Word 2003; can't control text boxes

[Joyce]

I'm working in documents that have screen shots of graphics inserted in line
with text. I use text boxes around the screen shot to explain areas on the
screen, and I point to the relevant areas from the text box to the
appropriate part of the graphic. I group my text boxes and arrows so
everything stays in place. Now when I ungroup the text boxes, etc., the
in-line graphic moves below the text boxes and drawing objects. When I
regroup them, the graphic is no longer in the right place (as if I asked for
it to be behind the text as a layout option). I recently downloaded some
updates from MS. Do you know what's going on?
Joyce

 

[Keith Howell]

Instead of having your screen shot in line with text have you tried
specifying text wrapping of say square or tight and grouping it along with
your text boxes and arrows?

 

[Joyce]

I have, but I've found that less of a sure thing. I provide these files to
clients and I like them to be rock solid. What has changed all of a sudden?
I've never had to worry about this? I've been using Word 2003 for about 9
months now and all of a sudden this started happening last week.

 

[Bear]

Joyce:

I've not experimented with Word 2003, but in no previous version have I
experienced text boxe positions as being stable. The main problem I've
encountered is with automatic page breaks, where the space before a heading
is supressed. Sometimes the text boxes seem unaware of this supression.

Perhaps there is a setting in Tools > Options > Compatibility that changed?

Bear

 

[Joyce]

I never had a lot of trouble (and certainly not of this magnitude) with text
boxes before. The mystery is that I didn't change anything in my settings in
Word 2003. All of a sudden, if I group my text boxes around an image that has
the "in line with text" setting, it's as if word changed the text boxes's
setting to also be "in line." Additionally, if I ungroup a bunch of grouped
text boxes (created and grouped before this started happening) and then I
regroup them to put them back to their original status (not Undo), the
positioning of the "in line" image becomes messed up. Do you know if MS made
any changes that were included in a download that might have caused this?

 

[Bear]

Joyce:

I'm the wrong person to ask about 2003 upgrades, as I use 2000. Sorry.

But I'd also like to mention that AFAIK the customization settings I
mentioned are specific to each document, not session-wide.

Bear

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

My experience with AutoShapes in general is that whenever you group them
they become inline. This can be really annoying, but I've found the best
thing to do is just finish whatever I'm going to do with them and then
change the wrapping at the end (that is, it doesn't help to change the
wrapping on any give object if it's going to change as soon as you group it
with another).

 

[Joyce]

I just want to clarify: When you say "change the wrapping" are you suggesting
to change all objects to "tight" or "in front of text?" Or should I not be
grouping them?

Alternatively, I've been playing with the drawing canvas this morning (I
originally got rid of the drawing canvas in an attempt to make Word 2003 work
like Word 2000). I inserted the graphic and text boxes on the drawing canvas,
grouped everything, and all seems fine. The only thing I don't like is that
if you then open that doc in 2000, the drawing canvas is treated like a
transparent image underneath the other graphics. I don't really like the
extra baggage.

Thanks.
Joyce

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Presumably if you are grouping the objects, you want the wrapping to be the
same on all of them. I'm just saying not to bother with the wrapping until
you've added everything to the group that you intend to add, then change the
wrapping on the group. Changing it on the individual objects is a waste of
time because as soon as you group them, they become inline again.