ipad opening old versions even though deleted - can't view new versions!

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Level 1

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ipad opening old versions even though deleted - can't view new versions!

I am designing and creating iBooks and need to show them to my editor to before they are finished - I export them, upload to drop box and she downloads them onto her iPad 3 Version 6.0.

When I make the necessary changes, i duplicate the file, rename it, and re upload to dropbox. ie 'Joe Blogs 2', that way I have many versions to refer back to if necessary, and i label each one on the cover to save confusion.

Since the new update for iBooks Author we have had some pretty big problems, I have edited, exported and uploaded the books as usual, my Editor has downloaded them onto her ipad, but every time we tap on the new title to open the book 'Joe Blogs 2' it opens an old version 'Joe Blogs 1', even if the old one is deleted from the ipad, also, even if we upload a completely different book it still opens 'Joe Blogs 1' I have changed the titles, and file names and it has made no difference. we are both using iBook latest update.

NOTE: All books were created from an original template created in iBooks Author version 1, from the 'Basic' template. I have been using this template because I don't know how to recreate it - the are no chapters it starts with 1 page then has sections so that it ends up with a table of contents which looks like this, which means that the 'chapter' (section) title can be tapped and go straight to the section, which is something I would lose if I started the books from scratch (which I obviously don't want to do)

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OS X Mountain Lion (10.8)

Posted on Oct 30, 2012 9:32 AM

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Answer 1

K T

Level 7

23,877 points

Oct 30, 2012 9:58 AM in response to bett n_

About templates....

Not sure what you mean about recreating the Basic template - you have to pick a template to start a new book. Why start with a template and try to make it like another...just start with the one you want.

Also, if you start with a supplied template and then customize it, you can use the 'File/Save as template' menu to have available next time.

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Answer 2

bett n_ Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 30, 2012 10:18 AM in response to K T

Thankyou for your reply,

Sorry, I don't think I explained the template thing very well...

The 'home made' template I use is from a book someone I used to work with created, she made a book that somehow had the contents page like the image below, it has a page before the first section which isn't a chapter. I wanted to use it for all our other books, but she couldn't remember how she did it, so I stripped the book she made and made my own template which I have used with every book since - the example below is from one that was puplished just before the iBooks Author update.

She must have startred from a template provided with ibooks author, but i'm now wondering if it was a different one that I haven't used, before I used the 'home made' template, I just used 'basic' and stripped it completely (if there was an option to start with a blank page I would.) and that has the contents page like the one below as a default - if so

Does anyone know how to create a contents page like this from scratch? (because we much prefer to create them like this than have a separate page for each chapter which seems the standard) and if I have to copy and paste the old books into new ones then I want to keep the contents the same...

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Answer 3

K T

Level 7

23,877 points

Oct 30, 2012 10:29 AM in response to bett n_

Again, you can make your own templates. Using copy/paste can lead to issues such as what you're seeing.

I recommend working with fresh, basic books to confirm control, including w/your dropbox scheme, to help baseline the process first.

Once you're comfortable, move to one of your own books, pref. one that hasn't been subjected to heavy doses of copy/paste. Stick to linear editing and learn the tool without relying on dumping buckets of content into a custom template 🙂, which is a fast path to a corrupted file in many cases, I think.

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Answer 4

bett n_ Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 31, 2012 9:49 AM in response to K T

Thank you for replying, and for the tips on templates, that makes a lot of sense - i have now created a template from the original book, and saved it as a template (I cannot make the template from scratch as I do not know how, as I explained, to make a contens page that functions like the one in the picture)

Unfortunately, this has not solved the other problem

Just to check we are on the same page (no pun intended) what I have been doing is this;

• To start a new book: opening 'contents page', a template i have created (and saved as a template, so I get it from the welcome screen on IBA 2, as opposed to opening an existing file and duplicating it.) use that template to create a new IBA file, ie 'Maslen and Mehra 1' which I save, export as 'version 1' when prompted on IBA v2. then I add this to drop box.

after my editor has downloaded and seen it, I make changes, then duplicate and save as ''Maslen and Mehra 2' to show to her again. then I make make changes, duplicate, save, make changes, duplicate, save... up until 'Maslen and Mehra Final Proof (9)'

since the new IBA update every time she tries to open a new file, the last one I sent her before the update opens (which is really old now as we have made a lot of changes, on our current book we are on version11 but version 3 opens!. Thinking that my template might be the problem I did the following:

• started from scratch: chose an bulit-in IBA template, put a 'A' on the cover, saved it as 'A', exported it, added it to drop box. my editor downloaded and opened it fine.

• changed the 'A' to a 'B' on the front cover (did not duplicate the file) exported it, I changed it to 'version 2' when prompted, saved the .Ibooks file as 'B' and uploaded it to drop box. My editor dowloaded it fine, and it appears in the library but When my editor opens it 'A' opens instead.

• Started again (with a completely different built in IBA template) repeated the process, new book 'A' again worked fine, but this did not change to 'version 2'. same problem. new book 'B' opened as new book 'A' again.

• Started again (again with a completely different built in IBA template) this time duplicated 'A', named it 'C', saved, exported 'C' and 'A' still opened even though 'A' is a different file!

• tried changing the meta-data file title, repeated the process, made no difference.

