Column guides sometime go invisible or are deleted/changed when using multiple master pages

[GarryP]

Windows 10 Home 1809, Publisher 1.7.0.206.

Unfortunately I can't give you a simple sample document that shows the problem as it doesn't always happen but sometimes when I:
* have a master page with column guides;
* then apply that master to a spread;
* then create another master with 'normal' guides;
* then apply that new master to the spread - as well as the other one, not replacing - the column guides sometimes:
A. go invisible (often) while 'normal' guides are still visible;
B. become visible again when I randomly drag the masters in the layout studio (infrequently works as a fix);
C. get deleted all together;
D. get renumbered to a much higher number, e.g. from 4 columns to 48 columns (only seen that once so far).

Again, sorry I can't supply an example document. Hopefully I've given enough info' to start a small investigation.

[JFisher]

Hi GarryP,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you on this. 

Are you still having this issue with the latest build? 

[GarryP]

Hi JFisher.

That's okay, I realise you must all be very busy.

I've just tried it with build 238 and re-arranging the master page layers still gives one of the issues above.
I've attached an example document (created with 238) where:
* the column guides are on master spread "Master A";
* the normal guides are on master spread "Normal";
* both the "Normal" and "Master A" spreads are applied to pages 2 and 3;
* if you move the "Master A" layer to the bottom of the layer stack the column guides are shown;
* but, if you move the "Normal" layer to the bottom of the layer stack the column guides disappear.
Repeat the re-arrangement and you see the issue coming and going.

I haven't done enough repeat testing to say if the other issues - with the guides getting deleted or being changed - still apply though.

guides-go-missing.afpub

[JFisher]

Thanks Garry!

I'll get this logged

[GarryP]

Thanks. I'm glad it's not just me doing something wrong, again.

[AdamW]

Hi GarryP,

We think it only makes sense to display one set of margins and column guides per page and if there is more than one master assigned to the same page we take them from the rearmost. I think this explains the behaviour you are seeing. It's been suggested we could tweak this by skipping a spread if it had no margins or column guides, but I'd be worried making the rules more complicated might cause confusion.

[GarryP]

Hi Adam.

I would have to experiment more with how things are but I think what you're saying sounds right.
If every master page that was applied to a page/spread was 'active' and I had, for example, three applied master pages, each with different margins, guides and column guides then doing any layout work could be very awkward as the margins and guides on each master page would fight with each other for snapping.
This issue came from - as far as I can remember - some experimentation I was doing with a magazine layout where I had the guides for each area of the page layout on different master pages: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/75807-magazine-spread-experiment-radio-times/
For example, the guides for the left-hand picture layout were on one master page and the guides for the bottom-right-hand box-out were on another. I could apply the relevant master page to the spread when needed and then remove the master page when I was done with it.
I have a feeling that this wasn't the best way to be doing things but I'm still getting to grips with this.
If the rule is that the 'active' master page - for layout purposes - is always the one that is at the bottom of the layer stack then that sounds like a good and sensible way to go, certainly better than skipping certain master pages under specific conditions which would, as you say, probably cause confusion.
Dragging the master page that I want to use for layout at any particular moment to the bottom of the stack is very easy to do so that sounds like a perfectly reasonable way to go.
As long as this is highlighted in the documentation then I would say that this part of the issue I raised can be closed as far as I'm concerned (although I haven't been able to check the other parts of the issue - guides going missing or being "renumbered" - yet).
Cheers.