Q167738: WD97: General Information about Floating Objects
Article: Q167738
Product(s): Word 97 for Windows
Version(s):
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): word97 kbframe kblayoutkbfaq
Last Modified: 20-FEB-2002
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
=======
In versions of Word earlier than Word 97, all objects except for drawing objects
are inserted as inline objects by default. To make text wrap around an object,
you generally insert the object (inline) and then apply a frame to it. In Word
97, however, floating objects are more flexible and powerful than frames.
Therefore, in Word 97, objects are inserted as floating objects by default.
This change in the default behavior, of inline to floating, between the different
versions of Word may be a source of confusion at first. This article discusses
various problems and points of confusion you may experience when working with
objects formatted with the Float Over Text option turned on. This article covers
the following topics:
NOTE: This behavior does not occur in Microsoft Word 97 for Windows, Service
Release 1 (SR-1). In Service Release 1, this feature behaves similar to the way
it did in Word versions 7.0 and earlier. That is, the default behavior when
inserting objects was changed back to inline.
For more information about the change in the default behavior, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q170564 WD97: Pictures and Objects Inserted as Inline by Default in SR-1
Overview
--------
- What Are Objects?
- Description of the Layers of a Document
- How Objects Are Handled in Versions of Word Earlier Than Word 6.0
- How Objects Are Handled in Versions of Word 6.0 and Later
Choosing the Appropriate Type of Object:
- Floating Objects
- When to Use a Floating Object
- Limitations of Floating Objects
- Inline objects
- Frames
Changing One Type of Object to Another:
- Floating Objects
- To Convert a Floating Object to an Inline Object
- To Convert a Floating Object to a Framed Object
- Inline Objects
- To Convert an Inline Object to a Floating Object
- To Convert an Inline Object to a Framed Object
- Framed Objects
- To Convert a Framed Picture to an Inline Picture
- To Convert Framed Text to Inline Text
- To Convert a Framed Object to a Floating Object
Troubleshooting Problems with Floating Objects:
- Objects Move Around on the Screen, Are Not Inserted or Pasted Correctly, or
Move to the Next Page
- Objects Disappear When You Insert or Paste Them
- You Cannot See Objects in Some Views
- Objects Cannot Be Inserted or Pasted into a Table or the Table Is Split
- You Cannot See Field Codes for Inserted or Pasted Objects
- Fields in the Drawing Layer Don't Work or Return Incorrect Values
MORE INFORMATION
================
OVERVIEW
--------
What Are Objects?:
"Object" is a generic term used to describe something you insert or paste into a
document. Text is usually not considered an object (it is considered text).
Examples of objects include the following:
ClipArt pictures
Drawing objects (text boxes, lines, AutoShapes, and so on)
Equation Editor objects
Graphics
Microsoft Graph objects
PowerPoint slides
WordArt objects
In Word 97, there are three basic types of objects. These types and a description
of the layers in which they can appear in Word are listed in the following
table. For information about the layers in a document, see the "Description of
the Layers of a Document" section of this article.
This type of object Exists in this layer of Word
------------------------------------------------------------
inline Only in the text layer and acts as a
single, large character. Text does
not wrap around it.
framed Only in the text layer. Text always
wraps around it.
floating Only in the drawing layer. Text may
or may not wrap around it.
Description of the Layers of a Document:
-----------------
| | In this layer you can place objects. Only "floating"
| | objects can exist in this layer. If an object is in
| | this layer, it appears behind the text of the
| | document (in most cases).
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
-----------------
Layer 1--Below the text
-----------------
| This is the | Generally, this layer contains the text
| text of | of your document. You can, however, place objects in
| the document | this layer just as you can in the earlier versions
| | of Word. You can put the following types of objects in
| | this layer:
| |
| | text--all text and formatting for the document
| |
| | inline objects - objects that act as a single, large
| | character
| |
| | framed objects--objects that text will flow around
-----------------
Layer 2--The text layer
-----------------
| | In this layer you can place objects. Only "floating"
| | objects can exist in this layer. If an object is in
| | this layer, it appears in front of the text of the
| | document (in most cases).
