Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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  • 2019-11-04 at 6:05 pm #10689
    frankdesign
    Customer

    Hi

    Another issue I came across in my recent large data merge, there doesn’t seem to be a way to apply an object style to an InDesign text box if there is already a placeholder with mergeable text in it. For example, if I want to create a text box with a data merge text field in it and also change the width or the colour of that text box depending on the content of the data merge, I can’t do it. Once there is a placeholder in the text box with mergeable data, the object styles options in MyDataMerge are greyed out. I only have options to apply font styles.

    The only workaround appears to be to have a second text box behind the one with the mergeable data field. But in the case where my text is centred, and I want to control the width of the text box based on the content, I can’t do it.

    Thanks

    Frank

    2019-11-04 at 7:30 pm #10692
    Pat
    Staff

    Hi frankdesign

    that’s true! This is a needed behaviour because if we enable object styling for text placeholders additionally this could be a really mess. An object (e.g. a text frame) can contain dozens of placeholders. You won’t be able to sort out which one of them controls the object style or one would overwrite the other.

    Here’s how we would do it:

    • Add an additional placeholder to your textframe. Give it a name to identify it (e.g. “Headlinetextbox”). We use this one only to control the object style.
    • Choose “Keep empty” in the replacement dropdown in the editor
    • Then you may apply a styling as well as conditions here. “Keep empty” will automatically remove the placeholder in the merge process but apply your styling.

    This way you keep your content clean and you know exactly which one modifies the object style.

    I moved your topic to support forum

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-04 at 8:32 pm #10693
    Pat
    Staff

    Edit: You can checkout the usage of that feature here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdUUi8CRya4

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 1:04 pm #10697
    frankdesign
    Customer

    Thanks for the update. That is the way I have my set-up in the Data Merge I have just competed.

    But I had hoped that I could apply an Object style to a text box that has another separate text merge placeholder in it. Reason being, if I want to change the width of the text box dynamically using Object Styles via the data merge and the text from the data merge is centre aligned in the text box, it can’t be done via the example in your video.

    Any suggestions for achieving it?

    2019-11-05 at 1:32 pm #10698
    Pat
    Staff

    Ah – i got you.

    Yes this is possible too. Try the following:

    • Create a textFrame and add a placeholder “<<object>>”
    • Create another textFrame and add a placeholder “<<content>>”
    • Copy and paste the <<content>> textFrame as anchored object inside the <<object>> textFrame
    • Right click <<content>> textFrame open textFrame options.
    • Choose “Automatic size” and enable width. Additionally you may set a minimum width at the bottom.
    • Also edit textFrame options for the <<object>> and enable automatic resizing for widht/height (whatever you need)
    • Now apply objectStyle to “<<object>>” and content to “<<content>>”. Frame will resize depending on the content inside.

    Check this image: https://ibb.co/9cmY4Kp

    Hope this helps.

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 3:36 pm #10700
    frankdesign
    Customer

    Thanks Pat. I tried that but in MyDataMerge, for the placeholder called <<object>> I only see Character styling, Paragraph styling and  fitting options. I don’t have Object styles available. If I remove the anchored Text Frame in InDesign, then the Object Styles become available again

    Am I missing something?

    2019-11-05 at 3:51 pm #10701
    Pat
    Staff

    I will pass this one to our developers and be back asap.

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 4:06 pm #10702
    Pat
    Staff

    I received feedback from our developers.

    At the moment, object styles are only possible on frames that pass the “valid for image” test. That is if a frame only contains ONE placeholder and nothing else (Anchored objects are additional content). The above example worked on my client – but i forgot to switch from developers version (no limitation) to production version. My fault – i apologize.

    So i asked developers on how to achieve your goal and they said currently there’s no option to solve this. Still there’s light at the end of the tunnel cause we already have this feature in the developers version but its untested so we cannot deliver it.

     

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 4:08 pm #10703
    frankdesign
    Customer

    Thanks for the speedy reply. Hopefully that feature will make it to the production version soon. Keep me posted.

    Thanks

    F

     

     

    2019-11-05 at 8:12 pm #10714
    Pat
    Staff

    If you subscribe to marketing emails on your account page you will be notified of every new feature.

    Don’t worry. Aside from these informal emails it’s just 1 or 2 mails in a few months.

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-06 at 10:59 pm #10725
    Pat
    Staff

    Good news.

    We’ve added this for the next release! It will be published in November ’19.
    Then you can add an object style to a “Replace with text” placeholder. However, of you have multiple placeholders in the SAME textFrame, you can only apply an object style in one placeholder (for the textFrame) – otherwise one would overwrite the other.

    Thank you for your input. We always try to realize our customers needs.

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-12-04 at 6:50 am #11146
    Pat
    Staff

    Follow up. We released an update yesterday where this is possible now. Check the changelog here: https://mydatamerge.com/changelog/

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-12-06 at 12:37 am #11187
    Pat
    Staff

    Just let us know if there’s anything else you need to know. I mark this one as resolved.

    Official MyDataMerge Team

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