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Scribus => Beginner Talk => Topic started by: llaves on November 07, 2019, 12:11:01 AM

Title: Can't select frames
Post by: llaves on November 07, 2019, 12:11:01 AM
I have a document with two master pages I created. Each master page has two text frames and an image frame. If I apply one of these masters to a page, the frames appear, but cannot be selected. If I open the outline pane, the masters have the three frames, but the page with the master applied has no elements in it.  I created a new document, created a new master page, and the same thing happens - I can apply the master page, see the frames, but not select them.
Obviously I've changed some global setting since this worked before, but I have no idea what changed.
Thanks for any suggestions.

Scribus 1.4.8, 64 bit
Windows 7 Pro, 64 bit

Update - I reset all preferences to default. Nothing changed (except of course I lost the few small changes I made to preferences).
Title: Re: Can't select frames
Post by: utnik on November 07, 2019, 12:47:15 AM
hi llaves

Quote from: llaves on November 07, 2019, 12:11:01 AM...I can apply the master page, see the frames, but not select them.
Obviously I've changed some global setting since this worked before...

no, this never worked in scribus!
elements on scribus master pages can't be modified on the actual document pages.

utnik
Title: Re: Can't select frames
Post by: llaves on November 07, 2019, 02:15:17 AM
Thanks, now I see what's going on.
I created a page layout, converted to a master page, then applied the master page. I was still able to add text to the text frame, but that was the original text frame on the page, not the one from the master page.

So now I have a new question. I want to have a fixed page layout containing a text frame and an image frame on each page.  The layout on even pages is a mirror of the odd pages. I need to be able to edit the contents of both frames on each page. Apparently a master page is not the right thing. What is this sort of editable page template called?

I could layout the basic pages and copy them, but this would not alternate the pattern on even and odd pages. I suppose I could use the scrapbook to save the two different layouts, but would have to paste from the scrapbook for each page.

Title: Re: Can't select frames
Post by: a.l.e on November 07, 2019, 06:13:32 AM
in your case the simplest solution is to put guides on the master page and then create frames on each page.

when you activate the text or image tool, if you hold down the shift key while clicking on the "empty" page, the created frame will fit the guides around it.

there are other ways to achieve the same result, but this is the simplest one...
Title: Re: Can't select frames
Post by: Nermander on November 07, 2019, 09:12:08 PM
Quote from: llaves on November 07, 2019, 02:15:17 AM
So now I have a new question. I want to have a fixed page layout containing a text frame and an image frame on each page.  The layout on even pages is a mirror of the odd pages. I need to be able to edit the contents of both frames on each page. Apparently a master page is not the right thing. What is this sort of editable page template called?

Use the Scrapbook for this.

Set up a page with the design you want, select all objects and "Send to scrapbook".

When you double-click on a Scrapbook entry, the contents will be inserted onto the page with the same positions as when they were sent to the Scrapbook (if you instead try do drag and drop from the Scrapbook they will instead end up where you drop them, which is not what you want in this case).