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
-----------------
Layer 3--Above the text
Word has other layers that behave in the same way as the three layers mentioned
here. Other layers include the header/footer layers and the footnote/endnote
layers.
How Objects Are Handled in Versions of Word Earlier Than Word 6.0:
In versions of Word earlier than version 6.0 for Windows, all objects exist in
the same layer as the text of the document. You can insert objects "inline" so
that they act as a single, large, text character, or you can use a frame. When
you "frame" an object you can move the object around in the document by dragging
it, and you can get text to flow around the object. Placing a graphic on top of
text is virtually impossible in these earlier versions of Word.
A line of text with an "inline" object resembles the following (with the box
being the object):
text text text text text text text
|---|
| |
text text text |---| text text text text
text text text text text text text text
A line of text with a "framed" object will resemble the following (with the box
being the object). The text is said to "wrap" or "flow" around the object:
text text text text text text text
text text text |---| text text text
text text text | | text text text
text text text |---| text text text text
text text text text text text text text
How Objects Are Handled in Versions of Word 6.0 and Later:
Word versions 6.0 and later include a "drawing layer." A drawing layer can be
thought of as a clear sheet of paper on top of, and underneath, the text of the
document. This gives you the ability to place objects on separate layers above
and below the text of the document, in addition to the traditional methods of
placing objects in the text layer of the document. You can also stack one object
on top of another object in each drawing layer. Objects in either the layer
above the text layer or below the text layer are called "floating objects." By
default, objects inserted in Word 97 are formatted as floating objects.
CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF OBJECT
---------------------------------------
Floating Objects:
Floating objects are powerful and flexible enough that you can get them to
emulate almost all of the behaviors of inline objects and framed objects. In
Word 97, most of the time, you should use a floating object rather an inline or
framed object.
When to Use a Floating Object:
Use a floating object when:
- You want text to wrap around the object (although a floating object can be
formatted to not allow text wrapping). Floating objects can have text wrap
around them in ways that a framed object cannot. Wrapping styles include
Square, Tight, Through, Top And Bottom, and None. Wrapping locations include
wrapping to the left side, the right side, the largest side, or both sides of
the object
- You want to be able to position the object by dragging it in the document
using your mouse.
- You want to be able to position the object in front of or behind the text
layer. This is commonly done when creating a watermark.
- You want to use other drawing features with the object.
Limitations of Floating Objects:
Certain features do not work well with floating objects. Generally speaking,
fields in the text layer do not recognize fields in the drawing layer. If you
need to be able to access information from a field, use a frame. For example,
use a frame when the object includes a field that captures any of the following
types of information:
Cross-references
Captions
Table of Contents entries
Index entries
Table of Figures entries
Table of Authorities entries
NOTE: If you want to be able to view the field codes, you should use a frame
rather than a floating object. Note also that you should use a frame if you want
to be able to use the Find And Replace feature to locate the object by object
type. For example, you should use a frame if the object is a picture and you
want to be able to find it by searching for "Graphic" using the Special search
criteria in the Find And Replace dialog box.
For more information about these limitations and for possible workarounds, please
see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q158918 WD97: How to Insert a Caption Next to an Equation or Object
Q157531 WD97: Table of Figures (TOF) Missing Captions from Text Boxes
Q155802 WD97: Word Doesn't Find 'Float Over Text' Objects
Q155156 WD: Entries in Text Box or Callout Missing from Table of Contents
Q167282 WD97: Equation Object Not Inserted/Pasted at Insertion Point
Q161692 WD97: Problems with Float Over Text Objects
Inline Objects:
Use an inline object when:
- You do not want text to wrap around the object.
- You want to format the object as a character, using tabs, indents, paragraph
formatting, character formatting, and so on.
- You want to position the object in a table cell.
Frames:
Use a frame when you need an object to behave like a floating object, and you
need to use special features with it. For more information, see the "Limitations
of Floating Objects" section earlier in this article.
CHANGING ONE TYPE OF OBJECT TO ANOTHER
--------------------------------------
From time to time, it may be necessary to convert one type of object to another.
