Can we brainstorm about why Adjust Layout won't work?

[Barb Binder]

Hi InDesign Friends:

I have a set of client files that each need the paper size adjusted. Frames are properly snapped to the margin, column ruler guides. There are four unlinked parent pages without primary frames enabled. The pages (parent and body) refuse to adjust their width and height, but if I add a new parent page, it comes in at the adjusted size.

Corruption? Misunderstanding of the feature (which I've used since my PageMaker days)? Some limitation I am unaware of? The file has been around a while, moving through various versions of InDesign, so corruption is on the table but I'd rather rule out user-error before settling on that. (Yes, I tried .idml.)

To state the obvious, I can design a new template from scratch and port the content over, but am trying to salvage the existing documents. (And while the Page tool works to change the paper size, the frames aren't moving correctly.)

Help!

~Barb

[Mike Witherell]

Can I try the file?

Same problem on a different machine?

[Barb Binder]

Hi Mike:

Thanks! Give me a minute to remove all of the content and I'll send it over.

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

FWIW, even with some ID skilz and following instructions and feedback, I've never been able to get acceptable, let alone consistent results from Adjust Layout. I've classed it in that list of features that "work when they work" or follow the old shareware rule of working perfectly on the developer's system.

[Barb Binder]

I've not had an issue with it before, James. It's always worked as expected for me. From my research, evidently something changed at 2019 but I can't figure out what.

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I'm surprised you ever have (more than passing) trouble with it, but that sort of bolsters my position. It's another feature that works widely and well enough for most users on most projects, but works poorly for others (even experienced users who have applied some time to understanding it), and can fault for no explicable reason. I'd bet that from some vast meta-view, it has some faulty logic that is tripped up by certain document aspects being outside the developer's consideration. Those of us who use design elements outside the model have trouble; those who use methods that are more conforming don't... until they (literally) cross a line somewhere.

Worth kicking around to see if we can find common areas of fault.

[Mike Witherell · Accepted solution]

From which dialog box are you triggering Adjust Layout?

Are you on a Parent page when you do this? Or on a physical page?

Update: 

I changed the Page Size in Document Setup to agree with all the Parent Pages. Then, after an export to IDML and back to a newly-saved INDD document, the Adjust Layout worked like a champ.

My rough guess was some degree of document corruption.

[Barb Binder]

Mike!

You are the best! I knew once you volunteered to review the the file, you would figure it out. 😊

Thank you!!

~Barb

[Mike Witherell]

My pleasure, Barb!