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Team33627636uchc
Participant
July 4, 2025
Answered

Master pages overwritten during book update

  • July 4, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 326 views

I have a structured FM book. The master pages (should) have a text box in the margin. Some chapters of the book for whatever reason have master pages without this text box. The names of the master pages are the same in each chapter, just that the text box is missing in some.

 


I can open the incorrect chapters and use File -> Import -> Formats .... > Import, from a chapter with the correct master page.

FM imports the corrrect master pages. The text box is displayed in the master page and on the body pages.

I can save, close, reopen the corrected chapter files, I can run Apply Master Pages on them, and the correct master page remains unchanged in that corrected file.

 

However, if I run Update book, the master page reverts to the old, incorrect master page. This only happens in the files that originally had the incorrect master page. The files that started with the correct master page are still using the correct master page. 

 

I have tried all four possible combinations of the settings for :

Import -> Formats > Apply Master Page:  Yes / No 

Update book -> Remove other format overrides: Yes / No

 

Note:

In Import -> Formats > Apply Master Page, I have all other options selected, including Reference pages.

The reference pages' MasterPagesMaps settings are identical in the correct and incorrect files.

 

Question:

How do I stop FM from resurrecting the incorrect master pages during a book update?

 

Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

 

    Correct answer Team33627636uchc

    Hi,

    With "assigned master pages" I meant the master page which is assigned to a certain body page. Manually assigned or with Apply Master Pages.

    Do these change? Or only the text frames on specific master pages?

    Could it be that the reason is in your structured application? Do you use DITA? Or another structure?

    Do you have your issue in the output files/PDF? Or on the files you are working on? (As far as I know, DITA uses different template files for the output. I do not use structure yet. Therefore this could be completely different.)

    Best regards, Winfried


    Thanks Winfried and Bob for the help, very much appreciated.

     

    I think I have resolved it now, but to answer your questions:

     

    If I correct the master pages of a problematic file, and run the Apply Master Pages command on that specific file individually, it applies the corrected master page. It is only if I run Update Book (with or without the checkbox Apply Master Pages selected), that it overwrites the master pages of the problematic files and applies them to the Body pages. 

     

    Yes, it is DITA, and yes, it is the FM files that change, and yes, the PDF follows what I see on the screen in FM.

     

    What I did in the end, since it was only certain files, was to recreate those files from scratch. I manually typed in all the top level element attributes, and pasted in all the child attributes. So long as I had made the file perfectly, without any errors, and then updated the book, it kept the Master Pages, and didn't overwrite them when doing Update Book (at least not so far - again whatever the setting of the checkbox of Apply Master Pages in the update book dialog)

     

    So I presume it was some very strange corrupted files. If I have any more problems with it that I can't resolve, I will post again, but so far it looks good, thank you very much for taking the time to help. I appreciate it.

    2 replies

    W
    Community Expert
    Winfried RengCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 4, 2025

    Hi,

    Are the master pages which change the default Left/Right master pages?

    Or are these other master pages?

    Do the master pages change or the assigned paster page?

    Is it always the last master page of a file which changes? Or random?

    Best regards, Winfried

    T
    Team33627636uchcAuthor
    Participant
    July 4, 2025

    Thanks Winfried, for coming back with help. 

     

    The chapters use the Left/Right master pages, and a custom Chapter_Intro master page.

     

    In fact though, viewing all the master pages, (View-> Master Pages), in the problematic files, it is *all* the master pages that lack the margin text box. It is like some of my chapter files are configured to access some kind of default set of master-master-pages somewhere that the "Update Book" command uses to overwrite the master pages that I define, or that I import from the non-problematic files.

     

    What is the "assigned paster page", if I can ask?

     

    Thanks.

    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 4, 2025

    Team…uchc: What is the "assigned paster page", if I can ask?

    Perhaps what was meant is Apply Master Pages (AMP), an operation that you can run separately:
    Format🞃 Page Layout › Apply Master Pages…
    or as an option in the
    Edit🞃 Update Book › ☑Apply Master Pages
    I never do it from Update Book.

     

    Performing an AMP might generate some informative complaints.

    T
    Team33627636uchcAuthor
    Participant
    July 4, 2025

    I should also add that I have tried:

    - editing the errant master pages by hand

    - exporting the whole book as XML and reimporting it again

     

    In the prolematic chapters, the master pages are still overwrittten when updating the book.

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