Floating Objects:
To Convert a Floating Object to an Inline Object:
To convert a floating object to an inline object, use either of the following
methods.
NOTE: For Office Art objects, the Float Over Text check box mentioned in the
"Method 1" solution is selected and unavailable. You cannot turn off this
option. For these objects, use the Method 2 solution.
Method 1: Clear the Float Over Text Check Box:
1. Right-click the floating object.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Format <object>.
3. Click the Position tab.
4. Clear the Float Over Text check box.
Method 2: Use a Macro:
1. Click the object. On the Edit menu, click Cut.
2. Run the macro described in the following article:
Q163808 WD97: Picture Is Pasted as Float Over Text Not as Inline
To Convert a Floating Object to a Framed Object:
There may be times when you need your objects to act like floating objects, but
you need certain features that are only available when using framed objects. In
these few cases, it may be necessary to convert a floating object to a framed
object. For more information about when to use a framed versus a floating
object, see the "Limitations of Floating Objects" section earlier in this
article.
To convert a floating object to a framed object, use either of the following
methods.
Method 1: Use an Inline Object:
With this method, you first convert the floating object to an inline object, and
then you convert that inline object to a framed object. To do this, use the
following steps:
1. Right-click the floating object.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Format <object>.
3. Click the Position tab.
4. Clear the Float Over Text check box.
Use the following steps to convert the inline object to a framed object:
1. Click the object to select it.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
3. In the Macros in box, click Word Commands.
4. For the Macro Name, type "InsertFrame" (without the quotation marks), and
click the Run button.
Method 2: Use the Convert to Frame Option:
Text boxes and callouts have a special Convert to Frame option available that is
not available for other shapes. To use this feature, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the text box or callout object.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Format <object>.
3. Click the Text box tab.
4. Click the Convert to frame button.
The text box or callout is now a frame in the text layer of the document.
Inline Objects:
To Convert an Inline Object to a Floating Object:
1. Right-click the inline object.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Format <object>.
3. Click the Position tab.
4. Click to select the Float Over Text check box.
To Convert an Inline Object to a Framed Object:
1. Click the object to select it.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
3. In the Macros in box, click Word Commands.
4. For the Macro Name, type "InsertFrame" (without the quotation marks) and
click the Run button.
NOTE: The first time you run this command, the following message will be
displayed:
You inserted a frame but Insert Frame is not on any menu. Press the button
below to add Frame to the Insert menu so you can quickly and easily insert
frames.
Clicking Yes adds the command to the Insert menu.
Once the command is added, you can click Frame on the Insert menu (you no longer
need to use the InsertFrame macro command).
The object is now in a frame and you can move it around in the document by
dragging it.
Framed Objects:
To Convert a Framed Picture to an Inline Picture:
1. Right-click the picture.
2. Click Format Picture on the shortcut menu.
3. Click the Position tab.
4. Click to clear the Float Over Text check box.
The picture is now an inline picture.
To Convert Framed Text to Inline Text:
1. Right-click the frame.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Format Frame.
3. Click the Remove Frame button.
The framed text is converted to inline text (standard text in the text layer of
the document).
To Convert a Framed Object to a Floating Object:
Convert the framed object to an inline object. Use the following steps to convert
the inline object to a floating object:
1. Right-click the inline object.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Format <object>.
3. Click the Position tab.
4. Click to select the Float Over Text check box.
TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS WITH FLOATING OBJECTS
----------------------------------------------
Objects Move Around on the Screen, Are Not Inserted
or Pasted Correctly, or Move to the Next Page:
This is a side effect of the object being inserted or pasted as a floating
object. The solution is to do either of the following.
Method 1:
Paste or insert the object, find it, and then drag it to the location you want,
or convert it to an inline object.
For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
Q155804 WD97: Inserted Picture or Drawing Object Moves Down Page
Method 2:
Use the information in one of the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles to
change the default behavior of the Insert or Paste command:
Q163808 WD97: Picture Is Pasted as Float Over Text Not as Inline
Q157773 WD97: Macro to Disable Float Over Text in Insert Picture Dialog Box
Objects Disappear When You Insert or Paste Them:
The object you inserted or pasted may have landed on top of another object. Click
the object you just inserted or pasted, and drag it using the mouse. You may see
another object underneath it. From here, you can position each object in the
location you want by dragging it.
