I find it frustrating that, when creating new flow headings based on existing ones, frames remain linked, and there is no way to break that link other than by deleting and reentering the frames. In my current large project different movements have varying amounts of titling which require an array of flow headings, and I don’t want to use tokens because I need text formatting options applied to individual titles. Sometimes a movement simply requires a single title and I just want to duplicate a previous flow heading and type in the new movement title, but if I do that it replaces all the unavoidably linked flow headings with the new title. Surely the point of creating things ‘based on’ other things is that you use the existing things as templates and then just make the necessary changes. Please can we therefore have the option for flow headings to be unlinked. For the moment, unless I have missed something, each time I create a new flow heading I have to reenter the necessary frames and carefully copy the frame measurements to ensure they are all consistent, which has proved very laborious.
I’d also like to take the opportunity to add to the few requesting that flow headings are tied to flows, and not pages, which rather seems to go against their intended nature. For most people I would have thought entering flow headings is part of the inputting procedure, not an ‘engraving’ procedure. For now I add comments at the inputting stage to remind myself to place the flow heading changes on the correct page once I get to the layout stage. And of course, should one later on be forced to change the layout, it’s another thing to check.
I would certainly like to see a “Duplicate Unlinked” type of command for Master Pages, but until then whenever I need an altered Master Page or Flow Heading arrangement, I create it as a custom Master Page or Master Flow Heading. I usually create them in a separate Dorico Project that I use to create and store Master Page Sets so I can export them from the separate project and load them into any new project in one fell swoop (well two fell swoops, actually: one for Score MP’s and one for parts MP’s).
Hi Daniel! Curious if there has been an update to this. I am trying to create some new flow headings (in v6 pro) and find it frustrating that I can’t seem to duplicate an unlinked flow heading. Or at least have the ability to copy/paste frames between an existing one and a new one. Perhaps I’m missing something super obvious which allows me to do this though? It seems like I must be missing something, truly apologize if so. Any help would be greatly appreciated :))
Hi Derrek. Yes, I do know and am using those. To be more specific, for this particular case I have already set up and formatted a custom Flow Heading for music cue recording which includes flow composer, flow orchestrator, flow title, flow subtitle, flow runtime, and a few other pieces. (These are all in the flow heading on purpose as opposed to a First Page since they can change flow to flow.) I wanted to make another version which includes all of that info with the same formatting plus has flow lyricist displayed for music cues with lyrics. But in order to do that I have to manually format all of that info since there is no ability I’m aware of to copy/paste all of that. And creating a new flow heading based on that doesn’t allow me to simply add the new place holder for lyricist without adding it to the original one.
Am I missing something obvious @dspreadbury ? It seems like there must be a simpler way to do this that I’m just not seeing.
I wasn’t initially sure what you were asking in your original question. Thanks for clarifying.
What I notice is that when I base one flow heading on another (as a custom file) I can add or move a text field without affecting the parent layout, but changing the type style or position within the frame will transfer to the other headers with the copied field(s).
If I want to almost replicate a field, I tend to check the field dimensions and positioning in the Properties panel and jot them down to make replicating the appearance in my new heading without being linked to the original.
As I’ve said before, I would really like to be able to make unlinked copies of page and heading templates, so I am with you on that request.
Thank you, Derrek. At least I know I’m not just being obtuse and missing something. I default to assuming these things are typically a user error on my part. I guess on the plus side we only need to make them every now and then? But yes, duplicating or copy/paste would be a very helpful tool in these cases.
Actually if you add a new text frame to a new flow heading based on another one, only the frames that where present at the moment of creation of this (“duplicated”) new FH are linked to the original one. While the new created text frame is not linked, and you can add it, and add the desired tokens to it, without affecting the original FH.
So you can start from the default FH and keep “duplicating” it adding every time a new text frame and token inside it, until you have the variations that you need (this of course only in the case that you don’t need to change/customize the content of the preexisting frames).
(All this said, I agree that a possibility to "duplicate"FH without linked frames would be nice)
{Also notice that -but you probably already know this-, depending on the setup of your FH, you could use the FH with lyricist token also for the flows that don’t have a lyricist: the lyricist will just not appear in the flows that don’t have any info about it. Sorry if this sounds obvious)
I didn’t even think to just add a new text box and place it on top of where I want it to be after adjusting the other text frame size. Thank you, Christian. That is a solid workaround for this.