Linked files won't open...

[ronditlesauvage]

So, I'm trying to work on my book. It is composed of several chapters. Today (it worked yesterday) when I open the book, the chapters all have a little question mark beside them, and won't open. When I open the chapter files individually, not from the book, they won't open the linked files that are on them. Using 2.6, and just for a hoot I tried with the beta version but it doesn't work either. 

To clarify, each individual file opens, but nothing that is linked will open from the page that links to it. I can open book A, but chapter B will not open. I can open chapter B, but linked file C will not open. I can open document C.

I've attached some files that I've been trying to get to work. WWLS Unit 2 hH.afpub (file A) opens fine. WWLS Unit 2-2.afpub (file B) opens fine. But if I try to open B by double-clicking on it from A, that doesn't work.

Strange, no? And rather disruptive of the work flow...

WWLS Unit 2 hH.afpub WWLS Unit 2-2.afpub WWLS Unit 2-3.afpub WWLS Unit 2-4.afpub WWLS Unit 2-22.afpub

[ronditlesauvage]

Oh, yeah, forgot. The little question mark should indicate that the program can't find the chapter. If it can't find a chapter, the program would normally ask me where it is. It is not doing so. I have not moved anything, so there should be no problem.

[ronditlesauvage]

And when I check the resource manager, it says all the links are OK. 

[walt.farrell]

15 hours ago, ronditlesauvage said:

Oh, yeah, forgot. The little question mark should indicate that the program can't find the chapter. If it can't find a chapter, the program would normally ask me where it is. It is not doing so. I have not moved anything, so there should be no problem.

It seems to me that you're describing the prompting that would occur for Linked files, but expecting it to apply when you Open a Book file that has missing chapter files. I can't check that right now, but I don't think that happens. I think the ? notation in the Book panel is all you get.

You also seem to be describing two problems:

1. The chapter files not opening from the Book panel; and
2. If you Open a chapter file separately, its Linked files won't open.

Is that correct?

If so,

• for #1, where are the chapter .afpub files stored?
• And for #2, what kind of linked file are you using? And how are you trying to open it? Have you tried selecting it in the Layers panel, and then using the Edit Image or Edit Document button in the Context Toolbar with the Move Tool active?

 

[ronditlesauvage]

Hi, Walt. Thanks for responding! Yes, it is two separate problems, the first of which resolved itself this morning when I opened up my program. Go figure.

Just FYI, when one opens a book (.afbook), if the program can't find some of the chapter files (usually because I have stupidly moved it) it does ask me to find it, before anything else happens. I've done this a lot, sadly.

However, my second problem persists. Normally, and again, I have done this a lot, double-clicking on a linked file will open the file. Doing so today doesn't do this. It selects the linked document but doesn't open it. By and large, my documents are layered, chapters (afpub files) contain linked pages (afpub files) which contain text and linked images. Opening any file individually is fine, but trying to open a linked file isn't working.

I've just tried the "Edit Document" button, it doesn't do anything either. Frustratingly, if I use the "Replace Document" button, but replace the linked document with itself, I can now open and edit it using either the "edit document" button or just by double-clicking it. I really hope I don't have to work around this by replacing all my linked files...

[ronditlesauvage]

Interestingly, when I open the resource manager, the "update" button is not available (greyed out). Replace is available as an option, sadly.

I'm going to try installing the program again, see what happens.

[ronditlesauvage]

Re-installed the programs, still the same. My computer went a little funky yesterday - is there some setting that might have changed that would cause this?

[ronditlesauvage]

Created a fresh new document, same linked files, works fine. I REALLY don't want to replace all my links, I have a LOT of them. It is very inconvenient to find the linked files and open them from the finder, so reset my workflow I am going to have to replace every fershlugging link. 

Is no-one else having this problem? 

LATER THAT SAME DAY... OK, now I'm back to the question mark bullsh*t. The book I was working on earlier can find its chapter files fine, but not any other books. 
I may have to find an alternative to Publisher. I love it, mostly, but I spend a lot of time figuring out how to make it do what it should do. It's a really good value, dollar-wise, but not if I am always fighting with it.

Yes, this is a cry for help.

[ronditlesauvage]

OK, I think I figured this out. My linked files are all on google drive, the sync program isn't loading in the background as it ought. 

Thanks to anyone who has been thinking about this problem!

[walt.farrell]

19 hours ago, ronditlesauvage said:

My linked files are all on google drive

Glad you figured it out.

Generally, keeping linked files on a cloud-based drive like that is a good way to create problems, and so it's not recommended. Keeping them on local storage, especially with setups as complex as you describe, will probably be better for preserving your sanity. Though, of course, that makes it more difficult to work across different computers and takes more local storage. So there are obviously tradeoffs.

[ronditlesauvage]

Thanks, Walt. In fact, I now keep a local copy of the google drive on a hard drive attached to my mac - trying to keep a mirrored copy on my tiny macbook pro sdd was taking up all the space. So, now that I have moved the mirror to an external drive, none of the links work. Duh. Now I need to decide whether it is less of a problem to fix all the links or not have any sdd space.

[walt.farrell]

19 hours ago, ronditlesauvage said:

Now I need to decide whether it is less of a problem to fix all the links or not have any sdd space.

Yes, that's always a consideration. By the way, some users also have issues using directly-attached external drives, so that's also a bit risky. I would suggest that when doing that you keep versioned backups. E.g., save x.afpub as x-1.afpub, then next time as x-2.afpub, or some similar scheme where you regularly save using a new file name so you can go back easily to a slightly older version of the file.

[ronditlesauvage]

Well, I have Time Machine doing hourly backups, so that should be ok. But I could get pretty crabby if I started talking about Apple and it's soldered-on memory. I'd love to have a framework laptop or such, but I want iOS, so choices have to be made, I guess.