> I am struggling with getting the first pages of my chapters laid out as
> desired. What I want on the top third of the page is a roughly 2 inch square
> graphic on the left with the chapter number and chapter title on the right
> in large print. The following chunk errors out as shown but works when
> hard-coded.  Am I headed off in the wrong direction by trying to use columns
> in this way? Previously, I tried treating the chapter number and title as
> text with startfiguretext. It works but I can't format the chapter titles to
> fit properly. Any suggestions for a ConTeXt beginner?
>  
>  
> \def\ChapterTop#1#2{
>     \startcolumns[n=2]
>         \placefigure[left]{none}{\externalfigure[chief]}
>     \column
>          \switchtobodyfont[26pt] {\ss\bf\sl #1}
>          \blank[large]\blank[large] 
>           {\ss\bf #2}
>      \stopcolumns}
>  
> \setuphead[chapter]
>  [command=\ChapterTop, header=high,footer=pagenumber,page=center] 
>  
> \input c:. %chapter used to test the code

Hi!

I think you search for something like this:

\def\ChapterTop#1#2% bottom-aligned
  {\framed[width=broad,offset=overlay]
    {\framed[width=2in,height=2in]{GRAPHIC}\hfill
     \framed[align=right]{#1\blank[2*big]#2}}}

\definetext[ChapterFoot][footer][pagenumber]

\setuphead
  [chapter]
  [command=\ChapterTop,
   header=high,
   footer=ChapterFoot,
   numberstyle=\ssbid,
   textstyle=\ssbfd]

\starttext  \showframe
\dorecurse{3}{\chapter{First Chapter}\dorecurse{5}{\input tufte}}
\stoptext

Greetings
	Andreas