OmniForm Designer Tips

extracted from OmniForm Software © Scansoft Corporation.

Omniform has a lot of great tips for getting the most out of the DESIGNER SIDE of the software, so leave Tip of the Day turned on for a while. If you turn Tip of the Day off, it is available from the Help menu.

• OmniForm can scan your color forms by checking the "Scan in color" check box in the Scan Form dialog box.

• OmniForm's Proofreader helps you correct scanned forms and perfect forms designed from scratch. Just select "Proofreader" from the Tools menu and follow the instructions.

• You can save your forms to HTML. Choose "Save As" from the File menu and select "HTML" from the "Save as type" control.

• Select "Preview in Browser" from the File menu to quickly see how your form will look and operate in your favorite Web browser when it is converted to HTML.

• OmniForm can transfer your forms to the Internet or an intranet by choosing "Publish To Web" from the File menu.

• OmniForm can spell check your forms automatically. Choose the "Options" command from the Tools menu and select the "Spelling" tab. Turn on the "Check spelling automatically" check box to reveal spelling errors. Right-click your mouse on any wavy red lines to quickly correct recognition errors or typing mistakes.

• You can add hyperlinks to your forms. Simply create or select an Oval, Rectangle, Graphic, or Text object, or select text within a Text object and choose "Hyperlink" from the Format menu. Hyperlinks can jump users to Web sites, documents or other applications.

• The AutoFill Wizard allows you to fill forms with information from external databases. Select a Comb or Fill Text object and choose "Object Definition" from the Format menu. Click on the "Filling" tab, check the "Enable AutoFill" check box, click on the "AutoFill Wizard" and follow the instructions.

• Signature fields allow users to sign a form and lock the form's data. Select "Security" from the Tools menu to set up a user database. Next, select a Fill Text object and choose "Object Definition" from the Format menu. Click on the "Properties" tab and select "Signature" from the "Type" control. Click on the "Settings" button to set up field locking.

• Adding a Serial Number field to your form allows you to uniquely identify each record in the form. Select a Comb or Fill Text object and choose "Object Definition" from the Format menu. Click on the "Properties" tab and select "Serial Number" from the "Type" control. Click on the "Settings" button to adjust the format of the serial number.

• OmniForm can automatically shrink text to keep it from overflowing a fillable area in fill view. Choose the "Options" command from the Tools menu and select the "Filling" tab. Turn on the "Automatically shrink text to fit within fields" check box to enable this feature.

• You can save your forms to OFML. Choose "Save As" from the File menu and select "OFML 2.0" or "OFML 1.0" from the "Save as type" control. OFML forms can be published on the Internet or an intranet and filled out using OmniForm Internet Filler.

• You can save your forms to PDF. Choose "Save As" from the File menu and select "PDF" from the "Save as type" control.

• By selecting "Page Setup" in the File menu, each page in your form can be designed to have a different orientation, size and color.

• There are numerous recognition options available when scanning forms. Click on the "Options" button in the Scan Form dialog and select the "Recognition" tab to make adjustments.

• OmniForm supports the euro currency symbol. Choose the "Options" command from the Tools menu and select the "International" tab. Click on the "Current Form" radio button and then check the "Use euro currency symbol" check box to enable this feature for the current form.

• Changing a form's colors from one color to another is easy. Choose "Adjust Colors" from the Format menu. You may limit your adjustments to certain objects by selecting them before choosing this command.

• Toolbars can be customized to fit your needs. Just select "Customize" from the Tools menu and proceed to make changes to your current toolbars or make new ones.

• OmniForm can automatically fill fields with its intelligent Type Ahead feature. Choose the "Options" command from the Tools menu and select the "Filling" tab. Turn on Type Ahead by checking the "Enable Type Ahead" check box.

• Multiple users can fill out the same form at the same time. Choose "Properties" from the File menu, click on the "Sharing" tab and select the "Shared (multiple users may fill the form)" radio button.

• You can create self-running mailable forms by choosing "Save As Mailable Filler" from the File menu. Give your mailable form to others to view and fill.

• OmniForm supports Microsoft's IntelliMouse pointing device. Use the mouse wheel to scroll your form vertically. Hold down the CTRL key and rotate the mouse wheel to zoom your form in or out.

• You can save your forms to Microsoft Word. Choose "Save As" from the File menu and select "Microsoft Word (RTF)" from the "Save as type" control.

• You can convert forms from other applications using "Print to OmniForm Support". Simply select the OmniForm printer from any application and print your form.

• Text objects can be rotated into a vertical orientation. Select a text object and choose "Text" from the Format menu, then select the "Text Flow" tab. Choose one of the three "Orientation" settings.

• You can reorder pages in a multi-page form by choosing "Reorder Pages" from the Edit menu.

