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FieryPantone
Legend
March 20, 2019
Answered

too many components for book panel!

  • March 20, 2019
  • 7 replies
  • 879 views

Setting up a certification document, where we want to manage the response to each question as a separate .fm file. 69 questions so far, 40 or so to go … and I can no longer access the bottom of the book panel: scrolling down gets me as far as item 68 and that's it.

Given the content (I sha'n't say "structure", because I'm not using structured FM), would it be any help to use folders? I have no idea what these are for :-}

I'll mention we're still on FM12, in case that's significant. Thanks in advance for hints and tips.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer LinSims

    I've posted this question to the Frameusers email list. The general response is that Frame can handle and display hundreds of items in a single book panel, and has been capable of doing so since long before FM12.

    Scott Prentice (owner of Leximation, maker of some damn fine plugins) says that to him it sounds like a "memory corruption issue".

    Have you tried creating an entirely new book file and adding your document files to it to see if the issue persists?

    7 replies

    F
    FieryPantoneAuthor
    Legend
    March 22, 2019

    Just to close … every time I regenerate the ToC, I get the message about inconsistent numbering – but never from the same file twice running! is this indicative of a particular problem?

    LinSims
    Community Expert
    LinSimsCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 22, 2019

    <wry look> Tedium, mostly. </wl>

    I've noticed this happening with some of my documents when I have either chapter or page numbering restarting multiple times (usually because the TOC or other generated files require restarts). Usual fix is to go reset the chapter and page numbering (and in your case possibly section/volume? Not sure you you are set up) for every single file on both the file and book level. Luckily both of these can be done from the book file, so you don't actually have to open every file and set the document-level numbering individually.

    To set document-level numbering for multiple files, select them in the book file and then click Format > Document > Numbering.

      F
      FieryPantoneAuthor
      Legend
      March 25, 2019

      Thanks for responding … if the message flashed up consistently for the same file every time I regenerated, I would indeed use the book panel and check/set numbering properties: but it's sporadic and unpredictable, so (since I know the settings are consistent) I dismiss the message and wonder about network overload / network storage. Some questions are better left unasked ;-}

      F
      FieryPantoneAuthor
      Legend
      March 21, 2019

      Thanks for the various ideas! I started by creating a new book, then added the chapters and generated a new ToC. When I switched to "Display heading text", I noticed that [drum-roll …] the file where the problems started kept on showing its filename. A 'trout in the milk' moment.

      So I duplicated a level one file that was behaving properly, added that to the book instead: success. Duplicated a level two file that was behaving properly higher up the book, referenced it below the new level one file: success. Conclusion? there was something anomalous in the latest level one file. In an ideal world, I'd understand what the anomaly was, but in the real world I'm just pleased to have got rid of the problem. Thanks again!

        LinSims
        Community Expert
        LinSimsCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 20, 2019

        Other thoughts:

        Perform a MIF wash of the entire book and its files. Adobe provides a nifty plugin for that, although for some reason it's not installed by default.

        1. Close FrameMaker

        2. Copy the BookComponentMIFWash.dll file from <FrameMaker Installation Directory>\Samples\ScriptsAndUtilities\BookMIFWash to <FrameMaker Installation Directory>\fminit

        3. Open the maker.ini file in the <FrameMaker Installation Directory>.

        4. Find the section labeled [APIClients]

        5. Paste the following at the bottom of the API Clients section:

                  MIFwash=Standard, MIF Wash, fminit\BookComponentMIFWash.dll, all

        6. Save and close the maker.ini file

        7. Restart FrameMaker

        8. Open the book file. A new menu item called Book Utilities is in the menu bar.

        9. Select Book MIF Wash from the Book Utilities menu.

        If the issue is with a single file in the book, this will usually fix it.

        Barb Binder
        Community Expert
        Barb BinderCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 20, 2019

        At some point—I'm not sure which version—Esc zi and Esc zo started working in the book window. I discovered it when I was trying to zoom out but was inadvertently in the book window and not in the document window. Maybe this could be a work-around until you get it figured out.

        ~Barb

        Edit: But that wouldn't help with the numbering issue that is occurring at the same place.

        ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
        LinSims
        Community Expert
        LinSimsCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 20, 2019

        The number issue didn't occur until after the MIF file for the book was hand-edited. I suspect that threw things off, and that if FieryPantone​ starts from a clean book, the numbering will work properly.

        Barb Binder
        Community Expert
        Barb BinderCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 20, 2019

        I haven’t encountered this issue before, but that certainly sounds like the logical conclusion, Lin.

        ~Barb

        ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
        LinSims
        Community Expert
        LinSimsCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 20, 2019

        I asked what Scott meant by "memory corruption". He says:

        "I'm guess it's just the state of the memory (not the RAM specifically),

        which can go "wonky" from time to time. If it persists after a FM

        restart (and possibly a system reboot), then it could be tied to the

        book specifically, or maybe just one of the files in the book if it's

        been opened. I'd check other long lists, like paragraph or character

        styles, to see if it's just a "thing" with lists in general and not

        really the book.

        Hard to know."

        I hope this helps.

        LinSims
        Community Expert
        LinSimsCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
        Community Expert
        March 20, 2019

        I've posted this question to the Frameusers email list. The general response is that Frame can handle and display hundreds of items in a single book panel, and has been capable of doing so since long before FM12.

        Scott Prentice (owner of Leximation, maker of some damn fine plugins) says that to him it sounds like a "memory corruption issue".

        Have you tried creating an entirely new book file and adding your document files to it to see if the issue persists?

        F
        FieryPantoneAuthor
        Legend
        March 20, 2019

        update – I've managed to add a handful more .fm files by rolling up my sleeves and editing the .mif of the book file, but now my beautifully-constructed autonumbering has given up on me: just where, as far as I remember, the original book file got stuck :-{

        D
        davidlstevens
        Participating Frequently
        March 20, 2019

        Have you tried using folders/groups to add some hierachial structure?

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