Editing in both Word and InDesign - looking for alternative to WordsFlow

[simon5CD0]

I have my book set up already - with the help of good people here in the forum. But I am currently making corrections and I do these both in InDesign and Word.

To avoid this I see two options:
1) Use WordsFlow - but I work on a tight budget and don't want to buy it
2) Link the text to the Word file when creating an InDesign document - but I have my documents set up already

Is there a good solution to avoiding my current double-work?  

[Frans v.d. Geest]

No, just invest in Wordsflow, otherwise you can adopt an InCopy workflow, but if you want Word-InDesign-Word and back you need Wordsflow.

[BobLevine]

Why can't you make all the changes in InDesign? Answer that, and we'll be in a much better position to help.

But linking Word files and making corrections there without Wordsflow is a fool's errand.

[simon5CD0]

I probably could but prefer working with the text in Word.

But if there's no good solution other than Words flow, then I have my answer. 

[Lorenzo33226162zhje]

Yes, I really think we are letting Adobe exploit its de-facto monopoly delivering sub-par funcionalities, intricate menues and lack of basic and obious, easy-to-implement tools. I just wish by sharing external resources here and in other spaces we may finally get free of this inefficient dominance and finally have a wrod-processing + desktop publishing workflow in some streamlined and possibly open source package. I dare say, the very same US dominance in the tech field is clearly vanishing because of such common bad practices and frustrating user experience. My 1 €

[BobLevine]

Adobe is not a monopoly in the desktop publishing arena by any stretch. If you think you can do better than current workflows I invite you try Quark, Affinity Publisher or any other competing product.

Your major beef, as far as I can tell is having to pay for things.

[Lorenzo33226162zhje]

My Institution pays for this, so please avoid such cheap comments!

The fact we need to pay for external software packages to achieve basic funcionalities (word processing features + desktop publishing), which were to some extent available for a Commodore 64 in the 80s, is a depressing thing. Bloated menues and lack of streamlined key functionalities are plaguing Adobe packages (as well as Autodesk's) imho.

Instead of discussing with customers, please improve your offering, which is expensive for what it is, even though I don't pay for it. 

I hope to see improvements, not (cheap) witty answers!

Regards,

LC

[BobLevine]

The irony is that you are complaining about bloat while insisting on adding word-processing features to a page layout application. Wordsflow is worth every dime and if you want two way editing with linked Word files it's the only way you're going to get it.

There's plenty to complain about, so I get that part, but this? No. What you want is readily available for the small percentage of users that need it.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Well, forgive me if I side with Bob, here; I read your posts as "I paid for this kind of software once and it should suit my needs across the decades of changing platforms and capabilities."

The notion that Word and InDesign should work hand-in-glove, perfectly, on any document is... perhaps well-intended, but absurd. Despite their superficial similarities and the tendency to be used together in many workflows and shops, they are different tools from different makers who have completely different goals for their products.

Expecting perfect compatibility because you once bought a copy of Word and your institution provides you with ID is... well, a bit naive, if ya ast me.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

@Lorenzo33226162zhje, have you looked at InDesign's built-in tools for editing? Although basic, my clients find them to be very useful for many types of workflows.

1. InCopy: see https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/sharing-content.html
2. Story Editor: see view-source: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/editing-text.html#use_the_story_editor

FYI, unless you see the Adobe Logo next to someone's name, we're all just unpaid volunteers invited to help other users. We are not paid employees. Be nice to us because we don't have to do this. And we have absolutely no control over what Adobe programs into their apps.

All of my colleagues who have responded so far have decades of experience in graphic design and Adobe's products.  It's your choice whether you want to listen or not.

[Lorenzo33226162zhje]

The first polite answer, even though not that useful.

Thank you for explaining me who might be writing and to what goals. However - contrary to our belief in Europe that US customer care is really efficient - I felt a very unpleasant vibe.

More importantly, this is my own yet firm opinion, the issues I mentioned are there, and having "basic" funcionalities intead of full interoperability among packages that are on the market since ages has no justification whatsoever, other than business agreements at the expense of the users. Technically, if a third party plugin does indeed work, it is clearly feasible. 

Voluntary or not, I hope we can in good faith agree that the lack of good interoperability between word and InDesign is a curse to anyone doing reserach work, where advanced word-processing tools must be available, along with decent desktop publishing features. 

