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• • January 14, 2019 at 4:58 am #113551
    Masood Ahmad

    Participant

    Hi,

    I am facing a problem from a quite couple of days and I’m not getting any clue how to resolve it. Here’s the scenario:

    I have a big file of lets say 100 pages. I used to distribute this file among 2 to 4 people in order to complete the job within the timeline. Lets say I distribute it in two i.e. File_A and File_B each containing 50 pages.

    The file contains multiple master pages including ‘Based-On’. The process involves, over-riding the Master Pages and then addding / updating text and images to the Master Frames.

    So when we’re done with both the files, individually, and tries to merge File_B in File_A, the Master Page items reappears on pages 51 to 100 (File_B).

    We can’t remove/alter the Master Pages, so we have to live with them.

    What we’re currently doing is:

    1) After merging, we remove the Master Pages’ items from the inside pages, in this case (page 51 to 100). This process is risky and inefficient.

    OR

    2) Create blank pages, in File_A (after page 50), Copy the content of inside pages, page by page from File_B and then pasting them in File_A (creating the remaining 50 pages i.e. 51 to 100)

    Either I’m missing something or there might be some other effective process to achieve that.

    Can you please guide me on this.

    Thanks,
    Masood

  • January 14, 2019 at 6:01 pm #113582
    Melise Gerber

    Member

    I run into the same issue frequently–if you have to override master page items to enter information onto a document page, when the master page definition is updated (as it will be when you move pages to a different document), it will place the overridden items back onto that page. The only solution that I have found (and it is only a partial solution) is to use threaded primary text frames as much as you can on your master pages. When you place text into a primary text frame on a document page, InDesign doesn’t treat them as if they have been overridden, and they will remain in place when you move the pages back to the previous document.

    In situations where that is not possible, I try to put all of the edits on a single layer in my file–a different layer than the one holding the master page items. Then when I have to remove the newly “re-added” master page items, I can lock the layer that has the correct information, then override and delete all of the erroneous master page items.

    Not really a solution, but some workarounds that I have used successfully when facing the same situation.

  • January 15, 2019 at 5:31 am #113592
    Masood Ahmad

    Participant

    Thanks Melise, for sharing your experience with me. However, as I said that we cannot alter/edit the Master Pages as they are client provided. So we do either way i.e. deleting the Master items after merging or pasting the items page by page.

    I often adapt the Layers option as suggested by you for my other clients, but the job in question here has multiple Layers as well so I’m looking for some more robust and efficient method.

    Any other clues would be much appreciated.

  • February 13, 2019 at 4:18 pm #114384
    Daniel Sutton

    Member

    Hi Masood,

    I ran into the what I think is the same same issue yesterday. When move pages from one document to another the new document does not recognise overridden page items from the previous document (even if the master pages are named the same and have the exact same layout etc…)

    I’ve written a script that checks each page for items that share the same coordinates as a master page item. It then unlocks the new master page item and copies the content across before deleting the original item. This makes sure that all the page items a correctly linked to the new master page.

    It’s a little naive still and I don’t know how well it will handle locked page items / locked layers but it works for my use case.

    Not sure if that makes sense haha but I’m happy to share the script with you. Let me know if you’d like to test it out :)

    Cheers,
    Daniel

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