"Deaden" page numbers or "Unlink" layouts from parents page before merging.

[Ryan2268295397a4]

Hi all, 

Big question: I've made a series of documents using the standard page numbering method. I used a parent-page to create a text frame with an insert page number variable. Now I want those unlink the text frames from their variable nature before I merge several documents into a larger document, which needs its own

page numbers.

Some context:

Now I want to somehow "deactivate" or "deaden" those live variables on the document so that they will no longer change if I insert new pages or merge with another document. Alternatively, if I could somehow unlink all the pages/spreads from their parents that would also work. Of course, it would have to be some method that preserves everything as it is currently. 

I want these individually created documents (and their individual page numbers) to remain unchanged when I compile them into a master book, which needs to have its own volume page numbers, volume header, and volume footers.

Of course, finding a way to be able to use parents to create the documents and then "freeze" those variable elements is much preferable to having to generate them manually on each page during the smaller document preparation.

Let me know if you have any leads or tips.

[Willi Adelberger · Accepted solution]

Create a new document where you place this INDD and add new pages. You can always click twice and edit the original document.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Do placed documents retain their own numbering? I didn't know that. (Of course, I rarely use the technique, so there may be much about it I don't know... 🙂 )

My impression is ID tends to be quite insistent about auto-numbering pages.

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[Willi Adelberger]

Yes, they retain their number of their document. The host document, where you place them, does not change them.

[Ryan2268295397a4]

This would be a great solution for this particular case. (It was actually my first idea, but I couldn't execute it properly.)

Is it possible to place a multipage .indd? 

Othweise, I suppose I could use the Place MultipagePDF script, but I'd prefer to place an editable INDD as you've suggested.

I've used the place multipage PDF before (which is my fallback plan), but your method would be better in that it still allows me to edit the original.

[Willi Adelberger]

You can place INDD files as you can place PDF files as internal INDD are treated as PDF/X-4.

[Ryan2268295397a4]

Thank you very much!

I was having trouble getting this to work with the JavaScript, but the AppleScript worked perfectly.

Your suggestion is better than I had hoped by linking the document in the master to the original, so I only have to update the link from the original if I make chantes. I really appreciate it.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

This would seem to be a job for a document variable other than the defined page number (e.g. "Ryan's Page Number") that is not automatically handled by document defaults, so you could number pages in a document and have those numbers remain even with inclusion in a Book, etc.

I'm not the best text-variables guy here, but I don't see any easy way to use defined variables to achieve this.

The only solution may be to number your pages with a text flow, one number per line, and assign that flow to your document pages. It would be halfway between soft auto-numbering and hard page text, and not easily accessible for things like TOCs, indexes, etc.

I know cross-references are often used in complex ways to substitute for TOCs etc., and it's possible there's a use for them that would emulate document-only page numbering, but I think the feature, like all default organizational features, is dependent on the base auto-numbering of pages.

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[Ryan2268295397a4]

Thank you for this. I think this could definitely be a viable solution, and one I wouldn't have thought of. (Even if it's not the one I hope for! But I can easily recognise how unusual it is to want to have two page numbers simultaneously!)

[Laubender]

Ryan said: "I was having trouble getting this to work with the JavaScript, but the AppleScript worked perfectly."

Hi Ryan,

alternatively see into ID-MultipageImporter script, initally written by Scott Zanelli, now curated and developed on by Mike Edel: https://github.com/mike-edel/ID-MultiPageImporter/releases

You can place multipage InDesign documents or multipage PDFs with that.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )