Reflow Problems: Moving Frames and Defective non-Primary Frames

Report · Feb 16, 2019

Hi,

I'm experiencing odd probems with ‹smart› reflow: I have a document with facing pages that should add pages automatically as I'm writing.

Problem #1: Reflow seems to only work with Primary Text Frame.

Ideally, I would like to have a main text frame on the master with sample text already filled in. Later I would like to CMD+Shift+Click the text frame and fill in my text and have Indesign add pages automatically. This never works, even if I already have two pre-threaded pages set up, as in Erica Gamet's Article. Weirdly, Indesign also switches first and second page in the master. Note the reversed order of the CV pages in the screenshot on the left.

With an empty primary text frame on the master it almost works, but I would prefer to have sample text there.

Can anybody tell me how to fix this?

Almost, because:

Problem #2: Reflow (sometimes) moves my frames around.

With an empty primary text frame on the master, Indesign automatically adds pages, but sometimes moves around my text frame. Note the different position of the text frame of the added page – the one on the right – in the second screenshot.

I can reapply the master to the page or the object style to the frame to bring it back to its place, but I would like to not have to do that.

Anybody know what's going on here?

Report · Feb 16, 2019

OR use Primary text frames and flow text in that frame (so do NOT use any modifier keys when placing text!!) OR use modifier keys and no Primary text frame. In Preferences/Text you dan set auto indert pages to on or off, or only to add using the Primary text frames. Check all those options first before placing text.

Report · Feb 16, 2019

OR use Primary text frames and flow text in that frame (so do NOT use any modifier keys when placing text!!)

As I said, that works, except for the moving frames.

OR use modifier keys and no Primary text frame.

As I said, that doesn't work for some reason, even when I «pre-thread» two frames.

In Preferences/Text you dan set auto indert pages to on or off, or only to add using the Primary text frames. Check all those options first before placing text.

I checked these options, of course.

Report · Feb 22, 2019

I've never seen it offset like that...though it seems like you have a frame inside of a frame. Is there any way you can upload the file in question? And let me know which version you're working in, so I can try to replicate. Have you tried on another machine at all? Or different version of the software? Just want to see if we can narrow down where the issue is happening.