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Resizing proportionally and duplicating objects with alt key in inDesign

Community Beginner ,
Jan 14, 2019 Jan 14, 2019

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After upgrading inDesign, I can't find a way to resize objects proportionally. The usual method, using Shift key, does not work anymore. It doesn't resize proportionally even if I don't hold any key at all.
Also, duplicating objects by dragging them while holding Alt key doesn't work anymore.

Also, constraining horizontality or verticality when moving objects while holding Shift key does not work anymore.


How can I resize objects proportionally?
How can I duplicate objects easily?
Is there any other way to constrain direction when moving objects?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Beginner , Jan 15, 2019 Jan 15, 2019

Restarting the computer solved the problem.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 14, 2019 Jan 14, 2019

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You did not say exactly what version of InDesign and what operating system that you are using. However, regardless of what version you have these functions should be working. The first thing that I would try for something this invasive would be to trash your InDesign preferences.

To do so:

For Macintosh Users: The User Library folder in which InDesign’s preferences are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that InDesign is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N). With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the folder called “Adobe InDesign” and the file called “com.adobe.InDesign.plist” and delete both that folder and that file. When InDesign is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

For Windows Users: You can try the quick way of resetting on a PC which is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching InDesign and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset. There have been some recent reports that the window asking if you want to reset is not popping up but that the prefs are being reset anyway. If this works great but if it doesn’t you may have to manually delete them.

To do so:

On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<Language>. Make sure that InDesign is closed when you do this. When you relaunch the program it will create  new preference files and the program will be at its default settings.

The advantage of manually deleting preference files is that after you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, you can create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 15, 2019 Jan 15, 2019

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Hello, Bill,
Thank you very much for you detailed reply.

(I'm on a iMac 27, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, with most the recent inDesign (14.0.1) this particular update created these problems)
Unfortunately, this process produced no changes at all.
My guess is these features are the new standards in inDesign and I can't find a way to alter or revert them. Additionally I found that the Shift key does not constrain objects rotation, as it used to. It looks like the parent problem is "Can´t use the keyboard to add control to object transformation using the mouse, particularly Shift and Alt keys".

This problem is not at all present in Photoshop and "alt+mouse scroll" still works to zoom in/out on all apps.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 15, 2019 Jan 15, 2019

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It most definitely is not the new standard for InDesign. I say that both from personal experience and from not seeing this as a widely reported problem on the forums. By the way you say that you are on a Mac and yet you keep referring to the ALT key (which is on a PC) rather than the Option key (used on a Mac). I will assume that this is a slip of the tongue rather than you using a non-Mac keyboard. If you are using a third party keyboard then that could certainly be the problem. I would also suggest checking out this link which addresses this issue Proportional scaling does not work using Shift key | macOS .

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 15, 2019 Jan 15, 2019

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Bill,

I'm very grateful for the time you spent with me.
Following your tip, I dig a little deeper and read somewhere else a suggestion that worked.

Back to the basics, I just restarted the computer and now everything works as it should.

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New Here ,
Feb 05, 2020 Feb 05, 2020

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Hi Antonio,

What suggestion worked for you as I have the same problem since upgrading to Indesign 2020. Its driving me crazy!!!

Look forward to your reply.

 

 

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New Here ,
Feb 05, 2020 Feb 05, 2020

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All good I just worked it out.

Select object you want to duplicate. Then hover arrow icon over object then hold down Option Key. This will change the arrow icon to show 2 smaller arrows. Then you can click on object and drag and will duplicate.

 

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 15, 2019 Jan 15, 2019

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Restarting the computer solved the problem.

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New Here ,
Sep 28, 2021 Sep 28, 2021

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I am having same issues, really frustrating as I am a design tutor, and this makes me look incompitent! Adobe help please!

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LEGEND ,
Oct 03, 2021 Oct 03, 2021

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Hi there,

 

Sorry to hear about your experience. Please try the suggestions shared on this community post & let us know if they help with your concerns.

 

Regards,

Ashutosh

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New Here ,
Feb 12, 2023 Feb 12, 2023

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This is doing my head in I cant resize an object

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