writing variables to text changes formatting

Aug 09, 2012

I'm capturing some text in text entry boxes and storing the text in variables.  When I write those variables to a text box later using %variablename%, it's reformatting the text box to use much smaller font.

Is this a known problem, or is there a way to fix it?  Thanks!

53 Replies
Carrie Desnoyers

Hello,

I am having a similar issue with my text references. In the text entry box, I have two lines to accommodate the text. I the text box containing the reference, I have also made it two lines. When I preview and enter text, it shrinks all of the text to fit into the space of one line. :( 

James Bretzler

This worked for me: a combination of what I read here and other posts.

1) Add a text box, choose yourt text size and type then right click the box and choose the option to set default text box

2) Now delete the text box

3) Next add a new text box and insert your reference variable (it should be formatted to your new default size and type)

4) Run your project

This worked for me.. something about deleting the text box and adding in a new one AFTER I set the default size worked :)  Hope it works for you too!

James

Lee Millard

Hey everyone. Digging up this thread again. I seem to be having an issue with the text that includes the variable reference to be bolding when published and viewed on a Mac. My story file and in Preview mode is fine, but when it's published and viewed on a Mac it's bolded. When viewing the published file on WIndows it seems fine. Note that I just used Ariel font. I'm attaching screenshots from Mac and Windows here to show the comparison. The top line is one using the variable. Thanks!

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Lee,

Thanks for sharing your file and the link to the SCORM Cloud course. I took a look at your course, one that Leslie published and sent to me, and also I took a look at publishing your course as well. I tested it in Mac (Chrome and Firefox) and Windows 8.1 (Chrome and Firefox) and saw the same set up where it seemed they were all a light bold, and that also looked the same in both your images. So I'm not sure I'm clear on it - or if I just have bad eyesight. The latter is entirely possible :) 

Do you see this just in this file or any files with variable references? 

Lee Millard

Hi Ashley! Thanks for jumping in. Interesting. Me and my colleagues clearly see the top line being bolder than the bottom (refer to the initial screenshots I posted). This was my first usage of that variable reference, so I don't have any others off-hand to share, but I can create another one to see if there's a difference. Just for experiment purposes, I added the variable to the bottom text box and that became bolder as well, so it does have something to do with the variable reference being used.  As soon as I get a moment I'll create a fresh file using the variable and test. Thanks!

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Lee,

I saw it was bold compared to the bottom - but no difference between the Mac/Windows sides regardless of browser. So that's the part I mostly tested.

Using a variable reference can make the text appear different, and was something I know a number of users used to utilize to make the text appear more "crisp" on the slide, so it could be the remnants of that which you're seeing as well? 

Lee Millard

Hi Ashley!

I did another quick test and here are my results:

Windows2.png - When viewed on Chrome in Windows, the text using the variable (top) looks very crisp and jaggy (pretty ugly in my opinion)

Mac2.png - When viewed in Firefox on Mac, the text using the variable (top) looks bolder, but is smoothed out a lot nicer than it's WIndows counterpart.

So, 6 of one, half-dozen of the other I suppose?

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