How do I import my custom-made workspace from InDesign CS5 into InDesign CS6 on the Mac?

[RtwerkBoi]

I updated from CS5 to CS6 using the Creative Cloud - on my Mac.  Now my previously created custom workspaces aren't showing up.  Yes, I tried copying them from the Library's Preferences folder into the CS6 preference folder, but they still don't show up.  I don't see a way to import workspaces.  I manually re-created my Photoshop workspace, but I don't want to have to do that with InDesign - I did too much work creating it in the first place.  Help, please.

[baljeet_singhj75820470]

Moving to InDesign Section.

[RtwerkBoi]

Thank you, Baljeet.  When posting a question, I was prompted to provide a subject and Creative Cloud was the closest there was in the pull-down menu.  Hopefully someone can help me with an answer - it's very frustrating.  It should happen automatically, so it's doubling frustrating that it not only doesn't, but that there isn't an obvious way to import one's settings from the previous version.  Thanks again for moving my question to the InDesign forum.

[Peter Spier · Accepted solution]

Workspaces are saved as .xml files in the workspaces folder in your user library: <USER>/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/<Version #>/<Language>/

Just copy and paste into the same location for the new version.

[RtwerkBoi]

Thank you for your response, Peter.  But I already did that and my workspace does not show up.  That's why I asked if there was some way to import them.  Some additional task to do after copying the .xml file into my CS6 preferences folder.  Because my workspace simply is not showing up in the pull-down list of workspaces.

[Peter Spier]

Are you sure it's in the correct place? I moved my wrospaces without a problem, but I'm on Windows.

Save new workspace and see where it is stored, then put your others in the same folder.

[RtwerkBoi]

Thank you - excellent suggestion.  I had it in the wrong place - the posting after yours, by Rob Day, with the screen shots showed me that we're on version 8?!?  I thought that version would equate with... well, the suffix on CS, so I thought we were on version 6 since we're on CS6.  The test workspace that I saved confirmed that I'm on version 8.  Thanks for your help.

[Peter Spier]

Version numbering got  a bit confusing when Adobe Adopted the CS designations. For InDesign, add 2 to the CS number because CS1 came out with InDesign 3.0.

[rob day]

Also worked for me in OSX. I copied the entire workspaces folder though:

[Frans_van_der_Geest]

On a Mac you can also find the presets with workspaces in User/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/(version). Copying it there worked for me.

[Frans_van_der_Geest]

Ah wait, this was already mentioned. In other cases try: Mac HD/Applications/Adobe InDesign/presets/workspaces/(language, like en_US)

[Larry G. Schneider]

If you are using 10.7.X, the the User/<yourname>/Library folder is a hidden folder. Do a google search for instructions on making it visible.

[kylenorthway]

May I add that I just received CS6 Cloud and immediately setup a workspace in InDesign (after reading the blogs I decides to make fresh ones instead of bringing them over from CS5).

The problem I am having is that I cannot save it as a default. Everytime I open InDesign the Essentials workspace is active. Maybe I am creating it wrong? Can someone tell me how to create it correctly so that it sticks as a default?

Also note below the workspace is my custom workspace—not the Essentials as shown above the pallets. Should not the "Essentials" read "The Name Of Myworkspace?" since the pallets are my custom settings?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Peter Spier]

Did you save the workspace with a new name?

If all you did was modify the Essentials workspace to suit, it will continue to display as Essentials untill you actually save the current condition with a new workspace name.

[kylenorthway]

Yes, I named it with a completely new name.

When I select my custom workspace from the flyout menu above the pallets, the workspace DOES change to my custom workspace, but the flyout button still reads "Essentials." See below.

[Peter Spier]

Try trashing your prefs. See Replace Your Preferences

[kylenorthway]

OK, got it.  It was the slash in the name, "Jeff 8/2012", that did it.

You cannot put slashes in the workspace name.

Everything works great now.

Thanks or talking!

[Peter Spier]

Good to know. Thinking about it, it isn't a big surprise. I bet other special characters like * or % cause trouble too since they mean something as part of a file path. Stick to alphanumerics, hyphen and underscore and you should be OK.

[Jeremy AB]

Thanks for this info.

This is a common beef for me when installing new versions of InDesign... why can't it offer to take settings etc. from previous versions? I have to manually bring over or re-do settings, workspaces, presets, scripts, keyboard shortcuts, etc.