Version 1.4 of in5, our InDesign to HTML5 conversion tool, introduces several highly requested new features.
Slideshow Overlay
The Slideshow option in the Folio Overlays panel of InDesign makes it possible to create an interactive slideshow from a Multi-State Object and export it to a Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) app. With in5 v1.4, you can now export that same slideshow directly to HTML.
HTML Embedding for CS4, CS5, and CS5.5
InDesign CS6 introduced a fantastic new feature that made it possible to insert HTML into an InDesign document. You could even copy embed code (from YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps, etc) and paste it into InDesign. InDesign would recognize that the incoming text was HTML and automatically generate a box with the right dimensions. in5 has supported the use of the embedded HTML feature since version 1.0. In version 1.4, we duplicated this ability to insert/paste/edit HTML code for anyone using InDesign versions prior to CS6 (CS4, CS5, and CS5.5).
My throat is still recovering from a cold and the visuals were enough to show the features, so don’t adjust your speakers, there’s no narration is this video.
Animated GIFs
Animated GIFs used to be all the rage on the web. As Flash introduced more sophisticated animation, animated GIFs fell out of fashion. Since Steve Jobs’ Thoughts on Flash, and the increasing popularity of mobile devices that do not support the Flash Player, animated GIFs have made a comeback. And now they’re supported by in5!
Any .gif file that is imported into InDesign and not cropped will be preserved by in5 by duplicating the original .gif file (rather than rendering a new image).
Hyphenation
Hyphenation is an important element in design, as it allows the lines of a paragraph to be broken up in a less ragged fashion, creating a smoother visual flow of text. Hyphenation is just now beginning to be supported on the web. Even though it will only appear in a few browsers at the moment, we’ve added support for those browsers because hyphenation is such an important design feature.
Additional Support for WAV and MP3 Audio
in5 has supported .wav and .mp3 files as a primary audio format since version 1.0. Since different HTML5 browsers support different audio formats, in5 also has a fallback mechanism that checks for audio files with the same name but a different extension to include as alternate sources. Previously, in5 would only search for an OGG file as a fallback. In v1.4, in5 also does an additional search for MP3 and WAV files as fallbacks. So, for example, if you place intro.mp3 into an InDesign document, in5 will search for intro.ogg and intro.wav (in the same folder) to use as alternate sources for browsers that support those formats.
Dialog Loading Time
Before displaying the export dialog, in5 collects information about document swatches to use as options in the dialog. A user discovered that having hundreds of swatches in their document could cause a significant delay before the in5 dialog appeared. We’ve added a time limit to swatch collection in v1.4 to help remove this delay.
Want to try it out? Download the latest version of in5.
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I can not believe how fast you guys implemented this! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH! This is really going to make our app something special.
Awesome. Can’t wait to see your app, Tablazines!
What’s the series of menu that I use to embed the html in 5.5? Even when I maximize the video… I still can’t make out the menus.
Here you go:
Edit > Paste
Object > Insert/Edit HTML…
Right-click (ctrl-click) > Insert/Edit HTML…
I’ve also updated the video above so that it defaults to playing in HD.
I really don’t understand why you cripple your software in the trial version. How can I test the output of your html if you disable features like “Render Text as HTML”.
Disappointed. The price of the product would be appealing, but just throwing out the money to see if it actually works is not an option.
Sorry guys.
Hi derfrankie,
If we didn’t have such a limitation, the trial would be no different than the licensed copy. We are looking at alternative ways to limit the trial in the future so that potential users can see some of the HTML text rendering in a trial version.
I have a slight issue with the animated gifs. They’re not animating. lol.
Also in response to derfrankie’s issues… maybe export on the trails versions should contain a watermark on all exports unless the serial number is entered. I have no idea how hard that is to program but I know of someone else who complained about that very thing which made me nervous about actually purchasing.
I’m glad I did though… It’s a wonderful plugin. 🙂
Tablazines,
Re: the animated GIF. Make sure it’s not cropped in any way, otherwise it will be re-rendered. Also make sure the original link is available. If you still have issues, feel free to send me an INDD file to test.
Re: the trial, I’m working on some ideas, perhaps allowing a limited number of pages (2) to be exported with text rendered as HTML. That way one can see how a sample of the pages with render.
Just tried it…
place a box the exact size of the animated gif
pulled in the animated gif but nothing….
where should I send the INDD file?
Ok. I’ll take a look. Send the file to support (at) ajarproductions (dot) com.
Just sent… thanks…