InDesign properties panel

[m90583877]

Hi.

I have just upgraded to InDesign 14.0 and found myself completely disabled - instead of separate small panels I open for the objects I use there is a huge inconvenient "Properties" panel which only has half the options for all the things I use and takes a lot of space having things I do not need permanently open.

How do I only open the panels I need ("character", "paragraph" etc) to have all the options I need and not have half the screen covered with this confusing useless thing? Also bring "transform" options and such back to the top of my workspace?

Thank you!

[Laubender]

Hi m90583877 ,

if you mean to use the legacy Control panel, you'll still find this under Windows > Control.

Like all other panels as well.

Note: There is a known bug with the Control panel in InDesign CC 2019.

You will experience a lag of about 20 seconds once per session if you switch tools to the Type tool.

That's reported for the Windows and the OS X version of InDesign.

Regards,
Uwe

[jane-e]

Specifically, switch to the Advanced Workspace in the workspace switcher or the Window menu, then add other panels, then save your new workspace.

The Properties panel is for beginners only, imho.

[gplumblee]

The original question here from m90583877 was actually answered correctly by Laubender, not cinziamarotta. Selecting Control from the Windows menu puts the Properties panel back to the top of the screen. 

[cinziamarotta · Accepted solution]

Hi,

the properties panel appear in a new ESSENTIALS workspace. You can choose another workspace or save your own workspace containing every panel you need.

[m90583877]

thank you!

whoever it is for it seems like a huge inconvenience - limited options, can't be collapsed partially, taking half the screenwhile being useless.. poor new users

[Steve Werner]

Actually, as has been proven in Illustrator CC and Photoshop CC (and comments I've seen in my article on InDesignSecrets.com) new users and occasional users much prefer the Essentials panel because most things they need are in one place. It will be enhanced in future versions as it has in Illustrator and Photoshop. New users often find the Control panel confusing. I know because I'm a teacher.

[Jongware]

One cannot help but wonder what the core beef is from some people here.

Aggregating various comments: "it is huge" (because it contains a lot of properties) "and incomplete" (that is, it should be larger still) "and it contains stuff that's also in other panels" (just like the Control panel does, and the menus, and hotkeys -- in fact there is a lot of duplication) but also "it does not contain all stuff from all other panels".

Some of these contradictions are in the very same post.

All the while: it is just a regular panel, like all others are. If you hate it, just close it.

[m90583877]

"huge and incomplete" - there are few separate panels which do the job, why make a big uncollapsable one with half the properties randomly taken from those? I could understand if one could customise it, but when you open the program and see this instead of all the useful stuff one can not help but wonder why.

[Derek Cross]

It's an alternative, not a replacement. You can choose which you prefer.

[Jongware]

The only difference is that this Properties panel appears "visible" by default. You can still open and close all individual panels, under the Windows menu, then save your workspace as in the previous versions. That part of the interface has not changed.

[DaniellaSpinetti]

Yes! This worked for me. Thank You! Order has been restored 🙂
Window > Workspace > Essentials Classic 👌