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A
Anonymous
September 25, 2012
Answered

Why does figure numbering re-start in each of my chapters?

  • September 25, 2012
  • 3 replies
  • 6441 views

For some reason, figure numbering just stopped spanning chapters in my book.

That is, the first figure in each chapter is labeled Figure 1. All chapters use same

paragraph definitions for "Figure Caption," and that paragraph definition includes

autonumbering. And when I generate an LOF file for the book, FM has no trouble

finding them.

This is a recent development because all the figures in the book used to be

numbered correctly. I just can't figure out what changed.

My figures are built this way: start with an anchored frame,  Import>File , then

below the imported graphic frane itself, I insert a text frame and put the figure

caption in it.

I have never fiddled with any text flows in the book -- I just use whatever

defaultes FM gave me

As I said, this scheme used to work. Is there any way to explicitly

tell FM to use continuous numbering?

Cheers,

JP

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bob_Niland

The other popular way to get numbering to break across component files is for the paragraph autonumber formats to not be using the same Series number, such as the "F:" in:

F:Figure\ <n+>

Or are you not using a Series number.

3 replies

Michael314
Michael314
Inspiring
August 14, 2014

I have a similar instance of figure numbering restarting at 1 with each fm file in a book. I started a new manual using a set of templates I created for front matter, TOC, chapter 1, 2, etc. The page numbering continues from one file to the next but not the figure numbers. For example, chapter 1 ends with figure 4 and chapter 3 starts with figure 1 instead of figure 5.

I tried Error's suggestion of changing numbering to components in the book file for the chapter tab to "read from file" but chapter 3 still starts with Figure 1 but it's correctly on page 24.

My figure format for autonumbering is F:Figure <n+>: which works fine for older manuals where all chapters are in one big file. I looked at all my paragraph formats and nothing else uses the "F" label. I use <$chapnum> in the chapter number format at the start of each chapter to get sequential chapter numbers.

If I can't get this working properly, I was thinking of adding <$chapnum> to the figure format and switching to the 3-1, 3-2, 3-3 figure numbering format.

Any ideas?

Yours,

Michael F

========

Bob_Niland
Community Expert
Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 14, 2014

> The page numbering continues from one file to the next but not the figure numbers.

The "F:Figure <n+>" is using Paragraph numbering. If Paragraph Numbering is set to Continue Numbering From Previous Paragraph in Book, it typically should not reset.

Things that could cause it to reset are:

  • Continue is set for component file, but Book is set to Restart
  • Book is set to Read From File, and file is set to Reset
  • First paragraph using F: counter is using an <n=1> expression and not <n+>.
  • Offending book file is not using F:. For example, "f:" is a different counter.
Michael314
Michael314
Inspiring
August 14, 2014

Error,

I still can't get figure numbers to continue but I did determine the following behavior.

If I set numbering of a chapter via the book file to this:

Chapter: Continue numbering

Page: Continue numbering

Paragraph:Continue numbering

and then update the book file with Edit -> Update References, then heading numbering continues from the previous chapter (for example, chapter 3 starts with heading 3.6) but figure numbering restarts at 1.

If I reset numbering of a chapter via the book file like this:

Chapter: Continue numbering

Page: Continue numbering

Paragraph:Restart numbering

the heading numbers immediately revert to 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and the figure numbers remain at 1, 2, 3.

This is too frustrating. I can't spend any more time trying to figure this out so I'm going to switch to a <$chapnum>-<n+> format for figure numbers (and probably for tables too). I used to use that format at another company. At least it gives the user a clue as to what chapter the figure is in.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Yours,

Michael F

========

Bob_Niland
Community Expert
Bob_NilandCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
September 25, 2012

The other popular way to get numbering to break across component files is for the paragraph autonumber formats to not be using the same Series number, such as the "F:" in:

F:Figure\ <n+>

Or are you not using a Series number.

A
Anonymous
September 25, 2012

Yipes. The forum wiped out my reply when I went to another page. Here goes again.

Mr. 7103, thanks a million!

That worked. I set every file to "read from file" where available and "continue from previous"

to the rest.

As for your kind caveat about an FM crash desynchronizing the .book file,

you don't get the numbering option anymore when you do Format>Document

-- "Numbering" is grayed out.

Again, many thanks. I'd have died of old age (or an exploding brain) long

before I'd figured that one out.

Best regards,

JP

Bob_Niland
Community Expert
Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2012

> ... you don't get the numbering option anymore when you do

> Format>Document

> -- "Numbering" is grayed out.

Even when you have one or more book component files selected?

In both FM7,1 and FM9 here, Numbering is grayed out when no component files are selected in the Book menu. Tbe Book file itself has no numbering properties.

Once you select one or more component files, Numbering activates.

I wouldn't recommend setting anything other than Read_from_File with multiple or all components selected.

Bob_Niland
Community Expert
Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2012

Format > Document > Numbering

[Paragraph]

<*> Continue Numbering from Previous Paragraph in Book

That said, this setting exists in two places, the component.fm files and the .book file (for each book component). They need to match.

We set everything in the .book to:
<*> Read from File

I might add that we used to just set the book and component files to match, but they would get desynchronized after FM crashes (or at least marked as not matching). Setting the book to Read_from_File seems to be much more robust, crashwise. If you are on FM11 crashware, this might be a consideration.

This is on FM7.1/Unix, which also crashes, but differently, and we know how to minimize it.

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