indd-utils/docs/format/unknowns.md

Open items

What the converter does not decode yet, and why. Each row is an item that is open: no field was found, the value never varies, there is no sample, or a rule does not explain every document. Items decoded since are described in the page named in the "See" column; the rows here only record what is left of them. Values with no field found that nearly every reference has are written as defaults and listed in idml-values.md, defaults.

Counts are over the 1,251 trustworthy pairs of the corpus of 2026-10 (docs/measurement.md), "files" over the distinct corpus files outside the privately held samples. "Code" is the language code of the last session of the save history (objects.md, save history).

Status values:

Status	Meaning
open: no field found	the IDML value varies, but no stored byte was found that follows it
open: never varies	the value is the same in every sample, so its field cannot be told apart
open: no pair	the stored value occurs, but no pair shows its IDML value
open: not explained	a rule holds for most documents; the exceptions follow no stored value
open: two collections only	the rule rests on documents of two related collections
open: not examined	the values are left; nobody has looked for their rule yet
open: not decoded	the structure is known to exist but is not read
open: not stored	the value depends on the layout or the export time
not needed	the value depends on the exporting computer or application, not on the document

Preferences

Item	Where	Files	Status	Content and reason	See
Highlight flags without chunks 0xCA62, 0xCAD3, 0xCAD4	TextPreference	5	open: not explained	written false; 4 or 5 documents have every highlight on	preferences.md, flags
RulerOrigin without chunk 0x808	ViewPreference	8	open: no field found	PageOrigin in 8 of the 1,217 trustworthy pairs without the chunk (13 of 1,505 files); written SpreadOrigin, so the vertical guides of their later pages are off by the page widths (37 values in 3 pairs)	preferences.md, ruler origin
ColumnDirection without chunk 0x555	DocumentPreference, MarginPreference	2	open: not explained	Vertical with a horizontal story orientation	preferences.md, margins and columns
WatermarkFontColor without chunk 0x16344	WatermarkPreference	57	open: no field found	Red, LightBlue, Yellow, Cyan	preferences.md, watermark
Booklet print settings without chunk 0xAF2	PrintBookletPrintPreference	24	open: two collections only	88 values are the same in all 24, 10 follow the code; not written	preferences.md, print settings
Grid, gutter, column guide and baseline frame grid colours, print marks, flattener resolutions and endnote separators of two Korean collections	preferences, spreads	about 97	not needed	code 0x0101 with the values of a Roman edition: the IDML was exported by another installation than the one that saved the file	preferences.md, values of the exporting edition
DOMVersion after an export by a later release	Document and every package part	87	not needed	the IDML's product names a later release than the last session of the save history: 68 sessions of 10.1 with 10.2, 16 of 13.0 with 13.1, 3 others. All but one of the 84 are on platform 3, but other platform-3 sessions of 10.1 and 13.0 have their own DOM version, and the IDML has the INDD's xmpMM:InstanceID, so nothing stored shows the export	idml-values.md, DOM version

