Grouping figure and caption in Word

[Guest]

When I group a figure and a caption in a Word doc, the figure # in the first
such grouping changes to 0. How can i make Figure numbers following the
correct sequence when the caption is groupsed with the figure?

 

[Guest]

Hello-

I'm not sure you can do that, let alone how. If you are trying to prevent
the figure & caption from being separated, there may be other ways.

Assuming the figure is an inline graphic, select the 2 paras containing it
and the caption, then use Format>Paragraph--Line and Page Breaks and check
the box for Keep with Next.

There may be some other options depending on your needs, so check back for
other replies if this isn't satisfactory.

HTH |:>)

 

[Guest]

Not sure I understand. If the caption (in a text box) and figure are both
anchored to the same paragraph, how do I use the "Keep with Next" function?

 

[Guest]

Perhaps I'm the one who doesn't understand... wouldn't be the first time!

Why is your caption in a text box? How did you go about creating the
caption... Insert>Reference>Caption? If not, please explain what you are
using as a caption.

What type of figure are we talking about and where is the caption relative
to it?

Also, I've played around with this in a number of ways and, much to my
surprise, have not been able to force the numbering of the captions to go
awry.

What version of Word are you using?

Regards |:>)

 

[Guest]

I click on the figure box so that the little squares form on the outline.
Then I go insert caption. It produces a caption inside a text box, which I
then group with the figure box. Works great keeping them together except for
the numbering issue. I've done this with several versions of Word --
2000,2003, and Mac 2004.

 

[Guest]

OK, I think I understand how you are going about it now. Evidently, the
objects you are captioning are 'free-floating' (the handles that appear
around the edge when you select them are hollow circles). When you insert the
caption it is automatically being placed in a text box which is also
'free-floating'... in other words has Text Wrap applied.

I'm _not_ saying that is the wrong way to go by any means. Obviously it
works, but I believe that is where the problem is arising... especially if
the figures/captions get moved around, as the numerical order is determined
by position in the doc relative to the other captions.

I use a different technique and have not experienced the problem. If the
graphic doesn't get placed as an InLine graphic, I select it and use the
Properties/Picture toolbar to make it In Line with Text (the selection
handles appear as solid black squares). It is treated as an oversized
character and essentially constitutes a paragraph in the doc. (Although it
can still be resized, etc. and it can also be dragged or cut/pasted to
another location as long as that location is a text line or empty ¶)

When I select the object and insert the caption, it is inserted as a para
directly below the object and not in a text box. This also gives me the
option of _not_ selecting the object and placing my insertion point to the
left or right (in which case the caption is in the same para as the object)
or on an empty para above to insert the caption there. Hence, the earlier
suggestion of using Keep with Next if the caption occupies the para above or
below. I can also replace the ¶ with a soft return (shift+enter) to have the
object & caption as part of the same para but on separate lines. In that
case, Keep Lines Together.

If the object & caption are in the same para, I insert a non-breaking space
(ctrl+shift+spacebar) to both separate them a little and yet prevent them
from getting split up as a result of further editing. It also seems to help
the program keep track of the sequential numbering of the objects because
they are more easily tracked as text lines as opposed to being 'randomly'
located.

Hopefully this will be useful to you.

Regards |:>)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Note that if you intend to produce a Table of Figures, Word will not be able
to see captions in text boxes. If you *must* wrap text around the figures,
insert both figure and caption inline, then insert both in a frame. If they
don't need to be wrapped, leave them inline.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

After some good advice from this community I think I have a good alternative,
which is to use frames. PLease see its description in my last message of
9/19/05 under "Figure caption"