Leader dots in ToC not working

[Marcy McGuire]

I am a fairly advanced ID user, but maybe I've worked at this so long that I can't see the forest for the trees!

I cannot get the leader dots to show up on the chapter number - titles, the leader dots are larger with tracking and 75% black. I don't want them on the subs, there's no room.

ID crashed on me several times on this file so I thought it might be corrupt, saved as an idml -- no luck.

Screen shot settings attached @Barb Binder  @nigelfrench, you two have saved me many times!

[Barb Binder]

Hi @Marcy McGuire:

In the first image, you have the right indent triangle selected and not a tab.

1. Click the right align tab icon in the Tab Well (arrow #3).
2. Click to add the tab above the ruler at around 3.75".
3. Add the leader dot to the selected tab.
4. Carefully drag the tab arrow over the right indent triangle (or just type in 4 for the x value.) Try not to slide the mouse up or down.

~Barb 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Never mind--I realized what you were doing for your styles. 

Your settings worked for me, although I normally use a tab [^t] and a right-align tab settings.

Are you sure you don't have a tab off screen to the far-right of your margin?

>>Right indent tabs use the tab leader of the first tab stop past the right margin, or, if there isn't one, the last tab stop before the right margin

[Marcy McGuire]

with the way the chapter starts are stylized I had to do two styles. I'm getting closer, but I don't know why my tab character style isn't present. I've d

[Marcy McGuire]

I've done lots of ToC, with stylized tabs and this is the first time I can't get to work.

[Marcy McGuire]

Wanted to use my section heads as the chapters, as they are styled the way I want them, but the ToC won't take them.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Sorry--I edited my post as soon as I hit the Post button. (Unfortunately, you can't delete a post.) 

See my question above.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Be aware that in your first screenshot you have both and a right align tab and a normal tab (^y^t), your second screenshot shows only the right align tab (^y).

[Marcy McGuire]

I kept deleting the first tab selection, but somehow it kept coming back. I think my file is corrupt.

[Marcy McGuire]

Do you mean in the para style?

[LulaRocha]

Had the same issue and you helped me solve it. Thanks for this Creamer !

[Barb Binder]

Good catch, Frans.

I don't use right indent tabs (^y) in a TOC—I just use a regular right tab (^t)—so was giving that advice, earlier.

When I use a right indent tab, I seem to still need to set a right-align tab with a leader, but InDesign doesn't seem to care where I put it. Maybe one of you who regularly use right-indent tabs can shed some light on that for me?

In any case, you don't need both.

~Barb

[Marcy McGuire]

When I tried to open the file again I got a message that the file is damaged. 

Days of work down the drain? 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Barb: 

Right indent tabs use the tab leader of the first tab stop past the right margin, or, if there isn't one, the last tab stop before the right margin

[Barb Binder]

So, Dave, to add a leader to a right-indent tab, you still have to add a tab stop somewhere along the ruler? In that case, why not just add the right-align tab?

I see the value in a running head where you want text on the left and the right sides (no leader), but I don't see a good reason to use a right-indent tab when you need leaders. Am I still missing something?

~Barb 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I agree. I always use a right-align tab. However, I could see the benefit of resizing the text frame width and the tabs self-adjusting. (But I'll stick with what I know works...😁)

[Barb Binder]

Hi Marcy:

When I tried to open the file again I got a message that the file is damaged. 

Days of work down the drain?

Step 1: Save as .idml

Step 2: Work through this list: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/troubleshoot-file-issues.html

Step 3: Send the file to idfile@adobe.comadobe.com

Step 4: Try https://markzware.com/products/file-recovery-service/

~Barb 

[Marcy McGuire]

I finally just wallked away from the computer and did something else. Maybe it needed a break from me, everything was working this morning.

Are deleting prefs still a thing? I thought with 2020 version it wasn't needed.

Thanks everyone!

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Sometimes software gets stressed out and needs some time off too. 😁

(Unfortunately, deleting prefs is still a first-step trouble-shooting technique.)