0

Overview: we have created a custom plugin for InDesign that allows a user to upload files to our FTP with the same credentials they have for our online based software. When a user clicks "upload package" this allows them to choose where the package should go, once location is selected an InDesign package is automatically created and saved to the users machine, this package is then uploaded to our FTP. Once a file is uploaded to our FTP, the file location is updated in our software. Our software uses the IDML/XML to allow previewing and basic editing.

Issue: When one of these files is opened from our software, image links are broken. We have validated that all images are uploaded in the links folder as part of the package. In digging deeper, the XML references the link location of the users machines that uploaded, not the location of the links folder in the package. If the linked image on the users machine was contained in a folder called links (even if it was linked to a folder outside of the package) the images appear. So what I know is that InDesign is looking for a links folder in order to recover links.

Test Scenario:

  1. Open new InDesign document
  2. Place images from disconnected locations (not in a folder called “links”)

  3. Created package (update graphic link checked)

  4. Open files from package (hoping I am prompted to update links) a. opening INDD did not prompt to update links, pointed to package location b. opening IDML did not prompt to update links, pointed to package location

  5. I compared the XML from the file outside of the package to the file inside of the package, and the XML from inside the package had the updated link location that pointed to the links folder.

Why are my links automatically being updated when an opening an IDML from the package, but this isn’t happening with the packages we send to the FTP? Our FTP utilizes InDesign Server instead of InDesign CC

user86184
  • 11

2 Answers2

1

Full disclosure - I work at Silicon Publishing.

We offer a product called Silicon Connector that allows direct http linking in InDesign. There are flavors for a number of different DAMs. If you need basic linking for publicly accessible images, Silicon Connector for Box would do the trick just fine.

We do this through a combination of a plugin (written in C++) and an extension that provides a UI to browse the DAM. The plugin extends the underlying linking functionality of InDesign to allow http links.

What this then provides is the ability to have your images stored in a DAM/Cloud storage such as Box. If you place images into your document that are stored in Box, the file links will be actual http links so no matter where or who opens your document, if they have access to that location on the web (and Connector installed) they will be able to use that image. Local references are no longer a problem.

The developer that built the linking architecture of InDesign is now part of our team. We also have Olav Kvern, author of Real World InDesign and former InDesign developer. There are a few others of us who are former Adobe-ites as well. I mention this to give confidence that it really works.

Again, I am part of the team at Silicon Publishing but having researched other options out there that try to provide http linking in InDesign, I can say that you won't find one that isn't a work-around.

I posted (almost) the same answer to a similar question but it is relevant here too. I hope this helps!

Marty Mickelson
  • 21
  • 5
  • Hi Marty, thank you for the response and input. I will pass this information to our development feed and get his feedback. – user86184 Mar 29 '17 at 13:25
0

the behaviour is all but normal as idml isn't a regular doc but a blue print in order to rebuild the initial document. So the links info are not updated because InDesign tries to rebuild the same old document. However you may want to update paths in the idml itself. Then when InDesign Server rebuilds the file, it will find the links in the appropriate location. Once that said an alternative is to embed links but I don't know how that survice to idml. Have a try.

[EDIT] Something that can be considered too is CtrleLink: http://www.emerasoft.com/digital-publishing/ctrlelink/ Allowing external links.

Loic
  • 2,173
  • 10
  • 13
  • Okay, so the difference in the behavior is an .indd document vs an .idml document. That is extremely helpful to know, I was unfortunately expecting the IDML to behave the same as an InDesign, I will see how we can change the plugin package process to do this. Thank you for your help! – user86184 Feb 18 '17 at 14:02