Feature request: Per-master baseline grid override settings in Publisher

[pinemach]

I was surprised and disappointed when I realized this wasn't possible. The baseline grid feature would be much easier to make effective use of for more complicated documents if settings could be determined on a per-master basis, instead of only per-document and per-text-frame.

[MikeTO]

For now, the best option might be to use the Books feature and to start a new chapter each time you wanted to change the baseline grid, although this would be too cumbersome if every other page used a different one.

Out of curiosity, what type of document are you talking about?

[Oufti]

Can't you use various masters with identical text frames on them, but each with a different baseline override? If multiple text frames are named the same in different masters, content can be transferred when applying one or another.

 

 

 

Edited February 6 by Oufti
Screencast added.

[pinemach]

1 hour ago, MikeTO said:

For now, the best option might be to use the Books feature and to start a new chapter each time you wanted to change the baseline grid, although this would be too cumbersome if every other page used a different one.

Out of curiosity, what type of document are you talking about?

I'm working on a book for a TTRPG, to ideally be suitable for digital, print, and home printing. I have (thus far) three masters. One is for a quick reference section, one is for the denser main reference, and one is for information about abilities players can have, specially formatted so players can print and cut out cards if they like. Each of the three masters would ideally use a different baseline grid.

Doing things across multiple files using the Books feature seems very cumbersome, and like it would make it more difficult to keep some things like character and paragraph styles consistent.

11 minutes ago, Oufti said:

Can't you use various masters with identical text frames on them, but each with a different baseline override? If text frames are named the same in different masters, content can be transferred when applying one or another.

I hadn't tried this. Does this allow continuing text from one page to the next, as when I click and create a new text frame?

It would be nice if it would apply to the whole page and not only the text frame in the master, but perhaps it would at least help.

And if so, it would also be easier to make use of this with a span columns feature so I wouldn't need to still create separate text frames for elements that span multiple columns, e.g.

 

[Oufti]

9 minutes ago, pinemach said:

Does this allow continuing text from one page to the next, as when I click and create a new text frame?

Text can flow from frame to frame.

Here is a sample file:

Masters with various baseline grids.afpub

[MikeTO]

BTW, here's a workaround for spanning columns. It's not perfect because you wouldn't want to do this with footnotes, but if you paste multi-column text frames inline into the main text frame, you can sort of make it work. It messes up the story flow so this is of limited value but perhaps it would be useful for your needs.

 

[Oufti]

Thanks @MikeTO. I'm not sure to understand how your file is built. Would you still have your sample document to post it here in complement to your screenshot above?

[MikeTO]

@Oufti I never saved it. But it's very simple:

1. A text frame with 1 column filling the page's margins like normal
2. Heading 1 text that "spans" columns (there are no columns to span)
3. A text frame with 3 columns that I pinned inline in an empty paragraph
4. Another Heading 1 that "spans" columns (there are no columns to span)
5. A text frame with 2 columns that I pinned inline in an empty paragraph
6. etc

Pinning text frames inline allows regular text to span above those pinned columns. This might be useful for the OP's purposes but it would not be useful for a magazine where the main story needs to flow to and from the spanned and unspanned columns. This is a workaround for a very specific use case.

Cheers

[MikeTO]

On 2/7/2025 at 8:09 AM, Oufti said:

Thanks @MikeTO. I'm not sure to understand how your file is built. Would you still have your sample document to post it here in complement to your screenshot above?

FYI, I recreated the example when replying to another thread and uploaded it there.