The object you inserted or pasted may have landed on another page or on a
different part of the current page. Scroll around in the document until you
locate it. Then, you can drag it back to the location you want.
You Cannot See Objects in Some Views:
Floating objects cannot be seen in normal, outline, or master document view.
Switch to online layout or page layout view in order to see the object.
There is also a view setting that needs to be enabled in order to see floating
objects. To turn this setting on, follow these steps:
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the View tab.
3. Click to select the Drawing Objects check box.
Objects Cannot Be Inserted or Pasted into a Table or the Table Is Split:
If you are unable to insert or paste an object, or if the table splits into two
tables when you insert or paste an object, you must convert the object from a
floating to an inline object. To do this, use either of the following methods.
Method 1:
Paste or insert the object, find it, convert it to an inline object, and then cut
and paste it into the table cell.
Method 2:
Use the information in one of the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles to
change the default behavior of the Insert or Paste command:
Q163808 WD97: Picture Is Pasted as Float Over Text Not as Inline
Q157773 WD97: Macro to Disable Float Over Text in Insert Picture Dialog Box
You Cannot See Field Codes for Inserted or Pasted Objects:
The ability (or inability) to view the field code does not change the
functionality of the field code. Therefore, there really isn't a need to make
the field code visible. If, however, you want to be able to view the field code,
you need to convert the floating object to an inline object or a framed object.
For more information about floating objects and field codes, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q157465 WD97: Can't See Field Codes for Some Objects
Fields in the Drawing Layer Don't Work or Return Incorrect Values:
Many fields do not work in the drawing layer. These fields include REF, SEQ, TA,
TC, XE, TOA, TOC, AUTONUM, and MERGEFIELD. To use these fields, you must convert
the floating object to a framed object.
REFERENCES
==========
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
For more information about floating objects, please see the following articles in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q167282 WD97: Equation Object Not Inserted/Pasted at Insertion Point
Q157667 WD97: Float Over Text Objects Cutoff in Online Layout View
Q161692 WD97: Problems with Float Over Text Objects
Q157119 WD97: Pictures Visible Even When Picture Placeholders Check Box
Selected
Online Help:
For more information about floating objects, click the Office Assistant, type
"floating objects," click Search, and then click "Label a graphic or insert text
in a shape."
For more information about positioning objects, click the Office Assistant, type
"float over text," click Search, and then click one of the following topics:
- About positioning text and graphics
- Type over existing text
- Select text and graphics
- Change a floating picture to an inline picture and vice-versa
For more information about frames, click the Office Assistant, type "frames,"
click Search, and then click one of the following topics:
- Select a frame
- Position text that contains notes, comments, or certain fields
- The difference between a text box and a frame
- Position a frame
- Convert a text box to a frame
- Resize a frame
- Remove a frame
For more information about wrapping text around objects, click the Office
Assistant, type "wrapping text around objects," click Search, and then click one
of the following topics:
- Arrange text and graphics on a page
- Troubleshoot text in drawing objects
- Label a graphic or insert text in a shape
For more information about wrapping text around objects, click the Office
Assistant, type "text wrapping," click Search, and then click "About positioning
text and graphics."
For more information about AutoShapes, click the Office Assistant, type
"AutoShapes," click Search, and then click "Add or change an AutoShape."
For more information about watermarks, click the Office Assistant, type
"watermark," click Search, and then click of the following topics:
- Create a watermark
- Ways to arrange drawing objects
For more information about special drawing effects, click the Office Assistant,
type "wordart," click Search, and then click one of the following topics:
- Ways to enhance drawing objects
- Add or edit a special text effect
- What's new with the drawing tools?
NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the
Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component
Additional query words: anchor anchored manipulating layer layers
======================================================================
Keywords : word97 kbframe kblayout kbfaq
Technology : kbWordSearch kbWord97 kbWord97Search kbZNotKeyword2
Version : :
Issue type : kbinfo
=============================================================================
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.