Create Pages Templates

Can anyone point me to a site that discusses how to create templates for Pages? More to the point, install them on my iPad? Seems simple to me. I mean, I can DL templates from the App Store and they seem to find the proper place in Pages, but I need to roll my own.

Or is this gonna be a big production? That is, learn to program for the iPad, register with Apple (to get the tools) and pay a hundred dollars to join some Developer's Program? In MS Word, it is rather effortless to create a legitimate Word Template and install it in the proper folder where it shows up where it should.

Remember, I am rather clueless so no poking old Bob with your fun sticks.

I looked at the Apple Developer Site and apparently, there is a cost associated with this. Ninety Nine dollars to join, just to do something that I would have assumed was child's play.

Once created, how do you install them into pages? I assume that the IOS Developer Tools allows the local installation of stuff for testing on the developer's iPad, right?

Then again, I made several costly assumptions so I now tend to ask a few NooooooooBeeeeeee questions.

To sum it up: I want to create a work template, load it into Pages, and be available when I select a Pages Template from Pages.

Too much to ask?

Bob Maxey

If you are willing to settle for template functionality and don't need true in the template folder templates, there are a couple things you can do.

One: Store your original files in iTunes. It seems that the file sharing feature in iTunes doesn't care if you've already imported the file once. It stays there until you go into iTunes and deliberately delete it from the app's list of shared files.

This is exactly the same space that files end up if you send them to iTunes.

That means you can design a default document in Pages, then send it to iTunes. Later when you want a pristine copy you just copy it from iTunes. The copy stored on iTunes does not change. I've tested this by turning the iPad on and off, doing a soft reset, and syncing the iPad a couple times.

Of course it would be a good idea to use the iTunes sync to make copies and back them up on your computer, just in case.

Two: If you expect to have an internet connection most or all of the time you can do pretty much the same thing with a MobileMe account. You just copy your originals to iDisk and pull a fresh copy from the same source whenever you need one.

Three: DropBox can also be used. This is a little more complicated since you'll have to set up a webDav account access for it to make it supper convenient. But after that the same technique works. Check out this link for ideas. http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help/...s-dropbox.html

If you have Pages on OS X, then you can actually use template files for this, after designing them on the computer and exporting as templates. Not really any point to it though, since they act just like normal page files when being imported to the iPad version of Pages. Still, it's an easier way to design than on the iPad itself. Be careful though, since not every feature in the full version of Pages will transfer to the iPad version.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by twerppoet

If you are willing to settle for template functionality and don't need true in the template folder templates, there are a couple things you can do.

One: Store your original files in iTunes. It seems that the file sharing feature in iTunes doesn't care if you've already imported the file once. It stays there until you go into iTunes and deliberately delete it from the app's list of shared files.

This is exactly the same space that files end up if you send them to iTunes.

That means you can design a default document in Pages, then send it to iTunes. Later when you want a pristine copy you just copy it from iTunes. The copy stored on iTunes does not change. I've tested this by turning the iPad on and off, doing a soft reset, and syncing the iPad a couple times.

Of course it would be a good idea to use the iTunes sync to make copies and back them up on your computer, just in case.

Two: If you expect to have an Internet connection most or all of the time you can do pretty much the same thing with a MobileMe account. You just copy your originals to iDisk and pull a fresh copy from the same source whenever you need one.

Three: DropBox can also be used. This is a little more complicated since you'll have to set up a webDav account access for it to make it supper convenient. But after that the same technique works. Check out this link for ideas. http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help/...s-dropbox.html

If you have Pages on OS X, then you can actually use template files for this, after designing them on the computer and exporting as templates. Not really any point to it though, since they act just like normal page files when being imported to the iPad version of Pages. Still, it's an easier way to design than on the iPad itself. Be careful though, since not every feature in the full version of Pages will transfer to the iPad version.

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All useful suggestions, but I want the template to act like a template. I want them available when I press "create a new document." I found where Pages stores templates in the file system but there is a lack of information that explains how to create Pages templates without a Mac.

I simply refuse to believe it is that hard. Then again, it might be impossible. Then again, someone had to create the templates to begin with, so how the heck did they do that?

Bob Maxey

I couldn't find anything to actually make them either. I did do a bit of searching before suggesting the alternative. The only thing I found was a site that claimed it had iPad specific templates for sale.

FaCILISI.COM - Pages Templates (Apple iWork Pages)

There is a support page somewhere that explains how to load them on the iPad. I wasn't willing to spend the 99 cents to find out if they actually loaded as templates or not. I know, cheap, but a brief browse through their library didn't show anything I wouldn't delete after testing anyway. Not to say they are bad looking templates, just nothing I would use.

I may look around some more later. Once I have a question rattling around in my head I tend to keep returning to them in odd moments of boredom. If I find anything I'll let you know.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by twerppoet

I couldn't find anything to actually make them either. I did do a bit of searching before suggesting the alternative. The only thing I found was a site that claimed it had iPad specific templates for sale.

FaCILISI.COM - Pages Templates (Apple iWork Pages)

There is a support page somewhere that explains how to load them on the iPad. I wasn't willing to spend the 99 cents to find out if they actually loaded as templates or not. I know, cheap, but a brief browse through their library didn't show anything I wouldn't delete after testing anyway. Not to say they are bad looking templates, just nothing I would use.

I may look around some more later. Once I have a question rattling around in my head I tend to keep returning to them in odd moments of boredom. If I find anything I'll let you know.

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From what I have learned about .pages templates, they are compressed containers containing XML files and images; much of which is in several folders within a master folder in the Pages template folder residing on the iPad. Or something like that.

The App Sture has a free template package (misc, and not to interesting) that apparently does not get installed into Pages as actual templates. You DL the program, select a template, and it opens in Pages just like any document would do.

I'll know more as soon as I can take a look at the folders on my iPad. I might try creating my templates the hard way by tearing apart an actual Pages template, looking at the XML file, and the folder structure. Perhaps creating a few special templates is not so hard, but where have I heard that before, I say to myself.

As for the template source you have given, apparently, they are not actual templates but documents to be imported into Pages using the iTunes/sync method or into a folder residing in the Mac version of Pages. Not actually templates, but I could be wrong.

I also tend to think they are not actual Pages (iPad version) because they do not seem to be on the App Store, and most iPad users cant install to the iPad file system without Jailbreaks.

I'll gladly stand corrected if in error. If there is interest on the forum, I'll post what I learn about creating legitimate .pages template files.

Bob Maxey

Well, I'm interested.

Breaking down the templates is what I was thinking too, but I'm way too lazy for that. I went browsing into the structure, saw that it was composed of a master file and sources, and decided it was too much work to figure out.

I'll gladly benifit from someone else doing the hard work though. :D

the templates in the IOS Pages app that are accessed by pressing the create document button are nothing more than a Pages
document. Someone created these documents where the layout, font type, colors etc are all formatted from scratch. We then load up the document and delete what is written to add what we want. I don't believe there is a way to add any new "templates" or
documents to the create document folder. This is what I do, it's simple and hopefully it will help you. Any documents I've made
from scratch in which I want to use as a template along with templates I've installed though file share and importing from other
apps I put in there own folder. Pages allows you to make folders in the same way you do on the iPads home pages. Then I rename each template as well as the folder. Whenever I launch Pages I just go to the folder, browse my templates and load up the one I want to use.