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J
Jimfear
Participant
November 19, 2018
Answered

Cross references gone after updating word document

  • November 19, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 2831 views

Hi,

I'm working on a book, writing in word and doing layout and pictures in indesign, with several word documents linked to individual indesign files collated in an indesign book. I would like to find a way to create dynamic cross references to specific paragraphs. As the word document and indesign documents do not have the same pagination I cannot create the cross references in word. I can create the cross references in indesign, but when I make changes to the word document and update it in indesign to include the new text, the cross references that I had created are gone.

Is there some way to retain cross references made in indesign when updating the word document? Or some other solution that would give me references to specific paragraphs and update the page number automatically when the paragraph changes page?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer BobLevine

There is no way this will end well for you without the use of either WordsFlow or InCopy.

2 replies

keithconover
keithconover
Inspiring
April 29, 2020

I have a long (150 page) chapter, with lots of frames, and I put in a lot of cross-references, on the order of 50. It finally got to the point that, when I tried to move a text frame, InDesign would lock up. I created a new document, exported the text to .rtf and Placed it again. This stripped out all of my text anchors and made all of my cross-references into literal text. That's the bad news. The good news is now InDesign doesn't lock up when I move a text frame. I think I put in too many cross-references and it finally got to where the complexity and thus computational burder of moving the targets of the cross-references became more than InDesign can handle. I also found that this export-to-rtf and Place did other bad things to my file:

  • Adds a carriage return at the end of each footnote.
  • Overrides the styles for almost all of my styled paragraphs: asigned
    Panel Paragragh Clear Overrides to F12 and had to do this on all of
    the headings and footnotes
Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 19, 2018

Hi Jim:

The more typical workflow is to place a copy of a Word doc into InDesign for formatting. Edits are made in InDesign, and the x-refs will stay intact.

If you opt to place a linked copy of the Word document in InDesign, then you can only edit the file in Word. If you make any edits to the story in InDesign, and later update the Word document, it will overwrite your InDesign edits. That's just how it works.

I'm guessing that you selected the linked workflow because you want to maintain a Word file with the edits you are entering into InDesign? You can use File > Export > RTF in InDesign to export the story when you complete the edits (not great, but free) or explore a third party app like WordsFlow from Em Software: WordsFlow » Em Software.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
J
JimfearAuthor
Participant
November 19, 2018

Thank you for you input Barb,

Yes I want to write and keep the original text in word. But I'm also using linked documents so I can work on the layout (paragraph styles and add pictures etc.) while still being able to make changes in the text, and have them automatically added to the indesign document. Changes will have to be made in the text up until the day it goes to print, so working on layout and text simultaneously is a must.

I have lots of other cross references in the word files (headings, footnotes, figures). Would these survive if I did the last edits in indesign and then exported the final text back to word? Can't seem to find export to RTF to try it out, I'm using CS6 so possibly that is a later addition?

I could of course make a list of cross references to be created in the end. But I know I'd find something else that I want to change in the last minute and then I'd have to redo the whole list.

I want to automate the process as much as possible to avoid errors in the last minute stress before handing it in to the printers.

BobLevine
Community Expert
BobLevineCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
November 19, 2018

There is no way this will end well for you without the use of either WordsFlow or InCopy.

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