Multiflow documents

A text flow is a series of connected text frames through which the text flows in a document. Most documents have a single text flow, from the first page to the last, in which FrameMaker handles the text frame connections automatically. You make the text frame connections yourself only for documents in which you need to weave several text flows together—for example, with a newsletter in which you need to continue a front-page article on the back page, skipping over other articles on the intervening pages.

The current text frame’s flow tag appears in the Tag area of the status bar.

Tag area of status bar

You set up a document with side-by-side text flows by laying out and connecting the text frames on the master pages. Because the text frame connections are the same throughout the document, you usually don’t need to make further changes on the body pages.

1. Set up the flows on one of the master pages. Use a text frame for each flow and assign a different flow tag to each text frame. Make sure that Autoconnect is on for each flow so that FrameMaker adds a new body page whenever text reaches the end of one of the flows.

   Left and right master pages for a side-by-side flow
   

   

   
   

2. Repeat the previous step for the remaining master pages. All master pages should have the same flow tags. Otherwise, FrameMaker will not alternate properly between the left and right master pages when adding body pages.

   Important: To create a new body page correctly when text reaches the bottom of a text frame, the appropriate left or right master page must contain all of the flow tags on the current body page. If any flow tag is missing, FrameMaker creates the new page with the current body page’s master page instead.

3. Update the body pages with the master page changes by displaying body pages.

You set up a newsletter or magazine that requires nonparallel, multiple flows by establishing a column layout on the master pages. However, the master pages act only as the basic layout grid. You resize, delete, connect, and disconnect the text frames on the body pages until they look right. This approach gives you the greatest flexibility in determining the way text flows through the document.

1. Decide on the number of columns, and place that number of single-column text frames on each master page. All of the text frames should be in the same flow. You can use these text frames as the layout grid within which you’ll have text flow.

   First master page
   

   

   
   
   Left and right master pages with the same flow
   

   

   
   

2. Turn off Autoconnect so that FrameMaker will not automatically add pages.

3. Update body pages with the master page changes by displaying body pages.

4. On each body page, resize, disconnect, and connect text frames as necessary. Don’t update the master pages as you make changes on the body pages.

5. To synchronize text baselines in the newsletter, make sure that the text frames are placed appropriately. If the document contains several text flows, synchronize baselines for each flow.

6. Manually create new disconnected body pages as necessary.

7. Connect text frames between pages as necessary.

You normally change flow tags and the Autoconnect setting on master pages. If two text frames are connected, you must disconnect them before you can change one of their flow tags.

1. Click in a text frame in the flow.

2. Choose Format > Customize Layout > Customize Text Frame.

3. Enter a tag for the flow in the Flow Tag text box. You should keep flow tags short so that they do not obscure other information in the Tag area of the status bar. You cannot assign a tag that is already used on the current page.

   Note: If you want two text frames on a page to have the same flow tag, connect the text frames.

4. If you want FrameMaker to add a new page when you fill the last column on a page, select Autoconnect.

5. Click Set.

In documents with one main flow or two parallel flows, you normally don’t add disconnected body pages; you let FrameMaker add connected pages automatically when necessary. In a multiflow document in which Auto-connect is off, or in other specialized documents, you can add new, disconnected body pages. When the text reaches the end of a text frame, you add a new page and connect the text frames.

1. From a body page, choose Insert > Add Disconnected Pages.

2. Choose the location and number of pages you want to add.

3. Choose a master page from the Use Master Page pop-up menu and click Add.

When you delete disconnected pages in a multiflow document, FrameMaker also deletes the pages’ contents.

1. Click in a page you want to delete and choose Format > Document > Delete Pages.

2. Specify the first and last disconnected pages you want to delete and click Delete. If you want to delete only one page, enter its page number in both text boxes.

When two text frames are connected, the text flows from the end of the first text frame to the beginning of the second. You can connect a text frame on a master page to any other text frame on the same master page, and you can connect a text frame on a body page to any text frame on any body page. You can also connect a text frame in the middle of a flow.

When you connect two text frames, FrameMaker assigns the first text frame’s flow tag to the second frame. If the first text frame is untagged, the second frame’s tag is used. That way, all connected text frames belong to the same flow and have the same tag. If the first text frame contains overflowing text, the text flows into the second frame when you make the connection.

1. Select the two text frames in the order in which you want text to flow. To select the text frames, Control-click the text frames.

   If the text frames are on different pages, the first frame is deselected when you select the second one, but FrameMaker keeps track of the first selection.

   Note: To add a text frame to the middle of a flow, first select the text frame you want to add, and then select the frame that should follow it.

2. Choose Format > Customize Layout > Connect Text Frames. If the first text frame you selected isn’t on a page that’s currently visible, an alert message asks whether you want to connect to that frame.

You disconnect text frames when you want to create separate flows—for example, to place an article in a specific location in a newsletter, or to create a pull-quote. If you need to start a new flow in the middle of a column, you can split the text frame that contains the column in two, and then disconnect the two text frames.

You can disconnect a text frame from the preceding text frame, the following one, or both. You can also remove a text frame from the middle of a flow.

Disconnecting text frames does not affect existing text in the frames. To move text to a different text frame, cut and paste it after disconnecting the frames.

1. Select the text frame you want to disconnect by Control-clicking the text frame.

2. Choose Format > Customize Layout, and then choose Disconnect Previous, Disconnect Next, or Disconnect Both.

1. Select the text frame immediately preceding the one you want to remove. To do this, Control-click the text frame.

2. Select the text frame immediately following the text frame you want to remove.

3. Choose Format > Customize Layout > Connect Text Frames. If the first text frame you selected isn’t on a page that’s currently visible, an alert message asks whether you want to connect to that frame.

You can split a text frame in two, and then disconnect the two text frames to start a new flow. For example, you may want a new article with its own flow to start in the middle of a text frame.

The second of three text frames is split, disconnected from the first text frame, and retagged.

When an article in a newsletter or magazine continues from one page to another, you can use cross-references to tell the reader where to turn to continue reading and to indicate where the end of the article is continued from.

Indicate where the flow continues, and where it is continued from.

1. Resize the two text frames to make room for the cross-references. Drag the bottom of the first text frame upward and the top of the continuation text frame downward.

2. Draw a small text frame below the text frame on the first page, and another above the text frame on the continuation page. Don’t connect either text frame to any other text frame.

3. Insert a cross-reference in the empty text frame on the first page, referring to the continuation page of the article.

4. Insert a cross-reference in the empty text frame on the continuation page, referring to the first page of the article.

In a document with many flows, it’s easy to lose sight of where a flow continues. You can zoom out to see more of a text flow or move from one text frame in a flow to the next.

1. Zoom out to 25% and adjust the window size to see as many pages as necessary.

2. Click in the flow you want to check and choose Edit > Select All In Flow. The flow is highlighted, showing how it traverses the pages of the document.

3. To move through a flow’s text flow’s text frames, do one of the following:

   • To display the next connected text frame, click in the last line of a text frame and press the Down Arrow key.

   • To display the preceding connected text frame, click in the first line of a text frame and press the Up Arrow key.