Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

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andy_smith
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Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by andy_smith »

Hi

Can anyone shed some light on this please?
Screenshot 2022-11-15 160237.png
The Page Layout dropdown is greyed out. I need to select a different page layout file but the only way I can get the dropdown to become active is to select a Break Type other than 'None'. I don't want to insert a break so I'd like to leave it as 'None'.

I'm expecting the Open File button to allow me to browse to the file I want to use but it won't let me when the list is greyed out.

I'd just like to set the Page Layout for this section to the Primary Page Layout. Is that done by selecting '(default)' from the dropdown list of files in the PageLayouts folder? I know I've set sections to the Primary Page Layout in the past but I forget if I don't do it frequently.

Just for the avoidance of doubt, by leaving the Page Break as 'None' I mean that the first text in this section should continue on the page from the previous text.
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I'm on UK time (UTC+0). I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I may not see replies outside of those days.
NorthEast
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by NorthEast »

If you want this topic to use a different page layout to the previous topic (in your TOC), then you have to select a break type.
Select a Page Layout Break, if you just want to change the layout and not the numbering or anything else.
andy_smith
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by andy_smith »

I want to change the page layout from the one that is greyed out in the list. I'm talking about the page layout called 'GIS Topic Page Layout Large'. I want to change the layout to the primary page layout.

I'm guessing that the one that is greyed out in the list, next to the Open File button, is the one that is currently selected for the section?
I'm on UK time (UTC+0). I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I may not see replies outside of those days.
NorthEast
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by NorthEast »

Just ignore the greyed out Page Layout, as it's just remembering what you selected there previously.

As you've set Break Type to None, then no page layout break is being applied to this topic, so ignore whatever is shown in the Page Layout list.

In the output, this topic will be using whatever the 'current' page layout is - which could be the default page layout set in the target, or a page layout that's set by a break earlier in your TOC.
So if it's using the wrong page layout when you look at the actual output PDF, then you need to change it using a Break Type in your TOC.
andy_smith
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by andy_smith »

Dave Lee wrote:Just ignore the greyed out Page Layout, as it's just remembering what you selected there previously.

As you've set Break Type to None, then no page layout break is being applied to this topic, so ignore whatever is shown in the Page Layout list.

In the output, this topic will be using whatever the 'current' page layout is - which could be the default page layout set in the target, or a page layout that's set by a break earlier in your TOC.
So if it's using the wrong page layout when you look at the actual output PDF, then you need to change it using a Break Type in your TOC.
We're talking at cross purposes. I don't want a break of any type. But I do need to change the page layout that is shown in the greyed out list item. That page layout is causing an error when I build the document so I need to change it to the primary page layout which the document is set up for, but the dialogue box won't allow me to change it because it's greyed out. My question has always been how to I change the page layout if the list is greyed out?
I'm on UK time (UTC+0). I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I may not see replies outside of those days.
NorthEast
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by NorthEast »

Like I said, it remembers what you selected previously. So you'd need to set a Break Type - Page Layout, choose an option like Default, save it, then set the Break Type back to None.

But my point is that you shouldn't need to change this, as it shouldn't cause any problem. No page break is being set on the TOC item, so it's not going to apply that page layout in your output.
If the page layout is being applied in the output, that means you've set it somewhere else - but it's not this TOC item that's the problem.
doloremipsum
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by doloremipsum »

@andy_smith, did you mean that you wanted to use a different default page layout for your entire project? The Primary Page Layout is set in the target programming.
Alternatively, if it's the "Normal" page in your existing page layout file that's causing problems, you can open the page layout file itself and edit or delete that page. Whatever is set as the Normal page will be used by default within the document, I believe.
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robdocsmith
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Re: Page Layout dropdown list is greyed out

Post by robdocsmith »

If no page layouts have been explicitly set in the TOC anywhere, the document will build with the page layout set as Primary in the General tab of the Target. The document will continue to build using that primary page layout until you set something different using the properties of the TOC entry. As Dave said, the fact it is greyed out for this item just says that at some point in the past this page had a page break set. It no longer does, so this topic isn't the one causing your issue. If you are having issues with the page layout being used, check back through previous topics in the TOC for page breaks and change them there to whatever page layout you need, or set them to None.

You can multi-select many items in the TOC and change their Break Type to None (only change this item - changing other values may cause issues with your build you don't expect). But that will remove all page breaks and that might not be what you want.

Or open the FLTOC file in a text editor and do a search for the troublesome page layout. I'd make any changes to page layouts in the Flare editor though as it is easy to make syntax errors in the FLTOC file.

Cheers,
Rob
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