Editing objects, layout parts, and the layout background > Formatting layouts > Formatting portals
 

Formatting portals

You format portal backgrounds and portal rows separately in Layout mode. You can display a different background in alternating portal rows, for contrast and easy identification, or to display a different background color for the selected portal row when the portal is viewed in Browse mode.

 

To

Do this

Change the background fill of a portal

Select the portal. In the Inspector, click the Appearance Appearance tab. In the Graphic area, for Fill, choose Solid Color, Color Gradient, or Image. From the object type list (the first list in the tab), choose Portal: Row. From the object state list (the second list), choose Primary. In the Graphic area, for Fill, choose None.

Note  If your fill setting does not appear in the portal, set portal rows to transparent.

Change the background fill of all portal rows

Select the portal. In the Appearance Appearance tab in the Inspector, choose Portal: Row from the object type list, and choose Primary from the object state list. Then choose a fill for the portal row background.

Display a different background in alternating portal rows

Double-click the portal, then select Use alternate row state and click OK. In the Appearance Appearance tab in the Inspector, choose Portal: Row from the object type list, and choose Alternate from the object state list. Then choose a fill for the portal row background.

Display a different background for the selected portal row

Double-click the portal, then select Use active row state and click OK. In the Appearance Appearance tab in the Inspector, choose Portal: Row from the object type list, and choose Active from the object state list. Then choose a fill for the portal row background.

Note  For portals that display records from the current table, selecting Use active row state causes the row for the current record to use the Active object state even when the portal row doesn’t have the focus.

Add or change borders between portal rows

Select the portal. In the Appearance Appearance tab in the Inspector, choose Portal: Row from the object type list. In the Graphic area, for Line, choose Solid, click Shadow color palette button and choose a color, then choose the Alternate Row Border control border style.

Notes 

To make portal rows partially transparent, for Fill, choose Solid Color or Color Gradient. Click Shadow color palette button, then drag the Opacity slider (Windows) or click Other Color, then drag the Opacity slider (macOS). You can’t change the opacity for image fills.

Related topics 

Creating portals to display related records

Specifying the display state for an object

Setting the fill, line style, and borders

Filling with a color gradient

Filling with an image