands are again available. The only catch is, if the
anchor is outside the table, the text won't flow around the object (the table
will split). So you first have to position the object above the table, then do
the alignment. And afterward everything is aligned you can reverse the process.

I do have to wonder, however, why you don't simply insert a (one-cell) table
within the table, if all you need is to see a box within a table cell? Or what
is the reason you want to put boxes in the table cells?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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