Import formats from a template or document

You can import paragraph formats, table formats, variable definitions, and other properties from any document. You can also retain or remove any format overrides in the document—for example, changes that were made to a paragraph but not stored in the Paragraph Catalog.

Import formats

  1. Open the document that contains the formats you want to import.

  2. Make the appropriate document window or book window active. If a book window is active, select the documents you want to update.

  3. In the document or book you’re updating, choose File > Import > Formats.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To import formats from a document, choose the document from the Import From Document pop‑up menu. The pop‑up menu lists all open, saved documents.

    • To reapply formats from the current document, choose Current from the Import From Document pop‑up menu.

  5. Select the Import and Update settings you want to apply to the current document. By default, all options are selected. To deselect or select all options at once, click Deselect All or Select All. If you’re updating variable definitions, cross-reference formats, or math definitions, and if any of these items use character formats, select Character Formats so that the formats are added to the document.

  6. To remove changes that you made to individual formats and didn’t save in a catalog, do the following:

    • To remove page breaks that are not a part of a Paragraph Catalog format, select Manual Page Breaks.

    • To remove paragraph, character, page layout, and table formatting overrides, select Other Format/Layout Overrides.

  7. Click Import.

About import and update settings

When you import formatting information from a template, FrameMaker merges the information into the document rather than completely replacing the information. For example, when you import paragraph formats, FrameMaker adds the formats to the document’s Paragraph Catalog. If any formats have the same name in both documents, the imported format overwrites the original format. Any formats that are not overwritten remain in the document.

Note: Format names are case-sensitive, so Body is not the same as body.
Paragraph formats
The template’s Paragraph Catalog is merged into the document, and all formats in the catalog are reapplied in the document. The template’s PDF bookmark settings are also copied into the document.

Character formats
The template’s Character Catalog is merged into the document, and all formats in the catalog are reapplied in the document.

Page layouts
The template’s master pages are merged into the document, and body pages are updated with the master page changes. If the template and the document both have a master page with the same name, the template’s master page replaces the document’s. FrameMaker copies the change bar properties, all the settings in the Page Size and Pagination dialog boxes, and most settings in the View Options dialog box.

Table formats
The template’s Table Catalog and ruling styles are merged into the document, and all formats in the catalog are reapplied in the document.

Color definitions
The template’s color definitions and views are merged into the document.

Document properties
The template’s custom marker types and footnote properties; the volume, chapter, page, paragraph, footnote, and table footnote numbering styles in the Numbering Properties dialog box; the characters in the Allow Line Breaks After setting in the Text Options dialog box; and the Feather settings in the Line Layout dialog box are merged into the document. The PDF Setup settings (other than the bookmark settings) are also merged into the document. On Japanese-language systems, the rubi properties and kumihan rules (Japanese-language typesetting rules) are also merged into the document.

Reference pages
All the template’s reference pages (except for FrameMath reference pages) are merged into the document. If the template and the document both have a reference page with the same name, the template’s reference page replaces the document’s. To import FrameMath reference pages, select Math Definitions.

Variable definitions
The template’s variable definitions are merged into the document.

Cross-reference formats
The template’s cross-reference formats are merged into the document, and internal cross-references are updated.

Conditional text settings
The template’s condition tags and Show/Hide settings are merged into the document and applied to conditional text.

Math definitions
The template’s equation size and font settings, custom math element definitions, and FrameMath reference pages are copied into the document. If a custom math element in the document is deleted when the reference pages are merged, FrameMaker replaces the math element in equations with the name of the element enclosed by question marks.

Combined fonts
On Japanese-language systems, the specifications for combined Japanese and Western fonts are merged into the document and applied to text that uses combined fonts.