Difference between revisions of "Documentation/FAQ/Formula/How do I change the spacing around my formula?"

Latest revision as of 13:34, 7 October 2021

How do I change the spacing around my formula?

If you have embedded your formula in a Writer document you can do as follows.

If you want to change the spacing around a single formula follow these steps:

1. Select the formula.
2. Select Format → Frame.
3. Select the tab page Wrap.
4. In the group Spacing on this page you can adjust the spacing around the formula.

If you want to change the spacing around all formulas follow these steps:

1. Open the stylist (Format → Styles and Formatting).
2. Click the icon for frame styles (the third icon from the left).
3. Right-click Formula in the styles list.
4. Select Modify in the pop-up menu.
5. Select the tab page Wrap.
6. In the group Spacing on this page you can adjust the spacing around the formulas.

In addition Math inserts some spacing within the frame around your formula. Follow these steps to change this:

1. Open your formula.
2. Select Format → Spacing.
3. Click Category and select Borders in the pop-up menu.
4. You can now change the left and right margins of your formulas.
5. If you want to set these margins as the default, press Default and confirm.

To change the Math margins in all existing formulas, use a macro. This can be done as follows:

1. Select Tools → Macros → Organize Macros → OpenOffice Basic.
2. Select My Macros-Standard-Module1 in the tree in the left pane. If Module1 does not exist in the Standard, create it using the  New  button.
3. Select the Main macro in the right pane.
4. Click the  Edit  button.
5. Add the SetMathBorder code after the main Sub:

   Main sub

   End sub

   Sub SetMathBorder

   On Error Resume Next ' Prevents deleted objects from causing errors.

   dim embeddedObjects, elementNames, i, element, elem, oldW

   embeddedObjects = ThisComponent.getEmbeddedObjects()

   elementNames = embeddedObjects.getElementNames()

   for i=0 to UBOUND(elementNames)

   elem = embeddedObjects.getByName(elementNames(i))

   element = elem.Model

   if (element.supportsService("com.sun.star.formula.FormulaProperties")) then

   oldW = elem.Width - element.LeftMargin - element.RightMargin ' captures old widths

   element.TopMargin = 0 ' sets internal border to zero

   element.BottomMargin = 0 ' You can adjust these values(It's just that I use the formulas in text so I prefer it to be 0)

   element.LeftMargin = 0

   element.RightMargin = 0

   ' adjusts the width, as openoffice sometimes stretches the formula as opposed to resizing it.

   elem.Width = oldW + element.LeftMargin + element.RightMargin

   endif

   next i

   ThisComponent.reformat()

   End Sub

6. Switch to the window containing your document, and select Tools → Macros → Run Macro.
7. Select My Macros-Standard-Module1 in the tree in the left pane (Library).
8. Select SetMathBorder in the right pane (Macro name).
9. Click the  Run  button. In my case, the screen is not updated correctly. An update can be triggered by minimizing and restoring, going to a different page in the document, or changing the zoom.