[NTG-context] Multicol float vertical spacing (MkII)

20 May 2009

      Hello,

I have a small problem which nevertheless took already my whole day ...

I'm on a multicolumn page and I have to put (numberd) figures in the  
textflow, at a fix position relative to the text (in this case). No  
sidefloats.

Problem: The vertical space between the float and the following text  
(= after the float) is way too big. I put the floats with "force";  
with "here" its even worse: I get an additional empty space *above*  
the float.

Concerning the different column methods i noticed the following:

\startcolumns: I can influence the vertical space (in general) with  
e.g. "blank=4pt" in the setups. This solves my problem for the moment,  
but is a bit ugly, because all spaces seem to be affected, also the  
predefined caption innerspace(!)

\startcolumnset: I couldn't find any solution at all, unless grouping  
everything in \startpacked ...\ \stoppacked, but this of course  
removes every and any space. The "blank"-option isn't present in  
columnsets, right?

Side question: While trying all this i noticed also that the v-spacing  
is perfect when i just use "\externalfigure ..." (without place...).  
But malheureusement I need the captions. Is there any way to get  
captions with \externalfigure (without float thingies), maintainig/ 
integrating in  the numbering of the "normal" floating figures?

I would really appreciate if anybody could show me how to adjust/ 
eliminate this ugly (faulty?) after float space without disturbing the  
whole whitespacing on the page.

Thanks in advance,
Tom
(Greetings from Lake Léman)

Here is a some kind of a minimal (not very proper nor cleaned, but it  
compiles on context-live and it shows what i'm talking about):

% coding: utf-8
\enableregime [utf]

\useencoding[fde]
\mainlanguage[de]
\setuphyphenmark[sign=normal]

\setuppapersize     [A5,landscape] [A5,landscape]
\setupbodyfont [9pt]

\defineitemgroup [Leg]
\setupitemgroup [Leg] [each]
	[stopper=,
	before={\setupwhitespace[none]\blank[medium]\ss},
	style={\ssbf},
	inbetween={\blank[small]},
	after={\blank[medium]},
	width=1em,
	symalign=flushleft,
	headstyle=italic]
	[n,
	packed,
	]
\setupfloats [spaceafter=none]
\setupcaptions	[style=\ssx\it\setupinterlinespace,
				width=max,
				headstyle=\vii\bfx,
				align=justified,location=bottom,
				inbetween={\blank[medium]},
				spaceafter=none]

\setupcolumns
	[%
	blank=4pt,
	balance=no,
	tolerance=verytolerant]

\definecolumnset [NormalThree] [n=3]
	\setupcolumnset [NormalThree]
		[balance=no,
		%blank=4pt, <-- no effect
		tolerance=verytolerant]

% \showboxes
\starttext
\startcolumnset [NormalThree]% <-- comment/uncomment to see the  
differences
% \startcolumns[n=3]%			<-- comment/uncomment to see the differences

\placefigure[force]{one line}
{\externalfigure[frontk:mitte][width=\textwidth,height=\textheight]}
\column
\subsection{Frontkonsole~-- Mitte}
\startLeg
	\item Heizung Heck-, Front- und Seitenscheiben
	\item Außenspiegelheizung (Option)
	\item Zigarettenanzünder 24\,V
	\item 24||V||Steckdose
	\item Zusatzheizung (Option)
	\item Ventilator mit \textellipsis
	\item Temperaturregler
	\item Aschenbecher
\stopLeg

\subsection{Multifunktionshebel}
\placefigure[force]{one line}
{\externalfigure[mufuhe:li][width=\textwidth,height=60pt]}
\startpacked\ss
{\it Drücken:}
\startLeg[intro]
\item Hupe
\stopLeg
{\it Drehen:}
\startLeg[intro,continue]
\item Licht aus
\item Standlicht
\item Fahrlicht:
\startitemize [4]
\item {\it Hebel mittig:} Abblendlicht
\item {\it Hebel unten:} Fernlicht
\item {\it Hebel nach oben:} Lichthupe
\stopitemize
\stopLeg
{\it Schieben:}
\startLeg[intro,continue]
\item Blinker
\startitemize [4]
\item {\it Hebel vorne:} rechts
\item {\it Hebel hinten:} links
\stopitemize
\stopLeg
\stoppacked

\placefigure[force]{one line}
{\externalfigure[mufuhe:re][width=\textwidth,height=60pt]}
\startpacked\ss
{\it Drücken:}
\startLeg [intro]
\item Scheibenwaschanlage
\stopLeg
{\it Drehen:}
\startLeg [intro,continue]
\item Scheibenwischer Intervall
\item Scheibenwischer aus
\item Scheibenwischer Stufe 1
\item Scheibenwischer Stufe 2
\stopLeg
\stoppacked

% \stopcolumns%   <-- comment/uncomment to see the differences
\stopcolumnset %   <-- comment/uncomment to see the differences

\stoptext

[NTG-context] Multicol float vertical spacing (MkII)

Thomas Floeren