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biozaichenko
Inspiring
August 2, 2021
Answered

Autonumbering turns off when hiding a layer

  • August 2, 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 630 views

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Create 2 threaded text frames on a page.
  2. Fill them with text (Lorem ipsum)
  3. Autonumber the paragraphs with Autonumbering feature in InDesign - regular 1, 2, 3-list will do.
  4. Create a new layer
  5. Move the first frame in the text flow to that layer
  6. Turn off visibility of that layer.... The autonumbering is gone from any autonumbered list!!!

Did anyone else see this behaviour?

Michael

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Laubender

Hi Michael,

tested a bit. It seems it depends on the visibility of the layer of the first frame of the story:

 

Two stories with threaded text frames below.

One where the first text frame is on a layer I want to make invisible.

One where the second text frame is on a layer I want to make invisible.

 

Layer "Ebene 2" is still visible, all's normal, auto numbering is working:

 

Now watch the thread at the top where the first frame is on the layer I make invisible.

Auto numbering is not rendered! Not so in the story below where the first frame is on a layer that's visible:

 

 

So it is the first frame's layer visibility that dictates this issue!

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

5 replies

L
Community Expert
LaubenderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 2, 2021

Hi Michael,

tested a bit. It seems it depends on the visibility of the layer of the first frame of the story:

 

Two stories with threaded text frames below.

One where the first text frame is on a layer I want to make invisible.

One where the second text frame is on a layer I want to make invisible.

 

Layer "Ebene 2" is still visible, all's normal, auto numbering is working:

 

Now watch the thread at the top where the first frame is on the layer I make invisible.

Auto numbering is not rendered! Not so in the story below where the first frame is on a layer that's visible:

 

 

So it is the first frame's layer visibility that dictates this issue!

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

B
biozaichenkoAuthor
Inspiring
August 2, 2021

Thank you Uwe and Eugene,

I came to the same conclusions - the autonumbering is only affected only when the first text frame in text flow gets hidden (invisible). The solution I used was to make the layer non-printing, instead of invisible. The solution to add an empty frame before the first one, while workable, is not easy to maintain in a team environment. I filed a bug report with Adobe. The issue seems to exist since at least 2014 and I don't recall seeing it in CS5.5 but can't test it in this version currently.

Michael

B
biozaichenkoAuthor
Inspiring
August 2, 2021

To add, I just tested in CS5.5 - same issue. Another solution would be to disconnect the frames from the text flow... but again, this is a hack.

Michael

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 2, 2021

    Found this old thread from 2019 about the issue:

     

    Multi-layered/language InDesign to Multi-layered/language PDF
    timl99453563 Jan 22, 2019

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/multi-layered-language-indesign-to-multi-layered-language-pdf/td-p/10347981#10885379

     

    See my reply in the same thread where I tested the issue with a script:

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/multi-layered-language-indesign-to-multi-layered-language-pdf/m-p/10347999#M133410

    This bug is an old one that I can trace back to even InDesign CS4.

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 2, 2021

    To add to Eugene's reply:

    There are no real "sub layers" in InDesign like in Illustrator. You simply turn off the visibility of objects like text frames or graphic frames instead of the layer itself.

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

     

     

    E
    Community Expert
    Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 2, 2021

    Indeed - apologies for the incorrect terminology.

     

    The Layers are whole layers and not sublayers, and the dig down into the layer shows the objects within that layer that you can indeeed turn on and off their visibility.

     

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 2, 2021

    Hi Michael,

    yes. It's a known none-feature or bug. I reported that some years ago.

    Especially ugly if you need to export PDFs with some layers turned off where a possible user should turn on layers in Acrobat or Adobe Reader to reveal additional contents like other languages. The auto numbers are missing.

     

    Workaround?  None. The only option for the language case I mentioned above: Convert to plain text.

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

    E
    Community Expert
    Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 2, 2021

    If you turn off just the sub layer it works fine

     

     

    I see the same behaviour though. 

    Not sure if it's a bug or a expected behaviour. 

    The fact it works with the sub-layer makes me think it is a bug.

    You can submit the bug report here

    https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs

     

     

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