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• • October 24, 2011 at 2:30 am #60890
    damiang

    Participant

    I hope that there is a easy solution that I just haven't been able to think of … (CS5, Mac OSX Snow Leopard)

    I have six numbered paragraphs which need to be split over 3 columns, but as two separate “split 3″s.

    The first “split 3” should not be part of the subsequent split columns. ID assumes all six continuous numbered paragraphs are part of the same split. However I want the first three split acoross three columns, and the next three also across three columns:

    1. xxx 2. xxxx 3. xxx

    4. xxx 5. xxxx 6. xxx

    whereas ID is setting up as so:

    1. xxx 3. xxxx 5. xxx

    2. xxx 4. xxxx 6. xxx

    I'm looking for an “end split columns marker” type marker, or something similar.

    Here are screen shots of what is happening which hopefully will make my issue clearer:

    What I want, but currently using two text frames:

    

    However, the first step is to apply “split 3” to paragraphs 3 to 5:

    

    If I then apply “split 3” to paragraphs 6 to 8, then this happens:

    

    Any suggestions welcome!

    Many thanks

    Damian
  • October 24, 2011 at 6:20 am #60893
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    I don't think there's any way to do that easily with split/span columns. Unless perhaps you put each equation in its own text frame (kind of like “grouping” it) and anchor it in the larger text frame.

  • October 24, 2011 at 8:10 am #60894
    David Goodrich

    Participant

    The trick for putting two or three short footnotes on a single line might serve your needs: define separate paragraph styles for each column, with the appropriate indent, giving those for the 2nd and 3rd columns zero leading. However, putting three lines on top of each other makes editing difficult outside of the story editor — not so bad for a few footnotes every now and again, but tedious for page after page of material like your example.

    David

  • October 25, 2011 at 1:03 am #60896
    Tim Hughes

    Member

    A tricky scenario, setting primary school Math. Not complicated enough for a plug-in but still tricky and a bit labourious

    But isn't it a small world, we designed the covers for that series of books

  • October 25, 2011 at 5:56 am #60897
    Chris Thompson

    Member

    I can see from the invisible items in the pictures that the individual lines of items 6, 7 and 8 use pararaphs to separate the lines. Items 3, 4, 5 only have one paragraph mark per item, while 6, 7, 8 have three per item. Does the column splitter rely on paragraph marks to work? What happens if you use “new line” instead of “paragraph”?

    Another thought, would text to table help in this context, where you can specify row and column break points?

    PS I don't have CS5 to try it out.

    PPS Just tried with new line instead of para for new lines within an item, and paragraph between items.

    Then using text to table, row separator=paragraph, column separator=paragraph, total columns=3 you get a table of 3 columns, split where you want it, with the “vertical” items 6, 7, 8 remaining vertical.

  • October 25, 2011 at 6:28 am #60900
    damiang

    Participant

    @Tim: I see names on imprints and wonder where and who they are. Small world indeed.

    Thanks all for the suggestions, and with the prompting I've arrived at a solution now that I've finished the book!

    1. First three items (blah) “split 3”
    2. Insert paragraph return and make it 0.1pt on 0.1pt with no split.
    3. Next three items (yap) “split 3”.

    

    Oh well, at least I can use it in the next book.

    Cheers

    Damian

    Thanks everyone.
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