Creating a shape with pen tool, AND having the frame match the shape

Question

i have created a shape using the pen tool in indesign, but the shape frame is a giant rectangle.

I have a background image. I've traced over an object in that background image using the pen tool, because i want that object to be a button that the user clicks to reveal some text in a text box off to the side.

I have created the shape i want using the pen tool to create anchor points, but the frame of that shape is an enormous rectangle. Which means when i convert it to a button, the button is a huge rectangle, and not the shape outline of the background image object. How can i have the frame of the shape match exactly the actual shape, and not some crazy large rectangle? thanks!

Laubender · Accepted Answer

Hi jnwalker,the shape of the active area of a button in InDesign is always rectangular.And this rectangle cannot be rotated so that it would follow the shape of your pen in the image. A work-around:Do one very small button and duplicate it ten, twenty, thirty times.Order the duplicated buttons to the shape of the pen or along the shape of the pen. Regards,Uwe Laubender( ACP )

Laubender · Answer

Note:Adobe Flash buttons once could have irregular shapes as response area.But Flash is dead and this option is gone. Are there other methods?With HTML perhaps? Found this on the web:https://travishorn.com/buttons-with-custom-shapes-cabdcde7dfd1 In principle this would work for "buttons" with a Go To URL action. Just tested SVG code from Adobe Illustrator where I added an a tag with the URL http://www.adobe.de , opened the SVG with my Firefox browser successfully and also could work the irregular shaped button.See this file you can download from my Dropbox account:https://www.dropbox.com/s/y5adr62dkqr2r8o/ShapeFromAI-a-tag-added.svg?dl=1 But practically I think it's not possible to export a placed SVG from InDesign so that the a tag on the SVG code is still functional. Tried that with export to Publish Online.The SVG shapes will still be vector shapes in the browser, but the a tag is perhaps stripped from the code, because the shape lost its function as a button. Here a screenshot from the browser where I zoomed in a bit:  See: https://indd.adobe.com/view/8bf862df-e7f0-4091-b50e-5ca7fa601554 Also exported to Fixed Layout EPUB, but the placed SVG was converted to PNG and the a tag was dismissed.But please do your own tests and please proof me wrong! Regards,Uwe Laubender( ACP )

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