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• • November 5, 2019 at 12:56 pm #1194834
    Melise Gerber

    Member

    I am having a strange issue with threaded text frames that I hope someone can help me troubleshoot. I have created a master page, with two text frames. The first one is designated as a primary text frame, and it is threaded to the other text frame.

    I have a list of 10 items, that need to be placed on 5 pages, with two items per page. I create the 5 pages, apply my master page, and then paste my list into the first text frame. As expected, the second list item flows into the second text frame, and there is an overflow marker at the end of that text frame. I click on the overflow marker, and with the loaded pointer, I click within the first text frame on page 2. It also works as expected, filling the top text frame on that page with list item 3, and the bottom text frame with list item 4. Rather than giving me a loaded text cursor that I have to link to page 3, it autofills the remaining document pages. That’s a great thing-saving me some work. However…

    Starting with page 3, the text frame threading gets all wonky. The top text frame on page 3 threads to the top text frame on page 4, which then threads to the top text frame on page 5. This text frame is threaded to the bottom text frame on page 5, which is then threaded to the bottom text frame on page 4, which is threaded to the bottom text frame on page 3. This sounds more confusing than it is-I have posted a picture here to illustrate what I mean: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sl8y8S8W4ZuhpQ4On5wAaq56CnLrplAr/view?usp=sharing.

    I have tried re-creating the master page and the document pages multiple times, and it continues to happen over and over again. I am not sure if it is something inherent to master pages and primary text boxes, if there is something I can do to fix this, or if it is a bug that I should be posting on Uservoice.

    Any advice/help is welcome.

  • November 6, 2019 at 6:42 am #14323801
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Wow, that is very strange. And it happens even if you delete all but one of your pages, and then start over?

  • November 7, 2019 at 1:26 pm #14323788
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    Hi David. I’m not sure how to start a new topic, so hopefully you can help me through this one. I have several text boxes in my master pages, built in a spread. I have successfully imported text and had it auto flow, building out several new pages as it imports, but when I click on box #2 and place my new batch of copy, the copy pastes into the first page fine, but stops on the second and won’t continue through the document. I have been looking for hours on how to make this work. I have 4 more text boxes I need to flow copy into thorough the document. Can you help me with this please? Thank you!

    Katherine

  • November 8, 2019 at 8:42 am #14323776
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Hm! Very odd. If you want to paste a link to a download here, I’ll take a look at it.

  • November 8, 2019 at 9:35 am #14323773
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    Hi David! Thanks so much for getting back to me. Here’s a link to the download. I appreciate your help!

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uoup38g70q6l7lq/AAAYbGFfMIp5u4Sv3C1kgR-Na?dl=0

    Katherine

  • November 8, 2019 at 9:35 am #14323775
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    Hi David! Thanks so much for getting back to me. Here’s a link to the download. I appreciate your help!

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uoup38g70q6l7lq/AAAYbGFfMIp5u4Sv3C1kgR-Na?dl=0

    Katherine

  • November 8, 2019 at 9:47 am #14323772
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    OK, I see that you turned on Smart Text Reflow. You do NOT need to do this, but it is okay if you do. The problem is that you have 3 pages in this document, so if you use smart text reflow, it will fill page 1 and then start adding pages at the end of the document (which is after page 2 and 3). So you could do that, and then delete pages 2 and 3. Or you could just delete pages 2 and 3 and then import the text.

    Or you could turn off smart text reflow, and then place the text and hold down option-shift (or alt-shift) when you click in the first frame. (That fills just the pages that are in the document.

    Or you could turn off smart text reflow, and also delete pages 2 and 3, and then place the text and hold down the Shift key when clicking the first frame on page 1. That will place the whole text thread, adding as many pages as you need.

    Does that help?

  • November 8, 2019 at 9:47 am #14323774
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    OK, I see that you turned on Smart Text Reflow. You do NOT need to do this, but it is okay if you do. The problem is that you have 3 pages in this document, so if you use smart text reflow, it will fill page 1 and then start adding pages at the end of the document (which is after page 2 and 3). So you could do that, and then delete pages 2 and 3. Or you could just delete pages 2 and 3 and then import the text.

    Or you could turn off smart text reflow, and then place the text and hold down option-shift (or alt-shift) when you click in the first frame. (That fills just the pages that are in the document.

    Or you could turn off smart text reflow, and also delete pages 2 and 3, and then place the text and hold down the Shift key when clicking the first frame on page 1. That will place the whole text thread, adding as many pages as you need.

    Does that help?

  • November 8, 2019 at 10:00 am #14323771
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    Hi David,

    I have turned smart text reflow off and tried to copy the new text into the second set of boxes, but it adds pages to the end of the doc anyway. This catalog will be 150+ pages and I really am trying to avoid having to manually link boxes throughout.

    I tried turning off smart text reflow and then back on again every time, but to no avail. Each of the set of text boxes will have a new set of copy flowed in each time. I want to flow the first set of copy into the first box, the second, into the second and so on. I have tried deleting the 2nd and 3rd pages, but after deleting, it re-adds the pages in again automatically.

    When you say hold dow the shift key when clicking the first frame, when I do that, nothing happens. the box is greyed out because it’s built from master pages. I have to command shift click then paste. In any event, the copy flows for the first box fine, but the subsequent boxes stop after the first page with overflow copy.