Resources and text

Item	Where	Files	Status	Content and reason	See
Object style transparency without a differing sample	chunk 0x1B92C	–	open: never varies	about 45 of the 69 attributes per block, every content block attribute and the stroke, fill and content KnockedOut: placed by the block layout and the defaults only, never different from the root's value in a sample; not written	transparency.md, object styles
Language list	Language elements	42	open: no field found	IDML lists only the languages in use in 42 documents and all in the others; the language objects are the same in both kinds
Font families IDML drops	class 0x3E03	101	open: no field found	unused families left out of Fonts.xml, but many other unused ones kept; no record byte differs; files up to 17.x only	fonts.md
Fonts IDML adds	Font	97	not needed	IDML adds every style of a family installed on the exporting computer	fonts.md
Variable font axes	Font	27	not needed	NumDesignAxes, DesignAxesName, DesignAxesValues and DesignAxesRange come from the font file installed on the exporting computer, the names in its language; no INDD byte holds them. Not written, and left out of the measurement	fonts.md, not converted
Plugin data	Story, XmlStory, page items, guides, Document/WordsFlowPreference	23	not needed	written by a Word round-trip plugin and a Google Docs import plugin of the exporting InDesign; the IDML schema defines none of it, and the plugin list (chunk 0x191 of the class-0x156 object) does not decide it (one of 39 documents names neither plugin and has all of it). The nine attributes Observers … ComponentId and WordImportFilterEnabled have no stored source; DocsFlowImportSettings is in story chunk 0x13991E (a JSON string; IDML writes base64 of its UTF-8, 22 of 22), the WordsFlow…Document properties are base64 of data in story chunk 0x1632F, and the names of WordsFlowImportContext are in story chunk 0x146223. Not written, and left out of the measurement	docs/measurement.md, values left out
Family name ending in a space, DOM 12 to 20	Font/@Name	0	open: no sample	DOM 11 keeps the space in Name, DOM 21 drops it (one privately held sample); the converter keeps it before DOM 21	fonts.md
$ID/ PostScript names, builds 523 to 534 and DOM 6.0	Font	0	open: no pair	InDesign 7.0 writes $ID/ up to build 522 (4 pairs) and not from build 535 (6 pairs); the builds between have no sample. IDML of DOM 6.0 has it on all, some or none of a document's fonts	fonts.md, built-in PostScript names
u16 0 and u16 1 after SeparatorStyle	TOC entry, chunk 0x11605	–	open: never varies	one may be SortAlphabet (false in all 255 entries)	objects.md, table of contents styles
u16 after Level	TOC entry, chunk 0x11605	–	open: no pair	0 in every paired entry, 1 in some entries of files without a pair	objects.md, table of contents styles
Value 2 of 0x1B09 with no IDML attribute	text attribute	2	open: no field found	NextPageNumber stored where IDML writes no attribute	attributes.md, page number type
BasedOnMojikumiSet codes 3, 5, 6, 9, 11	custom mojikumi tables, chunk 0x420A	22	open: no pair	the built-in tables kMojikumiDefaultName<n> of these codes occur in no IDML; code 5 also in a sample without an IDML; left out	objects.md, custom mojikumi tables
Several alternate glyph features	text attribute 0x42AE	0	open: no sample	every run stores one feature; the IDML form of more than one is not shown, so such values are left out	attributes.md, alternate glyphs
ResultText of other text variables	TextVariableInstance	200	open: not stored	page numbers, dates and cross-reference page numbers depend on the layout or the export time; the last page number shows 1 in every sample	text-variables.md
Saving edition rule exceptions	tints, users, endnote and index titles	9	not needed	the IDML was exported by another edition than the one that saved the INDD (one trustworthy document, 8 stale pairs)	objects.md, saving edition
EndnoteSeparatorText without chunk 0x2261E	EndnoteOption	2	open: not explained	tab in a Japanese document of code 0x0101, U+3000 in a Korean document of code 0x0100; the code gives the others	footnotes.md, endnote options
CaptionParagraphCount, HeaderColumnCellStyle	root table style, attributes 0x1047A–0x1047C	2	open: never varies	IDML has both on the two root styles that have these IDs, but all three are 0, so which ID is which is not shown; not written	tables.md, caption position
ColorGroup Self	ColorGroup	2	open: not examined	6 extra values: groups whose Self differs from the one the DOM version gives	objects.md, colour groups
Order of stories outside the story list	StoryList	2 pairs	open: not explained	IDML lists them in another order than text order	objects.md, stories
Paragraph ranges split inside one record	ParagraphStyleRange	17	open: not explained	20 stories have 41 range boundaries inside one paragraph-style record, with the same attributes on both sides: 36 at a paragraph end, 5 before a paragraph's U+000D. Examples: every paragraph of a table-of-contents story whose paragraphs hold a hyperlink source; a final empty paragraph. No stored value was found that marks these positions	objects.md, stories
Character ranges split inside one record	CharacterStyleRange	28	open: not explained	39 stories have character range boundaries inside one character-style record, with the same attributes on both sides	objects.md, stories
Fields of three linked story options	Story/LinkedStoryOption, story chunk 0x21D12 bytes 0–5	6	open: never varies	UpdateWhileSaving="false", WarnOnUpdateOfEditedStory="true", RemoveForcedLineBreaks="false" and bytes 00 00 01 00 00 00 in all 30 stories; written as these values	objects.md, linked story options
Word import options without a field	WordRTFImportPreferences, chunk 0x12210	13	open: never varies	items 3, 4, 7, 14 to 16, 18 and 19 have one value in all 39 stories and are written as that value; the order within the equal pairs (s0, s1), (s14, s15), (s16, s17) is not shown; code 1 of s5, s11, s12 and the list length of version 13 have no sample	objects.md, import options of placed text
Excel import options without a field	ExcelImportPreferences, chunk 0x12213	9	open: never varies	items 0, 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9 have one value in all 9 stories and are written as that value	objects.md, import options of placed text
Table and cell style mappings	chunk 0x21D30 lists 3 to 5	0	open: no sample	empty in every sample, as is rule code 3; left out with a warning	objects.md, style mappings
Links of linked page items	TextFrame/Group Link (class 0x21D32), LinkedPageItemOption	1	open: not examined	3 links in one trustworthy document; not written	objects.md, story links

