Object libraries help you organize the graphics, text, shapes and entire page layouts you frequently use. The libraries are related to a title. You can create as many libraries as you need.

During a work session, use the Libraries Navigator (Library tab of the Navigator on the Pages main tab in Fred4) to review and open a library of objects.

Libraries are protected by permissions, so you need to have a permission to open or edit the specific library. Any number of users can open for reading a same library at once, but only one user can edit it at a time.

What you can/cannot put in a library?

You can put in a library the graphics (real, or placeholder), the frames, the boxes, the paths, the rules etc.

You can put a local text, but not in multiple frames - you can put it only in the first frame of the type (e.g. in the first body frame, in the first headline frame, in the first caption frame). If the local text is longer than the first frame, in the library object it will be partially shown, but if you generate an article from that library object, it will contain the entire local text.

You cannot put a linked text in an object library. You cannot store extra guides in the library object.

See Examples of Simple and Complex Library Objects.

About linked images

When you add a page element, such as a graphics, to an object library, Fred4 creates a link to the original graphics, so it is updated when the graphics changes (i.e. when the image gets re-imported in the database).

If you delete an image from Fred4 page, the object remains intact in the library, but not if you delete the image - in such case, the object will loose the link. Non-image objects (frames, boxes, rules, combinations) are instead duplicates of the page objects. If you delete such object from the Fred4 page, the object remains intact in the library palette.

Finding objects in the library

Within each object library, you can locate an item by title. Depending on the user interface, it may be possible to search for a name, or date the object was added in the library, or by other attributes. The library list is typically sorted by name, but the system can be configured to sort by any available field.

You can select a library object visually by its shape (if the object thumbnails are displayed) or by name (if the objects list is displayed). In order to select the object by its shape, you have to find it in the library. Sometimes, it will be necessary to scroll the list of objects.

Managing libraries

If authorized, you can add or remove objects, selected page elements, or an entire page of elements to or from an object library. You can also cut and paste library objects from one library to another. See Permissions on object libraries and objects.

Tool properties

You can assign to library objects number of automatic properties, such as scaling, repositioning, automatic runaround, creation or linking of text with format assignment, grouping, and linking of images. This is achieved through object's tool properties.

All object libraries are stored in the database.