  • November 8, 2019 at 10:02 am #14323770
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    BYW, option shift click creates a note, not copies text.

  • November 8, 2019 at 1:05 pm #14323761
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    I meant shift-click on the frame with the loaded Place cursor. That will put the story into the frame.

    Here’s what it looks like when I do it… this is the place cursor (with a story) on top of the frame:
    

    and here it is after I shift-click:
    

    I have View > Extras > Show Text Threads on, so I can see where the frames connect.

  • November 8, 2019 at 1:21 pm #14323759
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    Right, that works fine when you paste the first time, but when you go to place new copy into the second set of boxes, it doesn’t flow correctly. It flows into page one, but then adds pages to the end of my doc. I need the copy from box 2 to flow to the second page. Box 3 to the 2nd page, etc. The first flow, blue copy, worked fine. The second flow, magenta copy added pages to the end of blue copy pages. The third flow, green, added to end of magenta and 4th, yellow added to end of green.
    I placed a screenshot here:
    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uoup38g70q6l7lq/AAAYbGFfMIp5u4Sv3C1kgR-Na?dl=0

    Thank you so much for helping me!

  • November 8, 2019 at 1:31 pm #14323758
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Ah! I see… I didn’t understand there was a second story in there. Sorry. But yes, when I go back to page 1 and then load the place cursor with another story, and then shift-click on the first frame, it fills in the second story perfectly well.

    See this article:
    https://indesignsecrets.com/creating-two-or-more-automatic-text-flows.php

    Here’s what it looks like after I shift-click:
    

  • November 8, 2019 at 1:52 pm #14323757
    Melise Gerber

    Member

    I have actually typed two replies to this topic now, and they haven’t been added to the thread. Just testing to see if this one reply will be added.

  • November 8, 2019 at 2:08 pm #14323755
    Katherine Strohlein

    Member

    O. M. G! I could kiss you!!!! The only thing that is odd… I’m importing (copying and pasting from a Google Sheet). If I copy and paste into my ID file, it doesn’t work. I had to create a temporary text box in InDesign, paste the copy in new box off to the side, then link the copy from there. If the temp text box was not closed up all the way, it stopped linking (leaving overflow text) at the “end” of the thread. If I closed up the box almost all the way, THEN linked, it worked! For some reason it will only flow the copy as far as the end of the story.

    This work around will be fine. Thank you SO much for you assistance with this!

    Katherine

  • November 8, 2019 at 2:08 pm #14323754
    Melise Gerber

    Member

    Whew…okay…so OP here. I actually received some help from someone on the Facebook page. I sent him a link to my file, and it caused the same trouble for him. He enabled “Smart Text Reflow” and recreated my file, which then worked correctly. I have Smart Text Reflow enabled in my Preferences, but I am going to try to follow the steps he took and see if I can make this work for me.

    However, I am beginning to think that this may actually be a bug, so if I continue to have difficulty, I will post to Uservoice.

    BTW…Kathleen, I don’t mind at all that you jumped in on this topic–the title of the post will work for anyone who is looking for information about text thread issues, so that is good. However, for future reference, you can start a new topic by scrolling all the way to the bottom of the main page. :-)

  • November 8, 2019 at 2:09 pm #14323753
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Sorry, our forum suddenly decided to start holding these for moderation… I cleared them.

  • November 8, 2019 at 2:12 pm #14323750
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Yeah, this does not work with copy and paste. When importing stories, I would strongly suggest using File > Place, not copy and paste!! From google docs, just Export the file as a .docx (word) document and then place that.

  • November 8, 2019 at 2:14 pm #14323749
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    @Melise: I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to the names, and I thought Katherine’s file was referring to your problem. If you want to post a link here, I’ll look at it.

  • November 9, 2019 at 8:33 am #14323744
    Melise Gerber

    Member

    Yes, it continues to happen. Someone on the Facebook page took a look at the document and it did the same thing to him, but he was able to get a working version by recreating my document after setting “Smart Text Reflow” in his preferences.

    I was actually surprised when InDesign automatically added the pages, as I thought I had toggled that particular setting to “off” in my preferences, but I forgot about that strangeness almost immediately, and got busy today and still haven’t checked.

    Assuming I don’t have smart text reflow enabled, I believe it must be a bug, and I will submit a report via Uservoice.

  • November 9, 2019 at 8:34 am #14323743
    Melise Gerber

    Member

    David: Yes, it continues to happen no matter how many times I delete the pages and start over.

    However, someone in the Facebook group took a look at my file and experienced the same strangeness. However, he was able to get it to work correctly enabling “Smart Text Reflow” in Preferences and then recreating the document. I haven’t checked today, but I am pretty sure I have that option toggled to “off,” which makes me think that this is really a bug. Once I confirm my preference settings, I plan on posting a report via Uservoice.

    Katherine: I think my response might actually lead to a solution to your problem.

    1. Make sure that you have designated a text box as a Primary Text Frame on your master page, and that all of the remaining text boxes on those pages are set up to thread the way you would like them to.

    2. Go into your Preferences settings and enable Smart Text Reflow (under the Type tab).

    3. Now click on the outflow icon in your last filled text box, and flow the text into your next text box. InDesign should now create as many pages as it needs to contain all of your text.

    BTW: If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the main forum page, there is a place to start a new topic.

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