[PageMaker 6.5.] Problems when importing layers

[JanKowalski]

Hello,

we try to copy layers from one PM-file (PC, PM 6.5.) to another PM-file (PC, PM 6.5.). On the first glance everything seems to be ok, but in fact the spacings and the font styles are completely chaotic on the newly imported layers. Now, if you click a text block (or change it in any way), the font style and the spacing are changing and everything IS ok. The only problem is, that we cannot click every single text block in a 1200 pages document.

Does anyone know, how to import/copy the layers in a way, that all styles and spacings etc. will be preserved?

Thank you.

Jan Kowalski, dr.kowalski@gmx.de

[Broacher]

Sounds like a recomposing issue. I suspect a simple forced recomposing would do the trick. Just hold down Shift and click on 'Hyphenation' in the Type menu. This forces a global recomp. if you hold down Ctrl too, PM performs a diagnostic recomposition and the number of beeps will let you know if there are any problems with the document.

1 beep: no problems found. 2 beeps: problems found and fixed. 3: problems not fixable.

(Just imagine what a world it would be if relationships came with this feature!)

[Eggles]

>>we try to copy layers from one PM-file (PC, PM 6.5.) to another PM-file (PC, PM 6.5.). <<

Are these on the same computer? Are both docs 'composed to' the same printer? (under doc set-up).

You must also ensure that the styles are identical between the source and target documents. Easiest way to do this is set up a new target doc, with the same page size, orientation and margins as the source doc and composed to the same printer as the source doc, then remove all the styles. There's a script under Window>Plug-in Palettes>Show scripts>Text>Styles that will remove all styles except the [no style] from a blank doc. Then in the Styles flyout menu, choose Import Styles and browse to the source doc. Bring in its styles. Then when you copy from the source to the target doc, the text should stay the same.

[Broacher]

Lynn, I'm not following why you need to open a new target document, if you're just moving stuff from one open doc to another. Yeah, you have to be carefull about overwriting styles when pasting or imoprting style sheets, and so most of the time you need to remove styles from the 'source' document. But , why go to a new one in between? As long as you don't save the changes made by deleting the styles of the source doc, the text will just lose its tags temporarily. BTW, in many cases, it's usually just as quick, or quicker to delete all the styles in the 'Define Styles' box (under Type menu) and click on the first style name, and then Remove (or Alt-R) over and over.

Another thing to remember if you're copying and pasting between docs is that it's often a good idea to group things together on a page before copying. This just helps keeps things more easily moveable. Also, if you use Ctrl-Alt-V for your paste, it comes in with the same coordinates at the time of copying so if you're pasting to a same size page, you then won't need to readjust.

A couple of other things: be careful in using 'Select All' for your page copying: unless you really 'own' the doc you're working on, and you know there's nothing 'extra' lurking on the pasteboard, or master page, or whatever--- it pays to copy only what you really need. And even then, when I'm working on someone else's file, I'll pay close attention to lost links, errant styles (the infamous 'Normal' of Word pasting), missing fonts etc.--IOW, a good cleanup BEFORE I get to the C & P. PageMaker can sweep a LOT of stuff under it's document carpet.

And like you said, composition target can be a very critical setting to preserve.

[Eggles]

Bob - the main reason I suggested a new doc in between was to minimise transfer of any possible corruption from the source doc. Specially if the global recomp results in 3 beeps.

>>BTW, in many cases, it's usually just as quick, or quicker to delete all the styles in the 'Define Styles' box (under Type menu)<<

I think the script works very fast - and it's fun watching all those styles being deleted! If there are a lot of styles, there's very little mouse clicking required.

I agree that you need to group first, select all carefully and use the power paste to bring the elemets into the same position on the new page.

Pity we haven't heard back from the OP if any of the suggestions worked.

[Broacher]

>>I think the script works very fast - and it's fun watching all those styles being deleted! If there are a lot of styles, there's very little mouse clicking required.<<

It's getting to the script palette, finding the script that always seems to take the longest for me! But that was before QuicKeys. One of the things I was also able to accomplish with QuicKeys was work out a way to assing kb shortcuts to appyly styles to selected text. That's turned out to be a real time saver!

>>the main reason I suggested a new doc in between was to minimise transfer of any possible corruption from the source doc. Specially if the global recomp results in 3 beeps.<<

And that's another reason I suggested using the type style box instead: quite often I've found that corrupted files 'kill' the whole scripting engine, so I can't even access it if I wanted to.