Cannot edit tab stops in Paragraph Designer in custom templates

[LinSims]

I need to add some bulleted lists in my templates, but I cannot edit the tab stops using the paragraph designer. Every time I try, the changes I make reset to whatever was there before. This is happening in every file that uses custom tags, not just one, and it affects all the custom tags (and they are all custom tags).

Editing tab stops in the default templates provided by Adobe is working, which I find supremely weird.

I have MIF-washed the files.

I have restarted FrameMaker.

I have restarted the computer.

I can make these changes by editing the MIF files, but that gets tedious and, seriously, why should I have to? All I can think is that, somewhere, a setting got changed but I can't imagine what it might be.

All template files are stored locally.

FrameMaker is up to date (15.0.4.751)

Windows build is: 10.0.17763.0

The only system changes were updates made to 4 CC applications yesterday (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, CameraRaw).

ETA: I have a workaround. I open a new document based on the Adobe Portrait template and delete all its paragraph tags, then import the paragraph tags from my template file and create the new/changed formats I want, save the file, and import the updated tags back into my template file.

This is really, really weird.

[frameexpert]

Hi Lin,

Is it just when you add new tab stops or when you edit existing tab stops or both? Thanks.

Rick

[Be.eM]

I've had similar problems once, and in my case I've identified imported PNG graphics as the culprit. Weird, and in no way logical, but that's how it could be solved for me. I've discribed the problem and the solution here, but in short words:

Temporarily disable graphics display in your document, and check if you can successfully edit your tab stops now.

Bernd

[LinSims]

Rick: Both. I can't add a new tab stop, and if I try to edit one, it reverts to what was there before.

Bernd: It happens in blank documents, too! The template files have only the layouts and tags, and the only graphic is a watermark and logo that has been there for about two years.

[LinSims]

Bernd, OK, I unchecked having the graphics be displayed and, just as you predicted, editing the tab stops worked. I did this in two different documents, and the only graphic in common was the watermark which is a PNG file imported by Copy.

I don't understand why, after 2 years, this is suddenly an issue. I'm going to check my graphics drivers, but this is just plain weird.

I have to say, WTH? 

[Be.eM]

As I said, I also don't understand the logic behind this bug, but as long as the workaround (disabling graphics display) works, it's a start… 😉

Bernd

[LinSims]

So what we know is that this is an issue with PNG graphics, and it doesn't seem to matter how the graphic is included in the file (I think: did you import yours by reference or by copying? Mine is by copying). I wonder if it might be useful to log a bug with Adobe.

Adobe/FrameMaker seems to have some odd issues with graphics anymore. For example, importing SVGs created by Visio and imported into FM2017 files on Windows 10 resulted in lines and objects in the graphic getting moved around when printing to PDFs. (Oddly, the exact same files printed to PDF just fine when on Windows 7.) I've since figured out that if the objects within the original Visio diagram aren't grouped before exporting to SVG, then the SVG prints out to PDF correctly, which is (again) just plain weird.

And now this, which is brand new to me and I've been using this particular PNG graphic for 2 years now without issue. Guess I'd better convert it to PDF also.

[Be.eM]

Yes, I've imported my graphics by reference. I didn't report it as a bug, because the same file worked without this problem in FM2019 (see linked thread above), and I'm pretty sure Adobe wouldn't fix anything in FM2015 or FM2017 now.  Not even sure they would fix it in FM2019, some fixes are already postponed for the next version.

But yes, it's surely a bug, and to some degree also reproducible.