Adobe InDesign CS/CS2 Breakthroughs [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Loving those Layers

Move Objects from One Layer to Another

I wanted to move an object to a higher layer in my Layers palette. So I clicked on the object and then clicked on the layer I want to move it to, but the object didn't jump to that layer, as I expected. Then I tried dragging the object on top of the layer in the Layers palette, but that didn't work either, and a co-worker looking over my shoulder started laughing at me. Finally, I tried cutting the object to the clipboard, selecting the new layer and Pasting in Place (Edit > Paste in Place), but it just ended up back in the same spot in the original layer. This is so frustrating. (And embarrassing.)

That last method you tried Cut, target different layer, Paste in Placewould have worked if the "Paste Remembers Layers" command was turned off (unchecked) in your Layers palette menu. Just so you know. However, you don't have to jump through all these hoops to move an object to a different layer though. Otherwise, no one would use the palette!

Here's what your "colleague" knew but was too mean to share with you. When you select an object, the Layers palette shows a little proxy icon to the right of the layer it's currently on, a little colored square that's the same color as the layer's selection color. Drag that little icon to another layer, and the selected object(s) that icon represents will move to that layer as well.

Think of the Layer proxy icon as a selection's leash, and the selected objects as the dog(s) they're attached to. The dogs have to follow the location of the leash, so just drag the leash and the dogs will follow. Gently, please.

Move Objects from Many Layers to Another

I've got a pile of objects selected on my page text frames, lines, a couple graphicsand want to move them all to their own new layer. But currently, these guys live on a bunch of different layers, so when I select them all, my Layers palette shows multiple proxy icons. If I drag one of the proxies to the new layer, only that object moves to the new layer. I can think of, oh, about a thousand better ways to spend my time than dragging little squares, one by one, from one layer to another.

For this technique, make sure that Paste Remembers Layers is turned off in the Layers palette menu. You don't want objects to remember their layers for now. Select all the objects you want to move, choose Edit > Cut, target the new layer, and choose Edit > Paste or Edit > Paste in Place. All the objects are pasted into the targeted layer (Figure 2-19).

Another way to do this (that avoids messing with the Paste Remembers Layers setting) is to drag just one of the proxies to the new layer, then choose Object > Group. Since a group of items can only be in one layer, InDesign moves the rest of the selected objects to the topmost layer containing one of the objects and groups them there. Immediately choose Object > Ungroup, and you've got what you want.

Note that the first method works when moving objects to any layer, the second works only if you're trying to move objects to a layer that's higher up than their current layer assignments.

Move Objects to a Locked or Hissen Layer

I want to add an object to a layer that's currently locked, but InDesign won't let me drag the proxy icon to it. Same thing if the layer I want to move it to is hidden. I have to unlock or reveal the layer first, then move, then re-lock or re-hide the layer. Blech.

Hold down the Command/Ctrl key when you drag and drop the layer proxy icon to force a hidden or locked layer to accept the object. Pretty tricky, eh?

Import Layers from Another Document

There's no Load Layers command in the Layers palette. To recreate my thirty-layer deep, finely-tuned, work-of-art set of layers I created in my old document, I have to reconstruct it, layer by layer, in my current document.

Open the old document and select (via Shift-click) a bunch of objectsone item on each layer you want to bring over. You should see the entire right side of the Layers palette basically filled with a rainbow of layer proxy icons. Copy the selection to the clipboard (Edit > Copy), and switch to your new document. In the Layers palette menu, make sure the Paste Remembers Layers option is turned on. If it's not, select the menu item to toggle it on (Figure 2-20).

Now choose Edit > Paste. You'll see both the objects and their layers are added to your document. The superfluous objects are still selected, so press Delete to get rid them in one swoop. The layers they rode in on remain in your Layers palette.

Select Everything on a Layer

I need to select every object on one of my layers. The only way I can do this, as far as I can tell, is to choose Edit > Select All and deselect every object with a selection color different than the layer I want.

Wow, that's a lot of work! Try Option/Alt-clicking the layer name next time, which selects all the objects in that layer.