Controlling the Overflow and Relative Positioning of Objects in Power Painter

In Power Painter, you can control the overflow of reports, and relative vertical positioning of reports and graphs, so they fill an entire page and maintain their relative positions in the document. The Sizing and Overflow property in the Report properties palette is used to control overflow and relative positioning.

Overflow is defined as the area of a report that exceeds its defined space in the page layout. For example, a multi-page report and a graph can both be added to a single page layout with the graph positioned beneath the report. The report can flow to fill the page and the graph can be relatively positioned to the report so it is placed at the end of the document following the complete rendering of the report.

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Setting Overflow Options in Power Painter

When executing a report, the area that flows outside of the allocated space for the report is considered the overflow. The following image is an example of the canvas in Power Painter.

You can set the size and overflow of a report object to control the overflow at run time. Sizing and overflow options are available through the Report properties palette.

Fixed. When Sizing and Overflow is set to Fixed, the report is confined to the dimensions of the canvas at run time and continues to output on multiple pages within the same fixed dimensions until all of the data is shown.
Flowing. When Sizing and Overflow is set to Flowing, the report fills the page at run time and automatically pushes surrounding objects down the page until the report is finished. This enables other objects such as repeating images and text (headers and footers) to be shown and not overlapped by the flowing report.

Note: These options only apply to report objects. There are no size and overflow properties for graphs, images, text, or lines.

The following image is an example of a report with Sizing and Overflow set to Fixed. Note how the report output maintains the size of the report object in the Power Painter canvas, spreading the report across 6 pages.

The following image is the same report with Sizing and Overflow set to Flowing. Note how the report expands to fill the page at run time.

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Using Fixed Overflow in Power Painter

Reports using fixed overflow maintain the size and position of the report object from the Power Painter canvas in the report output. You can customize and maintain the fixed position of the report output by adjusting the position and size options from the Report properties palette.

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Procedure: How to Customize the Fixed Position and Size of an Object

Select an object from the Power Painter canvas.
The Report properties palette shows the available properties for the selected object.

Select Fixed from the Sizing and Overflow drop-down list.

To adjust the position and size of the object at run time, edit the Position Left, Position Top, Height, and Width properties in the Report properties palette.
or

To adjust the position, hover the mouse pointer over the object until a four-way arrow appears, then click and drag the object in any direction. To adjust the size, hover the mouse pointer over any of the square corners or midpoints along the border of the object until a two-way arrow appears, then click and drag the square in any direction.

Run the report.

Note: If the document contains multiple fixed reports, the report output maintains the same size and position as the report objects in the Power Painter canvas, as shown in the image below.

Note: If the document contains a fixed report and a graph, the report may be broken up around the graph object. You can set the relationship between the graph and the report to have the graph display after the report. For more information about setting relationships, see How to Relate Surrounding Objects to a Report.

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Using Flowing Overflow in Power Painter

Reports using flowing overflow begin the report output at the upper left corner of the report object and fill the page with the report results. Flow margins are available which enable you to adjust the canvas so that flowing objects fill the page.

Note: Flowing overflow is not available for graphs, images, text, or lines. For example, if a graph is included in the document and the graph overlaps the report at run time, you must set a relationship between the graph and the report so the graph flows after the report at run time.

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Procedure: How to Set the Flowing Report Property

Select an object from the Power Painter canvas.
The properties palette shows the available properties for the selected object.

Select Flowing from the Sizing and Overflow drop-down list.

Tip: Flow margins are available for the canvas which further enable you to adjust the page so that the report fills each page between the flow margins. For more information about flow margins, see How to Set Flow Margins for the Power Painter Canvas.
Run the document.

Note: If the document contains multiple flowing reports and the reports overlap at run time, you must set the relationship between the reports. For more information about setting relationships, see How to Relate Surrounding Objects to a Report.

Note: If the document contains a flowing report and a graph, and the graph overlaps the report at run time, you must set the relationship between the graph and the report. For more information, see How to Relate Surrounding Objects to a Report.

