Text Flow SNAFU

[Jack]

After 95 pages of satisfactory text entry [except once about 6 w. when I had a simlar issue but do not remember {and lost my notes about} how Adobe help fixed ift for me], today I am finding that (a) again, text is no onger flowing from the last page to the next, (b) text threads are not displayed when I select view | extras | text flow threads, and (c) when I look at  the page master from which my pages were created, a ext thread occurs only after I re-create the text box on the first of two facing master pages, but still (d) no text hreads occur within any facing pages based on that master. 

Any help apreciated, as always.

Best,  jwc

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Are you using a Primary Text Frame on the Master Pages?

Or the auto-flow method?

[Jack]

Answer to Bevi's reply: Not sure; believe I am using the auto-flow method. When I view my page master, the text flow line appears on spread master, running from bottom of first page to top of second page. But those flow lines no longer appear in document pages created from that master spread.

Further update: SNAFU now getting worse. Text flow lines suddenly apeared [due to random keystroke?] on even pages, but  spanning pages 10 pp, apart. Furthermore, text from page 86 [of 95] has been overset on top of that on page 85.

Next step: revert to an old, saved version, save to brand new version, copy/paste from defective version to newer one, see how that goes.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

"When I view my page master, the text flow line appears on spread master, running from bottom of first page to top of second page. But those flow lines no longer appear in document pages created from that master spread."

That sounds like a description of the Primary Text Frame on a master page, rather than the traditional "autoflow." It's always been a very "delicate" feature in InDesign and if you don't use it correctly, it can mess up the threaded text frames just as you've described.

I'm also finding that feature to be flakier than ever in the last couple of versions of InDesign, but that's my experience. As they say, "your mileage may vary."

Two suggestions:

• Try to correct the problems in your existing document. Here are some links to good info about using the primary text frame feature:
  • https://indesignsecrets.com/indesign-basics-primary-text-frames.php
  • https://community.adobe.com/t5/InDesign/Can-someone-help-demystify-how-primary-text-frames-actually-...
  • https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/creating-text-text-frames.html#using_text_frames_on_master_pa...
• Create a new document but use the traditional Autoflow method of threading text frames for long-ish documents.
  • Learn about autoflow here: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/threading-text.html#flow_text_manually_or_automatically -- see the section on flowing text automatically.
  • Once you have the new document set up, select an entire thread from the original, copy it, and the paste it into the new document...and hold down the Shift key when you click so that the frames are automatically created and threaded.

Try the first method to correct the problems. If that doesn't work or is too time-consuming, then rebuild using Autoflow instead. That's what I'm doing this weekend to a client's job which wasn't the type of design suitable for Primary Text Frames.

Maybe another ACP like Steve Werner will chime in with some suggestions for you.

[Jack]

Closing and restarting inDesign by deleting all preferences [as advised in an an old note] did not help; still no text threads are seen.

[Jack]

Currently I'm typing new text into an old, saved copy of the document. So, far, it is behaving normally. I have only 2-3 -pp, to retype, and text flow is proceeding normally. Wish me luck, and thanks to all.