Digital Workshop

Hello,
I have several items I need on each of my new pages - including background - notices etc.
I'm afraid I don't understand the master page/ template instructions
and I end up copying and altering a previous page.
Please can someone explain how I can simplify my task?
Thanks

Master Pages can make a project easier to create, and easier to maintain/modify. You can have multiple Master Pages, and you can use a Master Page in other Master Pages.

Let's start with a new Publication. On the first Page, create a background color, add a graphic, and insert some text. On the Page's Properties window, near the bottom, there's an option to make this newly created Page a Master Page. Put a check mark there, then click OK. Note in the Organizer, your Page is now listed as a Master Page. You can ONLY access the Page by clicking on it in the Organizer.

Now create a new Page. Notice the default uses your Master Page as the "background" for this new Page. You can NEVER see a Master Page in a Publication. You MUST create a regular Page, which will show the Master Page.

Let's pretend we want 5 Pages in the first Chapter all with the same Master Page background, then in a second Chapter, you want a different background/Master Page. Create a new Page with the correct images/colors/text, then on the Page's Properties window check the Master Page box. You want to place ALL Master Pages at the beginning of your Publication, even if they are used in other Chapters. Opus needs to read the Master Pages before actually displaying any Pages in your final Publication. Notice on the Page's Properties page, you can scroll through all the Master Pages you created to select which one you want to the new Page.

You can create a new Master Page for each Chapter. Since when you create a new Page, Opus will use the first Master Page in the Organizer, so when you start to create Pages for the second Chapter, move the Master Page for Chapter 2 into the first position in the Organizer. When you start Chapter 3, move that Master Page to the first position in the Organizer.

Hope that helps.

Brilliant! Many thanks - very well explained.

Can I add a masterpage to my project which is now very large
and this would simplify my development quite a lot.

Kind regards and thanks again.

Yes, you can create Master Pages and add them into your current Publication. Make sure you move your Master Pages to the very beginning/front of your Publication's Organizer. OPUS must read them before it shows your Publication.

After creating your Master Pages, you will have to go to each Page's Properties and select "Use Master Page" then select which Master Page (if you are using more than one) that Page needs. Then you will need to DELETE any Objects on the Page which are on the Master Page, otherwise you will have duplicate Objects which will interfere if you later decide to make a change to the Master Page. That could be a lot of work if you have many Pages, but it will simplify later maintenance/additions. IMO You want your Pub to be standardized, so you DON'T want some Pages to use multiple background Objects (like on your Master Page), and other Pages with Master Pages.

The default for Master Pages is to have them in the background. There's an option to make them in the foreground. You might use that if, for example, you have some menu Buttons which always need to be on top of anything else on the Page. If you have a photo/graphic which covers the entire Master Page, if you set that Master Page to be in the foreground, then you won't see any Objects on new Pages because the Master Page would be covering them.

Once you get used to Master Pages, you will wonder how you got along without them in previous/old projects.

Master Page using Master Page
You can create a background color, add a logo, and a Button Object with a Go To main menu Action, for example, which you make your base Master Page. Then you can create a Page which uses that base Master, then add a Text Object (Example: "Chapter #1") and another Button with a Go To Chapter #1 Page Action, then on the Page Properties you can make the Page another Master Page. You now have a Master Page which uses a Master Page. Repeat for each new Chapter.

Hi Fred,

Great - outstanding help.
Thanks very much. I'll have a play before I
amend my project which is now over 96Mb.
Cheers and thanks again.

@demofred
Here is a shortcut I believe will work. Best to Save your work and also generate an Opus Backup zip of your Pub, just in case.

1) In your Opus Organizer, SELECT multiple Pub Pages by Ctrl + Click. (be sure to not select any other different type of object -- best to have only Pages and Chapter level of the hierarchy tree showing while doing this)

2) Now type Ctrl + R to open the Properties dialog box. (instead of Ctrl + R, you can Right-Click and select "Properties")

3) Click to check the option for Using a Master Page, selecting the correct one you want of course. Click OKAY.

4) Verify that it worked. Open the Properties dialog for one of the standard pages. Did it receive the Master Page assignment? With the Property dialog still open, select another Page in the tree and examine its properties. etc, etc. Of course you'll want to PREVIEW the Pub and see some results there too.

Hi Larry

Nice to hear from you again. Thanks for the advice.
I'll put it to the test when I resume. (Currently dealing with
domestic residence problems.)

My script is still being silly and sometimes doesn't work after
a timing delay. I've found that putting silly times like 3.7, 19.25,
seems to remove the problem.

I don't think I'm using any reserved words but I can't find a list
of them anywhere in the Opus script guide.

Perhaps I should make a project with just one problem page and related
resources and send you a copy for your expert perusal.

Kind regards

You don't need a list, the syntax changes colour:




Mack

Thanks for your help.
I haven't got any of these unusual colours (except where I've added vars and comments)
so something else is misleading Opus and giving me unreliable results.
Kind regards

Hi Larry

It occurred to me that I've already made dozens of pages and I don't really want to alter them by adding the new master to each.

Can I select two different pages from the project and make them into masters then removing the detail I would need to amend from the
newly generated masters?

I'm really only trying to save time - I've been developing this for months.

Regards

If you are typing your script in the small edit windows where you create Triggers and Actions, then you will not have syntax highlighting.
However, if you create a Script Object which shows up in the Opus Organizer (tree), then you will have syntax highlighting and command help when editing the script object. (a simple way to see this is to copy some section of your current code or scripting, and paste it into a Script Object temporarily -- just to see what gets 'colour coded').

Well... 'yes'. I think I understand your question.
A practical way to approach this is to create a new Chapter that will never be used in the finished Pub -- just use it to keep 'scratch' pages. So in this case before you make it a MP or modify it, Copy it Into that temp Chapter. Then proceed to "amend" the original which you'll covert to being a Master Page. If later you find "oh gee, I should not have deleted that Text block" or such, you'll have a backup copy at arms length (well... finger length) away. Of course, delete the temp/scratch/duplicate stuff eventually.

BTW, in all of this... don't feel bad. It's a learning-curve and a process. It took me quite a while to get to a certain level of clarity about how I wanted to architect the structure of a Pub. And frankly I'm still not there yet.... 'there' being having good enough skill level to make a Pub efficient. Add to all this that there are many ways to accomplish something in Opus, so you find something that works well for now and discover an improved way for the next project.
...the advantage of reworking an existing project, is to help make it reliable and maintainable (aka 'save time' in the future), as well as make it run/run-well/run-better.

Yes, you do.

Mack

Oops!! I stand corrected. I guess I'm stuck in some past version, or some alternate reality where I thought highlighting and autofill-in of commands did not work.
Call me an 'Lephant... someone once chained me, but now a simple kite-string holds me here.