Even if you have the latest InDesign version, CS4, you can’t see what SWF files place in InDesign documents look like until you export. However, David Blatner at InDesignSecrets.com reports that Martinho da Gloria and his company, Automatication, has created a script that overcomes this limitation. David says that the PlaySWF script “lets you view SWF files inside a floating panel in InDesign! Now, suddenly, placing SWFs in InDesign seems like a far more interesting combination when making interactive PDF files. You can import a SWF into InDesign the same way you import any kind of asset: with File > Place, or by dragging from the finder/windows explorer. But InDesign won’t show you a preview of the SWF; you just see a box full of diagonal lines, the name of the file, and a dorky filmstrip icon. However, if you have installed PlaySWF, you can choose Window > PlaySWF and see it running inside the PlaySWF window.”
The PlaySWF script is donation-ware, meaning that you can use it for free, but it’s nice to give money to the creators if you find the script useful. Download the script here.
This article was last modified on December 14, 2022
This article was first published on June 15, 2009
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