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Should I be able to create a master page template with Creator 5.5 so that a series of push button choices may be duplicated each time a new page is added. Also if the master page is modified these changes are reflected in all other pages. I tried looking for this in the Startup Wizard but I can't find the choice or way to create this.

Thanks for all help offered!

Go to OPUS Help and do a Search for "Master Page." It's going to cover more than I can write in a simple Reply to your Creator question.

Create a new Page in Creator. Give it a background, and navigation buttons, then go to the Page's "Properties" (double-Left click anywhere on the Page which doesn't have an Object). Click the "General" tab (first tab on the top left). Look at the bottom on the left side. It says "This page can be a Master Page." Go ahead and tick this box/option. Notice in the area surrounding your new Page it now says "Master Page." Also notice in your Organizer (on the left side of your OPUS editor screen), this Page now has an "M" in front of it, indicating it's a Master Page.

Master Pages MUST be the first Pages within any Publication. It will NOT appear as your first Publication Page. It is a hidden Page. You can have multiple Master Pages. New Master Pages can use previous Master Pages within your Publication. The very first Master Page will be used whenever you create a new Page from then on (if you haven't changed that feature in the Options screen (Options -> General -> More -> New Pages).

Your Master Page will be beneath any Object you create on a new Page (unless you've selected "Objects from this page will appear on top" on your Master Page's Properties).

You access your Master Page to make changes ONLY by clicking on it from your Organizer. You can not use the "Previous page" at the top of the editor to go to any Master Pages.

OPUS Master Pages are similar to Master pages in PowerPoint. Once you start using Master Pages you will really like the power they give you, and the time they save you.

Here's another time saver: On your Master Page, select all of your navigation Button Objects. Do a right mouse click on one of the selected Objects to reveal a menu. Click "QuickBuild" then select "Create Pages from menu." Instantly, OPUS has not only added a new Page for each Button Object, but it automatically added "Go to Page" Actions for each Button.

Thanks Fred - You should have written the Help instructions for this software. I have found the Create Master page on the General Properties Tab and successfully created a master page for the project with lots of navigational buttons. I'm still a little fuzzy how to introduce more than one master page to a publication but maybe that is down the road.

Might I make a new MASTER page at the beginning of each chapter if needed? I'm developing a bilingual project and was planning on English for Chapter One and Spanish for a more or less mirror image in Chapter 2.

Ken,

Here's a couple ideas. ( based upon my using Opus Pro, not Creator per se )

Can have multiple Master Pages... set-up when developing. I think it's a good idea to have your MP in the same chapter in which it is used (though technically that's not a requirement).

I assume you have variables in Creator? In Opus Pro, I can "Insert Variable" as the Text to display on a Button. Then that 'Label' text is easily changeable. So if a User chose 'Spanish', I could have an action load a whole set of 'Labels' for Spanish instead of English.

Welcome to the Forum.

ALL your Master Pages MUST be located as the first Pages in Chapter 1. It may LOOK neater to put Master Pages at the beginning of each Chapter, but it will not work as well. Let me simplify why it won't.

Imagine if you put all your Master Pages at the very END of a Publication. When your Pub loads the first several Pages, they may require a Master Page, but OPUS has not yet read it because it's at the end, so you'd see the Page, but the background/Master Page wouldn't immediately display. It may "pop in" after a few seconds when OPUS finished reading all the other Pages and THEN the Master Pages. The same thing would happen if you put Master Pages at the beginning of Chapters. If you went from an opening menu Page to the first Page in Chapter 10, OPUS may not have loaded the Master Page for Chapter 10 yet, so there wouldn't be a visible Master Page for a second. That would be bad. If your Pub is very small, you might get away with your idea, but as the number of Pages in the Pub increase, you'd have a problem when you Published. This problem might not appear in Preview because your Master Pages have already been stored while you were editing. When you Publish, you initially would have no visible Master Page(s). They would appear to "pop-in" instead of being immediately visible. Somewhere in the HELP you'll find this directive to place ALL Master Pages in the begining. Learn from MY mistakes, otherwise you'll be learning from your own mistake.

Place all your Pub's Master Pages as the first Pages in Chapter 1. OPUS will read these first when you run your PUB, so any subsequent Pages will have your Master Page.

Multiple Master Pages
After you've created your first Master Page (imagine a gradiated background color and a logo), you can create another Page, and tell it to use Master Page 1. Make the new Page a Master Page and call it "Master Page 2." Now add Button Objects to it. You can create a third Master Page and use Master Page 1 again, this time use different Button Objects. When you create any new Page, it will default to using Master Page 1, but you can change to any other Master Page under Properties -> General -> Master Page -> Use Master Page. There will be pull-down options after you've created your second Master Page.