• You can view a list of all calculations in a form by clicking on the "Calculation List" icon in the "Calculation" toolbar. To show the "Calculation" toolbar, choose "Calculation" from the Tools menu.

• You can merge multiple text objects into one text object. Select two or more text objects in your form and then choose "Merge Text" from the Format menu.
  
• You can break a table into separate objects. Select a table in your form and then choose "Break Table Apart" from the Format menu.

• You can nudge form objects by selecting them and pressing the arrow keys on your keyboard.

• You can save a record at any time in fill view by choosing the "Save Record" command from the Records menu.

• You can tab and fill tables from left to right or top to bottom. Select a table object and choose "Object Definition" from the Format menu. Click on the "Properties" tab and select your "Tabbing" preference.

• Special characters and symbols can be inserted into a form by choosing the "Insert Symbol" command from the Edit menu.

• When filling a shared form, you can ensure you're seeing the latest form data by selecting the "Refresh Record" or "Refresh All Records" command from the Records menu.

• You can enter a default value for a selected fillable field by entering text in the Calculation toolbar and surrounding it with quotes. For example, if you entered "5" as the default value, the number 5 would appear in that field in fill view.

• You can copy logos from your scanned forms to your designed forms. Choose "Form Image" in the View menu to view the original form. Use the Graphic tool to capture the logo by drawing a selection area around the "Form Image" graphic.

• OmniForm has context-sensitive help: click the Help button in the standard toolbar and click anywhere in the OmniForm window to display a help topic for that area.

• You can use a right-mouse button click over a form, an object, a toolbar, or an OLE object to open a shortcut menu for that area.

• The font/text toolbar contains buttons for formatting and aligning selected Text and Fill Text objects quickly.

• OmniForm’s toolbars let you create objects, format text, align and arrange objects, define calculations, and access menu commands with the click of a button. See the online help for more information on each toolbar.

• You can copy any selected object by holding down the Ctrl key and dragging the object.

• The scrapbook not only contains objects and graphics that you can copy into any form, you can also store your own objects there for use in other forms.

• You can define calculations for fillable fields to automate data entry and reduce the possibility of errors. Calculation fields can display today’s date, the sum of selected fields, the square root of a number, and dozens of other functions. Choose "Calculation" in the Tools menu to display the calculation toolbar.

• You can design a scanned form for your own use in OmniForm, but still view the original image of the form by choosing the "Form Usage" command in the View menu. You can print out, fax or mail the original form to other users.

• You can select "Data Only" in the Print dialog box to print form information on a pre-printed form in your printer.

• You can view the image of the form you scanned by choosing "Form Image" from the View menu. This is useful for correcting spelling errors and ensuring accurate form design.

• The Sample Forms folder in your OmniForm folder contains sample forms that you can use as they are or redesign for your own needs.

• Choosing "Duplicate" in the Records menu saves you typing time by duplicating information in frequently used forms.

• The "Size and Position" command in the Tools menu lets you align and size objects precisely, to one-thousandth of an inch.

• OmniForm contains multiple design tools so that you can design your own original form right in the program.

• You can always find the information you need: there are 14 different ways to search for information in a database. You can search for information in any fillable field except fill graphic fields.

• You can share information in OmniForm databases by mailing users forms, entire databases, or OmniForm Data files.

• The arrange toolbar buttons let you align selected objects quickly and precisely when designing forms.

• You can perform a search on a set of found records, and continue searching subsets until you have exactly the information you need.

• You can press the Tab key to move from field to field when filling a form. Press Shift-Tab to move back to previous fields.

• You can select all objects of one type by choosing "Select Special" in the Edit menu. You can then save time by defining, formatting, and editing all the selected objects at the same time.

• A check box can display an X, a check mark, or a fill when a user clicks it in fill view. Use the "Object Definition" command in the Format menu to define this and other features.

• You can reduce data entry time by providing a list of available entries for a field. The user selects an option in a drop-down list instead of typing in an entry. Use the "Object Definition" command in the Format menu to define this and other features.

• You can use the "Object Appearance" command in the Format menu to give your object color, borders, drop-shadows, and fill lines.

• OmniForm can display numbers, dates, and currency for dozens of regions around the world. Choose "Options" in the Tools menu. Click the "International" tab in the Options dialog box and select a language for your form.

• You do not need a scanner to make forms electronic - OmniForm can import and design received fax files too.
• Use the Tab Order window in design view to arrange fillable objects in a logical order so that users can tab easily through a form in fill view. Choose "Tab Order" in the Tools menu.

• You can help users know what information is expected in a field by having OmniForm display Help text when the cursor is in the field. Use the "Object Definition" command in the Format menu to define this and other features.

