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• • March 25, 2010 at 2:18 pm #55310
    boogyman

    Participant

    Can anyone suggest an audio format that allows compression and that can be embedded into an indd file for export to and playback of files in pdf? My main problem is that indesign doesn't allow mp3 import, so I am stuck with swf, wav, etc. But for these formats, the size difference is huge. For example, if I import 100 one minute .wav sound clips at 48 kbps, 40000 hz, 16 bit, mono, the size is 4 mb x 100 = 400 mb! But if I could import mp3 with compression (same quality) the file size is much lower, at 300k x 100 = 30 mb. That's a huge difference; and the last thing I want to be sending to someone is a 400mb pdf. I can't find any sound formats that indesign accepts which has the same compression and low file size as mp3. My only way to work around this was to convert all the mp3s into avi files without video, since avi uses mp3 compression; but i ran into a problem of the avi file automatically playing (in acrobat) with the built in quicktime player, instead of the flash player, and for some reason it doesn't actually play in the quicktime player, the pdf just freezes and I have to close it. Any suggestions for how to work around this would be appreciated. will cs5 allow mp3s?

  • March 25, 2010 at 2:23 pm #55311
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    You're running into one of the classic problems of exporting from ID to PDF in CS4. The media (like video and sound) get handled by quicktime instead of the built-in flash player. Have you tried inserting the sound file in Acrobat (after you make the pdf) instead of in ID?

  • March 25, 2010 at 2:57 pm #55312
    boogyman

    Participant

    Hi David, thanks for the reply. I feel understood! haha. Yes, I have tried embedding files into acrobat itself, but the problem is that there are hundreds of sound files, and also if I made any changes to the file, and re-exported, I would have to change the properties of each individual avi file (to open with flash instead of quicktime) all over again. I tried to find a way to change all those properties of all the avi objects at once, but acrobat only allows me to “lock” all objects at once (if i select and click on properties), not change the preferred player for all of them. Someone suggested I embed swf instead, that is, convert mp3 to swf. I will try that and post the result.

  • March 25, 2010 at 5:52 pm #55317
    boogyman

    Participant

    I wrapped the mp3 files in swf and imported the swf file into indesign, clicked on the option to show player controller upon playback in pdf, but when I exported and opened as pdf, then clicked on the swf file, it played fine, but there is no controller. I am using CS3. I didn't think this would be an issue, to play an swf file in a pdf, but apparently it is. it's hopeless! xD maybe it's because I wrapped the mp3 into the swf, which means there's no video? could that be a reason why the controller doesn't appear?

  • March 25, 2010 at 7:46 pm #55318
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Importing SWF has the same problem. The only way to make that work reliably is to insert it in Acrobat 9. Sorry.

    But once you do it once, you can update the “underlying” pages with Replace Page:

    https://creativepro.com/des…..ervice.php

  • March 26, 2010 at 2:08 am #55320
    boogyman

    Participant

    If I do decide to embed the audio directly into the pdf instead of indesign, that neat trick you linked me to above will definitely help, now that I understand it. Replace the page (that has been revised in indesign, and exported as a pdf) without disturbing the objects (in my case, sound objects). Great! That's probably what I'll end up doing, since the edits are going to be almost entirely punctuation, like substitute semi-colon in for period. So thanks again, David. And nice site :D It's my first time here, I found it very user friendly and the help is much appreciated.

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