1 Correct answer
- Create multi layer file in InDesign
- Turn of visibility to all layers except base layer
- EXPORT as interactive pdf - be sure to click on save layers box
- Open file in Acrobat
- EDIT pdf - find LINK tool
- open the Layers dialog box - pancake on left
- click on box next to the first layer you want to activate
- click "LINK / ADD/EDIT web or doc"
-crosshair tool should appear. Create shade box over item, (You will have a chance later to adjust box. Don't worry if not perfect.)
- When you release mous
...
15
Replies
You can create InDesign (or Illustrator) layers in your PDF and use buttons to show or hide the layers.
Here is a DropBox link to a sample interactive PDF showing how it works, there are basic instructions on page 2.
Come back here if you get stuck, or have a look in the Acrobat forum.
Note, the viewer will need to use Acrobat or Reader to take advantage of the interactivity.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zvgbghvkaaznyjg/Easter%20Egg%20Hunt.pdf?dl=0
As JR said, most of the work happens in Acrobat.
Does the interactive PDF work in Acrobat? If so, from Acrobat, try Save as Other> Reader Extended PDF> Enable more tools.
Can you see your layers in Acrobat? (View> Show/Hide> Navigation Panes> Layers) You will need to turn down the little arrow to show all of the layers.
The instructions were repurposed from a different PDF, and are a little vague, but If you let me know where you are, perhaps I can be more helpful.
Glad you were able to figure it out. It sounds like you got stuck on creating the buttons. I made my buttons in InDesign, on a separate top layer. I made small yellow rectangles over the wall image, then converted them to buttons, (Object> Interactive> Convert to button) when they were all done, I changed the fill color to none (to make them invisible).
Here are the steps, revised for this specific Easter PDF (revisions in red):
1. Set up your InDesign document, using separate layers for each alternate view. Create a base layer for static content, but do not assign any actions to the buttons in InDesign. Create buttons in InDesign, the buttons can be invisible. Turn off all layers except the base layer. InDesign will export all of the layers, but they will remain hidden, until you reveal them in Acrobat.
2. Export to an interactive PDF from InDesign, be sure to check on Create Acrobat Layers.
3. Open the PDF in Acrobat, select Layers View (the pancake icon at the top left), or View> Show/Hide> Navigation Panes> Layers. Go to Tools> Prepare Form, (the Acrobat button tools are within the Form tools). You should see all of your InDesign buttons, identified by their name, as well as all of the InDesign layers, with only the base layer visible. Now you can tell the buttons what to do.
4. Turn on the layer visibility for Layer1, the Buttons layer, and the Pug layer. Click on button 1 to select it, then right click (or control+click) to open the button’s Properties window, click the Actions tab> Select Trigger> Mouse Over> Add. This will cause the Pug layer to appear when the mouse moves over button 1. Now turn off the Pug layer visibility in the layers panel, and with the button 1 Properties panel still open, select Trigger> Mouse Exit> Set layer visibility> Add. This will cause the Pug layer to disappear when the mouse moves off of button one. Repeat for the other buttons.
Note, the easter bunny button does not have a mouse exit trigger, so it will stay on once selected (as long as you don't touch another button) the button over the easter bunny turns off the bunny layer.
5. Close the layers view and stop Form editing (or close and re-open your PDF), now when the first button is covered by the mouse, you will see the base layer and first layer combined. The layers can overlap any way you prefer, depending on how your InDesign file was set-up.
6. Save.
Feel free to upload and share a link to your PDF, I would love to see it. Happy Easter!
AdChoices