Format painter
Format painter
The current format painter only duplicates other easy-to-apply formatting. I'd very much like to see a format painter as is in MS Word, where you can click on a format in the document and then apply that whereever you need it. Thanks!
Hi,
Please have a look at the following help topics:
The Format Palette Panel of the Control Board
Format Brush
In short, you should use the Format Picker of the Format Palette Panel on the Atlantis Control Board.
Alternatively, you could use the following hot keys:
Copy all formatting > Shift+Alt+K,C
Paste all formatting > Shift+Alt+K,V
HTH.
Cheers,
Robert
Please have a look at the following help topics:
The Format Palette Panel of the Control Board
Format Brush
In short, you should use the Format Picker of the Format Palette Panel on the Atlantis Control Board.
Alternatively, you could use the following hot keys:
Copy all formatting > Shift+Alt+K,C
Paste all formatting > Shift+Alt+K,V
HTH.
Cheers,
Robert
Thank you for the advice about the format painter. This is good information to know, but the format painter I'm accustomed to will paint paragraph formatting (indentation, hanging indents, etc.) with a click anywhere in the paragraph. So I'll re-state my wish for the format painter to get more flexible.
Here's the function: Yes, you can take the time to develop and apply a style for every single individual format you need (I do professional academic stuff where the authors want specific formatting that you may only use for one essay and never again), but it's much easier to "apply on the fly" with a format painter... Say you have to format 12 paragraphs in an essay with only 3pt below each of them, but you discover you forgot to do it for 6 of the paragraphs. In MS Word, all you have to do is double-click the painter, then anywhere in the model paragraph (which creates a "temporary" paragraph style, then click anywhere in each of the target paragraphs and reclick the painter to shut it off... on the fly... makes for extremely efficient work.Robert wrote:Styles work in this way. Why not use styles?
If you are happy with the “Copy/Paste paragraph format” commands, you can use the above default hot keys. You can even customize the hot keys for these same 2 commands through the “Tools | Hot Keys…” dialog.
Now you could also use mouse clicks instead of hot keys: the “Copy/Paste paragraph format” commands have corresponding toolbar buttons. If these buttons are not already on your toolbars, you could use the “Tools | Toolbars” dialog to place them there:
After that, all you have to do is:
1. Click in the source paragraph.
2. Click the “Copy paragraph format” button.
3. Click in the target paragraph.
4. Click the “Paste paragraph format” button.
HTH.
Cheers,
Robert
Now you could also use mouse clicks instead of hot keys: the “Copy/Paste paragraph format” commands have corresponding toolbar buttons. If these buttons are not already on your toolbars, you could use the “Tools | Toolbars” dialog to place them there:
After that, all you have to do is:
1. Click in the source paragraph.
2. Click the “Copy paragraph format” button.
3. Click in the target paragraph.
4. Click the “Paste paragraph format” button.
HTH.
Cheers,
Robert
Even though styles can be imported from other documents, they remain specific to each document (each document has its own style sheet). So creating a style to be applied to a series of paragraphs in a given document is quite a natural, "standard" thing to do. Styles can be applied “on the fly” to multiple paragraphs.eboepple wrote:Here's the function: Yes, you can take the time to develop and apply a style for every single individual format you need (I do professional academic stuff where the authors want specific formatting that you may only use for one essay and never again), but it's much easier to "apply on the fly" with a format painter... Say you have to format 12 paragraphs in an essay with only 3pt below each of them, but you discover you forgot to do it for 6 of the paragraphs.
Now styles with appropriate characteristics can be created very easily in Atlantis.
Here is my favorite method. Suppose that you want to create a style whose characteristics are the same as those of the “Normal” style, except that its associated paragraphs have “3pt below each of them”.
1. In the document window, format a “Normal” paragraph with 3pt below (or any other suitable characteristics). Leave the insertion cursor within that paragraph.
2. Click on “Normal” in the “Style” edit box on the Formatting toolbar. The “Normal” caption will automatically be selected by Atlantis.
3. Type the name of the style you want to create, e.g. “3pts after” (without the quote marks).
4. Atlantis will ask you if you want to create a new style with the typed name and the characteristics found in the current paragraph. Answer “Yes”.
A new style with name "3pts after" and appropriate characteristics will now be available in the document style list.
This new style can easily be applied to any other paragraph:
1. Click in the target paragraph.
2. Double-click the "3pts after" caption in the document styles list on the Control Board.
The "3pts after" style will automatically be applied to the target paragraph.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 with each new target paragraph.
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Update on the Format Painter Request
This person has asked exactly the question that came over me today. I am a long time registered user of Atlantis, and just upgraded to the latest paid version. I *love* the program and all inconveniences I have are minor.
But to get back to the question, I also find myself wanting to use a Word 2003-like "format painter" where I can click once on a paragraph and then "paint" other paragraphs to assume the same font and paragraph settings.
I think I understand some of the reply, and I see why splitting format and paragraph formatting can be advantageous, but I am wondering if in the time since the first question was asked any workaround for duplicating the MS function has been added.
I am not as big a user of "styles" as I might ought to be, and I work with lots of older documents where I can't afford the time to go back and add styles to documents where they never had them really applied in the first place. On the other hand, in editing these documents in MS word I frequently find the format painter helpful as I cut and paste paragraphs from other documents in assembling a new one.