• tried different drop box account, didn't make a difference

• she tried restoring her ipad, still made no difference

• my editor cannot view IBA files (only .ibooks) so we cannot get around it that way...

so my current issues:

• My editor and I need to find a way we I can create a book, send her a copy and make changes, and send her a new copy, whether by duplicating it or even by re-exporting the original document (and saving a copy as a spare) - but neither currently work - why is this so difficult? this was not a problem before the update, she could have multiple books with similar filenames, all orginating from the same file. (which I now know is not the correct way, but even using templates has not made a difference)

• regarding templates: have I missed somewhere that you can make a template from scratch? I thought the closest you could get was to choose an existing template, delete everything then 'add section/chapter' if I go to 'New' in ibooks author then it still just takes me to the template page so I have no choice but to choose one of the IBA templates or one of the ones I have created myself, given the choice I would always rather start from scratch and a blank page anyway! :-)

Thankyou again

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Answer 5

john3cdp

Level 1

30 points

Nov 30, 2012 2:04 AM in response to bett n_

An explanation and possible workaround has been provided by KayNeine here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4529107?answerId=20437836022#20437836022

This certainly seems to tally with my experience and the hidden metadata theory does seem to answer why it could be happening. Just need Apple to acknowledge and address the problem.

As this Support Community obviously isn't moderated by Apple, can I suggest as many people as possible use the iBooks Author Feedback form to report their issues. Hopefully then, someone at Apple might take note and try and rectify these problems.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ibooks-author.html

The link above is available from the iBooks Author App in the menu: iBooks Author > Provide iBooks Author Feedback.

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Answer 6

john3cdp

Level 1

30 points

Nov 30, 2012 3:27 AM in response to john3cdp

Further to my earlier post we have now completed a test by saving our original document as a template, then creating a new document from the template, making necessary changes and saving as a new file. We can now upload the two separate versions to our iPad.

You cannot "duplicate" the file in any way, either by the File > Duplicate method from within iBooks Author or by simply Duplicating the original .iba file in the Finder, as this will cause the problem outlined above. By Duplicating you are obviously also duplicating this "hidden metadata" which is stored somewhere within the file which iBooks on the iPad is using to identify the documents. So unless Apple update the software to allow us to change that metadata we are stuck to using the Templates route. This works for what we are trying to do, which is create different language variants of the same book.

However, I'm not so sure how this will help you with keeping Versions of your documents. Sounds a similar workflow to how we've been used to working for years. Apple are trying to get us to use their "new way" of Versioning, which to my mind doesn't work in a real world workflow. Their "Versioning" does not work on Servers for a start, so you can only keep your documents locally.

But then, not sure why you would necessarily want all the versions on your iPad. You could keep versions of the .iba files by using the Duplication method and then export to your iBook, but it would mean you would have to delete the old version from your iPad each time before uploading the amended version.

Reading your second post again, not sure whether you haven't already covered all this. But by working from a Template it has worked for us.

Hope something in there is of some help. Good luck!!!

regards

John

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Answer 7

bett n_ Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2012 4:03 AM in response to john3cdp

Hi John,

Thankyou for taking the time out to reply - we had already submitted feedback to apple and had many emails too and fro with there support service, but thankyou for maiking the point again, it certainly is an important one..

My editor pointed out that the 'bug' might be intentional so as to help prevent book sharing. Certainly is a nuicance either way.

I have created new books from scratch in some circumstances, and just copied the chapaters or sections, but obviously it still takes time to recreate anything on the TOC and cover.

I really hope they fix this!

Thankyou

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Answer 8

john3cdp

Level 1

30 points

Nov 30, 2012 4:21 AM in response to bett n_

Hi bett n_

Glad I was of "some" help!!! 🙂

I agree with your editors point that it may be an "intentional hurdle" added by Apple. Lets hope not and they fix it soon.

We are not producing books for sale, but using iBooks Author as a way to create product data information for sales force use. So not as if Apple would make their 30% cut from us anyway!!!

Would probably have preferred to use Adobe's DPS service from within inDesign had it not been so cost prohibitive!!! 😮

Regards

John

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Answer 9

bett n_ Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2012 4:26 AM in response to john3cdp

Hi John,

I'm just learning to make ebooks in InDesign using Lynda.com tutorials, so far it seems a lot more complicated than IBA but iBooks are too restrictive, we are hoping to offer both. Didn't know it was more costly though?? unless you mean the creative suite programs - in which case I agree!

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Answer 10

john3cdp

Level 1

30 points

Nov 30, 2012 4:43 AM in response to bett n_

Maybe not for ePub (not too familiar with that personally) but for iPad Digital Publications you have to buy into a subscription package for DPS which is many thousands of pounds. You can buy an individual app licence at £300 a pop, but if you make any edits to the final product you have to pay another £300 to submit an update. Everything seems to be tailored for large publishing houses producing magazines for subscription.

As I mentioned, we are not producing a product for sale and do not want to go through the Apple Store to distribute the product as it is sensitive material intended only for a sales team to use on the road.

Finding a solution that we can use to create a book and just upload to your iPad has proven to be a rather frustrating experience. We thought iBooks Author might be that product, but it is very limited and extremely buggy.

I've now got the rather daunting task of producing our book in another 7 languages including Russian!! 😮

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