Order in which fields can be filled in (Forms)

[BERT0D4C]

I make forms for a gas company sometimes. I copy/paste repeating columns, obviously. But i found out that the numbering and order is a untackeld area for the makers. Every field must be handled OKed separately. Unworkable, really!! May it be changed fast....!! Having to select te tool under "Object" etc etc and only moving 1 field and than having to do it over and over again is inhumain.

Ideas anybody?

PLEASE HELP if you know a better way or programmers IMPROVE IT!

[BobLevine]

Assuming you're talking about the tab order, it's probably easier to do in Acrobat. 

[BERT0D4C]

You are right but giving the tool and make it like this is a nono in my book. Look, any change in the InD doc and i can do the sh*t (sorry) in Acrobat all over again. Nice.
Thanks anyway Bob but this needs to be fixed. Try and do this form (inclosed) without copying nilly willy and it will jump from here to there. So a really right way to do forms is to make a real solution.

[BobLevine]

Fixed? Nothing's broken. That's a complicated form and it's a lot of work.

You asked a question and gave you the answer. I'm sorry if you don't like it but frankly, I see almost zero need for PDF forms these days especially if it's going to be accessed via a website.

If indeed that is the case, just put a proper form on the website and be done with it. If not, get to work and again, best done in Acrobat. Nobody's going to give you a better answer than that. Users have been complaining about the form creation tools for many years so don't hold your breath waiting for any changes.

[BERT0D4C]

Yes loads of work and it's a form for truckers that clean tanks. Big ones at gas stations etc. They need to be signed by all sorts of people for safety and such. There are > 25 forms like this. I'll first get an approvale before getting the order right.
Thanks for your help, didn't want to insult you. Just need a better program than they say they are. You either make it well and working than do half work. Forms.... ya, if you have a shoppinglist. ;-))

[frazzlesnap]

I had to set up a veterinary form with over 1000 fields using InDesign's terrible, one-tab-at-a-time ordering system. It took days. I finally gave in and decided to do the ordering in Acrobat. It isn't great, but it is much better. I don't think Adobe is going to improve this. I do a few dozen forms a year that have to be filled out digitally and printed. I feel for you!

[BERT0D4C]

Thanks Frazzlesnap :)) I don't do it daily so a once in a while suffering session is OK. It makes me appreciate creative work a lot more. It is still not right to say you have a form solution but actually haven't. It is like saying i am designer but aren't. It just sucks. And says alot about the makers.....

[BERT0D4C]

In the Netherlands we have a saying; selling turnips for lemons. If that makes sense.

[BERT0D4C]

On solution is to have both programs open, InD and Acro. Acrobat gives you the numbers and order while you can work constantly in the taborder menu of InDesign. This is the best i can come up with and is a better option than doing this in Acrobat afterwords. Because, with one change in the InDesign document you can do the tab in Acrobat all over again, this will save you the time.

[BobLevine]

Because, with one change in the InDesign document you can do the tab in Acrobat all over again, this will save you the time.

By @BERT0D4C

That is not necessarily true. If the form fields aren't changing you can use the replace pages command in Acrobat and leave the interactive items in place.

[BERT0D4C]

Must you allways be right Bob. Very annoing. Something must be missing in your live.

Anyhow, Still some tabflows go against the grain while the order is correct. Although Adobe doesn't want to work on this, in my humble opinion this should be fixed.
I'm done with this now. And thanks for the lessons Bob although i did it all myself.

[Pickory]

Not what it was intended for. You could use the Articles panel.

Didn't work.

[BobLevine]

Yeah, the articles panel is for reading order, not tabbing through form fields.