Indesign - Drop Down Menu choice changes/hides pages

[danielr47855468]

Hi,

I'm not sure if it's even possible but I was hoping to make a Interactive PDF on Indesign where there will be a drop down list at the beginning and whatever answer you pick will determine what the rest of the PDF looks like.

So for example, this list would have two options, and whichever one you choose will subsequently give you a different form to fill out that asks questions particular to the original drop down choice.

It's important that I keep it on the same PDF rather than having two different PDF's.

Also, I have no idea where to start so there isn't anything I can upload to show you what I mean, i'm just hoping the above is enough information to go off.

Like I said, i'm not even sure if it's possible or not, I have the most up to date verison of InDesign if that changes anything.

TIA,

Dan

[Nesa Nurani]

It's possible with acrobat pro. You can create template pages and then use script in dropdown field to spawn template depending on dropdown choice.

[danielr47855468]

I believe I have that with my Creative Cloud subscription.

In your opinion would it be easier to make all the pages needed and then make it interactive after the fact?
Also, I've never scripted anything in my life, is that easy enough to do?

Thanks

[Nesa Nurani · Accepted solution]

1. Create pages that you wish to turn into a template.

2. Create a template from those pages, to do that you need to select 'Organize Pages' tool then click on page you wish to turn into a template and from toolbar select 'More' then 'Page templates', now give that template a name and click 'add' now uncheck checkbox next to template name to make template hidden. Now repeat for other pages and remember those template names you will use those in script.

3. Now to make a script. Let's say you named templates 'template1' and 'template2' and dropdown choices are 'Item1' and 'Item2' (you will adapt those to your actual choices and template names),

as 'Validation' script of dropdown field you would use something like this:

if(event.value == "Item1")
this.getTemplate("template1").spawn(this.numPages, false, false);
else if(event.value == "Item2")
this.getTemplate("template2").spawn(this.numPages, false, false);

Make sure you also check 'Commit selected value immediately' in dropdown field properties under 'Option' tab.

Let us know if you need further help.

[danielr47855468]

Fantastic, thank you very much

[Kaxkul]

Is there a method to determine the precise arrangement of the Template page? Presently, whenever the template page is displayed, it is positioned at the bottom of the document. However, I aim for it to be positioned, for instance, as page 2.

Thank you

[Nesa Nurani]

Replace 'this.numPages' with page number.

Pages start from 0, so page 2 is number 1.

[Amber24650312xlx6]

Hi. This post has been most useful - thank you! However, I'm trying to add multiple pages in some instances...

For example, if user selects "4-day" from the drop-down then I want templates 2-day and 3-day to also be added.

What would the correct coding be to list more than one template?

Thanks in anticipation

[Nesa Nurani]

Use curly brackets to spawn more than one template, something like this:

if(event.value == "Item1"){
this.getTemplate("template1").spawn(this.numPages, false, false);
this.getTemplate("template2").spawn(this.numPages, false, false);}

[Stacy35279566hg1p]

How woudl you change this to work with a Checkbox?  On: Page Spawns, Off: No Page Spawns.

Thanks!

[Nesa Nurani]

For checkbox to spawn: if(event.target.value !== "Off")

[ThomasDOE]

Hi, 

I wonder if you would be able to help as well. I have a similar issue. 

There is a Table of Contents and I would like to add a checkbox directly next to each section in the Table of Contents. When the Checkbox is Checked, I need the pages associated with that section Show. When checkbox is unchecked, hide the pages associated with that section. 

I hope this is not reduntant, but I looked throughout the community and could not find something similar. 

[Nesa Nurani]

This would be a complex thing to do, first you would have to create templates (which would be a lot of work on its own) then you would have to keep track of the pages you spawn because if you spawn more than one section and try to delete pages you will have to be careful with script to know exactly which pages to delete.