Can I "lock" a page so it will not change during editing?

[mycroft]

I am working with a very image-rich long document. I spent quite some time getting a couple of image-fiiled pages so that they were just as I wanted them. I found that similar layout work on the next few pages entirely disrupted the layout of those original pages. I did not discover the issue until the original pages were essentially impossible to recover. Eventually I simply discarded and will start over tomorrow to get these pages set up again. The layout of these pages (and the subsequent ones that caused the disruption) involves lots of floating-image placement, resizing, captioning, text-boxes and assorted marking arrows and online shapes on pages with little or no flowing text.

Question: Is there a way to lock a page or group of pages so that subsequent work cannot disrupt them? To look at it another way, how can I restrict layout work on a page so that it does not not affect any previously designed page(s), and still have continuous text flow before and after these image-filled page? If I could just tell it to leave previously completed pages alone and just affect the current page or spill over forward if needed into newly-created "future" page(s), that would be good. Inserting images and text boxes and resizing them to obtain a useful layout seems to disrupt the previous pages the most. The disruption moved images and shapes on previous pages so much that their anchors jumped to various other paragraphs, and just made a mess of things that had been carefully constructed. Is there an Insert New Page or Add Page command? Not a page break because that means an actual page break, which I don't want, but a way to bring in a new page at the end to accommodate images and shapes that do not fit until they have been manipulated and arranged? Sometimes the images just disappear off the end of the document to go who knows where? Sorry to grumble, but I am trying to learn the image management aspect of the software; sometimes I miss the literal cutting and pasting of real paper from my old book-layout days....
Thanks

[Groucho]

Hello, mycroft.

If I get it right, you want to isolate one or more pages in a longer document. My first reaction was to suggest inserting a page break or a section break to the next page before and after, but you rule that out. I can’t see why. A break will cause the page to shift back or forth by whole pages, leaving the particular section layout intact. You can even have a different page size in a section, if you choose to. I don’t understand the reason that you do not want to use a break.

Regards, Henry.

[mycroft]

Thanks for weighing-in, Henry.

Wouldn't inserting page (or section) breaks affect automatic flow of ordinary text around, within, and through the image-rich pages to the pages beyond? If ordinary text flow and text wrap is unaffected, that is my answer. What I want is to lock the image "layout" but not the text flow associated with the images. I do need to be able to edit the text; would a break not inhibit the text flow and cause some text to be lost when it bumps up to the break? I'd guess I should have done a final "Group" of all the images as arranged on the page; so far I have just grouped the contents of each image separately before placement. I can see breaks as protection for previous layout, however.

Also aren't page and section breaks actually breaks? Last night I thought about inserting them at the start of the image manipulation and removing them when the resizing and arrangement is complete so placement can be made without an image being stuck on a new page instead of the page I actually want it in. I really would like to be able to ask for a new page without a break at the end (or for it to be automatically created) when my inserted image proves to be too large for the space. It just disappears off the end of the document page so I cannot find it to adjust the size. If I am simply writing text, a new page automatically appears as needed; this is apparently not true with images?

One method I tried is to keep hitting "Return" (giving me a string of empty "paragraphs") until I've created my desired new-page image-sandbox. This does require a lot of anchor manipulation to get the image anchored to the correct "paragraph" on the correct page; however, I was hoping for an easier way.

Sorry for such newbie questions, but I do need to learn this. I need this software for its indexing capabilities, and so far, I really do like it. But there probably will be one or more images on almost every page, so I need better mastery of the process. Thanks.

[xiamenese]

Hi Mycroft,

Yes, where you have many images on a single page, this problem of anchors jumping, usually to the previous page and the hard-created layout being messed up is one that has hit me. I think Nisus hoped to have it solved in a previous version, but I'm still getting it.

In terms of putting in a page or section break, or a full page-width image inline in its own paragraph, but still retaining full justification, there are two macros to fully justify the paragraph before the break — "Justify Fully English" and "Justify Fully English (remove spaces)" — which are in the Nisus macro repository:

http://nisus.com/pro/macros/?activeCat=Editing

Apparently the Apple text-engine, on which NWP is based, can't do fully justified and such things are too deep in the text engine to modify, hence the macro-route. I think this came up in another thread, but I can't find it and don't have enough time to search at the moment. But perhaps the macros might help solve your problem.

Mark

[Groucho]

What if you export the document to pdf, extract the page(s) with graphics using Preview, and then import them back into the doc as images?

Henry.

[martin]

My suggestion would be to group all the floating shapes/etc once you've finished placing them. Or at least group as many shape collections that make logical sense. That way if the anchoring paragraph changes pages (and thus the floating shapes also changes pages), you only have to move one anchor point.

One method I tried is to keep hitting "Return" (giving me a string of empty "paragraphs") until I've created my desired new-page image-sandbox.

If you're inserting a big sequence of newlines to get to a new page, I don't understand why a page break won't do. It basically does the same thing: ensures that you have a new page "image-sandbox" right after the break.

[mycroft]

Thanks Martin,

I reworked the pages and did do the final groupings as you suggested. It has worked out so far.

If you're inserting a big sequence of newlines to get to a new page, I don't understand why a page break won't do. It basically does the same thing: ensures that you have a new page "image-sandbox" right after the break.

What does the Page Break do to the document's text flow from before and on through to after the image-rich pages? I'd be glad to use that if text flow and wrap remains uninterrupted. If I used Page Break to add my sandbox, would I have to remove it to restore text flow after I've set up my image pages?

Also, might there be a way to get the Insertion of a too-big image to get my sandbox automatically? I have a suspicion that the necessity for the anchor prevents that (the reason I used the multi-Returns, or might use a Page Break).

Thanks,
Joan

[martin]

I reworked the pages and did do the final groupings as you suggested. It has worked out so far.

Great, that's good to hear.

What does the Page Break do to the document's text flow from before and on through to after the image-rich pages? I'd be glad to use that if text flow and wrap remains uninterrupted.

Inserting a page break will not affect the placement/flow of any text that comes before the break, nor any floating shapes anchored to text before the break (indeed, those floating shapes could even occupy the blank area after the break). Text that comes after the inserted break will always be forced to the next (new) page; floating shapes anchored to text after the break will also be forced onward.

If I used Page Break to add my sandbox, would I have to remove it to restore text flow after I've set up my image pages?

Yes, if you want natural text flow restored afterward you'll have to delete the break. Page breaks intentionally disrupt the natural flow of regular document body text from the very bottom of one page to the top of the next. However, the whitespace created by a break might not necessarily be a problem; that's up to you and your document content (eg: perhaps you could fill the space with floating shapes).

Also, might there be a way to get the Insertion of a too-big image to get my sandbox automatically? I have a suspicion that the necessity for the anchor prevents that (the reason I used the multi-Returns, or might use a Page Break).

That's an idea, though it might be a little awkward.

One other workflow: rather than drawing shapes that float free, each with its own separate anchoring paragraph, start by drawing a "canvas" shape. A canvas has a single anchoring paragraph and acts to capture/group new shapes that you draw inside of it.

[mycroft]

Thanks again Martin,

Page Break does work just as i suspected, thus, my reasoning for the multi Returns. I appreciate your clear explanation. I do need free flow of text.

One other workflow: rather than drawing shapes that float free, each with its own separate anchoring paragraph, start by drawing a "canvas" shape. A canvas has a single anchoring paragraph and acts to capture/group new shapes that you draw inside of it.

Aha! I think this may just make everything work out, or at least keep things under control with fewer steps. I completely missed using this option; I'll give it a try.
Joan