Create Interactive Documents Using Adobe InDesign CS5 [DVD-ROM]

I go back quite a long way in page layout software. I beta tested PageMaker 1.0 for Aldus. Along the way, we felt forced to switch to QuarkXPress and eventually switched back to PageMaker once it was able to generate PDFs, which became the standard for submitting print projects. We started working with InDesign even before version 1.0. The first day Adobe showed it to us, I sat down and began to create a page. It was something of a PageMaker fused together with Quark features. I actually produced three or four InDesign documents before I opened the manual.

Better than eleven years and seven and a half versions into in, InDesign (ID) has evolved from a print tool to a publishing tool. I use the term "publishing" in the sense that ID is prepared to allow you to publish electronically, be that via the web, a DVD, a kiosk, just whatever your create mind can conjure up. ID's interactivity can be divided into two arenas: interactive PDFs and Flash. This packaging neatly separates the two.

One would think that my wealth of experience in page layout would make me quite the expert. Quite honestly, I thought I was until I heard Chris Converse speak at the Washington DC InDesign Users Group (IDUG), last month. His two hour presentation made me realize that ID had many little features that I've thoroughly studied but I slipped back into some of my old ways of doing things. His DVD/booklet package "Create Interactive Documents Using Adobe InDesign CS5" has the same effect as his presentation.

On the point of the package, it's from PeachPit and Adobe Press. So, it's similar to the same team's Video2Brain (V2B) series, which we love. V2B is packaged to be the same size as the same team's Classroom in a Book series. Whereas, Chris's package is the size of a Hollywood feature film's DVD.

As much as we like the V2B concept, I prefer Chris's interface even better. I also like how the attached booklet moves along as a summary of the video. During the course of the full 3 hours and twenty minutes Chris walks you through a big interactive project. Much like our second book, "Stoppee's Guide to Photography & Light" this video offers what we wanted our book to be, a feeling that you are in our studio as we work. So, this is something akin to spending a morning with Chris, peering over his shoulder as he works.

I got this package to glean a few extra tips on a huge interactive series we are launching on our m2media website. Before I finished watching the first section, I picked up so many general InDesign tips that I had to play things back to be sure I fully understood how Chris's methodologies for completing a task differ from mine. The 22:15 runtime of the first section took me more like twice that. So, if all you are expecting is to master ID interactivity, you'll walk away with far more than you came looking for.

I'm impressed by the progression Chris take you through. Section "0" (if you will) provides an overview of all that is in the package. By Section 2, he begins to ease you into some of the lingo of Flash. Chris calls the page by the Flash term "stage." Many ID users feel they need to create some graphics in Illustrator or Photoshop. Chris, however, shows the viewer that all the terrific graphics for buttons can be achieved without ever leaving ID. This is first section that might have a few viewers wondering if they have the skills to make this interactivity happen. That's where the included exercise files come in handy. You can open the same project Chris is working on, in ID, and play with the buttons and actions which he has demonstrated. This allows even the most timid soul to say, "I can do this!"

The third section, on finishing the global navigation, is a testament to Chris's vision as a designer and how adept he is at manipulating graphic elements. Anyone who feels their ID skills can be improved by watching a pro at work will feel inspired by this section.

The fourth section is close to 45 minutes. It's no short haul as Chris gets into some very in-depth detail of designing the content of the project. Like the rest of the project, it's well placed in the full tour of ID's interactivity. With each section, the viewer is asked to step up their knowledge level. Some of this can seem long, at times, but that's a reality of some ID production. The clever use of spotlight and zoom visuals keeps the viewer focused throughout the 9 sections. Chris uses ID pages panel to demonstrate how to make a map with individual city-by-city properties with nested pages. I've never seen this done, before, for interactivity by some of the most accomplished ID masters. It's brilliant. Most people talk about ID interactivity in relationship to Flash. Chris is the first person besides me to relate it to Premier and After Effects.

While studying ID interactivity, understanding video was essential to me. In section 5, Chris gets into the media panel. As much as I've studied it, until I saw his demonstration of the poster frame, did the power of the panel fully sink in. In this section, Chris brings the viewer up to speed on many of the aspects of Flash which may seem foreign to even some of the most well-versed ID designers. After watching this section, an ID pro should feel comfortable with what they need to know within the framework of ID. At this point, some viewers will feel completely fulfilled for some uses of interactivity.

Section 6 begins the use of elements which are relative to animation. This means the end-use is strictly Flash oriented. For some, this is a non-starter. There's some belief that because Apple's iOS for the iPhone and iPad does not support Flash and all the new capabilities of HTML5 are signaling the end of Flash. If you've been to Adobe Labs and worked with Wallaby, you know that Adobe is well-equipped to deal with any changes in the marketplace. That said, mastering Flash capabilities are just as relevant now, than ever. Though I am well-versed in these aspects of ID interactivity, I still learned a few goodies. If this is all new to you, these three sections are essential. Chris still has some ID functionality to show that many users may be clueless about until they view this section. Object States is a panel normally associated for the web with Fireworks (Fw). If you are foreign to Fw, this package makes you feel right at home with States.

If you have not previously studied Flash in ID, sections 6 and 7 may seem complex. Don't feel bad. I've been in seminars about this stuff and I've seen InDesign professionals completely gloss over. That's the beauty of the video/booklet combination along with the sample files. Rewind, watch it again and again. Pause the thing; look through how the booklet covers it. Open the provided files and try it yourself. If you find yourself glossing over, anyway, take a break. When you come back, take it slow, working with the video on one part of your screen and the sample files on another. Chris is presenting some very powerful features in a well thought through design, but none of it is extremely difficult. Any ID user, even with a modest amount of skill in the app can do this.

Unlike some of the teaching tools for the creative community, Chris takes the final section beyond showing you the basics. He shares some of the very professional polishing which goes into completing a project.

Overall, I consider the over four hours I needed to devote to the entire package to be an excellent expenditure of my time. I'm certain that this will become a reference tool for future projects.

Chris Converse's DVD and booklet are an excellent way to learn about the interactive features of Adobe InDesign. Highly recommended.