Affinity Publisher Data Merge does Not Work & Huge Problemds

[Ira Niva]

Dear Sir or Madam! Today I spend all the my day trying to make data merge in my Affinity Publishers. I saw a lot of Youtube videos  (many times) in order to understand what I did wrong and why Publisher behaves as crasy. The problem is that Publisher everytime when I tried to data merge text or images, it creates a lot of additional files without any notation. Also the account of created pages is over 3000 pages. My file has only 74 pages. I  deleted pages. I hope my Laptop would become completely dead when processing such large file. THe order of text in data merge is  very strange every time when I tried to do it.  The file is simple excel scv file.  I read also Affinity help related to data merge and file format requirements. It said that it prefer tsv file that means tab separated scv file.  First, I tried figure out what tsv file is. Then I realized I tried previously plain texted file from Windows Notepad, Affinity Publisher did not recognized. Then I started to test excel files with different extensions, nothing works. I created specifically tsv file in excel and it still does not work.  Publisher asked only for Affinity file or Excel files. Other files it cannot simply read. With csv file, the situation becomes very bad because  Publisher creates every time over 3000 pages. It is not normal. I tied today struggling with Publisher. I need it but cannot use Data Merge. It is very annoying. I tried all things that I can check and test itself. So, now I need help. I do not know how to fix it.

Best regards,

Irina Safonova

Halloween Ouzzle Names2.txt Affinity Publisher Screeshot.pdf

[EmT]

Hi @Ira Niva
I've moved that data over to an excel file and could data merge without any issue. 
There may be something in your CSV or afpub file causing the issue, could you upload a copy of both files so we can investigate. I can provide a private dropbox link if you prefer. 

[Ira Niva]

OK. What is the dropbox link where I can upload file? Please, provide link. I can upload files. I have tried yesterday night  test the issue again and my problem is still there. I noticed that now software  accepted  tsv or plain text file but otherwise, it still does not work. I mean data merge. I will try to do my file manually through Affinity Photo to access edition of changeable text and images. In order to not mix puzzle solutions, answer, and all other changeable data. Thanks that file is not  huge.  But I have a lot files now that are waiting my processing in Publisher. I will need urgently data merge feature. Otherwise I will get ready my publications for the Halloween and Christmas next year but not this year. If I will do it manually. Previously, I  created repeatable book inside pages like lined journals. It worked perfectly  without any issues. But now I need partly repeated but also partly changeable data.  And it becomes issue. I do not know what went wrong. Best regards, Ira Niva

[EmT]

Please upload your files to the link below 
https://www.dropbox.com/request/mAXgfi4yvMDbTC8B6x4i

[Ira Niva]

Hi!

I uploaded files to drop box. I am not software engineer, but what I understood from my trials:

1. Publisher cannot stop read the last row. It does not understand that it was asked to process only 48 pages. It not only process and read, it write /create new pages based on empty excel cells. Also, sometimes it only create words Puzzle Number, without new data, only repeat. Second time it was only A1 puzzle name in all 3200 pages. Also, sometimes the puzzle name was in reverse order. The same issue with images, I mean png files. It does not show the  images. It create some kind of thumbnail in pages and in master page, but it does not show any images. Also  it create new layer of image address, that cannot be deleted. It is shown in pages, but in master page. So, I created new template file trying to avoid layer that cannot be deleted. I only uploaded few  png /puzzle files for example, what kind of images I tried to upload  via data merge. The issue of creating additional not wanted 3200 pages was in both case : images and text data merge.

Best regards,

Irina Safonova

 

[EmT]

Hi @Ira Niva
 

I've had a chance to look at your files. The link below has a good explanation of data merging https://affinityspotlight.com/article/populate-pages-in-an-instant-with-affinity-publishers-powerful-data-merge-manager/

Just a few points to note:

1. Although you have 48 puzzles, you only need to have a 1 page document to data merge on to, otherwise you will end up with 48 copies. 
2. The quotation marks around the images names in the CSV file need removing
3. Currently it is not possible to merge multiple sources on to 1 page. If you put the images and names into 1 data source it will work fine.  

I have sent you an Excel file privately, could you try merging that file onto a 1 page document and let me know if that works for you. 

[Ira Niva]

Hi!

At moment, it does not work. I have tested twice. I applied file you have send to master page first and then tried to apply file to Page 1  in Pages again. It still does not work. It looks like the same as with my previous separated csv files . It creates exactly new 3552  pages in both case.  Originally, I  planned to  create later one large file with all fields in one file as you did.  I only used one separate column file to test one thing on the time.   But I failed at very beginning. I will reread the article that you have send me in the link. I also downloaded the the test files that author provided. And will try all things that he showed in the articles. However, the author has Mac, but I work in Windows environment. By my experiences, when  instructor "easy"shows python command in own Linux or Apple machine, I would  spend a quite time to find out, why and how  the things work  differently in my Windows environment.  Few year ago I had Apple Macintosh. Let see if I will find how to fix it. If I will not succeed, I will need to send message to company directly. At moment, it seems I cannot use Publisher as I should do. Yesterday, I tried to upload images to Publisher file manually, but it does not allow to do that. I can upload images only through Affinity Photo environment, not directly to Publisher. 

Best regards,

Irina Safonova

 

[EmT]

Hi @Ira Niva

Could you send me a screen recording or provide a step by step on how you are doing the data merge. 

The instructions in that article will work on Windows as well as a Mac. 

If you wish to send me an email instead you can do that at affinitysupport@serif.com, just put a link to this post in the email so it can be directed back to me. 

In regard to the point about adding images, how are you importing them? Are you using Place Image, drag and drop or applying to a picture frame? 

https://affinity.help/publisher/en-US.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Media/placeImages.html?title=Placing content