On 3/28/2014 1:33 PM, Mark Bourne wrote:
That's odd... for me, using the default character style picks up the
font from the current paragraph style - so changing the paragraph style
should work. Perhaps you have a default template where the paragraph style
is initially set to something else, or the font is set by direct
formatting? So try ensuring the current paragraph style is set to "Default
Style", and do Format > Clear Direct Formatting.
Once you've fixed it, you can save the template (File > Save as
Template) and set it as default (File > New > Templates, select the
template, and click "Set as default").
If you can't fix the default template, or if it's easier to start again
from scratch, you should be able to reset it by going to File > New >
Templates > (cog icon) > Reset Default Template > Text Document.
I think I've discovered why I was messing up my character style fonts. It
has to do what (what I believe) is the unique way LO sets global document
fonts.
I've always controlled all of my formatting through my paragraph styles,
which I've carefully created on a hierarchical basis. Thus, I've controlled
my document fonts through the font in my Default (paragraph) Style. All my
other paragraph styles are (ultimately) linked to Default, so I could
control my document fonts by simply changing my Default (paragraph) Style.
But, I found that changing the font in my default paragraph style did
*not* change the fonts in my character styles, which control such things as
Footnote Anchors, Footnote Characters, and the like. Now, I've never really
liked LO's character styles, but they do offer an additional measure of
control, if also mixed with a measure of confusion. So, after changing the
font in my default paragraph style, I would have to then go into my
character styles and change the fonts in those that applied to my document.
But, while playing today, I found that, for fonts, there is a setting
that is deeper than the Default Paragraph Style. It is the Basic Fonts
setting found in the Tools>Options>Writer>Basic Fonts dialogs.
While knowing the Basic Fonts settings were available, I've always
ignored them, thinking they were for people who didn't use styles. But, I
discovered today that they will control the font in all styles until those
fonts are changed in the given style itself or through direct formatting.
That can be a great time saver, so long as I remember *not* to change fonts
in the styles unless I truly need a font for a particular style that's
different from the Basic Fonts settings.
I'm not sure I like this design. I would prefer all default formatting
settings to be controlled in the default paragraph style itself, including
the default font. I've been using LO and its predecessors all the way back
to StarOffice, and this is the first I've realized the way the program
handles default fonts and the importance of the Basic Fonts settings. I can
only imagine how confusing this might be for those who are reluctant to use
styles and understand how they are linked with the Basic Fonts.
So, going back to my earlier rant of there being too many ways of doing
things in office suite word processors, with LO, you can set your document
fonts (1) through the Basic Fonts in Options, (2) through modification of a
Paragraph Style, or (3) through modification of Character Styles, or (4)
through Direct Formatting. Imagine a document being written through
collaboration with several workers, all using different methods, or worse
yet, combining the methods. The result would be a disaster.
Virgil