Anyway, no big deal, but I wanted to get my comment added to this thread so I can be notified if there are any changes or updates here.
thanks!
But to get back to the question, I also find myself wanting to use a Word 2003-like "format painter" where I can click once on a paragraph and then "paint" other paragraphs to assume the same font and paragraph settings.
I think I understand some of the reply, and I see why splitting format and paragraph formatting can be advantageous, but I am wondering if in the time since the first question was asked any workaround for duplicating the MS function has been added.
I am not as big a user of "styles" as I might ought to be, and I work with lots of older documents where I can't afford the time to go back and add styles to documents where they never had them really applied in the first place. On the other hand, in editing these documents in MS word I frequently find the format painter helpful as I cut and paste paragraphs from other documents in assembling a new one.
Anyway, no big deal, but I wanted to get my comment added to this thread so I can be notified if there are any changes or updates here.
thanks!
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- Posts: 51
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 10:08 am
Wow this is an incredibly powerful program and I am trying to learn it, as I am a lawyer and really want to use it efficiently.
So do I understand that Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V will copy and paste ALL formatting in a paragraph, both fonts/styles and paragraph settings?
Do I also understand correctly that this hotkey combination is already available in the program (obviously yes) but not assignable to a toolbar icon (that I am not clear on)?
thanks again!
So do I understand that Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V will copy and paste ALL formatting in a paragraph, both fonts/styles and paragraph settings?
Do I also understand correctly that this hotkey combination is already available in the program (obviously yes) but not assignable to a toolbar icon (that I am not clear on)?
thanks again!
Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V are native non-styled direct formatting hot keys. They copy/paste all font and paragraph formatting, but do not transfer styles. Styles have to be applied/reapplied separately. Note that a command to copy/paste font, style and paragraph settings would not make sense. Styles inherently already include font and paragraph settings. You have to choose between non-styled direct formatting and formatting through styles. Styles can be applied through the Formatting toolbar drop-down or through the Control Board Styles panel. Styles can also be assigned dedicated hot keys (see "Edit Style" dialog).
Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V have no distinctive toolbar icons. But you can put them on your toolbars (“Tools | Toolbars…”, “All Commands” category > “Copy all formatting/Paste all formatting”). Atlantis will use generic icons.
Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V have no distinctive toolbar icons. But you can put them on your toolbars (“Tools | Toolbars…”, “All Commands” category > “Copy all formatting/Paste all formatting”). Atlantis will use generic icons.
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 10:08 am
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- Posts: 51
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 10:08 am
Update
Robert:
In further followup to this discussion, I had a situation today where I pasted some text into a document with numbered paragraphs, and then i needed to apply the numbering from the existing paragraphs to the new paragraphs. I experimented with Word 2003 and Textmaker and Atlantis.
With Word 2003 the format painter carried over the paragraph numbering without any special keystrokes other than use of the painter icon. (click in the existing paragraphs, click the format painter, select the new paragraphs and done)
With Textmaker I was also able to carry over the paragraph numbering, but by hitting the CTRL key while using the painter icon in the above process.
With Atlantis I was not able to figure out a way to carry over the paragraph numbering at all, either with or without the other formatting. Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V did not work, nor did use of the paragraph formatting copy/paste icons.
If my observation is correct, perhaps it is possible to add as a feature the option (or integration) of carrying over paragraph numbering as part of the format painter, like word and textmaker can?
In further followup to this discussion, I had a situation today where I pasted some text into a document with numbered paragraphs, and then i needed to apply the numbering from the existing paragraphs to the new paragraphs. I experimented with Word 2003 and Textmaker and Atlantis.
With Word 2003 the format painter carried over the paragraph numbering without any special keystrokes other than use of the painter icon. (click in the existing paragraphs, click the format painter, select the new paragraphs and done)
With Textmaker I was also able to carry over the paragraph numbering, but by hitting the CTRL key while using the painter icon in the above process.
With Atlantis I was not able to figure out a way to carry over the paragraph numbering at all, either with or without the other formatting. Shift+Alt+K,C and Shift+Alt+K,V did not work, nor did use of the paragraph formatting copy/paste icons.
If my observation is correct, perhaps it is possible to add as a feature the option (or integration) of carrying over paragraph numbering as part of the format painter, like word and textmaker can?
This is easily done in Atlantis.
First, you need to select the target paragraphs in the document window.
You can then use the bottom toolbar of the Control Board Lists panel, and choose either
- “Use highlighted list template to format document selection (new list)”,
or
- “Include document selection in the list highlighted above”,
depending on whether you want to create a new list or include the target paragraphs in the source list.
Note that the list properties of a paragraph are not part of its Paragraph Format per se. There are specific list properties to any style, hence to any paragraph.
First, you need to select the target paragraphs in the document window.
You can then use the bottom toolbar of the Control Board Lists panel, and choose either
- “Use highlighted list template to format document selection (new list)”,
or
- “Include document selection in the list highlighted above”,
depending on whether you want to create a new list or include the target paragraphs in the source list.
Note that the list properties of a paragraph are not part of its Paragraph Format per se. There are specific list properties to any style, hence to any paragraph.