Can't adjust stroke/line length?

[cfdcrochet]

I'm having a weird issue where, when I create a stroke (just a simple line, .25pt) in InDesign (I'm up to date with the latest version, on late 2012 iMac 27" running Catalina 10.15.7) and then I go to adjust that line's length by grabbing one end and dragging -- the line bounces back to the original length I made it! The only way I can adjust its length is to manually type in a new length.

Is there a setting somewhere that I'm missing that is making my lines/strokes uneditable? I'm new to this version of InDesign — recently *finally* upgraded from my trusty old CS4. Thanks for any help.

[cfdcrochet]

Re-upping this in hopes that someone has an answer, although I'm starting to wonder if this is somehow only happening to me.

[Peter Spier]

How much adjustemnt are you making? Might be snapping to a grid, hidden guide, or object (paricularly to the pixel grid if you have the rulers set for pixels).

If this is not a plausible scenario, thry resetting the preferences: Reset InDesign Preferences and Other Troubleshooting 

[cfdcrochet]

Thanks. I wondered about snapping to a grid or guide, but it doesn't matter how much (or how little) I try to adjust the line — it just pops back to its original length. I even tried new documents and new lines to see if I could make it work, but no go.

I hate to have to reset all my preferences, etc.? Upgrading was already such a pain. But not being able to do something as simple as adjusting a line is definitely a problem.

[Eugene Tyson]

What you're experiencing is not normal. I've come across this before too - and just restarting the computer fixed it.

It's just a fact that things can go wrong, even on a fresh computer, with a fresh updated OS, and a freshly installed OS - sometimes Preferences need to be reset.

It happens.

[cfdcrochet]

Thank you. Restarting my computer didn't fix it, and I tried resetting the preferences, but that didn't work either. Any other ideas? What about going back to a previous InDesign version and/or reinstalling the application?

[SJRiegel]

Is this in every document? Can you share a document that has this issue via dropbox or other file sending service?

[cfdcrochet]

Thanks so much for trying to help. This is happening in every document. See my other response below where I added a sample file.

[Laubender]

Hi cfdcrochet,

please provide a sample document so that we can test your case.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[cfdcrochet]

This is happening in every document. I've attached a sample document where I made a few different lines. When I go to adjust the length of any of these lines, by clicking/dragging on either end, they pop back to the original length (i.e. they won't stay at the new adjusted length).

[SJRiegel · Accepted solution]

The lines in your document (and on straight lines in a new document on my machine) snap back only if I am holding down the shift key while trying to re-size them. Otherwise, they resize as expected. 

[cfdcrochet]

Hallelujah!! Wow, I feel a bit silly, but I guess I'll try to blame it on the fact that I only recently upgraded to InDesign 2022 after using CS4 for years — and in CS4, I always held down SHIFT when adjusting line lengths in order to keep them straight while adjusting.

Thank you SO. MUCH. for helping me figure this out!

[Peter Spier]

I'm with you on holding the shift key to kee things straight. That works if you use the Direct Select tool to move one of the end points.