Expert: James Fritz - 2/6/2011

Question
I'm getting some very weird results using your directions in your lynda.com course on interactive docs using InDesign (Chapter 5, movie 4 specifically). I'm trying to animate a first-page button that's set to go to next page after animating and when clicked (it's an InDesign button and the next-page action is set there), exporting the swf both by hand and using the SWFPresenter script. Everything looks great when previewed, but when exported to Acrobat using the script, the next page the button goes to is actually a sort of new, nontransparent layer over page 1 in the pdf, not actually page 2. It looks like page 2 and the animation on that page works, but it's still page 1 according to the page counter in Acrobat. And the real page two is next, also with it's animations working. As if that weren't enough, the faux page 2 is scaled down a bit and blinks off before the real page 2 loads. There's a bunch of other weird stuff going on, too (it's even worse when trying this without the script!), but that's a start. Do you consult for a fee, btw? I'd really love to sort out all these buggy results. Thanks!

Answer
David,

Thanks for watching my Lynda.com video series. First off, I would highly suggest that you contact Lynda.com first about any issues that you are having with the series. This will help them monitor any problems with any of the videos (just so you know, they do get routed to me).

Anyway, to answer your question.

Yes, there do seem to be some problems with the script. Basically, upon export to Acrobat pro it works a little strange at times. When you open the PDF, the entire ID document is embedded into 1 SWF file that is placed on the first page. When you navigate throughout the document using buttons in the SWF (that is inside the PDF) you are just moving within the SWF on the first page the PDF. In fact, you can delete all of the other pages of the PDF and it should still work.

As to why it is doing this, I will be honest and say that I am not really sure. I am not the one that wrote the script.

Regarding consultation, feel free to contact me via twitter @jamesfritz

I hope that helps.

Anyway, back to the superbowl for me (go Packers!)