Toggle Text Highlighting?

Question

So I have a peculiar technical need, and I can't figure out an elegant solution. I feel as if I'm overlooking some simple, integral ID function.
 
I use a layout method in which Body, BodyA, BodyB and BodyC are identical clones in the InDesign layout, and for print (PDF) export. However, these styles are processed differently for EPUB export, mostly with spacing variations. It's essential that I use each variant in the right place/s, and be able to know at a glance what styles are applied.
 
The only method for managing this I've come up with is to define three color swatches (HiliteA, HiliteB, HiliteC) and assign them as an outline stroke to the three variant styles. When each is defined (with a faint tint of red, blue, green etc.), the related paragraphs have that halo color. Easy-peasy to visually track and validate my layout. At print time, I set each swatch to None or Paper/White, so the halo/outline disappears for print/PDF export.
 
It is fairly tedious to do both swaps, the more so to set a precise tint on each that's distinctive but doesn't overwhelm the layout.
 
What I am seeking is some way to toggle this highlighting, with some single and preferably integral ID feature — something vaguely like having the type on one layer and the highlight (which could be anything, including shading) on another, so switching that layer on and off would show/hide the highlighting. (No, that doesn't work, as far as I know.)
 
Yes, yes, a script could toggle the values of those three color swatches, but that (starting with all the linked swatches) seems clumsy, I'm not really a script guy and, as I said, I feel like I'm missing some obvious technical solution here.
 
Thoughts?

Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted Answer

Same issue with keeping all styles in sync and intact, I would think. If the book is COLORS-ON, COLORS-OFF and ~~MASTER~~ PARENT, syncing styles from the first two would overwrite any changes in the primary, much the same as just loading the styles as an isolated step. Perhaps a more "organic" approach, but same two limitations. Unless I'm missing something.

It's really a trivial need — I just took a whole 42 seconds to null out the highlight swatches to white when I was done editing. It's just annoying to have to reverse the process and set fairly precise tint shades for those swatches (each color has an optimal percentage for a balanced, non-distracting look while editing).

And I can't think of a good use for this switch except in my very narrow workflow of editing certain dual-format books.

I would have just gone with a script except for my crankiness about them. 🙂

Same issue with keeping all styles in sync and intact, I would think. If the book is COLORS-ON, COLORS-OFF and ~~MASTER~~ PARENT, syncing styles from the first two would overwrite any changes in the primary, much the same as just loading the styles as an isolated step. Perhaps a more "organic" approach, but same two limitations. Unless I'm missing something. [....]🙂

By @James Gifford—NitroPress

Two books:

Book-ON:

1st_file_ON - master for synchornisation - with colors-ON - no need for any Char/ParaStyles

Your_file - your document using colors defined in 1st file

Book-OFF:

1st_file_OFF - master for synchornisation - with colors-OFF - no need for any Char/ParaStyles

Your_file - your document using colors defined in 1st file

In the 1st_file_ON/OFF files - you would have colors with the same names - but in OFF they would be Black - and in ON - yellow/green/etc.

In your document - you would use those colors in the Styles you want to highlight.

When you open Book-ON - your document will use yellow/green/etc. colors in your Styles - "imported" from the "master" - 1st_file_ON file.

When you open Book-OFF - your document will use Black color in your Styles - "imported" from the "master" - 1st_file_OFF file.

It's like with WordPress - or any other CMS - you have your data in a database - but you can easily switch between Templates.

Barb Binder · Answer

James, is this a book or a single .indd file?

If a single file, why can't you save save two copies, one with the colors and one without and remove the content to remove confusion and just load the styles you need. You could do it with a keyboard shortcut.

~Barb

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