I have 2 pages of writing in portrait. Then I want there to be a landscape page with a diagram on, and then back to the writing in portrait.

However, there is no 'nice' point to break the text, so I want to just have it so the text continues from before > after the diagram but can't work out how to break up the document so that happens?

Can anyone help? is this making any sense at all?

======= Date Modified 10 Jun 2011 09:19:21 =======
Makes perfect sense! Corinne had similar problem recently, more in relation to inserting different styles of page numbers but its essentially the same problem. You need to insert section breaks. Have a look at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIfacBJZba0 - youtube videa on inserting section breaks. Note you can't see breaks in print view but you can in normal view. If you are using Vista things might be a little different but the principle should be the same. I have done what you describe in word docs before and 'eventually' I got it to look the way I wanted!

Thanks Ady!

I'll have a look through - I think I might need to do this a lot, so better get good at it!

sorry should have said that within each section break you need to format the page setup, landscape or portrait! but you'd probably worked that out;-)

ok - I think I've got it. I've had to break a sentence, probably not best practice, and also leaves me with a green wiggly line at the top of the page after the diagram. BUt hey ho.

I'm assuming all of this will go to pot when I have the entire thesis together anyway, so not going to spend too much time stressing about it at the mo.

My hubs one was only 200 pages all-in, and word just ground to a halt everytime you opened it. NOw I'm not sure whether to do it as separate chapters or one big document - I suppose the latter given the issues with references?

Yes, when the document is as a whole the breaks may not be in the most desired place etc so with mine I had to play with the formatting once it was all done. I did my thesis as a whole word doc which did have some hiccups being so large, such as going into 'read only' mode part way through the editing each time I opened it, arghh (an MS word issue). I just had to save it as a slightly different title ie version 1 etc after each evening of revisions. I did consider seperate docs but didn't want the chaos of re-starting the pagination correctly for each doc. Likewise it was easier PDFing the whole document to send to printers for binding. I am sure there must be easier ways of thesis writing lol.

I was suprised at how quickly MS Word descended into chaos with hubs' thesis, I mean 200 pages is not *that* much really. I mean it is a word processing programme - surely it shouldn't just start doing random stuff and being really slow etc just because its a long document??

I'm sure someone will now say I should use latex - the answer is NO, because I haven't got time to learn and also my sup's brain would blow up with confusion - she barely understands how to use track changes in word, anything more difficult will cause 'issues' :p

My thesis was 264 pages long so not that long, but did contain three journal papers inserted as jpeg format, a rediculous number of graph insertions and some diagrams too. In total, the whole thesis was about 30mb, much larger than I can send via email so had to share via dropbox. I too was advised that Latex might be easier in handling a thesis type document but I also felt I was too far along with the writing to start learning a new skill. I am not sure if Latex can be shared on such media as dropbox either. I have to say that a fair few frustrations at the end resulted from MS word not playing fair with me, lots of expletives! I am sure you have seen it all with hubby going through the same so at least you have a sympathetic ear.

I've been recommended by IT that it's best to save chapters as individual files and only combine the documents at the end. It also makes it easier to send sups completed chapters as you go on. In Word 2007 you combine the files using Insert-Object. Regarding the references, before combining you can save a copy of the chapters with bibliographies removed, then combine the files, then click 'update references' on whichever CWYW software you're using, and then insert the final bibliography.

Anyway, slightly went off the original topic, but best of luck with the section breaks Sneaks.

yeah, I'm writing them separately at the mo, kind of dreading the 'big combine' moment though - am sure mendeley will flip out and start citing random things and go crazy etc.

I merged all my chapters together about 4 months before submitting (I was part-time). I expected Word to throw a complete hissy fit, but it was actually surprisingly compliant! So don't be too scared about doing that. My thesis was about 250 pages long.

I agree you need section breaks. Hope they're solving the problem for you.

I've had enough of Word though, post PhD. I'm now switching to Pages on my Mac (Apple's own Word-compatible word processor), which is playing much more nicely.

ssssh don't tell my brother, he's a Mac-Junkie and is always on about how a Mac would be better, conveniently forgetting SPSS compatibility (my uni doesn't do a Mac version) and the massive cost of the blimmin machine!

Ah...one day though. :-x

I totally agree with you Dunni!  I did mine in different documents and combined it all at the end which was ok for the trial version but for the final version before submission it played up and I had so much hassle with formatting I gave up! It didn't help that I auto formatted everything but then as I had quite a number of landscape diagrams which I inserted as portraits so that the page no would be consistently in the same place it messed up my numbering of my figures! 

On a different but related matter does anyone know how to stop the Roman numerals used for the intro pages e.g. contents, list of figures, plates, tables, abbreviations etc... from carrying onto the start of your chapters when you want to use proper nos when it's all combined into one document?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated? :p

======= Date Modified 11 Jun 2011 22:22:09 =======
Doodles

It's the same idea, ie you need to insert section breaks. The system then allows you to insert Roman numerals (or whatever) in one section and then after the break a different numerical style. Have a look at the youtube link I posted in a reply below. It's not for Vista though but surely the basic premise must be the same??

Edit: sorry am on different pc so didn't have the link to hand but here it is :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIfacBJZba0

One time I'll manage to post a comment without having to go back and edit it :$

======= Date Modified 11 Jun 2011 23:56:21 =======
Thanks Ady I'll give it a try. Hopefully it'll work this time otherwise I will just throw the computer out the window! You know this rock n roll lifestyle has its moments!!!! 8-) ;-)

I've just watched the video and it's great! It has saved me a lot of hassle trying to battle it out again! Clearly I don't spend enough on You Tube!

As for editing I usually do it when I spot typos! :$