Updating margins in book format - does anyone know of a workaround?

[simon5CD0]

In my book function, I base each new chapter on a template and I have synced all chapters. The sync is set to include master pages.

I changed the margins in chapter 1 (which is the style source) according to Barb's description here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/resizing-primary-text-frame/td-p/9792204?page=1

This was easy since the primary text frame autocorrects to the changes. But in the other chapters, this is not the case, since the A-master sync has changed all of the chapters. I'm looking for a way to at least make the updating of margins automatic on a chapter level. I might have to change my margins again, and I have to go through hundreds of pages dragging boxes manually.

So did anyone find a way of updating margins in book function files?

[Barb Binder]

Hi Simon:

I think you have exposed a weakness in syncing formatting across a book: you can sync master pages but you cannot sync the auto-adjust controls. Even turning them on in advance, and then syncing, idoesn't move the text on the body pages. I tried a number of different approaches, including object styles and liquid layout without success. Perhaps a scripter can give a hand—or maybe another one of us will see what I'm missing—but I'm stumped.

~Barb 

[simon5CD0]

Thanks once again for your many answers to my questions Barb!

In this case, I'm curious because it seems to be a very simple thing and at the same time, I would think many writers change their margin at some point. Maybe this is less typical than I think because some/many/most do things differently from the way I have moved forward. It seems to me that if I had not synced Master pages, then I would have at least been able to auto-adjust margins for one chapter at a time instead of for one page at a time. So maybe that's a lesson learned: be careful syncing master pages in the book function(!) 

[Barb Binder]

Hi Simon:

Personally, I ensure that my clients sign off on paper size, margins and columns for the first chapter of a book prior to laying out the subsequent chapters. I've never had to update those properties for multiple chapters in a book, so I've never encounted this IRL. 

~Barb