1 page of pasteboard suddenly extending far out

[Typothalamus]

It's been a while since this happened – a month – but now having the pasteboard on 1 page of ~400 suddenly extend out one side. I immediately stopped work and IDML'd it. It did not change. Now will delete this one page and replace/reconstruct the page, and perhaps avoid using the pasteboard for idea collection going forward. But this is bizarre and problematic.

And @Robert at ID-Tasker, could your tool help identify the potential source of this issue?

normal ID file aboveExported to IDML and resaved as ID

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

Thanks for mentioning - but you don't need IDT for that. 

Just go to this spread, hit Ctrl+A - Select All - your selection will extend to the far right - where there will be a single point selected - press Shift and do area selection of everything else on the spread - only this one point on the right should be left selected - press Delete key. 

[Typothalamus]

Very interesting - this never came up before, long ago, when this issue was identified as corruption-related. That then lead to me IDMLing and disassembling all 47 chapters into separates, working a long time without that totality of context, and then finally returning to a completely assembled book. Perhaps there was never corruption, and I was routed onto one of the longest detours imaganibale

. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

In Preferences, you can set your own extra space around the Pages on the Spread.

But if there are objects outside this space - InDesign automatically extends it. 

Can you share this one Spread with this bug? You can remove everything else on the spread - just so this one object remains. 

[Typothalamus]

I did share it above - and, in the meantime, IDLM'd, resaved, and cleaned off the entirety of the pasteboards, under the impression that it's best if seeking to avoid issues, and then found your correct answer was waiting. 

Perhaps it was no bug at all, but an inadvertently extended board. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

There is no file attached? I meant can you send me INDD file - like you've done earlier with this B/W photo. 

You can't extend pasteboard by accident - InDesign won't let you move objects past the edge. 

This can only happen when file get corrupted. 

[Typothalamus]

Thank you, but I've already redressed the pasteboard and extra objects, and deleted and dumped that old file, alas. 

I'm trying to work out what is meant by the last post if the prior post is also the case:

"But if there are objects outside this space - InDesign automatically extends it."  (Assuming this could refer to objects that inadvertantly crept/ were placed - outside of this space.)
Vs.:
"You can't extend pasteboard by accident - InDesign won't let you move objects past the edge."

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I meant, that if file got corrupted - InDesign will extend the pasteboard - as objects can't exist outside the pasteboard - but you can't extend pasteboard on purpose, like this - only through preferences - but then it will be the same amount on both sides of the spread - on all spreads. 

[Peter Spier]

You can't extend pasteboard by accident - InDesign won't let you move objects past the edge. 

By @Robert at ID-Tasker

That's not strictly true. You can move objexts off the pasteboard as long as one point remains at the edge (or at least you can in CS6 -- just checked). That said, I don't think the pastebaord would automatically expand to accomodate that unless you shuffle pages, perhaps.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

You can't extend pasteboard by accident - InDesign won't let you move objects past the edge. 

By @Robert at ID-Tasker

That's not strictly true. You can move objexts off the pasteboard as long as one point remains at the edge (or at least you can in CS6 -- just checked). That said, I don't think the pastebaord would automatically expand to accomodate that unless you shuffle pages, perhaps.

By @Peter Spier

But if object "touches" pasteboard - it's not OUTSIDE of the pasteboard 😉 

The same is when item touches the page - it's "visually" of the page - but "technically", for InDesign - it's still part of the page. 

Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to paste objects bigger than pasteboard. 

And that's what is used as a workaround for TOC. 

[Peter Spier]

I think we're getting into semantics here. And what I'm wondering is that if an object is at the fringe of of the pastboard on a spread, and the pages are shuffled such that the associated page swaps sides, would the pastboard expand to keep that object? I'm not being terribly clear about this, I know.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Peter Spier

I know what you mean.

That's why it would be great to have some corrupted file for testing. 

[Typothalamus]

Thanks Peter and Robert. I cannot send the entire book - it's not possible due to copyright issues. And I don't have a file showing aberrations now, after taking steps. Not sure what to do. I stripped a version of it (IDML and all extraneous pasteboard material), but beyond that, don't what to do.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Typothalamus

IIf you don't have a file with this corruption - then a "good" file won't tell us anything. 

[Peter Spier]

For the moment it will have to remain a mystery.

If it happens again perhpas you can save the "bad" file as a copy and delete all but the affected spread plus a couple either side and remove the contents of the frames on the pages, but leave the frames in place, and share that.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

That said, I don't think the pastebaord would automatically expand to accomodate that unless you shuffle pages, perhaps.

By @Peter Spier

Looks like only corrupted files get wider pasteboard when shuffling pages:

And after turning OFF Facing Pages:

And when we have super wide object:

Object is moved to the FOURTH page/spread - instead of THIRD - changes its original position significantly AND - becomes unselected:

Tested in CS6.

[Typothalamus]

This is how that same file looks on my end – quite different. Are you not getting these postively giant, abberant pasteboards? Or is what you're showing after addressing them? Best to clarify.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

This is how that same file looks on my end – quite different. Are you not getting these postively giant, abberant pasteboards? Or is what you're showing after addressing them? Best to clarify.

By @Typothalamus

Yes, your file looks exactly the same at my end 😉 but my screenshots above - are from a blank, test file.

Yours - is a different can of worms 😉

Can I post some screenshots?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

And your file - is even worse than I've before - some objects are WAAAAAAAAAAY outside pasteboard - it's like InDesign can't even handle such big pasteboards...

(There are no texts so I think this screenshot is OK)

I won't even waste time counting zeros 😄

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

And here are POS Y values:

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I've narrowed column CONTENTS - so nothing sensitive is visible:

But you might be able to "decipher" some texts?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

And the "text" structure:

In yellow are - TEXT_VARIABLES.

And a snapshot of ALL Stories - check column LENGTH:

It looks like there is A LOT in those corrupted text elements...

Maybe, based on this information - you can remember if/what happened and when?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Of course, with one click, everything can be "fixed" - all objects moved on pages and made accessible. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Of course, with one click, everything can be "fixed" - all objects moved on pages and made accessible. 

"one click" in the paid version - but even in the free version - double click on any Cell with "Story" in the column TYPE will select whole text of this Story - even if it's not visible, then quick switch to InDesign, Ctrl+C, switch to a new document, Ctrl+V - and whole text is recovered.

[Typothalamus]

Please go ahead and post screenshots. No idea what sparks this or what precipitates it - long attempting to find out. Not sure what to make of this in terms of further diagnosing the problem and how to address it.