how do i create a box or STROKE around...

IDCS3 on Windows XP Pro 64.. We recently went from Corel Software to Adobe.. The Problem is, that in Corel Ventura under Paragraph properties there is a way to create a box or stroke around a selected paragraph in the advanced rules dialog.. But in Indesign the only solution we can come up with is to create each paragraph we need stroked in it's own text frame and to tell the frame to be stroked, or to draw a stroked box around the paragraph in question which makes flowing this text into our layout very difficult and painfully time consuming.. and so far ruling lines don't help because it's a single line above or below the paragraph not a closed stroke around the paragraph which is what we need. Normaly we ould put our paper together in a half day in Corel Ventura cause of the simplicity of applying the paragraph rule, but in InDesign it's taking us 2 full days because of this probblem! We switched to adobe cs3 Design Premium cause it looked like we'd have more options and less problems, but so far it's the oposite?
how do i create a box or STROKE around...
You can paste a stroked text frame inline into the flow of text if you like, though you can't thread through it, which I would say is not something you would want to do anyway. The only problem I see is if the paragraph in question needs to break at the end of a column -- anchored objects don't break.



If that's not a concern, you can speed things up by defining an object style for the stroke and positioning on the frame.



You might want to look at http://www.adobeforums.com/webx?128@@.59b7f99b



Peter
how do i create a box or STROKE around...
Your only good options are an anchored text frame (as Peter suggested)

or a table. A one-cell table is pretty easy to make (swipe the paragraph

minus the return, Table %26gt; Convert Text to Table, choose a table style

that applies a stroke). It will keep the text in the flow (as opposed to

the anchored frame), sort of. It won't break across pages.



--

Kenneth Benson

Pegasus Type, Inc.

www.pegtype.com

I have a script for this that uses paragraph rules I am selling:



http://mysite.verizon.net/zevt/index_files/BoxMaker.htm

The truth of the Corel to Adobe matter is that you'll always have more options/features with Corel. And Adobe lags behind Corel in some features by 5 to 10 years. That being said, in my opinion, Adobes products will probably serve you better in the long run.



Before I get absolutely flamed, thems facts thar, up to the point where I offer my opinion. I'm also an Adobe Certified Expert in InDesign, and absolutely love it.



To do what you want, and have it happen with a paragraph style, you need to set up a style using the paragraph rules, with one rule sitting on top of the other, and set the insets and offsets to get what appears to be a rule around your paragraph. A pain in the arse to setup, but fortunately you'll only have to do it once. I'd be happy to shot you an example if you post your email.



Alternatively, if you could live with a rule above and below your para, and none on the sides, that's super easy to accomplish.



HTH

-Ted

Hold on here a minute guys. Someone, and it could easily be me since I don't know the first thing about Ventura, is misinterpreting the question.



Paragraph rules are SOLID. Cheryl asked for a box or stroke AROUND a paragraph. To me that says put a stroked frame around it and leave the background color alone.



Am I missing something?



Peter

%26gt; To do what you want, and have it happen with a paragraph style, you

%26gt; need to set up a style using the paragraph rules, with one rule



I've been trying to figure this out. A box around a paragraph is going

to have 4 rules, and paragraph rules are only going to account for two

of these. I'm willing to accept the idea that you would have to make a

different style for every different height box (because ''height'' of the

vertical rules is really going to be thickness), but I can't get around

how to make 4 rules out of two.



Please send me one: kbenson at pegtype dot com



--

Kenneth Benson

Pegasus Type, Inc.

www.pegtype.com

%26gt; Paragraph rules are SOLID. Cheryl asked for a box or stroke AROUND a paragraph. To me that says put a stroked frame around it and leave the background color alone.

%26gt;

%26gt; Am I missing something?





If you set up a rule above with a solid black and a rule below with

white you can make a box around a paragraph (because rule below

overprints rule below).



As ZeroskillZ said it's a pain in the arse to setup which is my I wrote

my script which takes away all the difficult work.

Peter, Ventura offers a ''rule around'' in addition to ''rule above'' and

''rule below''. Rule above and rule below work about the same way as in

Indesign. Rule around just draws a box around the paragraph, shrinks or

grows as the paragraph gets shorter or longer, just like a table cell

with a stroke.



Seems like it would be really useful, but page breaks make it something

that clients like but typesetters hate. The boxes are forever breaking

across pages, and the whole point of a box is to highlight a discrete,

unbroken block of text. Paragraph rules, indenting, second color, or a

different typeface are all much better design choices.



I don't think you're misinterpreting the question. I just want to know

how to do it with paragraph rules.



--

Kenneth Benson

Pegasus Type, Inc.

www.pegtype.com

%26gt; If you set up a rule above with a solid black and a rule below with

%26gt; white you can make a box around a paragraph (because rule below

%26gt; overprints rule below).



Thanks, Fred



I think I understand now. Very cool.



--

Kenneth Benson

Pegasus Type, Inc.

www.pegtype.com

Indeed. Quite clever, and the lesson for the week. :)



Thanks