Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

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amatsumoto
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Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by amatsumoto »

In my print TOC, topics that begin a new chapter have the property "Start a new chapter document" enabled. I do this because the first page of each chapter has a different page layout than the pages that follow it. Also, when we get our 1200+ page user guide into Flare we don't want one massive file generated for Frame output. Rather than have two print master pages in Flare (one for the 1st page, the other for the rest), the page style is handled in Frame by a template.

What is happening is that each chapter in the Frame output starts at page 1, but I really want the page numbering to continue from the previous chapter. Oddly, the Table of Contents and Index (generated by Flare using the TOC and IX proxies) give correct page numbers, as though Flare internally knew the correct pagination, but did not carry it over to the output chapter files. Cross reference page numbers generate as if each chapter begins at page number 1. Am I missing a setting somewhere? Do I have my print TOC set up incorrectly? In the print TOC, each new chapter is a book, with the topics for that chapter underneath it.

My workaround is to set the page numbering in the FrameMaker book to "continue" and then regenerate the book in Frame. When I do that the page numbers and x-refs are as I expect them to be...however, I'd prefer to not have these extra steps to get my output.
Abby
SteveS
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Re: Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by SteveS »

Hi Abby,

I'm guessing the masterpage you use forces the page number to start at x, each time you use it its starting the numbering again.

If this is the case you might need 2 copies of the masterpage, one without the forced numbering that you apply to the second and subsequent chapters.
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amatsumoto
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Re: Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by amatsumoto »

Hi Steve,
If it is the master page forcing the restart, where do I change that? I checked the stylesheet settings for the bodyProxy that is on the master page, but I don't see anything that looks like it's setting the page number.
Abby
amatsumoto
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Re: Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by amatsumoto »

To add a little more info...My Flare master page for print is just the topic body proxy. I don't have any headers or footers in it, as I will apply those from the FrameMaker template. When I generate the Frame output from that master page, each new chapter starts at 1, as in my first post. Then I experimented by using a print master that contains header/footer proxies where the footer uses the page number system variable. When I generate Frame output using that master page, each new chapter starts at page 3.
Abby
KevinDAmery
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Re: Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by KevinDAmery »

Abby,

The numbering used for print is controlled in the body proxy of the master page. Right click on the master page and choose Edit Body Proxy. In the body proxy properties, click on Printer Page Properties. You can control the start number and format here (among other things).

In order to get the numbers to continue, I think you have to use Default instead of a specific number. However, this may cause problems if you have front matter using a different numbering sequence. If you do, you may have to have two master pages: one that starts the numbering at a specific number, and one that uses Default to continue the numbering.

HTH.
Until next time....
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amatsumoto
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Re: Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by amatsumoto »

Hmmmm. My body proxy Start Number is set to default. I tried setting it to 2 and generated Frame output to see if it had any influence on the page numbers, but the chapters still start at 1. I also checked my bodyProxy mc-page-number-start-value in the stylesheet and that is (not set). Changing it to a number other than 1 didn't make any difference. Still starting at 1. I also right-clicked and checked the Properties for the files that start new chapters. For autonumbers I made sure the Chapter Number was set to continue from the previous chapter.

I'm wondering if the numbering decision is coming from somewhere else. I tried another experiment with a master page that has footer proxies. The Start Number setting is at default and the mc-page-number-start-value is (not set). As I noticed previously, the Frame output starts at 3 when I have footer proxies - why do footer proxies determine that it should start at 3? Using the same master page w/footer proxies that have the system page number, I deleted the footer proxies and generated the Frame output again. When I don't have the footer proxies, the chapters start at 1 again.

Could it be something with the system page number variable?

Thanks for your help.

More info...Because I had created the master page with a demo copy of Flare, I thought there could be a problem with it. I created a new master page using the Chapters.flmsp that comes with Factory Templates. I did not edit anything and generated Frame output. This time, the pagination was correct! Chapters continued page numbering from the previous chapter. My cross-reference page numbers in the mini chapter TOC were also correct. Things were looking good, so I stripped out the headers and footers from the new master page and left it with just the topic body proxy. When I generated the file, the cross-ref page numbers were still good, and even without a footer I could tell that the pagination was still good. Then I applied the Frame template. As soon as I did that, the footer comes in with page numbering at 1 at the beginning of a chapter, and my x-ref TOCs are automatically updated to page numbers that match the new schema. My Frame template and book files are all set to continue page numbering from the previous file, so I don't get what is happening now in Frame.
Abby
tana
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Re: Getting page numbers to "continue" in Frame

Post by tana »

Hi, Abby, I was having the exact same issue, but I have learned that if I regenerate the book in Frame then the pages numbers for each .fm are corrected. That is, when I first view the Frame outout, and I click any of the .fm files in the .book, then each says it starts with page 1. But if I regen the book, the page numbers are corrected.

let me know if that works for you!

tana
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