Creating Interactive PDFs including videos and transitions on InDesign CS5.5

[defaultvvrcabzysg2y]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some particularly specific support with a potential problem I'm experiencing with InDesign. I work in a college teaching Media on an older version of the Adobe Master Collection (CS5.5)

This year we have moved on to a new version on the course specification and one of the requirements is to make an interactive page layout design document - such as a magazine or leaflet with embedded videos and transitions in however as we're working on CS5.5 this is a problem as at the moment when I have created some practise documents with videos and transitions in them when I export them as an Interactive .pdf the included media (videos and page transitions, etc) are not able to be played as there's no Flash support anymore. 

Does anyone have any suggestions about how interactive pdfs can properly play video and page transitions using the version of the software we have? I'm unable to install any plugins or change any computer settings due to restrictions on the college network. Here are the steps I'm currently following which aren't working:

1. Creating a new document on InDesign and placing in videos (as you would do a picture or whatever).

2. Adding page transitions - nothing fancy, just Wipes or Fades for now.

3. Exporting as an Interactive PDF with all buttons and media included in the options.

4. PDF opens but no media can be played due to the lack of Flash player.

I have tried exporting in HTML, EPUB and a couple of other formats too but these didnt work either.

Unfortunately upgrading to a newer version of Adobe is not an option.

Thanks! 🙂

[JonathanArias]

Videos are not supported in interactive .pdf. Publish online would allow you to have videos in your layouts.

[defaultvvrcabzysg2y]

Unfortunately I dont have the option to do this as I'm only using CS5.5. 

[JonathanArias · Accepted solution]

Than you dont' have the option do to what you want to do. Your software is just too old.

Options:

1.  hiring a freelancer that can do this for you.
2. upgrade to cs 6 to use IN5 (https://ajarproductions.com/pages/products/in5/download.php) this plug in will allow you to export from indesing to html, you will need web hosting capabilites
3.  upgrade and get publish online included which will give you the same IN5 but with the web hosting included.

[BobLevine]

Rant: What kind of class is taught using 10 year old software by a teacher that isn't keeping up with technology?

I'm sorry, but this just ticks me off in a way I can't even express without raising my blood pressure!

[defaultvvrcabzysg2y]

We've always managed to produce some very good pieces of work given the software limitations we're experiencing and in not the most affluent part of the country. The new changes were brought about by the exam board and we can only work with the tools we have I'm afraid.

[BobLevine]

Then the class should be discontinued or someone should contact Adobe and try to arrange for academic pricing on up to date software.

Unfortunately, you're not doing anyone, including yourself, any favors trying to teach this stuff with such archaic tools.

[defaultvvrcabzysg2y]

Believe me I know this better than anyone. We've been trying to upgrade for the last 5 years but that isn't likely to happen in the next couple of months so this doesn't really help.

[BobLevine]

Yes, it does. It gives you the information you need. It may not be what you want, but I'm not going to paint some rosy picture for you.

I'm sorry you're faced with this and if there was any hope at all I'd point you in the right direction. But there just isn't.

I can only imagine the hardware they're asking you to work with.