Nested conditions for conditional text not possible?

[Doc Maik]

Hello!

I have an INDD with text in several languages which I switch between using conditions. Let's call this INDD "sub".

Now I want to place the sub in another INDD, the "main". Main is going to be exported and before doing that I want to switch the language shown in sub from within main. So far, I couldn't manage that.

I'm aware that a placed INDD is sort of like a placed PDF, but I had hope there are more options because of the file being an INDD.  What happens:

a) the conditions in sub are not loaded into main automatically. OK, can be done manually and once.

b) switching conditions in main has no effect on sub.

What are my options instead of going the hard way which would be to create copies of sub with permanent language set and place all of those subs into main and then switch the entire INDDs from within main which is, well, nasty?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I think you've discovered real limitations in the process. For all the advantages of placed INDD and PDF in documents, it does impose a layer of limited control in the assembly document. Conditional text is especially fussy about the details, I've found.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Doc Maik

How many combinations do you have? 

Do you mix languages? 

Can you switch to using layers in your sub INDD file? 

[Doc Maik]

Mix: no.

Layers: Good idea! As I saw, layers of a placed INDD are imported, so this could be a solution, though conditional text would be easier to manage, as my text is put into a table and the three languages form one long string per cell. By using layers I would have to put three copies of the table or at least a part of it on top of each other.  Well, feasible.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Mix: no.

Layers: Good idea! As I saw, layers of a placed INDD are imported, so this could be a solution, though conditional text would be easier to manage, as my text is put into a table and the three languages form one long string per cell. By using layers I would have to put three copies of the table or at least a part of it on top of each other.  Well, feasible.

By @Doc Maik

With conditional text - you have no control over the location of the text - unless, as you are doing now - use table or some other container. 

With layers - you can simply turn them on / off. 

And it can then be easily scripted - you can process all links in the document - PDF, PSD, INDD files that support layers. 

Few screenshots of your current layout would be helpful - if you need more help. 

[Doc Maik]

No, not needed, thank you. I know what to do and how, I just wanted to avoid using layers, because in my case using them is way more work than using conditional text.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

No, not needed, thank you. I know what to do and how, I just wanted to avoid using layers, because in my case using them is way more work than using conditional text.

By @Doc Maik

Great. Always happy to help. 

But amount of work depends on the layout. It can always be automated - either with free of paid tools. 

[Doc Maik]

So I revised the "sub" and after placing it in the "main", the layers are not imported, as I expected. In the linking dialog, there is an option to show or hide layers, but that's just visibility. No, there is either the option to relink the sub(s) over and over to switch the language related objects in it or, what I found in another thread, you can switch the layers by right-clicking the object and go to Object Layer Options. That's easier than relinking, but still has to be done for every child object. In my case, I place several subs in main. Better than nothing, but an inconvenient solution. I'm still wondering, why such a basic thing isn't implemented... 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

[...] you can switch the layers by right-clicking the object and go to Object Layer Options. That's easier than relinking, but still has to be done for every child object. [...] 

By @Doc Maik

Like I've said - very easy to automate - number of options - a lot to set-up every time or one click - depends if it's free or paid solution.