Updating TOC in InDesign changes Buttons destinations.

[SilSanders]

I am defining a bunch of buttons in a 170 page document that each go to a destination defined by bookmarks (text anchors).

After I added a number of additional bookmarks, updated the table of contents as pages had changed, and sorted them so they would appear in the way I want them to do so in bookmark window, the buttons all pointed to incorrect destinations (bookmarks, but incorrect ones).

So now I have to go back and re-point each button to the correct bookmark.

Which of my operations messed up the button destinations?

I suspect it is updating the table of contents.  If so, that seems like the bookmark text-anchor does not really attach itself to the actual text or the destination pointer does not have a textual context for the desired.

TIA.

{Renamed by MOD}

[Srishti Bali]

Hi there,

Sorry about the delay. I am hopeful that the issue was fixed. If not, I would request if you can share a few more details like:

• OS (Version of Windows/MAC)
• Version of InDesign
• Screenshots of the issue
• Is the issue specific to the buttons with bookmarks?
• We might need your file to look into this issue. Will it be possible for you to share the file?

Regards,

Srishti

[SilSanders]

I have avoided this issue by not re-generating the table of contents.  Luckily, I am in the final editing phase and so have not had any big changes in pagination and those which I had were near the end of the book so I could manually correct the table of contents.

OS: Windows 10, version 1809, Build 17763.437 with automatic updates.

InDesign: 14.0.2 x64

Screenshot:  I'll need to reproduce the issue,

Buttons: I think the issue was specific to buttons which utilized the bookmarks created by the table of contents generation.  Again I will have to reproduce the issue.

File: Yes, if you need it, I can share.  Let me know and I'll reproduce the issue in a sandbox and upload to wherever you direct (indd file is 32MB).

Sil

[Srishti Bali]

Thanks for sharing the details. I am glad to hear that it worked for you. In case you see this issue again, please upload the file to creative cloud and share a download link.

[SilSanders]

Let me clarify - I suspect the issue is still there.  I avoid it but NOT re-generating (updating) the Table of Contents.  I have kept it up to date by manual updated and cross-references.  I'll sandbox and try to regenerate for you. 

Once I do upload to the cloud, how to I privately share a link with you but not this whole community?

[SilSanders]

I have the repro files ready.  Let me know how to share the link with Adobe privately.

[Srishti Bali]

You can upload it to the creative cloud and share a download link in private message.

[SilSanders]

I put four files up and shared links with you in a message. 

"MET InDesign ToC Test Pre-Update.indd" is the source before the Table of contents update.

​It generates the PDF also included.

​"MET InDesign T0C Test Post-Update.indd" is the same source with only the Table of Contents updated.

​It generates the PDF which is also included.

​On many pages such as 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 has a circle-button in the left with a "?" in it and a circle-button on the right with an "L".  The "?" should go to the start of the chapter.  They get scrambled.  The "L" button continue to work fine.

​The difference is the "L" button is goes to a normal text-based destination.  The Scrambled "?" button are supposed to go to Text which is a chapter heading and which also appear in the Table of Contents.

[Srishti Bali]

Thanks for the detailed information. I will get back you as soon as I get any heads up on this.

[Jeffrey_Smith]

Try export/save idml of document and reopen in Indesign. This process can clean up minor corruption including the fix of broken link references to destinations.

[SilSanders]

Nope.  Exported to idml, closed that instance of InDesign, and opened the .idml and the buttons are still scrambled. 

For example, the "?" button on page 18 points to "Acknowledgements" which is towards the back of the book instead of to the start of Chapter 1 test "Phase 1 — Introducing your dog to Tracking".

Note, I manually rearrange the Bookmarks since the indented hierarchy that is automatically generated is not useful.

In essence, the buttons which point to text which gets into the table of contents and thus the Bookmarks get scrambled when the ToC Update process regenerates the TOC and the Bookmarks.  It is as-if the button is pointing to a position in the bookmarks and so when the ToC Update process scrambles the Bookmarks, the button destinations get scrambled as well.

[Laubender]

Hi Jil,

are the ? instances really buttons?

Can you show a screenshot of such an instance?

If the ? is embedded in text, best show the Story Editor window.

Invisible characters should be showing.

Thanks,
Uwe

[SilSanders]

Uwe,

Why did I upload the indd files if not to let you open it, click on an instance of the button (for example, page 18), so you can positively verify for yourself that the circle with a ? in it is really a button.

Sil

[Laubender]

Hi Sil,

sorry, but I can see no download link for your sample file.

Regards,
Uwe

[SilSanders]

Sorry Uwe.  I have shared the link with Adobe, but not with the whole Adobe community since it is my book.

Yes, the circle with a ? is really an InDesign button.

[miss-charlotte]

Thanks Sil for explaining why all my button destinations stopped working and defaulted to the same wrong one. I was updating the TOC each time I updated the file for client. All have to be configured all over again. Ugh. Since the piece is near final, I'll update any TOC edits manually going forward.

[CCstudio9]

I also ran into this problem recently and was surprised to see that this bug has existed for over 4 years now. It's a real pain in the ass because I usually update TOC quite frequently near the end of a project. Really wish Adobe would fix this.

OS: macOS Monterey 12.6.4

Version of InDesign: 18.2.1

[E-Claire]

This is still happening in July 2024! It is very frustrating. I created buttons because as much as the TOCs themselves work perfectly, I wanted a visual cue for them so created buttons with a rollover state. As soon as I update the TOCs, the buttons all point to the first destination on the list.Hi, I have created buttons on the Table of Contents page relating to each of the contents item and going to each relevant page. When I update the Table of Contents, the buttons all revert to the first item. The table of contents go to the correct place, however I want the visual interactivity so have created a button for each one. What am I doing incorrectly that the buttons' do not 'remember' their destinations? Is it something that Adobe can fix quite easily I wonder? It wastes so much time. I may be missing something and perhaps the TOCs do have rollover states that I have not come across.
Claire