Strange/erratic behavior placing images in text frames

[jmwellborn]

Using Photo, I have several images each grouped with a caption, then each saved as a JPEG.   I am trying to add them to illustrate a book-length document written in Publisher.   So far everything is working very smoothly except for a strange and erratic behavior placing the images.   If I use FILE>Place to select an image/caption, sometimes that portion of Finder>Pictures>and all images are greyed out, and nothing can be selected.   If I then try using the Picture Tool (not the Picture Frame Tool) plus Place, I can select the picture I want from Finder, and place it in the Publisher text frame if I drag the selection area from the left side of the Text Frame.  But sometimes the caption under the picture is in reverse, reading from right to left as though it was turned upside down.   If I then delete the faulty image and go back to FILE/Place (not the Picture Tool + Place) the images in Finder are usually able to be used this time, and when I select the very same image that had the reverse caption, this time I can place it with the caption appearing exactly as it should.  

I have also discovered that if I try to place an image/caption, selected either by File>Place or by using the Picture Tool plus Place, and drag the image from the right side of the Text Frame the caption is consistently incorrect.   I have attached a screenshot to show what is happening.   I have also made a filler text single page document which I could send, plus a second single page with the same screen shots, if technical support would like to have them.  This is surely not "user error" because it is very erratic.  Using MAC Sierra.  I can definitely work around it, but I think something must be amiss!

 

[walt.farrell]

3 minutes ago, jmwellborn said:

if I drag the selection area from the left side of the Text Frame.  But sometimes the caption under the picture is in reverse, reading from right to left as though it was turned upside down.

That sounds like you might be dragging one side of the frame or object rather than dragging the entire object. And it may not be easily visible unless you can see that the image is also reversed (mirror-imaged).

For an example of this in action, create a text frame, and put something in it, like this:

Then, grab the node I've labeled 1, and drag straight to the right past node 2, and you should end up with something like this:

All objects will work like this if you grab their frames. You can mirror left to right or top to bottom.

 

[jmwellborn]

Not what is happening.  

[walt.farrell]

OK. Seemed possible given that you mentioned the text reversal.

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, jmwellborn said:

If I use FILE>Place to select an image/caption, sometimes that portion of Finder>Pictures>and all images are greyed out, and nothing can be selected.  

I can get this to occur if I have (accidentally) selected the text frame while using File > Place... . If I have the Text Frame selected and I then use the Place Image tool I can select and place the image. In the File > Place... while having a Text Frame selected scenario I can select a .txt file but not an image file, that is to be expected.

Like you I can drag 'backwards' to reverse the image, but the erratic placement of mirrored images doesn't happen for me. 

I tried this with an jpeg at best quality with the 'picture' grouped and exported as .jpeg from File > Export in Photo 1.6.7 and as a grouped and as an ungrouped Slice from the Export Persona. Unlike you I did my own version of Cornwallis (drawing from memory) in Photo.

Could there be something about the original pictures in your Photo document which you grouped with the caption? Just blue skying here.

[jmwellborn]

33 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

 

Could there be something about the original pictures in your Photo document which you grouped with the caption? Just blue skying here.

Nope.   I have tried this with sundry images -- some taken from old prints, some from recent photographs, some converted from screen shots to .afphoto files and then imported again into Photo to be adjusted and exported as Jpegs.  All edited first in Photo, captions added with Photo, image and caption grouped, exported as JPEG without background, and then placed in my text document.   In Publisher I have Show Special Characters on but am not clicking on a text frame first.   I am most definitely using the place icon to draw the size of the jpeg with caption and then drawing the entire image (not one of its borders) over into the text, where I then use text wrap.  Driving me bats.  (Maybe I was already bats.)

Currently I am using Picture Tool (which is now automatically opening my Finder>Pictures>and the selected folder) and then choosing an image to use.   Seems to be working as long as I drag from the left, even if I want the image to be snapped to the right border of the text frame.   I have given up dragging from right to left.   

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, jmwellborn said:

Seems to be working as long as I drag from the left, even if I want the image to be snapped to the right border of the text frame.   I have given up dragging from right to left.

Interesting. The same "reflection" property I mentioned earlier for objects applies to images, too, and even with the place-image tool.

Where you first click the tool is the intended upper-left corner of the image location. You are supposed to drag down and to the right to size the image. If, instead, you drag to the left you invert (mirror/reflect) the image around the vertical axis. On the other hand, if you first click then drag upward you invert (mirror/reflect) the image around the horizontal axis.

[Sean P]

18 hours ago, jmwellborn said:

Seems to be working as long as I drag from the left, even if I want the image to be snapped to the right border of the text frame.   I have given up dragging from right to left.   

This is the default behaviour - dragging from right to left will place the image but flip it horizontally, however dragging from left to right when placing it will place it normally.