Again, being defensive or passive aggressive or "siding with ..." does not seem like a mature and useful stance, rahtehr a cowboy approach, we really despise here.

Thank you, waiting for a real (software) solution to the issue!

Best,

LC 

[BobLevine]

A real solution exists. That you either don't want to try it or don't want to pay for it doesn't change that fact.

I'm finished here. Good luck.

[leo.r]

However - contrary to our belief in Europe that US customer care is really efficient - I felt a very unpleasant vibe

...rahtehr a cowboy approach, we really despise here.

By @Lorenzo33226162zhje

Just in case: if you believe that this is some kind of a US-based "customer care" facility then it's not. It's a user forum with people contributing from all over the world.

[Lorenzo33226162zhje]

From your lexicon and inpolite approach I do believe you respresent a sort of new-cowboy culture, certainly not a Ivy League US. But I might be wrong on this.

Besides, inpoliteness could be bearable, if only you provided me with some clear solutions, rather than bullying me. I think these continuous attacks by you and your colleague "community expert" are so gross and violent that I would be even entitled to damages, as I felt really insulted and made fun of.

And I am just a customer made fun of because I have a serious problem which non of you are really helping me with.

I am really disappointed, and unfortunately Adobe's image - as far as I am concerned - will suffer a lot because of you two.

I am quite sure you'll nbever say "sorry", but you should

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

So buy these two very different, wholly separate mega-companies and beat the dev teams into cooperation.

We'll wait.

[Lorenzo33226162zhje]

As to you, you're possibly add a sizeable machist vive to your messages. Of course, without solving any issues.

I just hope I'll never meet someone like you in real life.

I'm not here to be made fun of, or to be challenged, rather to seek practical help, which you clearly aren't able to provide. If only you could at least provide some empathetic answers.

Adobe, check these two abusers please, as they are trashing your reputation!

[Robert Tkaczyk]

Why are you expecting - or even demanding - "interoperability" from two different tools - created by two different companies?? 

RTF is open standard and both apps support it. 

DOC(X) is a proprietary format of Microsoft - and Adobe can only try to reverse engineering as best as they can. 

Adobe might seek full compatibility with DOC(X) - but there is nothing to force Microsoft to cooperate. 

And please chill out as you are attacking everyone for no reason...

[Lorenzo33226162zhje]

E don't "expect" interoperability, I just notice that there is indeed a third party package (WordsFlow) that manages great interoperability. Now, I'm not an Adobe business advisor, nor a US lawyer (but a lawyer, nevertheless) and I believe that - if the solution is technically shown to be fully feasible and no geopolitical agreement would be breached by its implementation - Adobe had better consider this customer need.

Alternatively, there is space for some newcomer creating a no-frills software suite which will really make our work easier, and not require us to do extensive training on the quirks of each package as if this was rocket science: it isn't.

Editing a text in InDesign should be guaranteed, either internally (with a full-fledged set of features, including usable mark-up, etc), or at least by integrartiung something like WordsFlow natively.

Is that so hard to comprehend/accept this need from an average customer??

Thank you,

LC 

[Robert Tkaczyk]

Adobe is a private company - they can do whatever they want - and of course it's a bonus if it will make user's life easier. But you CAN'T force them to do anything - if you don't like it - use something else. 

I don't see how InDesign is majorly limited in comparison with Word - in terms of text editing?? You can edit text's contents as easily as in Word.

But Word is major pita in terms of auto-formatting text - you can configure it the way you want - but at some point it will modify styling / formatting "because it knows better". In InDesign - you won't get 100s of new styles created automatically based on local formatting. 

Do you expect Microsoft to implement the same level of Table / Cell styles and formatting - just because InDesign offers more? 

Or Anchored / InLine objects handling and formatting? 

I'm sorry but you really have no argument here...

Unless you are doing it for fun...

[BobLevine]

Well, he says he's a lawyer, so...

[Robert Tkaczyk]

Well, he says he's a lawyer, so...

By @BobLevine

Yeah, noticed that as well... 

[FRIdNGE]

I'm not a “community expert” but, according to me, the good initial answer could be here:

What does your book look like?

(^/)  The Jedi

[Robert Tkaczyk]

@FRIdNGE

This 3 years old thread has been hijacked... 

[FRIdNGE]

I saw the date (2021) but I confirm my comment!

(^/)

[BobLevine]

This discussion has clearly run its course and is now locked!