Publisher 2, some placed svg files not selectable

[Gerard O]

I have a fairly simple file with three master pages and 2 pages. I reuse the masters each year to create a new file which is output as a pdf . The original document was created in Publisher V1.

The masters consists of text frames and tables. The document pages contain either Affinity designer files or svg images (created in designer) and text overlaid on the frames and tables. This has all worked okay in Publisher V1. But now i am having problems

When I place images onto the page , sometimes they are not selectable. So I can neither move them nor delete them. I can find them in the layer panel but again , I cannot delete them or turn off their visibility.

I appreciate that I could probably start again but I prefer to reuse the master from previous years as it reduces  considerably the amount of work. I haven't tried going back to V1 or Publisher.

Am I placing these files incorrectly? Is my problem likely to be caused by using a draft file created in V1 of Publisher and then modifying it to create the new file using Publisher V2?

Thanks for reading

[MikeTO]

Do the images have round size handles or ones shaped like an X? If they're X handles, the objects are locked, on the master page, or something like that to prevent you from modifying them. Can you share a sample file or a screenshot showing the issue?

[Gerard O]

Thanks Mike for your reply. And for your manual which I have downloaded.

I have attached the file, which has had some text deleted for privacy reasons.

The master is applied to the page and then the additional images are added to the page, not to the master, unless I am doing something wrong.

The offending 'image' is on page 2 on the row marked 29. It is the direction sign. You will see the same or similar signs on row 28 (and on other rows), on the same page. I can select the 'image' on other rows but not the image on row 29. When I select it on the layers panel I cannot delete it or change its visibility. 

I appreciate that I am perhaps using a sledgehammer to crack a nut but my workflow is to place all the 'unchanging' aspects of the page on the master and only add images and text each year as needed. I produce this file each year for a local club and have no other use for it. Perhaps using a master page is the wrong approach here

 

Thanks for taking the time to look

 

Gerard

 

forForum_Draft3.afpub

[MikeTO]

If you look at that layer, you will notice that the group is part of is a child of the master page. If you go to the master page it's not there because it's only on this one page. But because it's part of the master on this page, you can't delete it.

This happens due to a feature of Publisher that makes it easy to make these sorts of mistakes. Try this as an example to understand how it works:

1. Create a new document with default settings which will create Master A
2. Go to Master A and draw a half-page text frame and a shape outside of it - if it's a facing-page master, just draw on the right side because you'll play with page 1
3. Go to page 1 and draw a shape on the page - in the Layers panel, the shape will be above Master A - undo to delete the shape
4. Double-click the text frame so the cursor is in it. Switch back to the shape tool and draw the shape again - it will still be above master A - this time Cut the shape to the clipboard
5. Double-click the text frame again - paste the shape into the frame - pinned objects (floating or inline) are children of the parent frame as you can see in Layers, but you can select them normally.
6. Switch to the shape tool again and click the shape once to select it - you will see normal size handles because you can delete this
7. Now draw another shape while that child shape is selected - in the Layers panel, this layer will be inside Master A above the text frame - this shape is now a child of the master and when you select it the shape will have X handles to indicate that you can't transform or delete it. This is the problem, it's incredibly easy to accidentally create objects inside the master layer when you aren't expecting to do so. This is probably a useful feature to some people, but I have never wanted to create an object inside the master layer. I've had to undo this hundreds of times, but as long as you're aware of the way it works, it's easy to undo and move on.

You can fix your document by choosing Layer > Master > Edit Detached, dragging all the layers that shouldn't be part of the master above the master layer, and then clicking Finish.

This isn't important, but note that the 4th layer on that page (named Table) is far to the left of the page.

Good luck

[Gerard O]

Thanks Mike,

Clearly I have created this particular copy of the image within the master . I am not too sure how I did it but at least I now have an explanation , and a way to fix it.

I am not too sure why I would ever want to edit the master while in the document page. I would always revert back to the master itself and edit there.

I will have a good read of your manual. 

Thanks again

gerard