Controlling the Overflow and Relative Positioning of Objects in Power Painter

You may control the overflow and relative (vertical) positioning of reports and graphs in Power Painter so that reports fill the entire page, as well as maintain their relative position in the document.

Overflow is defined as the area of a report that exceeds it 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 or 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.

Overflow and positioning options are available from the Properties palette and from the main toolbar in Power Painter.

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Setting Overflow Options in Power Painter

When executing a report, the area that flows outside of the canvas 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 report with fixed overflow. Note how the report output maintains the size of the report object in the Power Painter canvas, spreading the report across 14 pages.

The following image is the same report with flowing overflow. Note how the report expands on the page at run time.

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Using Fixed Overflow in Power Painter

How to:

Customize the Fixed Position of an Object

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

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Procedure: How to Customize the Fixed Position of an Object

Select an object from the Power Painter canvas.
The Properties palette shows the available properties for the selected object.
Select Fixed from the Sizing and Overflow drop-down list.
Change the Position: Left, Position: Top, Height, and Width options from the Report properties palette to adjust the position of the object at run time.
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 is broken up around the graph object. You must set the relationship between the graph and 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

How to:

Reports using flowing overflow begin the report output at the top of the page 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, the graph overlaps the report at run time. You must set a relationship between the graph and the report so that 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.
Note: Repeat this step for any surrounding report objects to prevent the overlapping of reports and graphs at run time.

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, 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, 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

Each document in the canvas has flow margins. Flow margins are set through the top and bottom margins. Flowing reports utilize flow margins to ensure that header and footer information is preserved in the output.

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.

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

Tip: You may also click and drag the flow margins up and down 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

How to:

Relate Surrounding Objects to a Report

Reference:

Rules for Setting Relationships Between Objects

You may 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 the two objects.
Show relationships. Shows or hides all relationships on the canvas.

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

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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 an object from the Power Painter canvas.
Select two reports, or a graph and a report, by using the Shift key to select the surrounding objects.

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