Text frames switched when adding a single page

[Probert]

I have a file set up with spreads. IN the master I have prepared two linked text frames per page.

When I add a single page at the beginning and at the end all the left hand pages per spread move to the right. But when that happens, all the text frames are switched, i.e. the right hand colomn goes to the left and the left hand column to the right.

When I tried to correct in the master, by switching the sides of the master text frames, Publisher crashed.

 

 

[thomaso]

Hi Probert,
Welcome to the Affinity Forums!

Spreads and Master Pages are still tricky in Affinity.
EDIT: To avoid the issue of unwanted moved page margins it may help to use even numbers of pages only.

Since this is the first reply to the topic and with incorrect text and files:
Thanks to  @Wosven I need to edit this post because of my wrong assumption that text frames which I had not placed on their master would work as expected. Instead I now noticed that it works without the unwanted content shift (actually: not moving to their new page margin position).

Attached an .afpub, saved with history, which shows the textflow process with auto-generated pages and two single pages added afterwards at different positions.   v183 spread w master textframes.afpub

@Probert, in this .afpub the page content moves from left to right when a single page is added and the content gets adjusted according to the altering left/right page margins. If you want to avoid this kind of switch see below the post + file of @Wosven.
I am afraid now that my entire post doesn't help to solve your issue, in particular with the app crashing. If possible upload your document to get it checked.

Note: There is no need to place (and link) text frames on a master page. Instead you can place text of any lengths on a document page: Drag with the place cursor an area on a document (not master) page on its margins, then shift-click the text-flow triangle to cause auto-text-flow and auto-created pages.

@Serif, for investigation of the issue with page content not moving according to their left/right margins: 3 screenshots + their .afpub with saved history:

     

v183 spreads_textflow 1-3.afpub  (EDIT: this .afpub does not work properly because its text frames were not placed on the master spread before text flow)

Edited April 19, 2020 by thomaso

[thomaso]

15 hours ago, Probert said:

When I tried to correct in the master, by switching the sides of the master text frames, Publisher crashed.

A master spread in Affinity is currently treated as 1 object, you can't select either its left or right page, like you can do with pages of document spreads.
Also/therefore a swap of content on a master spread can cause unexpected results to existing document pages and to their children of applied master pages.

[Probert]

Thomaso,

Thank you for that extensive response!

Paul

 

[Wosven]

4 hours ago, thomaso said:

Note: There is no need to place (and link) text frames on a master page.

If you don't place "master" text frame on the master page, how the app know where should be positioned this text frame?

That's when frames are floating that the app don't know what to do with them. It's important to place text frame on master page, since every modification you'll do on them will be done on the pages (for example, adding 1mm more height…)

If you don't, you'll have to reflow the pages after modifying the 1st text frame of the first page… and you'll lost other items or modifications you could have put on those pages.

I'm trying to name frame as in the Smart master page example, and for now I can add page without frames moving at the wrong place.

Test_Gararit_08.afpub

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, Wosven said:

If you don't place "master" text frame on the master page, how the app know where should be positioned this text frame?

The app knows where to place new frames from the 1st frame that I placed manually. A shift-click on the textflow triangle will auto-create the following pages + their frames at that position, according to their left/right page property. If I create the first frame on the margins then all frames are placed on the margins (it is not possible to have margins on a master spread different for left and right). So, like the margins, also the position of the auto-created text frames is simply mirrored from left to right.

Oh, but you are correct, this way the text frames are NOT connected to the master pages, even if placed on margins, and so they don't adjust their position and size if I alter the margins on the master spread. I haven't considered that before, just thought if the app creates the frames according to the masters margins then it would know about their relationship. A wrong assumption. Nevertheless, I also had tried earlier with text frames on the master but got the same issue if an odd number of pages got added/removed.

Your sample .afpub is a lot better, indeed!

It's impressive to see the content of page 3 automatically stay on a right page, even if just 1 page gets added before it. How did you manage to keep the contents position from left to right when adding a single page? I see the result appearing like a charm but I don't understand what causes this automatically content move from page 3 to 5 (not 4!) if only 1 page gets added at the beginning of the document. What exactly does cause this shift of the content?

3 hours ago, Wosven said:

I'm trying to name frame as in the Smart master page example,

Hm, "name frame", "Smart master"? I am entirely lost with this expressions. Can you explain your workflow step by step, please?
And what would I do in this document if I don't want the content of page 3 move to 5 but to 4 instead?
Did the app generate pages for you during its textflow process, or did you create them manually before?

[Wosven]

"Smart" master pages are described in this video:

https://affinity.serif.com/fr/tutorials/publisher/desktop/video/390003719

To use them, you need to give a name to your text frames and pictures frames. If you use those same named frames in another master page, next time you apply this  second master page to pages using the first one, the texts and images will automatically be positioned and resized accordingly.

 

Perhaps it's not usefull with a single double page MP, but I tested it naming my frames, and it seems adding pages is less buged.

One of the previous bugs with unamed frames was when a "body text" frame end up linked to a "number page" frame after reapplying the MP. We can link it properly, but we've lost the page number, and need to insert it manually.

With named text frames, it didn't occur (but I did few tests… that's perhaps the reason! )

[Old Bruce]

10 minutes ago, Wosven said:

"Smart" master pages are described in this video

Wow, I missed most of the new (1.8) functionality of Master Pages. Thanks for showing this to me.