Text syle keeps jumping to something else

[okmike]

There is a lot I like about this program, but it is so aggravating in many ways. I have a text style that I want to use for the main body and delete all unused styles. I have a page up and with one line of nothing on it set to the right style, but when I hit the return key it creates another line of a different style! At the start of a chapter I want 7 lines, I cannot just hit the return 7 times, sometimes it works but often it will jump to some other style I don't even have. Here is a shot of the no style it creates. Notice the top part it says "Font: Arial; Font weight:" That is not even there until I hit the return, but I hit the return several times successfully then it jumped to the other. THIS IS A REAL PAIN.

[walt.farrell]

It would be easiest to help if you would provide a sample .afpub document that illustrates the problem.

[okmike]

Page 23 is the page currently set for a new chapter and it has one line, then I hit return and it jumped.

A Short History of the Church in the US-1.afpub

[thomaso]

I don't get this here, or don't fully understand. It appears that this text frame on page 23 has no unambiguous text style assigned. Accordingly shows your screenshot the style summary not as style name but as listed properties - and your .afpub shows a '+' symbol next to the style name and lists some deviations.

What do you get if you apply a style to this frame on the master page, respectively take care to apply a clear style without causing the + symbol?

[okmike]

Even in the middle of a chapter if I put the cursor at the end of a paragraph at the return it will jump to the other nothing style, but if I put it in front of the first character of the next paragraph and hit return it will give me another line of the same format.

[okmike]

According to what I see in your pic, you just typed a letter, I did not type a letter I hit return, since there needs to be 7 spaces at the top of a chapter.

[Old Bruce]

What do you have set for the Next Style in the Text Styles editing window?

It should be Same Style, and it sounds like you have it set to No Style.

[thomaso]

4 minutes ago, okmike said:

According to what I see in your pic, you just typed a letter, I did not type a letter I hit return, since there needs to be 7 spaces at the top of a chapter.

I just typed a letter to make the current cursor position more clear. Alternatively you can just place the text cursor in the first line without typing to see the modified style definition in the styles panel.

Also, this style is set to "No Style" as the next style (= after a paragraph break). Try it with "Same Style".

[okmike]

I have used several different programs for many years and have never heard of any such thing. And why would they make it default to change styles just because you hit return? That is really dumb.

But I am glad there is a fix for the problem.

Thanks much.

[Old Bruce]

5 minutes ago, okmike said:

I have used several different programs for many years and have never heard of any such thing. And why would they make it default to change styles just because you hit return? That is really dumb.

It is quite helpful when you want to use it.

Type Chapter one                         -->      Paragraph Style: Chap One {next style:Chap Description}

Type Chapter Description            -->      Paragraph Style: Chap Description {next style:Basic text}

Type the text for chapter one.     -->      Paragraph Style: Basic text  {next style:[Same Style]}

more text for chapter one.            -->      Paragraph Style: Basic text  {next style:[Same Style]}

more text for chapter one.            -->      Paragraph Style: Basic text  {next style:[Same Style]}

[thomaso]

14 minutes ago, okmike said:

And why would they make it default to change styles just because you hit return? That is really dumb.

They (Serif) did not make it. Affinity default is "Same Style", which means no change – whereas yours is set to "No Style" which demands a change from style "Normal 1" to "No Style" and thus leaving style "Normal 1" but continuing with "No Style" which is defined by default as Arial (and certain properties).

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, okmike said:

I have used several different programs for many years and have never heard of any such thing. And why would they make it default to change styles just because you hit return?

It can be really handy if you need to style a text of a repeating structure. For instance an interview with Question + Answer or a history with Year + Description or a manual or catalog with Intro + Details …

This ugly example just illustrates the principle how styles can depend on each other. Not in this clip: Additionally the paragraph property "Initial Words" can be set and thus for instance colour a specific pattern via a Character style. – In fact, this feature is unjustly so unknown, since it offers a lot of 'music for those who can listen'.

 

 

[okmike]

That is when many users want to change styles? Yeah, if you are creating a poster, or an advert, but this program is not image maker or photoshop or some designer program it is "Publisher," which mean LOTS of text which is mostly going to be the same.

And why would you want to set it up so that when you hit return it goes to that other style? That would only be useful if you are going back and forth between two styles all the time. LOL WHO DOES THAT? Not when you are doing a book.

There are literally millions of indie authors out there who need a really good program to use to produce their books for Amazon. Then there are the millions of students producing a thesis.

This program should be set up for PUBLISHERS not for advertisers.

[Alfred]

12 minutes ago, okmike said:

it is "Publisher," which mean LOTS of text

Many publications are text-heavy, but others are image-heavy with little or no text.

[thomaso]

I do not understand your concerns, accusations or anger. How Affinity handles text styles that are created, defined, saved and applied by users only is entirely up to the users. As mentioned above, the default setting is "Same style" – which is as if the whole feature did not exist. It appears, at best, you should not change these options from their default settings.

Incidentally: Between posters, advertisements, logos or stickers etc. on the one hand - and books on the other hand (while books aren't just novels) , there is a huge range of brochure and magazine layouts. I assume that statistically they are the most widespread use of layout programmes like APub worldwide. And that's why this option to change styles automatically can be very useful and feels perfect for use in an app like APub.

[walt.farrell]

29 minutes ago, okmike said:

That would only be useful if you are going back and forth between two styles all the time. LOL WHO DOES THAT? Not when you are doing a book.

Of course you do when doing a book. As discussed above, when you enter a Heading the next paragraph is very likely to be a sub-heading (in some books) or normal body text (in others). Thus, you would set your Heading style so it automatically switches to the normal body style.

Normal body text will usually be the same for multiple paragraphs, so you would set it to keep the same style.

There are other uses, as well.

 

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, okmike said:

Yeah, if you are creating a poster, or an advert, but this program is not image maker or photoshop or some designer program it is "Publisher," which mean LOTS of text which is mostly going to be the same.

As has been mentioned, there are many different uses for the app, including to create posters, brochures, magazines, & so on. (See for example the Samples you can download from the Welcome screen.)

But regardless, as has also been mentioned more than once now, the default is "Same Style" so if that is what you want or expect, then just don't change it!

[okmike]

If default is same style why did I run into this issue? I did not change it.

[R C-R]

9 minutes ago, okmike said:

If default is same style why did I run into this issue? I did not change it.

I don't know what caused it but it was not the app that changed it by itself.

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, okmike said:

If default is same style why did I run into this issue? I did not change it.

Where did your text and text styles come from in that document? Did you start with File > New, and then type in the text, and create the text styles?

Or did the text and styles come from someplace else, like a Word or IDML document that you Placed or pasted in?

[okmike]

I copied and pasted from WPS docx file after deleting all unused styles. But nothing in that file changes from one style to another, I have never encountered that issue before. But since I know about it I can fix it in the future.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Michael

[thomaso]

38 minutes ago, okmike said:

after deleting all unused styles.

I guess its used styles are more relevant here.