Add asterisk before certain paragraph styles. GREP solution?

[The Patina]

Hi all

I have the reverse (sort of) for a query I raised a few months ago.

I'm starting to do more and more book interiors and have a requirement to add a scene break (asterisk symbol) before all untabbed paragraphs.

To explain: basically the author had been using untabbed paragraph styles to 'suggest' in-chapter scene breaks, but that 'scene break' now needs to be more obvious. Hence the need to insert a centred asterisk, with its own paragraph style, before all paragraphs that carry an untabbed paragraph style.

To illustrate...

This:

Needs to become this:

I'm embarrassed to say I'm still grappling with GREP for certain things, so any suggestions appreciated.

BTW, if it helps, the paragraph style I have available for targeting are:

Normal-untabbed (for the untabbed paragraph)

Scene Break (for the asterisk paragraph)

There may be an easy answer to this but, today, it's escaping my brain.

Thanks in advance

M

[winterm · Accepted solution]

Maybe this:

You would need another F/C to apply proper parastyle to the asterisk.

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

* and Grep are the Past!

Play Smiley and Para style is the Future!! 

(^/)

[The Patina]

Hi Winterm

Yep: that works!

Agreed: will have to do another find / change to apply the asterisk / scene break paragraph style.

Will also have to do a manual sift to remove those breaks that are inserted where they don't need to be (e.g.: after chapter headings / before first chapter paragraph).

But that's a great help.

Many thanks!

VBW

M

[winterm]

You mean 'double' breaks? Oh, don't do it manually.

You can start trying in F/C Text tab: ^p^p change to ^p

If I got you right and this is that simple.

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

If you don't like smileys and really want to play it with Grep, just copy an "asterisk para" and play this simple regex: it will insert the "*" para before each "Blue" para! 

(^/)

[The Patina]

Hi Obi

I'll try that option out a little later today, too.

Thanks for the suggestions!

VBW

M

PS: Loved your work during the Clone Wars