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Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 18, 2019
Answered

Rare keyboard shortcut for star shapes

  • September 18, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 3223 views

At some point in the evolution of versions of InDesign, the shortcut changed for changing the number of sides of the polygon frame as well as changing the star inset amount.

 

Nowadays it is (while dragging the mouse in a polygon tool) to hold Spacebar and tap the up/down and or left/right arrows.

 

A number of versions ago it used to NOT include the spacebar key.

 

Anyone remember when the keyboard shortcut changed? At which version? Or am I confusing it with Illustrator? 😜

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Mike Witherell

    Evidently the shortcut trick did change at CS5:

    https://indesignsecrets.com/cs5s-gridified-tools-adds-a-wrinkle-to-drawing-starbursts-and-polygons.php

     

    5 replies

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity ExpertAuthorCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    September 30, 2019

    Evidently the shortcut trick did change at CS5:

    https://indesignsecrets.com/cs5s-gridified-tools-adds-a-wrinkle-to-drawing-starbursts-and-polygons.php

     

    Mike Witherell
    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    September 30, 2019

    Assuming Grid placement displaced the old shortcut, then...

    My old notes about Grid placement mention it was improved in CS5, but my old notes seem to miss this about CS4. But, according to this ...

    http://blog.gilbertconsulting.com/2009/11/automatically-place-multiple-images-in.html

    ... the Grid placement was introduced in CS4.

     

    I still wish I could test for which version caused that "polygon sides" shortcut to change!

    Mike Witherell
    winterm
    winterm
    Legend
    September 19, 2019

    Hm, seems like Mike is right. Just tested ID 5.0 (CS3), and indeed, it works without spacebar. I think, in some later version spacebar was included because of gridify, which is unavailable in CS3. So, it must be version 6 or 7 (CS4-CS5.5). Don't have any of these installed, so coudn't test. When gridify was introduced?

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    September 30, 2019

    see below

    Mike Witherell
    barbara_a7746676
    Community Expert
    barbara_a7746676Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 19, 2019

    This post https://indesignsecrets.com/turning-polygons-to-starbursts-in-indesign.php talks about the shortcut you mentioned as working in CS3 or CS4. I can't test that because CS6 is the oldest version I have installed and the shortcuts you mentioned do not work in that version of InDesign,

    barbara_a7746676
    Community Expert
    barbara_a7746676Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 19, 2019

    You are confusing the InDesign with the Illustrator shortcut.

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