in5 v1.3 Adds Tons of Interactive Features

We like to have a theme with each major update of in5. Version 1.3 is all about interactivity. Just like the previous updates, this one is heavily driven by user requests. The interactivity listed below is already built into InDesign, so there are no new panels or vocabularies to learn, just added support for some awesome InDesign features.

Multi-State Objects

Multi-State Objects (MSOs) in InDesign allow you to create something akin to frames within a single object. That object can then be controlled by other elements on screen. The possible uses for MSOs extend far and wide, from slideshows to popups and user feedback.

It’s possible for a designer to create a highly interactive experience without coding by using multi-state objects, buttons, and forms (like this page created for the demo video below).

Shlomo Goltz, one of the original Kickstarter backers for in5, recently wrote an excellent article in Smashing Magazine, arguing in favor of InDesign as a prototyping tool because of its feature set. We couldn’t agree more. The video below shows how to create an interactive prototype entirely in InDesign (and exported with in5, of course).

Along with supporting MSOs, in5 v1.3 also supports the behaviors that can be associated with MSOs: Go to Next State, Go to Previous State, and Go to State.

Form Elements

Checkboxes, Radio Buttons, List Boxes, Combo Boxes, and Text (input) Fields (single- and multi-line) are now supported in the HTML output as well (see the demo above for examples). These elements, along with buttons, can now been shown or hidden in the in5 output.

Media Playback Behaviors

You can now control Movies and Sounds with separate Buttons. The following behaviors have been also added to control playback of Movies and Sound: Play, Play from Navigation Point (movies only), Stop, Pause, Stop All.

And More…

Here are the other features/fixes added to v1.3:

  • Added support for Center and Bottom Vertical Justification of TextFrames
  • Added support for Bookmark Page Destinations
  • Added Include Hidden Layers option to the Advanced section
  • Configuration JavaScript moved to single, external file
  • Fixed issue with variable page size
  • Improved right-aligned anchored objects
  • Resolved issue with hyperlinks that have complex query strings
  • Removed unneeded inline styling from TextFrames
  • Resolved issue with button positioning introduced in 1.2.3

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  1. Tablazines says:

    “The interactivity listed below is already built into InDesign, so there are no new panels or vocabularies to learn, just added support for some awesome InDesign features.”

    How about adding some interactivity that’s not built into Indesign. I’m stuck using Indesign 5.5 and won’t be updating anytime soon so I’m missing out on all these interactive features.

    If you could provide a way in the plugin to add html without having Indesign 6, that would be great.

  2. Justin says:

    We may look into to that, Tablazines. Thanks for the suggestion!

  3. Tablazines says:

    Well if you’re considering THAT.. then maybe consider a way to have some type of liquid layout without having Indesign 6 as well? 🙂 lol.

    I know that’s probably harder than html insertion.

  4. Justin says:

    We do support Liquid Layout for pre-CS6. If you select Liquid as the page format in CS4-CS5.5, in5 defaults to the equivalent of selecting “Scale” as the page option in InDesign CS6.

  5. Tablazines says:

    I didn’t realize that. I’ve recently switched from Quark Xpress to Indesign so im still learning my way around it.

  6. Camille says:

    I would love to see in5 support active buttons WITHIN each state of a multi-state object, e.g., to create the effect of a pop-up lightbox with buttons that allow you to “close” the box or “advance” forward/backward to other images (by going to additional states of the object). Right now, you can’t have a multi-state object overlapping/covering any active buttons, or there’s no way to get back to that original state.

    So far, I have been amazed at what I’ve been able to do with this, so thank you!

  7. Justin says:

    Thanks for your comment, Camile! Glad to hear that you’ve been amazed with in5!

    We’re working to include buttons nested within MSOs in a future version.

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