Overflow text alert

[iaing]

I know there's an eye icon on a text frame if there's overflowed text, but if the frame isn't selected there's no visual warning you've got overflowed text, nor is there if I then attempt to export or print the file - I know I need this because Id frequently warns me of this, when I try to export pdfs with overflowed text!

[nwhit]

+1

[budaloco]

+10

[GarryP]

I would say that there definitely should be some way for the user to know if there are any text overflow issues without the user having to manually select every text frame to check each one individually. There is a warning that comes up when you try to export and have overflowing text but there's no way to know where the overflowing text is. I expect that having to manually hunt around for crossed-out eyes in a document with dozens, or even hundreds, of text frames would be a real pain.

A "Warnings"/"Problems" panel might be a good way to implement this. It doesn't need to be anything complicated, just a list of objects that have some kind of issue - text overflow, DPI lower than document setting, incorrect colour space, object not (fully) on a page, etc. - where the user can double-click on the object listing to navigate to it and then manually fix the problem. This could be linked to an indicator icon on the main toolbar: If the icon is displayed/coloured then there's something wrong; if the icon is missing/greyed then everything is okay. Just keep glancing at the icon every now and again to check for issues and click on it to open the list if there are any. This way you don't need to pollute the layout area with extra icons (or whatever).

Edit: After reading Rylek's comment below, I think a better place for a "warnings indicator" - rather than the toolbar as I said earlier - would probably be on the status bar. All it needs is a circle: Green - All good; Orange - Some Warnings; Red - Major problems. Click on the circle - if it's not green - to get the list of problems.

[Rylek]

in indesign if in text frame is text overflow, program notifiy red mark in down right corner

[mirkoschieder]

I'd even suggest an entire panel in Studio allowing you to view any alert, overflow, broken link etc. at a glance.

[GarryP]

@mirkoschieder That's what I meant by "A 'Warnings'/'Problems' panel".

I'm wondering whether this issue is less a feature request and more of a 'bug'.

For simple projects it probably isn't needed; just a few clicks here and there will show that all is fine (or not); it's nice to have but not essential.
However, for complex/large projects I would say that not having this feature could be considered a major problem.
If, for example, you are putting a magazine together that has dozens - or, quite possibly, hundreds - of text layers, not being able to see - at a glance - whether there were text overflow issues (or other problems) could be seen as a 'show-stopper'.

Consider this possible "train of thought" of an imaginary potential customer:
* I have tight budgets for both time and money;
* I have a deadline that isn't negotiable;
* It costs me a lot of money to get something printed and reprinting is not an option;
* Printing mistakes make me look foolish and cost me customers;
* I need to make sure that I have no text overflow before I send something for print;
* I know that this application won't tell me whether there is text overflow without checking all the text layers manually and individually;
* I don't have the time to check every text layer individually myself;
* I don't have the money to pay someone else to check each text layer individually;
* I cannot use this application;
* I will not buy this application.

All-in-all, I would suggest that while Publisher does not carry this feature it will not be considered as usable in professional DTP.
If Publisher is only meant to be for 'hobbyists' then that would be fine, but if it's meant for professionals then it should contain all of the features that are absolutely vital for professionals. If some software doesn't have a vital feature that is absolutely 100% needed by a certain type of potential customer, those potential customers will never become actual customers. (If a car doesn't have a way of steering it, it doesn't matter how fast it goes, no-one will want to drive it.)

Publisher is looking really great so far and has some superb features already - even in its first beta - but if it doesn't have features like this it will not be able to fulfil its potential of being a credible alternative to the products that people are already using (even if they continue to use them 'under duress'). That's why I think this is a 'bug' rather than a feature request.

[jbartley]

100% Agree. Notification of some kind is a must. Not having a visual indication is a sure way that something is going to get missed and copy is going to get clipped.

[TwiggyT]

I agree with this completely. 

[MEB]

Hi all.
I've logged this issue to be looked at.
Thank you all for your support.

[Ray C]

I get the text overflow message when I print certain documents, and I've checked the text and cannot find any overflow.

[MEB]

Hi Ray C,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Maybe the bottom of a text frame is too tight, touching the descending part of the last line?

[Ray C]

MEB, you may be correct. I had one text box that was tight to the text, I expanded it, and no more messages.
But with the bounding box closely cropped to the text, the "eye" symbol that indicates the text is overflowing is under the stretch handle, and is not clearly visible.
Screen shot attached.

[iaing]

Love the new alert dots in build 128 when an overflowed text frame isn't selected, and the warning if you try to print or export while there is overflowed text in the document - better still in that alert, instead of just 'cancel' would be a list of the guilty pages, with even a 'take me to the first guilty page' button.

[GarryP]

@iaing I'm using build 128 on Windows 10 and I don't see any "alert dots" anywhere. Where do you see them and under what circumstances? (Do I need to switch something on?)
Also, I don't get a warning on export, it just exports as previously.

[iaing]

22 hours ago, GarryP said:

@iaing I'm using build 128 on Windows 10 and I don't see any "alert dots" anywhere. Where do you see them and under what circumstances? (Do I need to switch something on?)
Also, I don't get a warning on export, it just exports as previously.

This is what we see on the Mac, maybe it'll be in the next Windows build - so if text boxes are linked, and overflowing, there's a left dot on the first text box, and right dot on the last box in the flow.

[GarryP]

Thanks. Unfortunately I don't see any of that. Fingers crossed for the next build.

[Bryce]

I am getting the warning but there is nothing to take me to the frame that's causing the issue. I have no idea where it's at. Any idea how to find which frame where there is a lot of color and graphics?

[walt.farrell]

7 hours ago, Bryce said:

I am getting the warning but there is nothing to take me to the frame that's causing the issue. I have no idea where it's at. Any idea how to find which frame where there is a lot of color and graphics?

About all you can do is make sure you have View > Show Text Flow enabled and View > Preview Mode disabled, then page through your document looking for any blue text frames with red dots near the upper left or lower right sides.

Don't forget to look at your Master Pages, too. In fact, it's probably best to start there, as the problem can also occur on them, if you have any text supplied on your Master Pages.

[UkeyD]

8 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

About all you can do is make sure you have View > Show Text Flow enabled and View > Preview Mode disabled, then page through your document looking for any blue text frames with red dots near the upper left or lower right sides.

Don't forget to look at your Master Pages, too. In fact, it's probably best to start there, as the problem can also occur on them, if you have any text supplied on your Master Pages.

Hi thanks so much for this. It really helped! I just couldn’t find the overflow text box but this did the trick. The red dots appeared instantly. Thanks again. 

[Thorsten Zimmermann]

On 9/20/2018 at 12:49 PM, iaing said:

Love the new alert dots in build 128 when an overflowed text frame isn't selected, and the warning if you try to print or export while there is overflowed text in the document - better still in that alert, instead of just 'cancel' would be a list of the guilty pages, with even a 'take me to the first guilty page' button.

incredible that this still hasnt been done... 15 Month later now... and still just a warning, without a "take me to issue" button...

[carl123]

5 hours ago, Thorsten Zimmermann said:

incredible that this still hasnt been done... 15 Month later now... and still just a warning, without a "take me to issue" button...

Double clicking on the warning in the Preflight panel takes you directly to the page and highlights the overflowing text frame (in the latest beta)