Page items

Item	Where	Files	Status	Content and reason	See
Guides at the spread origin	chunk 0x3308 of guides	5	open: not explained	25 page guides of one collection whose IDML Location puts them at 0 in spread coordinates, away from their stored positions	objects.md, guides
GuideColor	chunk 0x3308 of guides	41 pairs	open: no field found	the u32 at 22 is 6 for guides that IDML colours Cyan, Blue, Purple, LightBlue or BrickRed; not the layer colour, not RulerGuidesColor	objects.md, guides
InsetSpacing list exceptions	chunk 0x3723 of text frames	2 pairs	open: not explained	4 frames of 5 straight points that IDML writes as a list, although a frame that is not a plain rectangle has one number	objects.md, text frame preferences
KnockedOut exceptions	attribute 0x1EB6F	3	open: not explained	380 items that store nothing, style false, and no IDML value	transparency.md, drop shadow knockout
Group corner radii	Group	3	open: not explained	groups of versions 10 to 12 with only CornerRadius and TopLeftCornerRadius, although every child has all four	attributes.md, groups
OverprintFill of groups	Group	82 pairs	open: not explained	75 groups have a child without the attribute; not written on groups	attributes.md, groups
Near-zero crops	FrameFittingOption	84 pairs	open: not explained	IDML leaves out some crops below 1e-10 and keeps others
Inverse	chunk 0x3703	–	open: never varies	false on every item	objects.md, text wrap
First 8 bytes of 0x5A35	page item dash attribute	–	open: never varies	0 in every item	attributes.md, dashes
MinimumFirstBaselineOffset	text frame settings	–	open: never varies	0 on every frame and style; written by the category rule	objects.md, text frame preferences
Flex padding order	chunk 0x1E244	–	open: never varies	the four paddings are equal in every style, and so are the two gaps	objects.md, object style settings
Layer before grouping of one master item	chunk 0x324	1	open: no field found	a rectangle on a master spread whose chunk names a layer and position 1; IDML has position −1 and no BeforeGroupingLayerReference	objects.md, page item settings
Path names in a legacy code page	keys 0x7D and 0x80 of image chunk 0x1708	10 pairs	open: not decoded	11 PhotoshopPath images whose path name is stored as code page 949 or Shift-JIS bytes; the file does not record the code page, and AppliedPathName is left out	objects.md, clipping path settings
Index of an AlphaChannel clipping	chunk 0x2C1A	1 pair	open: no field found	the image stores -1 at 23 and IDML has 0; left out	objects.md, clipping path settings
InvertPath and RestrictToFrame bits	chunk 0x2C1A, byte 25	1 pair	open: never varies	bits 0x01 and 0x08 are set together in the one sample; written only when both are equal	objects.md, clipping path settings
Images that name an old link object	image chunk 0x8C1B (class 0x8C01), InDesign 2.0 to 5.0	79 files	open: no pair	762 images; the converter writes no Contents for them and returns their preview	objects.md, images that keep their file in their preview
EPS Contents that differ	placed graphics	–	open: not examined	18 of 515	objects.md, graphics pasted without a link
Anchored settings of some nested items	AnchoredObjectSetting	3	open: not examined	388 values	objects.md, items inside an anchored item
FlexObject	page items	20–28 pairs	open: not decoded	structures not written
FilePath of relinked media	Movie, Sound	21 elements	not needed	21 of 29 links were resolved to another file at export; FilePath names that file	objects.md, movies and sounds
Controller attributes of movies	ShowControls, ControllerSkin, ShowController	17 pairs	open: not explained	on every movie of DOM 8.0 to 13.1, on none of DOM 18.0; no sample between; written below DOM 18	objects.md, movies and sounds
Unidentified playback keys	chunk 0x14004	170 objects	open: never varies	u16 0x140FF (1 movie), u32 0x14007, u32 0x140FE (5 always), lists 3 to 6 (always empty), key 0x14009 after list 7 (1 movie); no IDML attribute differs with them	objects.md, movies and sounds
Media constants	Movie, Sound	19 files	open: never varies	FloatingWindow, FloatingWindowPosition, FloatingWindowSize, ShowControls, DoNotPrintPoster, movie EmbedInPDF have one value in every sample	objects.md, movies and sounds
Export attributes of 10.0 files exported by 10.2	ObjectExportOption	4	not needed	the attribute set follows the exporting version, which the INDD does not record	idml-values.md, export options
CustomImageSizeOption	ObjectExportOption	224	not needed	IDML value not in the schema; left out on purpose	idml-values.md, export options

Stroke styles and tracked changes

Item	Where	Files	Status	Content and reason	See
Striped styles with several stripes	class 0xB016	98 objects	open: no pair	the paired definition has one stripe; the IDML form of several stripes and their number format are not shown	attributes.md, custom stroke styles
Corner codes 0 to 2	dashed style chunk 0x5A4F, attribute 0x5A35	2 objects	open: no pair	only code 3 (DashesAndGaps) occurs in a pair; code 0 in 2 dashed styles	attributes.md, custom stroke styles
Name flag byte	chunks 0xB023, 0x5A48	78	open: never varies in a pair	the byte before the style name, 0 or 2	attributes.md, custom stroke styles
Dotted stroke styles	–	0	open: no sample	no corpus file has one
Custom stroke styles outside items and object styles	text, table and cell stroke lists	–	open: no pair	only object styles and page items store code 0x5A42	attributes.md, custom stroke styles
Order of several custom styles	Graphic.xml	–	open: no pair	every paired file has one; written in UID order	attributes.md, custom stroke styles
Change past the end of a paragraph-level source	story	1 pair	not needed	an export defect of the reference IDML	objects.md, tracked changes