Selecting multiple sublayers in CS6

[Anthillz65]

I have hundreds of text blocks in a catalog layout. In each of these blocks is a smaller anchored text box. All of these anchored text blocks need to be made visible and invisible at the same time, at the click of a button. However, each is a separate sublayer nestled inside their corresponding text block sublayers, inside a layer called 'text.'

Is there an existing script that allows a 'select sublayer name' option, then 'make visible' or 'make invisible.'? (actually, all the sublayers I need to do this to don't have the same name, however, they have the same prefix... ideally, that's what I'd like to enter into the field).

Thanks much!

[Willi Adelberger]

Sublayers don't exist in InDesign. But each item is shown similiar below the opened layer name in the layer panel.

Do you know the function "Conditional Text"? It is in the submenu in Wndows > Type and Tables

It is supposed to do what you want to do.

[Anthillz65]

Willi, thanks for that input. The things that I'm calling 'sublayers,' just out of curiosity, what are their 'technical' name? Just the fact that I'm able to turn on and off visibility at that layer was exciting... I thought I had stumbled onto something. However, when I found out that there was seemingly no way to group them, that's when the discouragement settled in.

I will definitely check out the conditional text and see if I could get this to work. I have multiple versions that I want to be able to turn on and off, so hopefully, the conditional text will allow that.

Thanks for your input.

[Willi Adelberger]

It is called Object, because everything below a Layer Entry is either an Object or a Guide or a Group of Objects and Groups, nothng more is possible to be on a layer.

If you need to make objects (not only text passages) conditional you need to anchor them into a text frame into a paragrap (or between any text) which has to be conditional. If an anchor is inside conditional text, the anchor is also and so the object fom the anchor too.

[Anthillz65]

Thanks Willi. Very helpful. And the conditional text seems to be working. Because I have several SKU versions, what I ended up doing was flowing the first SKU number directly into the ordering info section of the text. Once the catalog is completely edited and ready to go to print, I create a GREP request to find that SKU, and repeat it five times with the different prefixes needed. Then I created a new GREP to locate each of those prefixes, and assign the appropriate conditional text, allowing prepress to turn on and off as needed. So, maybe a little messy, but it accomplishes what I had hoped to accomplish, keeping the SKU together with the other text throughout the design and editing process.

Thanks again!