20. CHANGING LEGEND TEXT SPACING ON PLOT LAYOUTS

[jovivier]

If the text in the legend area of your plot layout is too close together or too far apart you can make changes to the plot template to fix this.

The line spacing for a legend is set when the legend is created (i.e. using the Plot Template menu item). The default spacing is 50% but it is reasonably easy to change by editing the template. Here is a brief explanation how:-

1) Turn off fills in Settings|Drawing (located at the top on the right-hand side) to make it much easier to select items. Redraw to refresh the screen.

2) Open the template you want to change using Plot Template|Edit Template.

3) Select the legend symbol you want to change. Note the legend symbol contains a fill, a placeholder line or symbol and #TEXT#. With the fills off, the edge of the fill will be a white rectangle. The Select|Window will need to be large enough to encompass the whole legend symbol or Select|Crossing can be used within the legend. Now explode the legend into its constituents using Modify|Explode.

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4) Make any other changes to the look of the line or the text as required. The line can now be a specified width.

5) In order to create a legend in V17+ the fills must be showing. Go to Settings|Drawing and re-enable the "Fills" option. Now hold the Ctrl key and use Select Object to select the fill. Now select Plot Template|Move Fills to Back. Reselect the fill and then use the Select Window just around the area where you know the placeholders to be.

6) Select Plot Template|Make Legend. Select the type of legend (Pipe, Symbol or Combined). The "Order" depicts in which order IRRICAD will fill this legend (for example if there is more than one pipe legend, is this the primary (#1) legend or the secondary legend (#2). The "Line Spacing" is the value to change - the percentage is based on your text size. Adjust as required.

7) Repeat for the above process for all legends where you wish to change the spacing.

8) Select everything including the fills outside the border and select Plot Template|Fills to Back. Note that the fills will also need to be showing for this step.

9) Select everything and then click Plot Template|Save Template. In general it is a good idea to give the templates you change a new name.


For more information about editing templates please see Help|Help Topics Chapters Technical Reference > Appendix I: Keywords for Labels and Plot Templates > Plot Template Keywords and Tutorials > Plot Templates.

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