How is this 'liquid layout' supposed to function. No change showing whatsoever when opening PDF.

[Guest]

Here. https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/indesign/using/alternate-layouts-liquid-layouts.html

Built the document, gone through each layout, applied 'liquid layout' rule to each one. 'Object-based', width / height.

Exported after checking for any export specific settings, opened on mobile device. Nothing. Just tries to stuff the entire landscape layout onto the smaller screen as per previously expected behaviour.

Is it actually possible to get this software to output a PDF document capable of reformatting dynamically on other screens.

Note: the 'topics' that will be attached to this post are likely incorrect or misleading. adobe select the initial list of these themselves and disallow users from writing in their own tags or choosing via autocomplete like most other forum engines. FYI

[Jens Trost]

Hi,

after setting your rules you have to actually create an alternative layout by going to Layout -> Create alternate layout (it's described on the link you posted). Then InDesign will create a whole new set of pages in your desired format and apply the rules you specify to the content. Manual tweaking usually is required, depending on the complexity of the layout.
After that you can create a PDF of that layout like you normaly would (and selecting the corresponding page range). 

BUT: 

A PDF is a fixed format (that was the whole point of the format, so that on every device it looks identical). It is not responsive in any way like websites can be.

So if you would like a PDF to be widescreen on a monitor and at the same time Portrait mode on a smartphone – nope. Wrong format, create a website.

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

PDFs are not responsive. I think you're misunderstanding the purpose of this. It's to take a layout built for one purpose and change it for another. For instance, you've designed for landscape but the client decides to change it to portrait.

Franky, this is a feature that demos really well but doesn't really fill a big need, IMO.

[TᴀW]

If it worked, it would fill a big need (think product labels). But it's half-baked (or, IMO, over-ambitious), so basically useless.

[BobLevine]

Just another "feature" that was supposed to work with DPS and never did.