Can't scroll through swatches panel with arrow keys

[MonaSMA]

I'm working in InDesign CC 2018 (on iMac) and am unable to scroll through my swatches in the swatches panel using the arrow keys. The same for the New Color Swatch panel. I've already checked my scrolling options in system preferences and InDesign preferences, but nothing seems related to this problem.

[John Mensinger]

MonaSMA  wrote

. . . and am unable to scroll through my swatches in the swatches panel using the arrow keys.

Were you ever able to do that?

I've been running InDesign since the first release and I'm not sure any of InDesign's panels have ever supported arrow-key scrolling.

[MonaSMA]

Yes. Before we switched to the Creative Cloud, we were still using CS6, and I used the arrow keys for scrolling through swatches regularly.

[Laubender]

Really?
Cannot do this with CS6 version 8.1.0 on Windows 10 (1803)

I'm surprised as you, because I thought I was able to scroll through with the arrow keys as well.

Hm. Maybe that was an Mac OS X-only feature? Recently I switched to Windows…

Regards,
Uwe

[MonaSMA]

Maybe so. I've only ever used a Mac.

I'm beginning to think this feature is no longer available with Creative Cloud, which is a shame since it is an efficiency issue.

[John Mensinger]

Laubender  wrote

Maybe that was an Mac OS X-only feature? Recently I switched to Windows…

Could be, maybe. I'm fairly certain none of the in-panel lists have ever been arrow-key scroll-able in Windows, and I have doubts about whether it could be different based on OS. For years I ran an in-house shop where both platforms were used, but I only endured the Macs first-hand when I absolutely had to, so I guess it could have gone undiscovered.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

I have Mac CS6 and cannot rotate through the swatches with arrow keys.

[Pickory]

When I started creating software for Macintosh, a long time ago. I was taught that the user should be able to access all features of the software through the keyboard. This caused a huge head ache for me, but we did it. When a list becomes the active component, the up down arrows should work. You should also be able to move from palette to palette and back to the main event.

CC, is a new way of doing things. You are forced to accept Adobe UI. Forget that you bought a Macintosh or a Windows machine because you liked the UI, or the way the OS did stuff, you are now using Adobe.

I expect you might have been able to use the arrow keys, at some point, but you certainly will not now in CC.

[MonaSMA]

I guess you're right about the regular swatch panel; however, you can scroll with your arrow keys in a color library from the New Color Swatch panel. That's why I noticed you can't do it anymore in CC. It was so much more efficient for adding swatches. Thought it was something that could be fixed, but apparently a feature that is no longer available.

[Laubender]

Hi Mona,

I definitely can scroll through the swatches of a color library like a PANTONE one or HKS.

Just tested with InDesign CC 2018.1 on Windows 10 (1803).

Regards,
Uwe

[Pickory]

Hi Uwe,

None of the palettes in InDesign CC 2015 Mac allow scrolling using the arrow keys or the mouse wheel. At least on my machine. I would say this is a bug It is a huge time saving thing to be able to navigate a palette from the keyboard, or the mouse wheel.

P.

[BobLevine]

I agree it could be time saving but I disagree that it’s a bug. Seems to be “as designed”

[Pickory]

Hi Bob,

Why does it work on some palettes on some OS. bug. ( imo )

P.

[BobLevine]

I honestly don’t remember it working on swatches but if as you say there’s a difference between O/S then yeah, a bug is possible, but it might be the O/S.

[Laubender]

Pickory  wrote

… None of the palettes in InDesign CC 2015 Mac allow scrolling using the arrow keys or the mouse wheel. At least on my machine. I would say this is a bug It is a huge time saving thing to be able to navigate a palette from the keyboard, or the mouse wheel.

Hi Pickory,

what is working on my Mac with OS X 10.11.6 or Windows 10 and InDesign CC 2018.1:
I can scroll through all the swatches of a PANTONE library if I want to define a new spot color.

What's not possible and that's true for Mac and Windows:

Scrolling through a list of paragraph styles in the Paragraph Styles Panel, a list of character styles in the Character Styles Panel, a list of swatches in the Swatches Panel, a list of object styles in the Object Styles Panel.

That's annoying, yes.

Regards,
Uwe