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Procedure: How to Set Flow Margins for the Power Painter Canvas

You can set the flow margins for the document, which become page margins in the report output when Sizing and Overflow is set to Flowing for the report. Flow margins are set through the top and bottom margins, and flowing reports utilize flow margins to ensure that header and footer information is preserved in the output.

Note: There is currently no method of controlling horizontal overflow.

Select the canvas from Power Painter.

From the Document properties palette, manually type in the Flow margin: bottom value.
The flow margin bottom value sets the ending vertical coordinate where a flowing report ends on each page.

From the Properties window, manually type in the Flow margin: top value.
The flow margin top value sets the beginning vertical coordinate where a flowing report starts on each new page.

or

You can also set flow margins on the canvas. To display flow margins, select Layout from the toolbar menu and select Show Flow Margins.

Note: Flow margins are indicated by blue lines that appear on the top and bottom of the Power Painter canvas.

Adjust the objects on the canvas between the flow margins and run the report.
The report fills each page between the flow margins until it reaches the end. For example, in the image below the flow margin was adjusted so that an image could be used as a header.

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Setting a Relative Position Between Objects in Power Painter

You can set a relative (vertical) relationship between objects. Similar to the flowing report option, you can select multiple report and graph objects and set a relationship. The following relationship options are available from the main toolbar, or from the Layout menu in Power Painter:

Relate objects. Sets the relative relationship or distance between two objects; a surrounding object (below) and the primary object (above) that precedes it.
Show relationships. Shows or hides all relationships on the canvas.

Relative positioning is determined by setting where a surrounding object's upper left corner is positioned relative to the lower left corner of the preceding primary object.

Note: There is currently no method of setting horizontal relationships.

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Procedure: How to Relate Surrounding Objects to a Report

A surrounding object can only be related to one flowing report. However, a flowing report can have multiple surrounding objects related to itself.

Select a report or graph (surrounding) object from the Power Painter canvas.

Hold down the Ctrl key while selecting a flowing report (primary) object that precedes or is above the first selected object.

Note: The primary object is indicated by solid black squares around the edges, when selected. The surrounding object is indicated by clear squares around the edges, when selected.

Set the relationship between the objects by selecting the Relate objects button from the main toolbar.
Note: The relationship buttons are only available from the main toolbar when multiple objects are selected.

An arrow appears on the canvas, indicating that the relationship has been set.

In the following image, the graph is the surrounding object to the report.

Tip: To break the relationship, click the same surrounding objects using the Shift key and click the Relate objects button from the main toolbar. The arrow is removed and the relationship is broken.

Run the report.

Note: If the document contains multiple reports, and the relationships have been set, the first report runs until it is complete, followed by the surrounding reports, at run time.

Note: If the document contains a report and a graph, and the relationship has been set, the report runs until complete, followed by the graph, at run time.

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Reference: Rules for Setting Relationships Between Objects

The following rules apply when setting relationships between objects:

Setting Relationships

This sets a relative distance between the flowing report and a surrounding object. The surrounding object is rendered immediately following the end of a flowing report with the related distance between the end of the flowing report and the beginning of the surrounding object.

Fixed objects: A fixed object cannot be broken across a page break, it needs enough vertical space to fit on the last page of the flowing report.
Flowing object (reports): If a surrounding object is another flowing report, then the required space does not need to be set. A flowing report can be broken across pages. The reporting server determines if there is enough room to begin rendering the surrounding flowing report.
Draw object: Relationships do not apply to draw objects such as images, lines, and text. Draw objects can be placed above flowing reports in a page layout, but draw objects placed below a flowing report should be placed outside of the bottom flow margin.

Setting a relationship between a report and a graph

If the overflow property of the report is set to flowing and there is no set relationship between the graph and report, then the report will overlap and display on top of the graph at run time. There is no way for Power Painter to automatically set relationships, so you must set the relationship between the report and the graph.

Note: A surrounding object can only be related to one flowing report; however, a flowing report can have multiple surrounding objects related to itself.