IDML

[Lamar_Clark1]

The IDML File Conversion Service is temporarily unavailable, and I desperately need to work on my files ASAP. How long is this service normally down? Thx

[BobLevine]

Why do you even need it? With CC you have access to all the latest versions.

[JonathanArias]

he might work at a place where they dont' have the cloud service. at my publisher house they still buy single year editions of adobe software, the editorial team has 2015, but me on a mac am on 2017.  none of us are on the download manager service since the company is buying only the one software package and none of the online services. So i have to make legacy files all day long till they get on 2017.

[AnshulJain19]

Hi Lamar,

Please try sign-out and sign-in in Creative Cloud and relaunch InDesign.

Thanks

-Anshul

[SanyamTalwar · Accepted solution]

The IDML file conversion service is now available.

[JonathanArias]

you can ask the other person you are working with to make you a legacy file after they are done? that is what we do at my job.

[alanwilkie]

That's fine, Jonathan, if the other person knows what a legacy file is. If they work with CS6, they're always working with legacy files (from a CC point of view) but they probably don't know it.

Isn't the safest option -- if you know the other person is working with a different version of InDesign -- to save your files as .IDML?

So, you can exchange files from CS6 (or earlier) to CC and back with no problem. 

Saving a file as .IDML isn't automatic, you have to chose that option... but it works from CS4 onwards (as far as I know).

Maybe I'm wrong (tell me if you think I am) but it seems to me that Adobe has bent over backwards to make sure version incompatibility isn't a problem (unlike Microsoft with Word).  Unfortunately, not everyone seems to appreciate this... or know about the versatility of .IDML.

I found this out the hard way, by the way.   😞   🙂

[BobLevine]

alanwilkie  wrote

Isn't the safest option -- if you know the other person is working with a different version of InDesign -- to save your files as .IDML?

So, you can exchange files from CS6 (or earlier) to CC and back with no problem. 

I cannot over emphasize how horrible an idea that is. IDML was never intended for round-trip workflows and should never be depended upon for it. Collaborative workflows should have all users on the same version...PERIOD!

Text can reflow, new features can be lost or worst...badly mangled.

Avoid workflows like this at all cost and keep everyone on the same version.