Section Numbering

[Dative]

This seems like it should be easy but I can't seem to work out how to do it! I want to divide my InDesign file into sections and have each section start with a automatically updating section marker to create chapters. I've divided the file into sections and added a section marker to the chapter opener master but the section marker is blank on each page?

[Anna Lander]

When you create a section marker, you tell the program where must be a chapter name and how it must look. But you don't set the content. So, working with Section marker, you have to select the first page of section, open Numbering&Section Options window (Page > Numbering&Section Options) and type the chapter name in Section Marker field. The name will repeat on each page of the section.

[Dative]

So there's no way to create a number that would automatically update based on how many sections were before it? I would have to manually fill in each section number in the numbering and section options for it to appear as my section marker? I was imagining a scenario like page numbers but the numbering would be separate and just count the section starters.

[Willi Adelberger]

If you make for each section a sistinct document and bundle them together in an INDB book file it will happen automatically.

[Anna Lander]

You can adjust a bit the section marker.

Do I understand well that you create each chapter as a separate doc and add them all to the book, and each new chapter also comes into the book as a new doc?

then you can do the follow:

1. Create a section marker and type there "Chapter", then go to Type menu and choose Type > Text variables > Insert variable > Chapter number.

2. Add all needed master items.

3. In the Book panel menu open Synchronise Options window and check if Master Pages option is selected.

4. Synchronise the book. 

Generally Chapter numbering is set as "Automatically" (the bottom part of the Numbering and Section Options window), so synchronising will add the right master and update the numbering according to documents order in the book.
If something is not good, you can also use Update Numbering command in the Book panel menu. Select Update Chapter & Paragraph Numbers to make sure that all numbers set as you want.

[Dative]

I know how to do it using a book, I was hoping to not use a book though.

[Barb Binder]

Hi Dative:

I think you are confusing the term sections with paragraph numbers. InDesign pages can be divided into sections for various purposes—for example, one might a new section for each article in a journal so that InDesign will restart the footnote numbering at 1 for each new article. Another reason to define a section is to use lowercase roman for the page numbers in one section (i, ii, iii), and arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) in another section in a single file.

You can use paragraph numbering to set up incrementing numbers in a heading, and the heading can use the word Section or Chapter if you like. In a single file, you make a paragraph style and then define the paragraph numbers as a list. Once the list is defined you can assign the style to the correct paragraphs in your document.

~Barb

[Dative]

"I think you are confusing the term sections with paragraph numbers. InDesign pages can be divided into sections for various purposes—for example, one might a new section for each article in a journal so that InDesign will restart the footnote numbering at 1 for each new article. Another reason to define a section is to use lowercase roman for the page numbers in one section (i, ii, iii), and arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) in another section in a single file." 

Ah I thought that was the case, I just thought I could repurpose the sections to do what I wanted, paragraph styles won't work as they're all on different pages in seperate text boxes. I just want a text box with only a number in it, left locked to the master, with a variable or something inside that will increase numerically every time the master is applied to a new page. e.g. first spread with the master top left box says 1, next spread with the master top left text box says two without anyone inputting text.

[Anna Lander]

well, if you don't define any sections counting, how the system can know what number to set? 🙂

you can use Book, or set the next box as Primary Frame and create section marker with numbered Paragraph style (and just a Space as a text) (but I'm not sure that it's a good idea to use Primary Frame this way), or write a script (or ask someone to write a script) which will count the entries of this kind of section marker and type the proper number. At least, you can type the number in Section Marker field of Numbering & Section Options window.

Honestly, I believe the Book is the easiest way 🙂

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

InDesign can number across unlinked text boxes, you just have to indicate that when you set up the list with Continue Numbers across Stories.

I'm showing unthreaded text frames with incrementing numbers on three separate pages, using the same paragraph style from my previous response. Note: as Anna said, you can't have just a number on a ¶, so I added a space and then assigned the SectionNumber style.

~Barb