• Check boxes can form an "option group." Checking a check box automatically deselects any other checked box in the option group. Circle Text objects can also form an option group.

• OmniForm’s Logical Form Recognition technology uses "smart naming" to name and define fields for you when you use the "Auto Form Design" option to scan a form.

• You can convert any object to another type of object by choosing "Convert" in the Edit menu in design view.

• OmniForm’s "Send" command lets you mail forms to other users. You can mail the whole form, the form design, or just the information entered in the form’s fields.

• A table can contain multiple objects: you can convert objects in table cells to other objects and insert one or more objects in a cell.

• Click the Auto button in the Tab Order window in design view to have OmniForm "smartly" reorder fillable objects on a form.

• Sometimes OmniForm can create a calculation automatically. Click the Auto button in the Calculation toolbar when an object is selected. OmniForm looks for such common field names as Quantity, Price, Total, and Sum.

• OmniForm’s spell checker lets you check spelling in both design and fill views. It can suggest alternative spellings and lets you add words to a dictionary.

• OmniForm Filler is a version of OmniForm that is easy to learn and use. Have others use it to fill in forms you design in OmniForm.

• You can share information with other databases, such as FoxPro, by using the "Import" and "Export" commands in the File menu.

• You can set up a shared OmniForm form on your network that others can access by double-clicking an OmniForm Data file. You can create and send this OmniForm Data file to anyone who will use the shared form.

• Object linking and embedding (OLE) is a convenient way to place information from other sources in OmniForm such as word-processing, graphics, and media files. Choose "Insert New Object" in the Edit menu.

• Use the "Paste Link" command in the Edit menu to paste copied information from another application into OmniForm as a linked OLE object.

• When creating calculations, you can click a form object to automatically place its name in the calculation toolbar when that toolbar is active.

• Before starting a search, you can click in the field you want to search to have that field’s name automatically appear in the Search dialog box.

• Form protection can be turned on to protect your data, your form, or both from unauthorized changes. Optionally, you may increase protection by assigning a password.

• Clicking the Lock tool in the drawing toolbar lets you use a tool multiple times without it reverting to the Selection tool.

• Holding down the Shift key while drawing objects makes a line straight, an oval a circle, or any other object a square.

• You can use the "Table AutoFormat" command in the Format menu to automatically format a selected table. You can also choose from a variety of designs for your table.

• You do not have to highlight text in an object to replace it: just select the object and begin typing. You can also format text in a selected object without highlighting it first.

• OmniForm’s Form Assistant guides you through basic procedures with step-by-step instructions. Choose "Form Assistant" in the File menu.

• Turning on field highlighting makes fill-able fields easy to see. Turning off field highlighting gives you a better view of the form’s design and color.

• OmniForm automatically saves information entered in fill view; you do not have to save manually.

• You can import a graphic into a graphic object in design view so that the same picture appears on each record. Or, you can create a fill graphic object so that users can import a different graphic into each record in fill view.

• Holding the cursor over a toolbar button displays a ToolTip with the button’s name. Text in the status bar at the bottom of the OmniForm window explains its function.

• Clicking an object in the Tab Order window highlights its corresponding object in the OmniForm window, and vice versa. This makes it easy to order objects.

• You can hold down the mouse button and drag an object in the Tab Order window to reorder it quickly and easily.

• You can define comb elements as pre-fill objects so that hyphens, parentheses, or other characters appear automatically in fill view. This helps let users know how they should fill the comb field in fill view and saves typing time.

• To organize your database, you can sort records in ascending or descending order, or in the original order information was entered.

• Before sorting records, you can click in the field to sort by to have the field’s name automatically appear in the Sort dialog box.

• You can round individual border corners on an object. Choose "Object Appearance" in the Format menu and click the "Borders" tab in dialog box to use this feature.

• To change the default settings for a tool in the drawing toolbar, you can click that tool and then choose "Font," "Text," or "Object Appearance" in the Format menu before drawing.

• You can use standard keyboard combinations to format selected text: press Ctrl-B to make text bold, Ctrl-I to make text italic, and Ctrl-U to underline text.

• In multiple-page forms, you can move quickly between pages by clicking the page icons in the status bar.

• You can use the arrow keys to move between grouped Check Boxes and Circle Text fields in fill view. Press the space bar to fill the selected field.

• OmniForm Forms can be inserted into other applications that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE).

• You can select multiple objects inside a table by clicking outside the table, holding down the mouse button, and dragging the cursor through or around objects in the table.

• By choosing "Add Routing Slip" in the File menu, you can add routing slips to forms and e-mail them to a chosen list of recipients.

• Choosing "Print Preview" in the File menu lets you see how your form will look after it is printed.
  

For More Information, Please Contact:
Arthur R. Faja, Consultant
Special Education Management Services
586 228-3457