Changes in Illustrator links doesn't in Indesign

[janw62609044]

I'm working with a lot of graphs for annual reports. When I make changes in Illustrator 2020 it doesn't update in Indesign. It's still the old figures, even if I saved the Illustrator document and closed it.

Someone else have the same problem?

[Steve Werner]

Select the figure and put the Links panel next to it. Make a screen capture of both of them so we can see its status.

Please tell us what operating system (exactly) you're running.  Please tell us (exactly) what InDesign version you're using.

[SJRiegel]

I have been seeing this a lot lately - I use the Edit controls from within InDesign to access the files to edit, but I still have to click the Update button in the Links panel to re-connect to the edited file

[Steve Werner]

Yes, I see that in a test I just did between InDesign 2020 and Illustrator 2020. Saving changes in the Illustrator file didn't update InDesign automatically. I also had to click the Update button in the Links panel.

[Steve Werner]

I tested this further: I made the simplest possible file in ID 2019 and an AI 2019 file with one colored swatch. I placed the AI 2019 swatch into ID 2019. When I updated the swatch and saved in AI 2019 the "Edit Original" feature kicked in and updated in ID 2019 without having to click the Update icon in the Links panel.

I recreated the exact setup with an equivalebnt ID 2020 file and a placed AI 2020 file with a colored swatch. This setup FAILED. Updating the AI file and saving wasn't sufficient. I had to click the Update icon the Links panel.

I'm reporting this as a bug.

[Laubender]

Hi Jan,

could this be a bug with the Mac OS X versions of InDesign and Illustrator 2020 only?

Cannot see the issue with my German InDesign and Illustrator 2020 versions on Windows 10.

If I change, save and close the placed AI file InDesign will alert me while I open the document where the AI file is placed that the file was updated and if I like to confirm updating my link.

To Steve:

Tested with your simple files. CC 2019 and 2020. No issue found.

Used the command Edit with Edit Original when selecting the placed AI file in the Links panel.

Changed the AI file, saved and closed it. Back to InDesign the placed AI file was already updated.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Steve Werner]

Thanks for testing, Uwe. It would be good if others could test this, and report back so we can isoltate where the problem is. It could be a Mac only bug.

[jmlevy]

InDesign 15.1.1 and Illustrator 24.2.3 (just updated 5 minutes ago) running on Mac OS 10.13.6: used Edit Original  and modified a placed Illustrator file. Back to InDesign: file is correctly updated.

[rob day]

I’m seeing it on OSX, but it is intermitent and only seems to be happening with .AI files—Illustrator EPS, PDFs edited in Acrobat, and image files edited in Photoshop all seem to auto update.

If I option-click an AI file, make a change in Illustrator, and save; the AI file shows as Modified and isn’t automatically updated. However, if I then update the modification from the InDesign Links panel, and then option-click the AI file again, new changes do get auto updated as expected.

[Steve Werner]

Thanks, I've just filed a bug report in InDesign Prerelease for them to check it out.

[Steve Werner]

Yes, I just tested again with the same files, and strangely enough, they are working correctly!! So there is some inconsistency about it. I'm using the same versions of ID 2020 and AI 2020 I used before. So I'm stumped.