bug - textframes shrink to nihil (on copying layer)

[OutlineG]

Indd 19.0.1 (2024)

MacBook Pro

Ventura 13.4.1

(Easy Catalog used in early stage only) 

file is 350 MB - 25 layers, 92 pages.

I have a VERY extensive file with multiple textlayers: I only now notice that some layers (on SOME pages only) no longer have the correct textframes. > The texframes are reduced to min size, all at the center / edge of the page. I can see they are still there (with content) in the layer panel, but their sizes are corrupted and I cannot enlarge them or fix this.

This is a disaster  😞

Is there a way to fix this?

Thanks for all help

Vanessa

[leo.r]

First, update to the latest version of Ventura (13.6.x). Users had all kind of problems with InDesign on pre-13.5 versions of macOS. Your issue may or may not be related to this. (Just don't upgrade to macOS 14 Sonoma as it's not fully supported yet).  

[OutlineG]

I'll give this a try - indeed still staying away from Sonoma as I've heard... 
For the record: making an idml also did the trick and fixed the problem. For now it seems... 

[OutlineG]

I kept having enourmous problems with this file, in 2024. I made another idml and went back to 2023, which is a LOT more stable IMO.

But even then, major problem remained:

- text elements from master pages are dissapearing on some pages

- text elements from master pages are moving on some pages

- crashes when making PDF

- images (all on 1 layer) dissapearing when creating a PDF (on some pages)

very dissapointed in Indesign lately... 😞

[Steve Werner · Accepted solution]

It sounds a old file in which there has been corruption in the file for some time. If the IDML method is not working even from a previous version it seems, you may need to consider re-building by copying elements into a new document.

[OutlineG]

Hi Steve,
this might indeed be what I need to do, since this file is used and worked on / elaborated year after year. 

If I do so: can I copy and paste text / picture frames into a new document, or do I need to draw new frames and fill with text / images all over again? The latter would be a lot more work ofcourse... 

[Steve Werner]

Take a part of the document (not the entire) and experiment with copying several pages of the frames into a new document and see if the problems have disappeared.