>I created a top level form to sit off to to the side of a modal form. The top level form has controls to adjust the layout of the modal form. All of this works really great. The problem comes up when you click on the modal form and, for example type in some text. After that, the only way you can get to the controls on the top level form is by clicking on the Title Bar first. Kind of awkward and not intuitive for the user. Is there anyway to get around having to click on the title bar first?
>Thanks.

VFP Modal behaviour is too very simple and buggy.

When you are in a modal form,
VFP tries to capture the Winmessage to stop all other forms of activation;
without distinguishing between new and old forms
Then,
the caption activation (which you observed),
the taskbar activation
and any other activation are the bugs,
because they can activate the form that existed
first modal form.

On your case,
you can activate the Top layout form with TWO activate command:
try it with a Modalform's Button

	ACTIVATE WINDOW (TopForm.Name)

*VFP, you have your head hard! Ok, I insist!
	ACTIVATE WINDOW (TopForm.Name)