FlowMaster is a tool to control text flow in a document. There are three main functions included in this tool:
1. FlowMaster lets you record the text flow of selected stories in a document. This recorded information can later be compared to the current text flow and differences are displayed. You can quickly jump from one occurence of reflow to another.
2. This process of controlling the text flow can be automated: you can choose to automatically record the text flow of the whole document when you save the document. When you re-open it, FlowMaster checks the document for reflow and displays a warning. This is espacially useful if the document is to be transferred from one machine to another, from one platform (Mac or Windows) to another, or from one QuarkXPress version to another.
3. FlowMaster is able to lock the text flow of selected stories, effectively changing all soft line breaks and hyphenations into hard ones. Of course, these locked breaks and hyphenations can be reverted to soft ones, thus unlocking the text flow again. This feature is perfect for transferring a document from one international version of QuarkXPress to another, or for locking the flow of text around an object before you make modifications to that object.
There’s even more: FlowMaster is accompanied by the XTension FlowWatch, that duplicates the function of automatically recording the text flow on save. This XTension will be available for free, so that e.g. a service bureau, that uses FlowMaster, can give FlowWatch to its customers and don’t have to worry about unexpected reflow again. They will be warned whenever the document reflows.
