[scribus] Master pages not working as expected

Tue Aug 21 16:31:38 UTC 2018

Hi, I've done one Scribus based project and managed to get through it OK. I
can't say it was "easy" but it wasn't impossible. Now I'm trying a new
project so I figured I'd do things a little more tidy this time than
re-inventing the same layouts over and over. Last time I used the Scrapbook
a lot. This time I thought it's time for Master Pages - just like I used to
do when I edited presentations in PowerPoint years ago.

Using 1.4.7 on Windows 10 64bit.

I watched this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RrkoxJrRQs on Master
Pages and read https://wiki.scribus.net/canvas/Help:Manual_Masterpages I
also found out Page>Manage Guides to set up the number of columns/rows that
I might want to set so that I've got a grid to work to.

I created an A4 portrait orientation document. I set it to have three
columns and three rows with a gap of 10pt relative to the margins.

I went to Edit>Master Pages and created a new master page called "Left with
header image and 3 cols of text". Again I set up for three columns/three
rows with a 10pt gap. I dragged an image over the first full row (top third
of page). Then I dragged a text box over the bottom two rows (bottom two
thirds of page) and I set the properties of the text box Properties>Columns
& Text Distances to be 3 columns with a gap of 10pt.

This all looked fine in the page master.

I applied this new left hand page master to the next page on the left hand
side.

What I got wasn't expected. I found another text box covering all of the
page was present - with three columns. If I put sample text in it the text
covered the image space. But even if I deleted it I couldn't select the text
area to insert text into it. Similarly the image area I can't do
File>Import>Get Image because I can't even select it.

My plan was to create half a dozen master page layouts for left and right
pages to use in my document and then simply populate the pages as I wished.
I don't seem to be able to do that though because I can't add text to my
"bottom two thirds" text area and I can't add images to my "top one third"
area.

Frustrated I deleted the extra pages and tried again. I deleted the guides
and under Page>Manage Guides>Misc deleted them from all pages. I've got ONE
page in the document at this point on a right hand side. It has a single
image on the whole of it (it's the front page of an eBook) and it has a text
title. I'm wanted to add two double page spreads after it. I deleted the
Master Page that I had created.

Page>Insert and add four pages at end. All four have three columns! Normal
Left and Normal Right have no guides, no columns, but my new pages certainly
do for some reason.

I'm must be doing something very wrong. I'm about to try again with a
completely blank start in case the file itself has got confused (see below).

Any bright ideas, please? I thought master pages was going to be simple but
I've wasted a couple of hours on this now.

My final attempt went like this:

New document, A4, vertical.

Edit>Master Pages

Create new Master Page called "Left Image and three columns"

Page>Manage Guides>Column/Row and create 2 horizontal and 2 vertical each
with gap of 10pt relative to margins.

Add image to the top one third of the page.

Add a text box to the bottom two thirds of the page and in the properties
for the text box set Columns & Text Distances to 3 columns with a 10pt gap.

Close master page view.

Page>Insert Page and add 4 regular "normal left/right" pages at the end.

Go to Page 2 (our first left hand page) and apply master page "Left image
and three columns" to current page.

I can now see a "cross" on the top third of page 2 suggesting an image. I
can now see a three column grid on the bottom of page 2 suggesting I can add
text.

I cannot do File>Import>Get Text nor File>Import Get Image. Indeed I can't
select either the text or image placeholders in order to interact with them
at all.

I feel like I'm missing something really subtle. I can't believe I can't
interact with those placeholders on a master. Nor can I believe this is
proving so difficult.

If I can't get any progress on this I'm faster to abandon Scribus and use
PowerPoint! That would be a sorry statement on usability.

What am I missing?

Mark

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